Coundon and Leeholme Early Years Centre

Inspection of Coundon and Leeholme Early Years Centre The Eden Centre, Victoria Lane, Coundon, County Durham DL14 8NP

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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 show that they feel happy and confident in this welcoming nursery. Dedicated leaders are intent on providing all children with a safe, happy and secure environment. Children form close relationships with staff. For example, they run to greet staff excitedly with outstretched arms as they come into the room, wanting to cuddle them. Children receive an abundance of praise and encouragement for their achievements. This helps to boost their self-esteem. Children confidently make independent choices on the direction of their play and are enthusiastic to learn. They engage in adult-led activities and child-initiated play experiences and make good progress from their starting points in learning.

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The provision is good

Staff are good role models and have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children's behaviour is excellent. They play and work together harmoniously. For example, as children wrap presents in a pretend Santa's workshop, they discuss the shapes and sizes as they cut the wrapping paper and tape. They use their imaginations to build a robot from the packages. Children discuss how many eyes, ears and mouths the robot will need. They are proud to show staff and visitors their 'robot'. Children show exceptionally high levels of concentration and motivation as they spend considerable amounts of time at their chosen activities.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff have high expectations of what they want children to learn. For example, they support children to develop their independence and social skills, as they feel that these skills have been impacted due to the COVID- 19 pandemic. Children learn to wipe their noses and dispose of tissues appropriately in the bin. They wash their own hands, set the table at lunchtime and eat independently using cutlery. n Children develop good physical skills. For example, babies become confident when moving around the carefully considered environment. Babies pull themselves up using furniture and climb up the small steps to the slide. They delight as they wiggle themselves into position and slide down the other side. n Children are exposed to a wide range of literature. Babies independently seek out and read sensory books. They turn the pages and point to the illustrations. Staff sit with older children and read to them with energy and enthusiasm. This

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need to do better?

sparks children's interest in stories and rhymes. n Staff provide engaging opportunities throughout the nursery for children to practise mark making. Babies enjoy making patterns in a variety of ways, such as making marks in foam. Older children delight in using paintbrushes in the snow to make shapes as they play outside in the snowy weather. This helps children to use different tools, to build on their hand-eye coordination. n Children have fun exploring the texture of dough. They roll, squash and

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need to do better?

15 December 2022 manipulate the dough, which helps to strengthen the small muscles in their hands in readiness for early writing. Staff introduce counting and mathematical language, such as 'big' and 'small'. Children learn the names of new and interesting dinosaurs as children decide to make 'coats' for the toy dinosaurs. n Parents are highly complimentary about the nursery. They comment that the nursery staff are 'like a family'. However, recent changes to the staff team mean that they are not all sure who their child's key person is. This means that information at handover about what children have been doing is not shared as precisely as it could be. Nevertheless, staff support parents to continue with children's learning at home. For example, by using an online system. n Staff appreciate diversity and differences in people in the community. They organise regular outings and visits to enrich children's learning. For example,

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need to do better?

children visit the war memorial following Remembrance Day and talk about the significance of poppies. This helps children to feel valued and develop their understanding and tolerance of others. n The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works extremely effectively with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who require additional support. She works closely with parents and other professionals to meet children's individual needs. She goes above and beyond to keep in touch with them. Therefore, children continue to get the help they need. n The manager is reflective in how she evaluates areas of the nursery to identify changes that can be made. Staff benefit from regular supervision meetings to help improve their practice. However, the manager recognises that professional development is not as precisely planned to help staff continually raise their knowledge and understanding even further.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding lead and staff demonstrate a secure knowledge of the importance of keeping children safe. They are confident in reporting any concerns to relevant agencies to protect a child's welfare. Staff undertake rigorous vetting and recruitment processes to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. They receive induction training to help them understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff deployment is effective. This enables staff to supervise children at all times, to keep them safe and secure. Staff teach children what to do in an emergency to protect their welfare. For example, they hold regular fire drills to show children where to go in the event of a fire.

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should:

n strengthen the key-person system even further by ensuring that any changes

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should:

15 December 2022 are swiftly communicated to parents n precisely plan for more professional development opportunities to raise staff's awareness and understanding even further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY349735 Local authority Durham Inspection number 10264106 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 73 Number of children on roll 54 Name of registered person Coundon & Leeholme Early Years Centre CIC

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reference number

Telephone number 01388 663 130 Date of previous inspection 23 May 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Coundon and Leeholme Early Years Centre registered in 2007 and is located in County Durham. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, seven staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including one with a level 6 qualification. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 5.30pm, Monday to Thursday, and from 8am to 4.30pm on Friday. 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 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 deputy manager, manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children communicated with the inspector during the inspection. n Staff spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector spoke with the deputy manager and manager about the leadership and management of the setting. n The SENCo spoke to the inspector about how staff support children with SEND. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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

15 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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