Squirrels Nursery

Inspection of Squirrels Nursery Tree Tops Children's Centre, Birchen Coppice School, Kidderminster DY11 7JJ

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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 are happy and settled in this welcoming and friendly nursery. Staff are kind and caring and respond well to children's individual needs. They get to know children and their families well and build strong relationships and bonds with children. This helps build on children's emotional well-being. Children demonstrate a positive attitude to learning. They engage well and persevere with their play, proudly showing staff what they have created. Children develop their imagination, pretending to cook and serve food to staff and visitors using the toy kitchen. They enjoy joining in with music-and-movement sessions, where they learn the positive effects physical exercise has on their bodies. Staff have high expectations for all children. The curriculum provided is well planned and sequenced to build on what children already know and can do.

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The provision is good

Children behave well. They understand the rules in nursery and respond well to staff's gentle and appropriate reminders. As a result, children display positive behaviours, learn to share and take turns, and are kind and caring towards each other. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress in their learning. They are developing the skills needed to support them in their future learning, including moving onto school.

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need to do better?

n Children benefit form many opportunities to develop their communication and language skills. Staff engage children in frequent conversations and discussions. Children join in with songs and rhymes and enjoy listening to favourite stories. Keywords in home languages are used to help children feel settled and secure. n Staff have a good understanding of how young children learn and develop. They provide appropriate learning experiences that are based on children's individual needs and interests. However, occasionally, staff do not fully support less confident children to fully engage in group activities. n Children independently select from the well-resourced environment. Staff encourage children to make choices throughout the day, such as choosing to play indoors or outside. However, children are not always encouraged to fully develop their independence skills, because staff frequently do things for children

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need to do better?

that they can do themselves. n Staff promote healthy lifestyles to children. They encourage parents to provide healthy choices in their packed lunch. Good hygiene routines are followed. Children understand the importance of washing their hands before meals and snacks. Children enjoy being physically active in the garden, riding around on wheeled toys and learning to negotiate the grassed slope. n Staff help children to resolve and manage any disputes they may have. For example, if children disagree over toys, staff help them to find alternatives until

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need to do better?

8 February 2023 that toy becomes free. Children show respect for their environment. They readily help to tidy away the toys before moving on to the next activity. n The manager has established excellent links with the local community, supporting families to access local services as needed. Staff have formed good links with other professionals to help plan targets for children with SEND. This helps to close any gaps in learning and helps them to make the progress they are capable of. n Parents are extremely happy with the care and education their children receive. They are kept informed of their children's progress through an online application and daily conversations and discussions. Staff share resources with parents and give them activity ideas they can do with their children at home. For example, they send home a 'snuggle bag' with children's chosen books to continue to support children's love of reading at home.

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need to do better?

n The manager supports staff well. She ensures they benefit from regular supervision meetings, where they can review their own practice and set targets for future development. Staff have regular opportunities to attend further training to build on their already good knowledge and skills. This helps to improve the outcomes for children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers and staff have a good understanding of child protection issues and know the possible signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect. They are confident with the procedure to follow to share concerns to external agencies. Staff understand the 'Prevent' duty guidance and the signs that children may be exposed to extreme views. The provider notified Ofsted of a recent incident involving a child being able to briefly leave the building unattended. The provider took swift and decisive action to help prevent a reoccurrence. Effective risk assessment now ensures children are well supervised and the premises are safe and secure.

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should:

n promote children's independence further by encouraging them to do more things for themselves n provide further support for less confident children to actively engage during group activities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY469879 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 10278139 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 Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 36 Number of children on roll 23 Name of registered person Worcestershire YMCA Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01562515747 Date of previous inspection 14 November 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Squirrels Day Nursery registered in 2013. It is one of four settings managed by the Redditch Young Men's Christian Association Limited. The nursery employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds qualified teacher status, three hold a level 3 qualification and one holds a level 2 qualification. The nursery is open Monday to Wednesday, term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm. 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 setting received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the setting and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The inspector and the manager completed a learning walk to understand how the setting operates and how the curriculum is organised. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. She spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting.

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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

8 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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