The Rocking Horse Childcare Centre

Inspection of The Rocking Horse Nursery 229 Cinderhill Road, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG6 8SE

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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 Inadequate

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The provision is good

Staff place a focus on supporting children's language and communication skills. Children have easy access to a wide range of storybooks. Their love of books and stories is evident. Children sit together to look at books, turning the pages with care. Staff are good storytellers who make books exciting. Toddlers and pre-school children sit and listen as staff read books with animation. Children know what happens next in the stories that are familiar to them. Staff sensitively correct words that children mispronounce, using an 'owling' technique to help children hear the word pronounced correctly. Singing can be heard throughout the nursery. Toddlers join in with the actions to familiar rhymes and pre-school children request their favourite songs and rhymes by name.

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The provision is good

Staff play alongside children as they teach them how to play traditional games, such as hide and seek. Staff support children to play fairly and not to cheat, reminding them that they need to cover their eyes as their friends hide. Pre-school age children confidently count up to 10 to give their friends a chance to find a good hiding spot, before shouting 'coming, ready or not.' There is much laughter and excitement as children are discovered in their hiding places within the nursery garden.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff have created a curriculum that encourages children to develop the skills that they will need to gain in order to be ready for their eventual move to school. Staff explain how they observe and assess children's development. They use the information that they gain to plan appropriate activities based on children's interests, and the skills that they know children need to learn next. n The manager has made significant changes since the last inspection. She has used the feedback from the last inspection, along with feedback from the local authority early years improvement officer, staff, parents and children, to evaluate the provision. She has an action plan in place that focuses on developing staff morale and supporting the staff to develop their teaching skills and childcare knowledge further. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. The manager, who is also the special educational needs coordinator, works with

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need to do better?

a child's key person, parents and external agencies to access the right support. They work together to plan and implement strategies that enable children to make good progress in their development. n Parents speak fondly about the staff who care for their children. They comment that their children are happy and enjoy attending the nursery. Staff work closely with parents to keep them updated about their child's development and help

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need to do better?

9 February 2023 them understand how to support their child's learning at home. Children tell the inspector that they enjoy playing with their friends at nursery. n Staff encourage children to follow the nursery's golden rules for behaviour. They remind children to use their walking feet indoors, their indoor voices and to be kind to their friends. However, when children become over excited or overwhelmed staff do not consistently give children the time, support, or space they need to understand and regulate their own emotions. n Staff complete daily risk assessments to help to keep children safe and ensure that the nursery environment, both inside and outside, is a safe place to play. However, staff do not always make the most of opportunities to help children to learn how to keep themselves safe and assess risk for themselves. For example, when children rock on their chairs while eating, staff explain that they need to

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need to do better?

keep all four feet of the chair on the floor. However, they do not help the children to understand that this will prevent them from falling off the chair. n Staff recognise the importance of encouraging children to develop a sense of responsibility and independence. Toddlers and pre-school children confidently use jugs to pour their own drinks and use serving utensils to transfer food from serving dishes onto their own plates. Children are developing an understanding about good hygiene practices. They know that they need to wash their hands before they eat to help keep themselves healthy.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager, who is the setting's designated safeguarding lead, ensures that staff understand how to safeguard children. She uses supervision meetings and staff meetings to check that all staff are aware of how to identify safeguarding concerns. The manager also ensures that the staff understand how to follow the setting's policy to report any potential concerns both to her, as well as to relevant outside agencies if required. The manager and staff share information with parents on safer sleeping methods and they promote parents' understanding about how to keep their child safe when accessing social media sites and the internet.

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should:

n support children to understand, express and manage their emotions n provide children with explanations to help their understanding of potential hazards, so that they learn to assess risk and keep themselves safe.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 254636 Local authority Nottingham Inspection number 10260461 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 29 Number of children on roll 36 Name of registered person The Rocking Horse Nurseries Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 0115 9763322 Date of previous inspection 4 October 2022

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Information about this early years setting

The Rocking Horse Nursery registered in 1988 and is situated in Bulwell, Nottingham. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year around. Sessions are from 8am to 6pm. There are seven members of childcare staff who work directly with the children. All staff have relevant early years qualifications, including one at level 6, one at level 5, three at level 3 and two at level 2. The nursery provides funded 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 manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager. 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 Children spoke to the inspector about what they enjoy doing while at the nursery. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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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

9 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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