Gaggle Nursery And Preschool

Inspection of The Cottage Nursery The Cottage, Lower Station Road, Crayford DA1 3PY

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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 greeted with a warm welcome by the leaders and practitioners. They confidently enter their group room and settle quickly, demonstrating that they feel safe and secure. The effective key-person system allows children time during the settling-in process to bond with practitioners. This informs practitioners' decisions about the key person which children will have. This good practice helps to support children to feel emotionally secure.

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The provision is good

Children behave well. They show an understanding of the 'golden rules' and practitioners provide them with gentle reminders throughout the day when needed. Children follow routines well and respond positively to instructions from practitioners.

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The provision is good

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make substantial progress from their starting points in learning. Leaders have a clear learning intention for children. Practitioners have a good understanding of these, and implement them when planning and teaching the curriculum. Children are provided with many experiences that support all areas of learning. For example, children learn about the world around them during forest school and science sessions.

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need to do better?

n Leaders are committed to achieving good outcomes for children. They support practitioners and apprentices with their continuous professional development. Leaders provide training opportunities based on the individual needs and interests of the practitioners. This ensures that children receive a good quality of education. n Practitioners support children's communication and language by talking to them during their play. They repeat back what children say with the correct sentence structure. However, there are times, such as lunch time, when practitioners do not always talk with children. This does not support children to consistently extend their communication and conversation skills. n Children benefit from many opportunities to be physically active and develop their core strength. They have regular access to the garden and forest school area. They use equipment, such as scooters and a climbing frame. Babies have

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need to do better?

their own outdoor space, where they can safely move and explore their environment. n Children learn about cultures beyond their own. Practitioners plan cultural celebrations that reflect the children who attend. The nursery has a range of resources to promote diversity. For example, practitioners provide food and packaging from around the world in the role-play home area. This helps children

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need to do better?

28 February 2023 to learn about different food, see print in other languages and to respect other people and communities. n Children who speak English as an additional language settle well. Practitioners gather key words and phrases from parents and learn how to pronounce them correctly. This helps children to communicate. Practitioners use familiar music from children's cultures to help to give them a sense of belonging. n Practitioners recognise the importance of children learning about their feelings. They provide resources and activities that support children with understanding and managing their feelings, such as circle time and emotions books. However, staff do not always use these, and children are not supported consistently to understand and manage their feelings across the setting. n Practitioners implement a curriculum that focuses on promoting children's independence and confidence. All children have good opportunities to be

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need to do better?

independent. For instance, babies freely access their own beakers of water from a low-level shelf. Older children serve their own food and pour their own drinks. n Children have access to a wide range of books and practitioners re-enact stories with children. Practitioners plan activities around the 'book of the week' to help children to develop a love of reading. For instance, children excitedly investigate how to make a house for pigs using straw and sticks. This helps to promote children's literacy skills. n Practitioners work in partnership with parents. They communicate daily through a communication app and face to face. This supports parents to keep up to date on their child's development. Parents are happy with the nursery. They speak positively about the communication from the leaders and practitioners and the education which their children receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff have good knowledge and understanding of how to keep children safe from harm. They are confident to follow the correct procedures should they have concerns about a child in their care. This includes whistle-blowing against colleagues and managers. Leaders adhere to robust recruitment procedures and ensure that all staff complete mandatory training, such as safeguarding and paediatric first aid.

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should:

n provide more opportunities to develop children's conversational skills to support their language and communication n build on opportunities to consistently support children to understand and communicate their feelings and emotions.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY498708 Local authority Bexley Inspection number 10278856 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 65 Number of children on roll 70 Name of registered person Super Start Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01322838181 Date of previous inspection 27 March 2019

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Information about this early years setting

The Cottage Nursery is located in Crayford, in the London Borough of Bexley. It registered in 2016. The nursery is open throughout the year from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. It receives funding to provide early education to children aged two, three and four years. There are 16 practitioners working directly with the children, of whom one is qualified at level 6, one is qualified at level 4 and seven hold a relevant qualification level 3.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the nursery received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the nursery. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children communicated with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the nominated individual and manager about the leadership and management of the setting. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The inspector carried out joint observations of a group activity with the

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Inspection activities

manager. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. 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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