Little Strawberries

Inspection of Little Strawberries Little Strawberry Nursery School, 275 Shobnall Road, Burton On Trent DE14 2BE

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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 and parents are greeted warmly by the friendly and professional staff. Children settle quickly into the well-established routines of the nursery. They develop strong attachments to their key person and staff. As a result, children feel safe and emotionally secure. Staff are caring and nurturing and create a learning environment that sparks children's curiosity. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their starting points.

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The provision is good

Children's behaviour is excellent. They are kind and considerate to each other. For example, in the toddler room, children find a tissue to give to their friends when they notice they need to clean their noses. Staff praise the children and say, 'that was very kind'. Children are supported well in their communication and language. Staff provide a narrative as children play and introduce new words to support their growing vocabulary.

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The provision is good

Children benefit from opportunities to practise and build their large-muscle skills and spatial awareness in the large garden. They confidently navigate the space, being careful not to bump into their friends. Older children jump on the trampoline and learn how to use the swings independently. Children learn about wildlife and nature. For example, they participate in bug hunts and help to plant and harvest vegetables.

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The provision is good

Children learn about cultures and traditions that are different to their own. Staff plan enjoyable activities to celebrate festivals such as Chinese New Year and Diwali. This helps children to develop an awareness of the diverse world in which they live.

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need to do better?

n The experienced manager is enthusiastic and dedicated to providing children with the best possible start in their education. She works alongside her two deputy managers, who are passionate about their roles and share the strong vision for the nursery and strive for continuous improvement. n The manager has developed a broad curriculum that focuses on children's interests and what it is they need to learn next. Overall, staff implement the curriculum well. However, staff do not always provide additional challenge for the most able children in order to support their learning even further. For example, as pre-school children enjoy a paint printing activity, staff step in to write children's names on their work rather than encouraging them to have a go themselves. n Parent partnerships are strong. Staff communicate daily with parents, both face-

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need to do better?

28 February 2023 to-face and through an online learning journal. Parents are kept informed on the progress their children make and the care they receive. Written feedback from parents is complimentary. They write that their children love being at the nursery and feel reassured in the knowledge that their children are safe and cared for. n Children are supported from a young age to develop a love of books. Toddlers listen intently to staff as they read stories with enthusiasm and good intonation. They answer questions, such as how the characters in the story might be feeling. This helps children to develop an awareness of their own and other's feelings and emotions. n Staff provide opportunities for children to experience messy play activities and explore different textures and colours. For example, babies have lots of fun as they use their hands and fingers to explore foam in a sensory activity. They babble and giggle as staff clap their hands together and foam sprays over them.

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need to do better?

n Pre-school children are confident and develop good social skills. They enjoy working together to complete jigsaw puzzles. For example, children help each other to find the missing pieces of a jigsaw and celebrate with staff when they complete the puzzle. However, on occasion, staff are quick to tell the children which piece of the jigsaw they need to fit correctly into the puzzle. This limits the opportunities for children to problem solve, make predictions and test out their own ideas. n The manager works in collaboration with other professionals working with the children to provide targeted support, ensuring that children's individual needs are met. The manager has established excellent links with teachers from the local primary schools. She invites them into the setting to visit the children and share good practice on how they teach in school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a good understanding of how to safeguard children in their care. They are aware of the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm. Staff show an awareness of wider safeguarding concerns, such as the risks of children being exposed to extremist views and female genital mutilation. They are confident in the procedures to follow in reporting any concerns they might have about the welfare of a child or the conduct of a colleague. The manager follows robust recruitment procedures to ensure staff are suitable to work with children.

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should:

n enhance staff's understanding of how to provide a higher level of challenge for the most able children, to help extend their learning even further

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should:

28 February 2023 n provide more opportunities for children to solve problems, predict outcomes and test out their ideas.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY546950 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10276327 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 70 Number of children on roll 146 Name of registered person Blues Berries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01283 845554 Date of previous inspection 11 July 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Little Strawberries re-registered as a limited company in June 2017 and is located in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire. The nursery employs 18 members of childcare staff, 14 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and two at level 5. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round, except for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 7.30am until 5.45pm. 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 manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed how the curriculum is organised. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector spoke with staff at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector carried out joint observations with the manager. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed 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

28 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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