Blue Skies Nursery

Inspection of Blue Skies Nursery 194 Broadfields Avenue, EDGWARE, Middlesex HA8 8TF

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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The provision is good

Children thrive in this nurturing and warm environment. Children form strong bonds with staff. They approach staff for comfort, reassurance or to enthusiastically share their ideas. Staff have high expectations for children's learning. They use children's interests to encourage them to access opportunities that help them achieve the next steps in their learning. Children are enthusiastic learners and enjoy the exciting activities that staff plan for them. For example, they join in with the many songs throughout the day, dig for worms in the garden and enjoy making fruit kebabs. This supports all children to make good progress.

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The provision is good

Children understand the daily routines well because staff explain clearly what will happen during the day. For example, they explain to the children that first they will wash their hands and then they will have fruit. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Staff give children choices about what to do throughout the day. For example, they ask if children would like to read a story or sing songs. This helps children to have ownership over their own learning.

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The provision is good

Children behave well, showing they feel safe and secure. Staff clearly explain children's achievements to them, providing specific praise such as, 'Well done for putting it back.' This helps children to understand what is expected of them. There is a calm and positive atmosphere within the nursery.

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need to do better?

n Leaders ensure that the curriculum for communication and language is effective and helps children to develop a rich vocabulary. Staff get down to the children's level and narrate as children play. They use repetition to reinforce key concepts to babies, such as, 'Hot, hot, hot,' when they are playing with the toy kitchen. Staff engage children well as they sing and read stories. This helps children to expand their vocabularies and develop their sentence formation. n Staff carefully consider how to support children to develop their physical skills. Children balance along blocks, throw and catch balls, ride balance bikes and play running games in the garden. They develop their fine motor skills through activities such as pouring water, picking up objects with tweezers or spooning sand into a pot. This means that children make good progress in their physical development. n Children develop their independence skills very well. They hang up their coats,

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need to do better?

get their bags from their pegs and take their mats out from their trays. Children collect cups with their names on and pour their own water throughout the day when they need a drink. Babies start to feed themselves with a fork from an early age. This helps to build children's confidence and self-esteem and to prepare them for the next stage of their learning journey.

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need to do better?

28 November 2022 n Staff plan regular opportunities throughout the day to help children develop their mathematical skills. For example, children count the number of people in the circle or the number of blocks they balance along. Staff regularly use language related to size during their interactions with children. This helps children to develop important mathematical concepts. n Leaders support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. They identify children who may need extra support early, and consider how to help these children make progress towards their learning goals. Leaders work closely with external professionals and implement recommended strategies so that children's individual learning needs are met. n The manager keeps her own professional development up to date so she understands what good practice looks like. She ensures that effective systems of supervision and training are in place to support staff, who are offered training

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need to do better?

based on their needs and requests. This leads to good outcomes for children. n Staff build strong parent partnerships. They take time to speak to parents at the beginning and end of each day to share what their child has been learning. This helps parents to support children's learning at home. The manager is creative in providing support to the families who use the nursery. For example, she has built links with a doctor who provides health-related workshops and support to families. She also supports families to use local food banks where necessary. This helps to ensure that children are safe and secure. n On occasion, staff ask children too many closed questions and do not give children sufficient time to process information. On these occasions, children do not develop in their communication and language skills.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have good knowledge of what to do if they have concerns regarding a child's well-being. They attend regular training to ensure that their safeguarding knowledge is up to date. Important safeguarding information is clearly displayed in the setting for staff to access if necessary. Staff participate in regular discussions and quizzes to consolidate their knowledge around safeguarding. The manager has a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and knows where to go for further support if necessary.

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should:

n consider how to support staff to use questioning more effectively to further enhance children's communication and language.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY395150 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 10235323 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

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

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inspection

Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 28 Name of registered person Olayinka, Linda

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reference number

Telephone number 07950598169 Date of previous inspection 15 March 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Blue Skies Nursery registered in 2010. It is situated in Edgware, in the London Borough of Barnet. It is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm, during school term time only. The nursery receives funding to offer free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs seven members of staff, of whom five hold relevant early years qualifications between levels 2 and 5.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting 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 and the inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed the curriculum. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the manager. n Children spoke to the inspector about what they enjoy doing within the setting. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children. n The inspector had discussions with staff and parents and took their views into account. n The inspector held discussions with the manager about nursery practices and procedures.

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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

28 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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