Chester Hopscotch

Inspection of Treetops Hopscotch Parkgate Road, Chester, Cheshire CH1 4BE

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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The provision is outstanding

Children of all ages are extremely secure, happy and eager to learn. They flourish in this nurturing and stimulating nursery. Children's enthusiasm for exploration and investigation is infectious. For example, toddlers enjoy a scavenger hunt in the garden as they excitedly look for dragonflies, worms and other insects using magnifying glasses. Pre-school children debate how paper is made. They conduct their own research and attempt to create their own paper. Children are wonderfully inquisitive as they explore their environments with impressive confidence.

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The provision is outstanding

Children's individuality is warmly celebrated by the fully inclusive approach of the staff team. For example, staff have taught children key words and phrases in sign language and have sensitively explained how some children are unable to communicate with the spoken word. This means that children are able to communicate with their friends and develop firm relationships. Children learn how they are unique, 'but together they are a masterpiece'. This creates a wonderful sense of belonging and helps to ensure that children have exceptionally elevated levels of self-esteem and self-assurance.

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The provision is outstanding

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They relish the responsibility of helping to tidy up and assisting staff. Children show empathy for one another and play harmoniously together. Young children show an impressive understanding of how to share and wait their turn. Children practice breathing activities as they smell flowers and engage in yoga. This has an enormous impact on their ability to regulate their emotions and has a positive influence on their behaviour and readiness to learn.

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need to do better?

n The nursery's curriculum is highly ambitious and coherent. It effortlessly reflects children's individual needs and interests. Staff are skilled at differentiating activities and ensuring that children are appropriately challenged. All staff have a robust understanding of the overarching curriculum intent and how this is achieved through carefully planned activities and experiences. A bespoke school readiness curriculum ensures that children develop essential skills for future learning. n Children are deeply engaged in their chosen activities and sustain high levels of concentration. They continuously make links in their learning, building on what they already know and what they remember. For example, children set up a dinosaur tray for their friends to explore. They intuitively move to the book area to fetch familiar stories about dinosaurs to include in their play. n Staff working with babies are particularly sensitive, kind and nurturing. They

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need to do better?

have created special 'family boxes' with an array of personal photographs to

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need to do better?

22 March 2023 help children transition and settle into nursery life. Furthermore, they encourage parents to record their voices so that they can play these to children should they become upset or unsettled. This results in children whose emotional needs are well met and who are extremely settled and ready for learning. n Communication and language have been a relentless focus for staff since the COVID-19 pandemic. Swift identification and dedicated support mean that any gaps in learning have closed rapidly. Staff introduce a wide range of vocabulary during activities and model language consistently. Children who speak English as an additional language are superbly supported through visual timetables and a dedicated library. Parents visit the nursery to read stories to the children in their home languages. This broadens children's awareness of others and the wider world around them. n Children have marvellous opportunities to learn about their place in society.

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need to do better?

They engage in activities with the local residential home where they learn respect and how to be kind to others. Clothes swapping initiatives and fundraising activities help children to understand about those less fortunate themselves. Leaders have ambitious plans in place to develop a community allotment with the children. Their vision to provide free produce to local residents in response to the cost of living crisis is inspirational. n Partnerships with parents are robust and highly successful. Dedicated parent workshops on a wide range of subjects ensure collaborative working that impacts tremendously on outcomes for children. For example, a workshop on developing children's independence skills has resulted in children displaying impressive ability to manage their self-care skills. Parents are consulted at every opportunity. They are delighted with the exemplary care that their children receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a robust understanding of their role in protecting children form harm. Leaders have ensured that staff have sufficient training and continuously confirm their knowledge through questioning. Staff understand the local procedures in place to enable them to report any concerns. They confidently share a plethora of signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm. Children develop an excellent understanding of risk and how to keep themselves safe. They conduct their own risk assessments of the garden area, noting potential hazards, such as gates that must be closed and resources out of place. Furthermore, children regulate their own play. For example, they are quick to correct their friends when they are travelling the wrong way on climbing equipment. This highlights children's excellent awareness and the essential skills that they have developed.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY244181 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 10279532 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 76 Number of children on roll 90 Name of registered person Busy Bees Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01244 379 005 Date of previous inspection 10 September 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Treetops Hopscotch registered in 2007 and employs 21 members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one at level 6, and three hold an appropriate early years teaching qualification. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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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 leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the nursery. n The centre director and the inspector completed a learning walk and discussed how the curriculum and setting are organised. n Parents, children and staff spoke to the inspector during the inspection, and their views were taken into account. n The centre director completed a joint observation with the inspector. n The inspector observed the quality of education and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector reviewed a sample of relevant documents, including suitability checks, qualifications and other records regarding the health and safety of children.

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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

22 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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