ABC Day Nursery

Inspection of ABC Day Nursery Derby Yard, Catherine Street, Whitehaven, Cumbria CA28 7PG

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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

Relationships between staff and children are positive. Children have adapted well to any changes made during the COVID-19 pandemic. They continue to separate easily from parents at the entrance door. Children are happy, settled and assured. They clearly enjoy their time at this welcoming and safe nursery. Staff value children. They praise children's every achievement by saying phrases, such as 'good job'. This contributes towards children adopting a high sense of self-worth. Children's good behaviour is demonstrated through their positive actions. For instance, children kindly hand toys to others during play and they actively help with everyday tasks.

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The provision is good

Staff focus on nurturing children's emotional well-being, to enable them to become deeply engaged in their play and learning. Children make their own independent choices during play. Babies demonstrate impressive physical skills when toddling along holding a car in one hand and a ball in the other. They replicate actions such as typing on a laptop that they see others performing. Younger children, including those receiving funded early education, display a sheer willingness to persevere during more complex tasks, such as snipping with scissors. They act out the role of a hairdresser during pretend play and show increasing care when gently brushing staff's hair. Older children make marks in many ways, including during play with foam. They recognise numerals up to six and count with numbers in order.

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need to do better?

n The energetic staff use fun and interactive teaching techniques to motivate children to learn and develop. Older children enjoy taking part in their active mathematics sessions. Children take it in turn to decide the moves that they will perform. They accurately link action words to numerals, such as when jumping three times. Staff smoothly extend children's learning. Later on, they encourage children to move in other ways, such as stretching up tall like a pencil. This supports children to remain active and builds on their good physical skills. n Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff use a variety of methods, including regular parents' evenings, to keep parents informed of their children's progress. They share resources, such as books, with parents, to build on children's early reading skills at home. Parents comment positively about the nursery and staff. They say that 'staff build great relationships with children'.

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need to do better?

n Staff are placing a sharper emphasis on supporting children's early language skills. Staff introduce younger children to new descriptive words, such as 'tickly' and 'smooth', during role play. They engage in two-way conversations with older children during play and routines. However, staff working with babies do not consistently intervene to model new words for babies to hear and say, to enrich their vocabulary. Additionally, staff do not reliably encourage babies to remove

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need to do better?

7 December 2022 any comforters before speaking, to aid their early pronunciation skills fully. n Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They sensitively intervene to resolve any conflicts during play and gently encourage the use of 'kind hands'. In response to the cost of living crisis, staff are supporting children to display increasing acts of kindness. For instance, children willingly create a food hamper to donate to local elderly residents. They recognise that their kind actions have a positive impact on others. Additional funding is steered well, to further enhance children's turn taking and good listening skills ahead of their move on to school. n The proactive staff work together with parents and other professionals, to target support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The gradual introduction of additional children during routines, such as snack

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need to do better?

time, are helping children with SEND to tolerate others and socialise more freely. n Children learn about the community in which they live. A recent visit to the local harbour has supported younger children to gain a greater awareness of boats and the role of an angler. This is positively inspiring children's imagination during play. Older children enjoy regular trips to the library. They take on the role of the librarian and use different styles of technology, such as self-scanners, safely. Children adore taking their chosen books back to the nursery to read. n The new manager engages staff in personalised supervision sessions. She values staff's positive contributions through rewarding schemes, such as 'employee of the month'. This contributes towards staff's positive energy and enthusiasm. Some staff, mainly long-serving staff, have access to a broad range of training that equally enhances their knowledge, skills and teaching practice. However,

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need to do better?

this is currently less well embedded for the newest practitioners.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders recruit staff safely. They ensure that staff complete a broad range of safeguarding training. Staff understand the procedures that they need to follow to protect children's welfare, including how to keep children safe online. They share information with parents about the importance of managing screen time and adhering to appropriate age ratings, to promote children's health, safety and welfare at home. Staff uphold the highest standards of health and hygiene practice. Rigorous handwashing routines and effective nappy changing procedures help to prevent the spread of any infection. Staff review all accidents and make swift changes to minimise any risks. For example, water play is now contained within smaller areas and mainly outdoors, to reduce the risk of slips and falls.

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should:

n support staff to build more consistently on babies' developing breadth of

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should:

7 December 2022 vocabulary and early pronunciation skills, to help them to make the best rates of progress in their communication and language development from the onset n expand the range of professional development for new staff, to help to raise their knowledge, skills and teaching practice to the highest levels.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY278445 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 10234777 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 54 Number of children on roll 59 Name of registered person ABC Early Learning Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01946 691 700 Date of previous inspection 5 January 2017

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Information about this early years setting

ABC Day Nursery registered in 2004, is managed by ABC Early Learning Limited and situated in Whitehaven, Cumbria. The nursery employs 12 members of childcare staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate qualifications at levels 2, 3 and 5. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 7am to 6pm, all year round, with the exception of bank holidays and one week over the Christmas period. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection that the provider received since the COVID- 19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the nursery. n The manager led the inspector on a learning walk to show how the nursery is organised and to share information about the intent for the early years curriculum. n Two activities were jointly evaluated by the inspector and the manager. n The inspector held discussions with the staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. She held a separate meeting with the manager and provider to discuss aspects of leadership and management. n A sample of documents were viewed by the inspector. These included, evidence of the suitability of staff, a record of staff qualifications and training and some of the policies and procedures. n The inspector took account of the views from a small number of parents.

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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

7 December 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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