The Stables Nursery

Inspection of The Stables Nursery The Stables Day Care Nursery, Margaretting Road, Galleywood, CHELMSFORD CM2 8TS

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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 Inadequate

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The provision is good

Children and their families are warmly welcomed into the nursery. Overall, children benefit from meaningful teaching. Children demonstrate a positive attitude to their learning and show an interest in the resources and activities provided. Younger children are shown how to use a spade to fill their bucket with sand. This supports them to develop their physical strength and hand-to-eye coordination. Babies are encouraged to feel the texture of the sand with their fingers. Staff encourage young children to roll their cars down a raised plastic tube. They introduce language, such as 'ready, steady, go', and support the children to differentiate between the fast and slow cars. Younger children explore frozen ice. They eagerly use their hammers to break the ice to reveal the hidden toy fish.

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The provision is good

Older children use magnifying glasses to search for bugs and use the outdoor tap to fill watering cans to make 'mud pies' and 'potions'. They play happily alongside each other, sharing ideas and taking turns. Staff provide children with opportunities to recall past experiences that strengthen their memory. They engage in critical thinking and speculate about what might happen next. For example, staff and children chat excitedly about what would happen if they added more water and possible flavours to the mud pies.

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need to do better?

n Since the last inspection, management has worked hard to address the actions raised at the previous inspection. For example, risk assessment procedures have been reviewed and new procedures implemented. This minimises risks within the nursery environment and supports the children to stay safe. Furthermore, areas of the nursery have now been refurbished and new cleaning protocols introduced. This supports children's good health. n The provider and the management demonstrate a vision for the continual development of the nursery. For example, they plan to review the overall organisation of the areas used by the babies. Arrangements are in place for the supervision of staff. However, staff coaching, and focused professional development opportunities have not yet been fully prioritised, in order to raise the quality of the provision to the highest level. n Staff provide a curriculum that uses a blend of adult-led activities and child-led

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need to do better?

play. They develop good relationships with the children, which supports their emotional development. Staff talk about where children are in their development and what they need to learn next. However, on occasions some staff do not always have a clear understanding of the curriculum intentions and, therefore, their teaching does not consistently focus on what they want children to learn next. n Staff recognise the importance of storytelling and singing songs to help promote

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need to do better?

3 May 2023 children's communication and language skills. They sing rhymes to babies who demonstrate their enjoyment by rocking their bodies and waving their arms. Staff share story books with the younger children. Young children are supported to identify and point to the illustrations on each page. They are introduced and encouraged to copy different animal sounds, such as 'woof' and 'quack'. Staff become involved in older children's imaginary play and encourage them to think about new concepts and to use new vocabulary. n Staff skilfully weave counting and the development of children's mathematical knowledge into their spontaneous and planned play. Older children confidently demonstrate their counting skills, and recognise written numerals during activities, such as hopscotch games. They count the number of 'goals' they achieve when throwing the ball into the basketball hoop. Staff playfully make deliberate mistakes in counting. Children giggle and correct them.

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need to do better?

n Staff implement effective strategies to support children to learn to manage their feelings and behaviour. Children are encouraged to be kind and respectful to their friends, to share resources and to take their turn. Older children demonstrate that they are learning to play happily alongside other children. n Management and staff work closely with professionals and parents to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including accessing relevant funding to meet each child's individual needs. Parents comment positively about the nursery. They are kept fully informed about their child's day, achievements, and progress.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Since the last inspection, the management team has taken effective steps to ensure all staff understand safeguarding policies and procedures. Staff have attended refresher training. They can describe signs that might indicate a child is at risk of harm, including safeguarding issues, such as radicalisation. Additionally. staff understand the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child in their care. This includes the whistle-blowing procedures they should follow if they have a concern about a colleague. Effective recruitment and induction procedures are in place. This ensures those working with children are suitable.

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should:

n support staff further to have a clear understanding of the curriculum intent, so that their teaching consistently focuses on what they want children to learn n strengthen training and coaching opportunities for staff to identify further training needs.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 204074 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10266036 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 120 Number of children on roll 110 Name of registered person The Stables Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01245 348159 Date of previous inspection 8 November 2022

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Information about this early years setting

The Stables Nursery registered in 2000. The nursery employs 29 members of childcare staff. Of these, 19 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above. Two members of staff hold qualified teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. They viewed the nursery and discussed the safety and suitably of the premises. n The managers and inspectors completed a learning walk across all areas of the nursery to understand how the early years curriculum is organised. n The inspectors observed staff interactions with the children during indoor and outdoor activities, and assessed the impact this has on the children's progress and achievements. n The providers, managers, staff and children engaged in discussions with the inspectors at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of an outdoor activity with the manager. n A sample of the nursery documents were reviewed by the inspectors. This included evidence of staff suitability and training. n The inspector took account of the views of parents from written information and

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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

3 May 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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