Little Explorers Nursery

Inspection of Little Explorers Nursery Derby College, Broomfield Hall Campus, Broomfield Estate, Morley, ILKESTON, Derbyshire DE7 6DN

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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The provision is outstanding

Children are happy and anticipate the day ahead with great enthusiasm. They know the daily routines well, and on arrival, they immediately put on their wetsuits and wellies. Children are keen to enjoy the outdoor environment. Staff encourage a democratic decision about where to visit each day. Children develop an understanding of fairness as they place their vote against the picture of the forest, farm, outdoor classroom, walled garden or 'roly-poly hill'. Staff remind children about rules to ensure they remain safe, such as holding up their hands so they can be counted quickly when in the forest. Children participate in counting their friends, which helps to develop their understanding of numbers in a practical context.

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The provision is outstanding

Children benefit from an exciting and stimulating learning environment and show deep levels of engagement and eagerness to learn. The highly qualified manager and staff team share a common understanding of how children learn best. They consistently provide a highly successful, challenging curriculum that builds on what children know and can do and creates resilient learners.

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The provision is outstanding

Children play wonderfully together and develop an excellent awareness of their immediate community. For example, they participate in a service for Remembrance Day at the on-site college and enjoy friendly visits from the local emergency service staff, who talk to them about their role in keeping people safe.

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need to do better?

n Staff have a deep understanding of all children's needs. They use accurate assessments of children's progress to plan and deliver consistently challenging and enjoyable activities. As a result, children are making excellent progress. The manager and staff hold very high expectations of children. They skilfully take every opportunity to 'challenge and stretch' their knowledge and skills. Each child has a target that stretches a skill they have already mastered and a challenge to learn a new skill. n All children are confident to communicate and share their ideas. Staff regularly introduce new words to children's already extensive range of vocabulary. For example, children remember what words were used by staff while they compared the size of branches in the forest. They confidently tell their friends they need to take an 'enormous stride' to miss the puddle. They talk considerately about their friends' feelings and respect that not everyone wants

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need to do better?

to be splashed. n Children are compassionate and respectful of others. They listen attentively to staff and respond positively to their friend's ideas. For example, they negotiate how to move a pretend fire away from a tree branch so that children have space to engage in different play ideas. Staff support children to solve problems and to

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need to do better?

18 November 2022 be persistent in their efforts. Children are encouraged to keep trying to hit the head of a nail to hammer it into a log. As a result, children remain focused on activities even when they encounter difficulties. Staff are excellent role models for the children. They consistently encourage and celebrate children's achievements throughout the nursery. n Children share books such as 'The Rascally Cake' as they sit on the storytelling throne. Their imagination is ignited as they hunt for wiggly worms to put into their 'cake'. Children negotiate the rough underfoot terrain of the forest, developing their coordination and muscle skills as they use their pincer grip to pick up twigs to represent the worms. n Partnerships with parents are professional and effective. Staff share with parents how children benefit from being immersed in the natural world through the vast range of experiences in the outdoor environment. Parents express their

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need to do better?

confidence in the 'super' team, which takes the utmost care of their children. n The manager plans and delivers highly focused and effective professional development opportunities to raise the quality of teaching to an exceptional level. Staff undertake rigorous training to update their skills and knowledge. For example, following literacy training, staff have replaced singing with rhyme time so that children hear the alliteration in sentences. They now sing the rhymes more slowly so that children have time to process what they are hearing. n The manager conducts highly effective supervision meetings and observations of staff's practice to support them to identify their strengths and areas for improvement. Staff feel their well-being is of paramount importance to the leadership team. For example, they take mindfulness walks at lunchtime.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

The manager and staff demonstrate an excellent knowledge of their safeguarding responsibilities. The manager questions staff regularly so she is confident they can identify, understand and respond to any signs of possible abuse and neglect. Staff encourage children to manage risks independently. Children's safety and well-being are given the utmost priority. Children follow thorough safety advice from staff. For example, they remember to wait at the gate to the farm to check it is safe to enter. The management team follows robust recruitment and induction procedures to help promote children's safety and ensure staff's ongoing suitability.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY423778 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 10258570 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 54 Number of children on roll 85 Name of registered person Derby College

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reference number

Telephone number 01332836620 Date of previous inspection 25 November 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Little Explorers Nursery registered in 2011. The nursery employs 17 members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 6, one holds early years professional status, one holds early years teacher status, and 10 hold a level 3 early years qualification. The nursery opens from 7.30am until 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round, except for bank holidays. The nursery receives funding for free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager took the inspector on a learning walk around the nursery to share what the staff provide and how this assists children in their learning and development. n The quality of teaching during activities, indoors and outdoors, was observed, and the inspector assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector spoke with management, staff, parents and the children at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n The inspector carried out joint observations with the manager. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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Inspection activities

18 November 2022 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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