Childcare on Domestic Premises, Full day care in Essex

Report for childcare on domestic premises

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

Children are generally happy, content and settled in the nursery. They giggle excitedly when their friends arrive and give them a hug. They are looked after by caring staff, who know them well. Not all of these staff have undergone appropriate suitability checks through Ofsted. However, there is no impact on children as staff and children are always under the direct supervision of the provider or staff whose suitability has been verified.

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The provision requires improvement

Children engage with their peers and form small friendship groups. They understand the nursery routines. For example, they know to wash their hands before sitting at the table to eat. They help to tidy toys away at the end of the session and they choose when to enjoy a mid-morning and afternoon snack. Children are caring and considerate of each other. They chat confidently with other children and share their experiences with staff.

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The provision requires improvement

Children have fun sorting coloured toy bears into their various matching bowls. They roar with laughter as they construct a marble run and make the run higher and more complex in order to observe the marbles travelling through the tunnels. Children demonstrate their understanding of mathematics. For example, they measure their marble run tower against themselves to check if it is taller than them. Children behave well and understand how to take turns. They know that they need to be careful when moving resources around in the garden, so that they do not accidently hit their friends.

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need to do better?

n The provider fails to ensure that the vetting procedures for when new staff join her team are fully completed. This means that the appropriate suitability checks have not been carried out by Ofsted. Staff within the setting never work alone and more experienced staff change children's nappies. Therefore, the impact on children of this oversight is negligible. However, this demonstrates a weakness in the provider's recruitment systems. n The provider, who is also the manager, and her staff team have worked hard since the last inspection to improve their safeguarding knowledge. Staff have completed level 3 training in safeguarding. The provider has implemented more effective ways of recording safeguarding concerns and improved her knowledge of the correct process to follow when concerns are raised. n The provider and her staff team have reviewed the way in which they organise group activities. For example, they now provide a rolling snack time, whereby

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need to do better?

children choose when to take their snack. Activities are better organised to ensure younger children's needs are taken into consideration. n Parents speak highly of the nursery staff. Some comment that they chose this

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need to do better?

29 November 2022 setting because it is small and homely. They comment that staff are friendly and approachable and that they are provided with good information about their child's day and ongoing progress. n The provider has effective systems in place for identifying and seeking support for children when required. She works with parents to help them to liaise with other agencies. She also uses her many years of experience to guide parents and share strategies with them, for example, with regards to managing children's behaviour. n Children guide much of their own learning. For example, they enlist the help of a member of staff when they initiate a game of rolling cars down the slide into a plastic tube. The member of staff helps them to estimate which ones will go through the tube and which ones will be too large. n Staff encourage children to develop their knowledge of letters and sounds, for example, as they hide letters in the sand tray. When children find them, staff

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need to do better?

encourage them to think of someone or something that begins with the same letter. n Younger children who become distressed or just need a reassuring cuddle, snuggle up to the adults. Staff are on hand to offer this level of care and support and remain cuddling them for as long as they need that close connection. n Staff generally promote children's independence and enable them to develop skills to help them to be prepared for their next stage of learning. However, at times, staff do not consider the needs of children who are very independent well enough. They complete tasks, such as removing lids from yoghurts or laying out sleep mats, when children state that they would like to do these tasks for themselves. n Meals and snacks provided are generally healthy. However, the provider and staff do not effectively encourage children to understand about foods that are good for them. Additionally, staff occasionally focus too heavily on tasks and do

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need to do better?

not use mealtimes to engage effectively with children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

The provider and staff demonstrate a secure knowledge of safeguarding. They update and improve their knowledge of child protection, for example, through training and in-house activities, such as quizzes. Staff know how to recognise signs and symptoms that children may be being radicalised and know how to report such concerns.

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Due date

29 November 2022 implement effective procedures to ensure that Ofsted are provided with all the relevant information, so that appropriate suitability checks can be carried out on new staff. 22/12/2022

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should:

n consider ways to further promote children's independence skills n develop staff's practice to further support interactions between adults and children during routine activities, such as mealtimes.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2499540 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10237215 Type of provision Childcare on 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 20 Number of children on roll 18

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 21 March 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Hide And Seek registered in 2018. The setting employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above, including the manager who holds a qualification at level 5. The setting is open from 7.45am to 6pm Monday to Friday during term time. The setting receives funding for early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspector viewed all areas of the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed their curriculum and what it is that they want their children to learn. n Children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and 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

29 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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