Catkins Nursery

Inspection of Catkins Nursery Charnwood Children's Centre, Purcell Avenue, LICHFIELD, Staffordshire WS13 7PH

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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

Children get the best possible start at this nursery. Staff deliver an excellent personal development curriculum. Children learn how to access the provision alongside other children, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff sensitively help children to learn concepts, such as sharing and the impact that their behaviour has on others, when they take toys from other children.

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The provision is outstanding

There is a key focus throughout the curriculum on helping children to play and explore and begin to engage in learning. Children with SEND have developed their concentration skills from when they first started to attend. They can now access direct learning for 10 minutes at a time.

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The provision is outstanding

Many children on arrival for their session are unable to control or manage their emotional responses. However, the highly skilled and trained staff utilise their knowledge and skills to the full extent to help children to control their emotions. This enables children to access and benefit from the environments and activities to aid their learning. Children love this setting. They enjoy their sessions and develop a fondness for learning and exploration. This is helped because staff understand how children prefer to learn and foster this.

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need to do better?

n The curriculum has been expertly crafted to meet the needs of the range of children who attend. Staff have been trained in the curriculum, which means it is understood and delivered with preciseness. n Staff have an exceptionally sharp focus on the prime areas of learning. They plan activities that enable children to practise skills repeatedly. This means children hone their skills ready for the next stage in their learning. Children who speak English as an additional language remember and use more words over time. Children with complex needs learn to regulate their emotions and begin to communicate their needs through incremental steps over time. Children with disabilities receive support from one-to-one staff, who are ambitious for them. These children can write numbers before they leave the setting to start school. n The provider's understanding of the local needs and issues means children benefit from activities that broaden their experiences. The whole curriculum is

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need to do better?

delivered through developing children's love and interest of books. Staff teach children key vocabulary, which gives them essential knowledge for their future learning. Many children start attending the nursery with poor spatial awareness and low-level agility skills. The design of the environment and the plentiful access to the outdoor area helps children to develop these skills rapidly over time.

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need to do better?

26 May 2023 n Partnership working is a key strength in this nursery. Leaders are tenacious in ensuring all children have their needs met, whether this be through in-house interventions and support or the support children need from other agencies. When children do not receive external support in a timely manner, leaders advocate for children on their behalf to get their needs met. Parents cannot speak more highly of this provision. Staff understand how parents prefer to communicate and tailor their communications with parents through these channels. All parents are part of children's assessments. They know their child's progress and their role in supporting this further at home. Staff at this nursery think about the whole family and their needs because they understand the adverse impact that family life can sometimes have on children's learning. n Staff have carefully considered how to teach children experiences beyond their

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need to do better?

own. Children learn about the world beyond their own flat or street, consider where in the city they live and the different people who live in that city. Staff welcome parents into the nursery to share their own customs and traditions, such as food. This helps children to know how they are similar and different to other children who attend. n The promotion of children's healthy lifestyles is broad to consider the range of physical health needs of all children. Examples include encouraging children to drink water to help prevent tooth decay and signposting parents to specialist dentists to support SEND children to access dental treatment. Some children arrive at the nursery hungry, so staff ensure they can access food throughout the session so they can concentrate on learning. Staff are quick to identify children who may spend too much time online or access inappropriate online content at home, and they address this swiftly.

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need to do better?

n The leadership of this nursery is exemplary. The director acts with integrity to ensure additional funding is utilised and distributed to have the greatest impact on children's learning and development. She has high standards and drives practice forward through effective supervision of staff. This helps staff to improve their performance, especially their teaching, continuously. Staff report high levels of well-being. This is demonstrated through their warmth and affection with the children. The vision for high-quality care has been delivered through rigorous self-evaluation and reflection to meet the needs of all children who attend this outstanding nursery.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The planned curriculum ensures children learn how to keep safe online. They can identify and manage risks outside, while still taking appropriate physical risks to complement their development. Through their 'think family' approach, staff support the welfare needs of the whole family through partnership with agencies from the host children's centre. Staff are highly alert to the welfare concerns of children and take vigilant action to report and record these to keep children safe. Leaders manage safeguarding effectively. They understand their roles and responsibilities to manage allegations against staff. They are highly alert to contextual

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Safeguarding

26 May 2023 safeguarding issues and take steps to reduce the risk of these to children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY490339 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10279845 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 37 Name of registered person Hey Diddle Diddle Group Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07790 296674 Date of previous inspection 28 September 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Catkins Nursery registered in 2015. It is one of two settings owned by the Hey Diddle Diddle Group Ltd. The nursery operates from Charnwood Children's Centre, a shared site with Charnwood Primary Academy and Rocklands School. The provider employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold an appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only. Sessions are from 8.55am until 3pm. The nursery is open for stay-and-play sessions during some school holidays. The provider receives funding to provide 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 that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The director and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. The manager also spoke to the inspector. n Children communicated with the inspector during the inspection. Staff spoke to the inspector during the inspection. Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The director and the inspector carried out a joint observation.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in 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

26 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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