First Choice Nursery

Inspection of First Choice Nursery Thewlis Street, Warrington WA5 1AJ

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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

Children are happy and feel safe at this home-from-home, warm and welcoming nursery. New children become familiar with the routines of the nursery and settle quickly on arrival. They run in happily and are eager to start their day. They form strong bonds with staff and their peers.

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The provision is good

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children behave generally well and engage in a range of activities linked to their individual interests. For example, indoors, babies enjoy building towers using coloured blocks and gain good hand-to-eye coordination skills. They explore using their senses, such as when they investigate the feeling of sand as it runs between their fingers. Older babies have fun as they run and explore in the outdoor area. They climb on the equipment and develop good physical skills.

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The provision is good

Older children are very confident and interact exceptionally well with visitors. They are eager to share their views and talk animatedly about what they enjoy doing. Older children also like to play and explore outdoors. They work together well as they pretend to repair the nursery equipment, exclaiming, 'I can fix it!' Children develop good mathematical skills. For example, they skilfully line up numerals in the right order up to 10. Staff encourage children to count on from 10 to help them to extend their counting skills even further.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and staff are clear about the aims, values and ethos of the nursery. They work very well together to celebrate and nurture every child. The enthusiastic manager and her experienced staff team create and implement a well-designed and balanced curriculum for children. They get to know each child well and follow their individual interests, planning activities based around these. As a result, all children make good progress. n Staff promote children's language and communication skills well. For example, children take part in plenty of singing and story time sessions. Staff talk to children during daily care routines, such as at nappy changing times. This helps to build on children's speech development. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported very well. The newly appointed SEND coordinator is quick to refer children when they need additional support. Staff work closely with a range of professionals,

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need to do better?

such as speech and language therapists. They devise targeted plans of support for each child. This ensures that all children who need extra help in their learning receive the support they need. Children catch up quickly, particularly with their communication and language skills. n Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff share information about what

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need to do better?

12 April 2023 children need to learn next with parents. They invite them to attend stay-and- play sessions, and provide strategies for parents to use with their child at home. For example, staff teach parents how to use simple sign language to aid their child's communication skills. n Children have plenty of opportunities to run about in the outdoor area no matter what the weather is like. Additional funding is used well to benefit disadvantaged children who need a little bit of extra support with their physical development. For instance, funded children enjoy taking part in an extra-curricular sports activity provided by a specialised physical education instructor. They exclaim, 'I have big muscles' and learn how exercise affects their growing bodies. Children gain a good understanding about the importance of leading healthy lifestyles. n Children quickly build close attachments to staff. Some staff skilfully encourage

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need to do better?

children to use their words to express their feelings and find solutions. However, not all staff are consistent with their approach to supporting children with their emotions. As a result, some children become frustrated as they struggle to find resolutions to challenges they encounter. n Overall, the manager provides a good programme of support, training and mentoring for the staff team. Staff have one-to-one meetings to discuss the needs of their key children. They attend regular staff meetings and complete quizzes to help to keep their knowledge of safeguarding issues up to date. However, the monitoring of staff does not focus precisely enough to ensure that the good quality of teaching is raised to the utmost levels.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff have a good knowledge of child protection concerns and access safeguarding training to keep their knowledge updated. Staff know the signs and symptoms which may mean a child is at risk of harm. They know to report any concerns to the designated safeguarding lead and of the external referral processes to outside agencies. The manager and staff complete daily risk assessments to identify and minimise hazards to children. They have clear systems in place for security and for keeping children safe. Staff supervise children well, indoors and outside, to ensure that they remain safe.

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should:

n support staff to provide a more consistent approach when helping children to develop the skills they need to regulate their emotions n develop a more focused programme of professional development to help to raise the good quality of teaching to the highest levels.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2629756 Local authority Warrington Inspection number 10281141 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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Total number of places

Number of children on roll 28 Name of registered person First Choice Nursery Partnership

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reference number

Telephone number 07497349068 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

First Choice Nursery registered in 2021 and is located in Warrington. The nursery employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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 this into account in their evaluation of the nursery. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together. The manager talked about the curriculum and what they want children to learn. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises with the manager. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n A joint observation of a learning activity was completed by the manager and the inspector. Afterwards, they evaluated the effectiveness of the teaching on children's learning. n Children chatted and interacted with the inspector and talked about their

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Inspection activities

activities. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n A sample of documentation was reviewed by the inspector, including records of staff's suitability and paediatric first-aid certificates.

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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

12 April 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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