Hermitage Nursery School

Inspection of Hermitage Day Nursery & Preschool 147-149 Hermitage Road, Whitwick, Coalville LE67 5EL

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Staff provide a warm and welcoming environment, where children are happy and settled. Children demonstrate they are motivated and eager to learn. The staff know children well and provide stimulating experiences that build on children's interests and developmental stages. For example, staff notice babies enjoy exploring loose parts and moving resources from one place to another. Staff respond to this by placing carefully chosen items throughout the play areas for babies to freely explore and investigate. This means babies are stimulated and show high levels of engagement.

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The provision is good

Children have immense fun playing with their friends and engage in a wide range of activities and games that support their learning and development. When playing outside they are keen to initiate their own games, such as hide and seek, and invite others to come and join in. Children learn to share and take turns with the equipment. They delight in playing in the mud kitchen, using the resources to pour, scoop and mix materials. Staff respond to children's interests and encourage their observation skills. For example, staff point to the sky and attract children's attention by saying, 'look up, what can you see?' Children jump up and down in excitement when they see a plane and discuss the patterns in the sky. Staff skilfully nurture children's interest in the world around them.

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need to do better?

n Children make good progress in developing their physical skills as staff provide a rich variety of experiences. They develop strength in their hands and fingers during 'dough disco' sessions. Children carefully repeat the movements as staff model how to pat, stretch, squeeze and pinch the play dough. This helps children to develop the small-muscle skills they will need as they progress to using pencils to write. n The experienced management team are committed to driving improvements in the nursery. All staff benefit from regular training opportunities and supervision to enhance their knowledge and skills. Staff plan exciting and purposeful activities that support children's progress in all areas of the curriculum. However, at times, staff do not consider how they will introduce and organise group activities. This means that intended learning outcomes are not always fully achieved. n Staff support children well at mealtimes to develop their social skills and good

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need to do better?

manners. Children confidently use cutlery and develop their coordination as they pour drinks and spoon food onto their plates. Children engage in lively conversation with each other, sharing their news and discussing which foods they enjoy. After eating, children brush their teeth, which helps to support their understanding of good oral hygiene routines.

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need to do better?

14 March 2023 n Staff are good role models and gently guide children to show respect and kindness towards one another. Children recognise when a friend may need some help and willingly offer assistance. For example, they support each other to climb and balance outside and put on painting aprons. Staff interact positively with children and join in their games with enthusiasm. However, they do not always recognise when children need support to make appropriate choices during their play. n Staff work hard to ensure all children reach their potential and achieve good outcomes. Staff regularly assess children's progress and act swiftly if they observe that a child requires additional support. The nursery works closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that targeted support plans are in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Additional funding is utilised effectively to increase staffing levels and provide appropriate

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need to do better?

learning resources to meet children's individual needs. n Children are enthusiastic about books and reading. Babies and toddlers enjoy handling books and snuggling up to staff to look at the pages together. Older children show their love of stories by listening carefully at group story times and discussing the characters and events. They use small-world figures to re-enact their favourite stories, such as 'The Gruffalo', using different voices for the characters and repeating phrases they have learned. n Parents comment that they are kept well informed about care routines and how their child is progressing. They feel valued and are encouraged to share their views about the setting. Parents appreciate the support staff give them and say that staff's enthusiasm for their work 'shines through'.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and managers ensure children's safety is given high priority. Regular checks are undertaken to ensure all areas where children play are safe and secure. Staff provide close supervision at all times, especially when children are eating and sleeping. All staff have completed paediatric first-aid training, which ensures they are able to deal with accidents quickly and appropriately. Staff undertake regular child protection training, which means they have a secure understanding of how to recognise if a child is at risk of abuse. All staff are aware of their responsibilities and know how and when to record and report their concerns. The management team have robust systems in place to ensure the suitability of all staff working directly with children.

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should:

n support staff to have consistently high expectations, when helping children to

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should:

14 March 2023 manage their own behaviour n support staff to consider the organisation of group activities in pre-school to enable all children to gain the most from the learning experiences.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2685587 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 10277724 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 80 Number of children on roll 124 Name of registered person Storal Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01530 814477 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Hermitage Day Nursery & Preschool registered in 2022 and is located in Whitwick, Leicestershire. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery employs 25 members of childcare staff. Of these, two staff are qualified to level 4, nineteen staff are qualified to level 3 and two staff are qualified to level 2. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The manager and inspector conducted a learning walk together, discussing the learning intention for children and how the environment is arranged. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector spoke to children, to find out about their time at the nursery. n The inspector spoke with staff at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector carried out two joint observations of group activities with the manager. n Parents shared their views of the nursery with the inspector. n The inspector held discussions with the management team. She reviewed relevant documentation and 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

14 March 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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