Little Explorers Day Nursery

Inspection of Little Explorers Day Nursery 398 Scar Lane, Golcar, Huddersfield, Kirklees HD7 4AR

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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 Good

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The provision is outstanding

The leader and staff provide a very special nursery where children and families are at its heart. Children are cherished by staff. They thrive in this very calm, homely, nurturing and fully inclusive nursery. Children feel safe, secure and happy. Staff teach children to identify and name the range of emotions that they experience. This has a positive impact on children's understanding and helps them to control their own behaviour. Children develop empathy. They are respectful and very caring towards each other and living creatures. Babies and children are very gentle when they stroke Peter, the pet rabbit. They also help to care for Ottie, the axolotl. Children's behaviour is excellent.

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The provision is outstanding

Children concentrate incredibly well as they design and build a tower using construction kits. They describe themselves as 'architects' as they work cooperatively together to succeed in their self-chosen task. Children develop resourcefulness and problem-solving skills. They identify that the tower is too tall and politely ask staff to 'lift them up to reach the top'. Children speak confidently to visitors and ask them to 'hold the tape measure' while they 'pull it'. Staff teach children how to use the retractable tape measure effectively. Children recognise the numbers and state 'one, seven and zero'. Staff skilfully help them to understand that the length is 170 centimetres. They have the highest expectations of what each child can achieve.

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need to do better?

n Staff are inspirational and passionate professionals, who are strong advocates for all children. They provide exceptional support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff work very closely with a wide range of professionals, including teachers for children who are blind or partially sighted and the local authority inclusion team. Staff use carefully constructed support plans to help children to succeed. External professionals praise staff for their 'dedication, sensitivity and inclusiveness'. The leader is highly effective. She contributes to national research projects and is invited to share her practice to inform teaching in other settings. n Children are highly independent and motivated. They show sustained levels of concentration. Children learn about the importance of following the recipe and adding the correct quantities of ingredients when making dough. They develop

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need to do better?

their understanding of what happens to the mixture when the ingredients are not measured accurately. Staff challenge children's thinking and problem-solving skills. Children learn that adding more flour reduces the water and helps the dough to develop 'elasticity' and 'stretch'. n Staff focus strongly on developing children's language and literacy skills. They read expressively, use suspense to capture children's attention and bring stories

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need to do better?

4 May 2023 to life using puppets. Younger children show delight as staff use 'Boris' the puppet to engage them in stories. Older children develop an excellent knowledge of traditional stories, such as 'The Gingerbread Man'. They develop memory and accurately retell the story when baking gingerbread biscuits. Staff read stories with rhyming words, such as 'house' and 'mouse', from an early age. This helps babies to know what comes next. n Children's emotional well-being is supported incredibly well. Children develop strong attachments to their consistent key person and display their trust. Children, toddlers and babies enter nursery eagerly and enjoy a wonderful welcome from their key person. They develop a deep sense of belonging. Key persons provide highly flexible settling-in sessions when children start to attend. They carefully support babies and children when they move to other rooms and to school. This helps children to continue learning seamlessly.

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need to do better?

n Parent and carers speak extremely highly of the nursery. Some state that they do not know what they would do without the nursery. Parents and carers are very pleased with the support their children receive and their progress. They are kept informed about their children's development through daily discussions, an online app and open evenings. Parents and carers describe how staff 'treat children equally' and 'show genuine affection and patience'. n Staff promote children's physical skills exceedingly well. Children challenge themselves as they run energetically up the steps to the highest level in the garden. They develop strength, coordination and control of their bodies. Babies develop hand-to-eye coordination skills. They accurately hit the hanging tin cans with a stick to make music and dance excitedly. Older children create patterns using small coloured pegs. They develop fine movement skills in preparation for

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding children in nursery is given the highest priority. Five staff are trained as lead practitioners for safeguarding. Staff know how to identify children who may be at risk of harm. The leader ensures that external professionals who have the authority to safeguard children in their own home, do so. Staff work closely with local schools to protect children where there are concerns in families. The leader uses robust recruitment, induction, supervision sessions, probationary periods and training to ensure that staff are suitable and fully understand their role. Staff make sure that children's individual dietary needs are followed rigorously. All staff hold paediatric first-aid qualifications. This helps them to provide medical assistance swiftly.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY490558 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 10279985 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 54 Number of children on roll 86 Name of registered person Little Explorers Huddersfield Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01484 645466 Date of previous inspection 7 August 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Little Explorers Day Nursery registered in 2015. It is located in Golcar, Huddersfield. The nursery employs 18 members of childcare staff. Of these, 15 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above, including five with level 3 qualifications, four with level 4 qualifications and five with level 5 qualifications. The leader holds a level 6 qualification. The nursery is open all year round, apart from bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 7.30am to 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 nursery received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the leader and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the nursery. n The leader and the inspector completed a learning walk together. The leader discussed the curriculum and told the inspector about what she wants children to learn. n Children spoke to the inspector about their learning during the inspection. n The inspector observed the quality of education that children experience and assessed the impact on their learning. n Parents and carers told the inspector, through discussion and written feedback, how their children's learning is supported and how staff keep them informed. The inspector also took account of written feedback from a deputy headteacher in a local school and from the local authority leader for children with SEND. n The leader and the inspector carried out a joint observation. They discussed the

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Inspection activities

quality of education and the impact of this on children's learning. n The inspector spoke with the nursery leader, the deputy leader, staff and the teacher for children who are blind or partially sighted.

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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

4 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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