Puffins Day Nursery

Inspection of Puffins Day Nursery Water-Ma-Trout Industrial Estate, Helston, Cornwall TR13 0LW

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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 caring and nurturing nursery. They build strong bonds with the supportive staff and demonstrate that they feel safe and emotionally secure in their care. Parents of new children are encouraged to stay to get to know staff and enjoy new activities with their children. Sessions free of charge are routinely offered to help children to become familiar with their room. This helps staff to build strong trusting relationships with parents and family members.

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The provision is good

Dedicated staff deliver a suitably challenging curriculum that supports all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The manager acts with integrity in using the funding the nursery receives to provide extra support to those children who need it the most. Children enjoy activities that are well suited to their age and stage of development. Babies enjoy the calm environment of their well-resourced room. They receive excellent support to explore and develop their physical skills. Younger children receive good guidance to help them to play with their friends and learn to share. Older children have many opportunities to develop their independence skills, extend their communication skills and be ready for the next stage of their learning. Staff are positive role models for children. They encourage children to use good manners and show respect for each other. Children's behaviour is very good.

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need to do better?

n Parents speak highly of the nursery and comment on the wonderful progress their children make. They enjoy talking to the helpful staff when they come to collect their children, and they make good use of the secure online systems to read more information. Each child has a special nursery bag and takes home a book to read. This helps to further children's development and learning. n The owner/manager is highly committed to the continuous professional development of her staff. She expertly models good teaching to staff, for example how to use reference books to further extend older children's knowledge. However, she does not routinely monitor staff to ensure all children experience the curriculum content at a greater depth. As a result, there are some inconsistencies in teaching. n There are effective partnerships with parents and other professionals to provide targeted interventions to help children with SEND achieve their full potential.

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need to do better?

Managers have attended specialised speech, language and communication training and provide extra guidance for staff to support children who need this. n Staff are creative and plan activities that follow children's interests. For example, pre-school children enjoy making a 'dinosaur land' with materials such as twigs, leaves and sand. Children excitedly add more shaving foam and talk about their imaginary world of volcanos and lava. Staff skilfully extend children's learning

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need to do better?

3 February 2023 with good questioning and give children time to think about their responses. This helps to develop children's confidence and communication skills. n The owner and the deputy manager work well together to provide effective leadership and management. There is a strong team ethos and staff report high levels of support for well-being issues. There is a positive focus on continual improvement and there have been changes to how some rooms and resources are used to enhance teaching. However, some plans are not yet fully embedded to ensure all children benefit from them. n The nursery operates from a very large warehouse-style building. Staff follow good hygiene procedures and complete robust risk assessments to provide children with a safe and secure environment inside and outside. However, there are many cobwebs on extremely high ceilings and windows. The owner recognises that additional equipment is required to clean these areas effectively

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need to do better?

but has not arranged for this to be done. n The friendly cook ensures all dietary needs are catered for. Children enjoy healthy menu options, and specific requirements for babies are met. n The outdoor environment is used well. For example, children carefully look for different-coloured leaves and receive good support to talk about the different shapes and sizes. They add the leaves to mud and twigs and enjoy their imaginary play in the 'rainforest café', making meals for staff. There is lots of laughter as staff and children chat about the lifestyles of different animals.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff complete regular safeguarding training. They demonstrate secure knowledge and understanding of how to keep children safe. This includes any signs that a child may be at risk of exposure to extreme views or practices. Staff know what to do if they have any concerns about a child or about the conduct of another staff member. Managers follow robust recruitment processes. Children learn how to behave to keep themselves and their friends safe. For example, they know how to jump safely when bouncing on the ground-level trampoline. Staff teach children about how to look after the nursery pets. This encourages children to be responsible and care for living things.

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should:

n build on plans to provide better monitoring of teaching, to ensure all children experience the curriculum content at a greater depth n continue to implement and embed plans to further improve the environment, to ensure all children benefit from them n consider ways to improve the cleaning of high ceilings and windows.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 103158 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 10277103 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 76 Number of children on roll 83 Name of registered person Carter, Caroline Anne

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reference number

Telephone number 01326 565349 Date of previous inspection 26 July 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Puffins Day Nursery and Dolphin Club registered in 1991. It is located in Helston, Cornwall. The nursery is open each weekday from 7am until 6pm, for 50 weeks of the year. The nursery receives early education funding to provide free places for children aged two, three and four years. There are 16 childcare staff, including the provider/manager. Of these, 12 have a relevant qualification at level 3 and above.

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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 We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The inspector completed a learning walk with the owner and deputy manager and discussed the curriculum intent and how they organise the provision. n The inspector and the manager completed a joint observation of teaching activities to review the quality of education. n The inspector looked at a range of documents, including some relating to the suitability of those working with children. n The inspector spoke to parents to gather their views about the setting. n The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and

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Inspection activities

outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning.

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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

3 February 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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