Cupcakes Nursery

Inspection of Cupcakes Nursery 1 Friern Park, North Finchley, London N12 9DE

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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 happy and settled at Cupcakes Nursery. They develop strong and affectionate bonds with the caring staff. This supports their emotional well-being and gives them a secure foundation for learning. Children demonstrate that they feel safe in the warm and nurturing environment. For example, babies are drawn to a music activity led by staff. They take part with great enthusiasm, as they discover how to make sounds on a drum. Babies feel confident to go off and explore this new interest independently. They tap on the pots and pans in their play kitchen and are delighted by the noises they create.

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The provision is good

Staff have high expectations for all children. They provide an inclusive environment where children's unique backgrounds and abilities are valued. The provider uses additional funding effectively to help all children access the ambitious curriculum. For example, children are provided with special resources or one-to-one learning support. Children enjoy sharing their experiences from home and happily celebrate special events, such as Passover and Easter, together. This helps them to understand and respect their similarities and differences. Children behave well. They learn to be kind to others and develop firm friendships with their peers.

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need to do better?

n The manager, who is also the owner, has a clear vision for the nursery and how they can enhance the outcomes for children. This includes effective supervision and ongoing training for staff. Staff say that they feel well supported by the manager. They speak positively about training and describe how this has helped to broaden their teaching skills. n Staff know the children well and are swift to identify any gaps in their learning. They provide targeted support to help give children the best start to their education. This includes interventions from other professionals where appropriate. As a result, all children, including those who receive funding and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress from their starting points. n Staff promote children's speaking and listening skills effectively. For example, toddlers are enthralled by staff's skilful and engaging storytelling. They excitedly

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need to do better?

join in, anticipating the repeated refrains from a favourite book. Children learn new words and speak out with confidence. Staff use strategies such as visual cues where necessary, to help children who speak English as an additional language and those with SEND to communicate. n Children have fun at the nursery and show positive attitudes to their learning. For instance, pre-school children concentrate intently as they cut out paper 'palm leaves'. They have a clear idea of what they want to achieve and set high expectations for themselves. Children are resilient and keep trying until they are

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need to do better?

28 March 2023 happy with the leaves they have created. n In general, children thoroughly enjoy the experiences that staff offer. However, on occasion, staff are slow to adjust activities and routines, to ensure that all children remain interested and engaged. For instance, sometimes, the discussions at circle time are too long and complicated. Therefore, some children become bored and miss out on the learning opportunities. n Staff provide effective support for children's physical and mental well-being. They are extremely sensitive to children's emotional needs and are quick to offer them help or reassuring cuddles when needed. Children enjoy healthy meals and have plenty of opportunities to be physically active. This includes daily outdoor play and weekly sports sessions. n Children listen to staff and follow the routines well. They learn to use their 'kind hands' and 'walking feet' while they are in the nursery. Older children are

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need to do better?

beginning to regulate their behaviour independently. For instance, they use a sand timer to ensure that their turn taking is fair. n Parents state that their children are happy to attend the nursery and develop great relationships with the nurturing staff. They comment that staff teach children many key skills and instil them with a love for learning. Parents appreciate the detailed feedback from staff about their children's progress. They value staff's help with issues such as children's language development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager understands her responsibility to create a strong safeguarding culture in the nursery. She ensures that staff have regular training, to keep their safeguarding knowledge up to date. The manager and staff know how to identify possible signs of abuse and to report concerns about children's welfare. They understand the procedure to follow if there are allegations or concerns about staff's conduct. Recruitment procedures are robust. This helps to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. There are effective procedures and risk assessments in place to provide a safe and secure learning environment for children.

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should:

n support staff to adapt and reshape some planned routines and activities, to fully maximise children's engagement and enjoyment in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY468796 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 10280319 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 46 Number of children on roll 56 Name of registered person Cupcakes Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 02031151023 Date of previous inspection 8 September 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Cupcakes Nursery registered in 2013 and is situated in North Finchley. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm throughout most of the year. The provider employs 10 members of staff, eight of whom hold childcare qualifications. One staff member is qualified at level 6 and the others have level 3 or level 2 qualifications. The nursery offers 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 provider has received since the COVID- 19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken this into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The manager showed the inspector around the nursery premises, and explained the curriculum and how the provision is organised. n The inspector observed the quality of the education and considered the impact on children's learning. This includes a joint observation with the manager. n The manager met with the inspector to discuss leadership issues, such as staff recruitment, supervision and training. She ensured that relevant documents were available for the inspector to view. n The inspector took account of parents' written feedback. She also spoke to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection, to assess their views and experiences of 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 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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