Elestar Services Ltd T/A Flying Start Nursery

Inspection of Elestar Services Ltd T/A Flying Start Nursery The Lodge, Cemetery Road, GILLINGHAM, Dorset SP8 4AZ

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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 show that they feel happy and safe in this welcoming environment. For example, on arrival, they quickly separate from their parents as a friendly member of the staff team greets them. Children form strong relationships with their key person. They go to them for support and to share their interests. For instance, toddlers show staff the creations they have made from dough and pasta. Staff respond, saying, 'wow, that's amazing. Let's take a photo.' This helps children to feel emotionally secure and gives children confidence in themselves and their abilities.

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The provision is good

Staff have high expectations of children's achievements and behaviour. Children join in with the routines and follow the boundaries. Staff support children to manage their own emotions and encourage them to show kindness and respect to their peers. Older children look for their names on their place mats and patiently wait to serve their own lunch. They show care for each other and thoughtfully remind staff when their friends need a plate.

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The provision is good

Children enjoy the motivating activities and resources staff provide for them. Younger children show perseverance and well-developed physical skills as they happily dress baby dolls. Older children laugh with their friends as they race small trucks up and down the garden.

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need to do better?

n Staff promote children's communication and language development well. They introduce new vocabulary and skilfully check that children have understood these unfamiliar words. Staff talk to babies and toddlers about what they are doing and the objects they are playing with. Young children have fun repeating back new words staff are teaching them, such as 'stomp, stomp' and 'squelchy, squelchy'. n Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is very effective. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with staff, parents and children to ensure that children get the right support at the earliest opportunity. The manager and her team work closely with professionals to successfully deliver specific support and teaching strategies to individual children. This targeted support enables all children to make progress in their learning ready for their transition to school.

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need to do better?

n Staff use their secure knowledge of child development to deliver a range of meaningful and exciting learning experiences. They provide a balanced curriculum based on what children know and can do. Children show excitement and happily engage in the carefully planned activities and make good progress in all areas of learning. However, the organisation of the day does not always

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need to do better?

28 February 2023 enable enough opportunities for older children to independently investigate and explore, to embed and extend their own learning to its full potential. n Children have many opportunities to explore the local community and learn about the world around them. They visit the train station, go on walks to the park and regularly borrow books from the library. Staff arrange visits from the police, a dentist and a vet. n Staff encourage children to develop healthy lifestyles. Children benefit from nutritious and balanced food and learn about good dental hygiene as they clean their teeth. Children experience weekly yoga sessions and have daily opportunities to be physically active, inside and outside. n Staff teach children how to take safe risks in their play and learning. For example, children use drills, saws and hammers. They tell adults that they are wearing safety goggles so that 'we don't hurt our eyes'. These experiences

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need to do better?

provide children with important skills and confidence to help them move forward on to the next stage of their learning journey. n Parents are very positive about the care and support children receive. They talk about the setting's 'homely feel' and how approachable staff are. They appreciate the regular communication they receive about what children are learning and the progress they are making. n The manager and her deputy have effective systems for staff supervision and supporting staff's ongoing performance management. This helps staff to continually review and enhance their knowledge, supporting them to provide quality teaching experiences and maintain good outcomes for children. n Staff consistently use positive language to help children understand the routines and boundaries of the setting. Children listen well, follow instructions and show respect for staff and each other. For example, they listen to their friends answer

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need to do better?

questions about the story and wait for their turn to say good morning during morning registration. However, staff sometimes miss opportunities for older children to make choices and decisions for themselves, to help them learn how to express their thoughts and opinions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know how to identify signs of abuse and neglect and know the local referral procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child's welfare. All staff complete regular training to keep their child protection knowledge up to date. Additionally, all staff know how to recognise inappropriate behaviour from colleagues and how to follow the internal whistle-blowing policy. Staff know what to do in the event of an accident or if a child becomes ill. The manager follows robust recruitment and ongoing suitability procedures. There are arrangements in place for minimising any risks to children in the building and in the garden, including safety gates and a video doorbell for when parents and visitors arrive.

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should:

n enable more opportunities for older children to independently investigate and explore, to consolidate and extend their own learning to its full potential n support and encourage older children to participate in making choices and decisions for themselves to help them learn how to express their thoughts and opinions.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY344682 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 10264677 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 31 Number of children on roll 70 Name of registered person Elestar Services Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01747 824998 Date of previous inspection 22 June 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Elestar Services Ltd T/A Flying Start Nursery opened in its present location in 1998 and registered under the current ownership in 2006. The nursery is one of two nurseries operated by Elestar Services Ltd and is situated in a converted house close to the centre of Gillingham, Dorset. The nursery is open each weekday, from 8am until 6pm, for 50 weeks of the year. The nursery receives funding to provide free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs eight staff. Of these, one has a level 6 qualification, four have a level 3 qualification, two have a level 2, and one is unqualified.

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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 inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The inspector held discussions with the manager throughout the inspection and discussed how the curriculum is planned and implemented and how children's progress is monitored. n The inspector spoke to children, parents and staff. n The SENCo spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n The inspector observed interactions between staff and children. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the manager.

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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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