Little Angels Nursery

Inspection of Little Angels Nursery The Sandhill Centre, Grindon Lane, SUNDERLAND SR3 4EN

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

Children enjoy attending this warm and inviting setting. Staff are kind and caring and have formed strong relationships with children and families that attend. For instance, children who are new to the setting are reassured and provided with cuddles. As a result, they settle quickly and form secure bonds with their key person. Children behave well and are polite. Staff act as positive role models. They provide guidance and effective strategies to promote children's positive behaviour.

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The provision requires improvement

The enthusiastic manager has clear intentions for the curriculum. However, this is not implemented consistently across the nursery. Staff place an emphasis on children's interests, but do not focus on what children already know, and need to learn next. This means that children do not always develop the skills they need to make good progress. That said, staff provide children with a variety of interesting activities. Older children confidently play games of animal lotto and snap. They successfully match pictures and numbers. This helps to develop early mathematical skills. Babies smile and splash in the water tray and enjoy singing along to nursery rhymes. Toddlers use their senses to investigate a 'dinosaur swamp'.

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need to do better?

n Staff plan activities based on children's interests. However, staff do not consistently focus well enough on what they would like children to achieve. For example, while some children make marks and patterns in coloured rice, this activity is not suitable for all of the children. This leads to children leaving activities quickly as their learning needs are not always met. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. The special educational needs coordinator liaises effectively with other professionals to coordinate and implement individual learning plans. However, staffs own assessments of children's progress are not as robust. For example, staff do not use the progress check for children aged between two and three years to identify where children require additional support. This means that children do not always make the best possible progress. n Children's behaviour is good. Staff offer children lots of praise and

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need to do better?

encouragement for their positive behaviour. The helps to boost children's confidence and self-esteem. When needed, staff provide children with gentle reminders about the rules of the setting. For example, staff explain that children need to use 'kind hands' as they might hurt their friends. This helps children to learn about the behaviour which is expected of them. n Overall, staff have good relationships with the families that attend. They share daily information about activities and routines. Parents are happy with the service and say that the staff are 'lovely' with their children. Staff share some learning and development information with parents. However, this does not

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need to do better?

18 January 2023 always focus on what children need to learn next, or give ideas on how to further support learning at home. n Some parts of the curriculum are well promoted. For example, staff get down to children's level, speak clearly and ask age-appropriate questions. They introduce new vocabulary, such as 'hooves, caterpillar' and 'butterfly'. This helps to develop children's communication skills. n Staff's well-being is of paramount importance to the manager and deputy. They conduct regular supervision sessions and have an open-door policy. Staff comment they feel supported and valued. The manager recognises that there are some inconsistencies in teaching practice across the nursery. However, the current arrangements for the monitoring of staff's practice are not effective enough to help to raise the quality of education. n Children enjoy fresh air and exercise in the garden. They march around with

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need to do better?

staff and run up and down a small bank, chasing their friends. Furthermore, children enjoy using spray bottles to make marks on material. This helps children to develop their small- and large-muscle skills and coordination. n Children develop a love of books. They sit snuggled up with their key person and listen to familiar stories, such as 'Dear Zoo'. Children giggle with delight as staff make animal noises. Furthermore, children make marks with crayons and paint brushes. This helps to develop children's early literacy skills.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Staff have good knowledge and understanding of their responsibilities to keep children safe. All staff have had recent training and are aware of the indicators of abuse, including a child being at risk of radicalisation. Staff understand the procedures to follow when they have a concern about a child's welfare. Furthermore, staff are aware of the of the processes to follow, should an allegation be made against another member of staff. The manager carries out robust recruitment procedures to ensure that all staff working with children are suitable. Staff carry out regular checks of the environment, indoors and outdoors, to help them to identify and minimise any risks. This helps to keep children safe.

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Due date

18 January 2023 improve the curriculum planning and delivery to ensure that staff consistently consider what children already know and can do, to help them make the best possible progress 15/02/2023

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Due date

ensure that staff use the progress check for children aged between two and three years to include areas where children require additional support. 15/02/2023

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should:

n extend existing strategies to involve all parents in their children's learning n strengthen the monitoring of staff's practice to raise the quality of education to a consistently higher level.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY258477 Local authority Sunderland Inspection number 10263049 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 58 Number of children on roll 116 Name of registered person Sandhill Little Angels Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0191 5538880 Date of previous inspection 19 April 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Little Angels Nursery registered in 2003 and is located in Sunderland. The nursery employs 20 members of childcare staff. Of these, 18 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including one who holds early years professional status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. 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 Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation. n Children spoke to the inspector throughout the inspection.

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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 January 2023 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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