The Valley Nursery and Kids Club

Inspection of The Valley Nursery and Kids Club New Road, Team Valley Trading Estate, GATESHEAD, Tyne and Wear NE11 0JU

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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 Requires improvement

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The provision is good

Managers and staff have worked extremely hard to enhance the quality of the environment for children. Children benefit from exciting and purposeful play areas that help them to regulate their feelings and behaviours in a calm atmosphere. For instance, staff have created relaxing spaces for children who are able to use sensory lights and equipment. All children benefit from a curriculum that has been specifically designed to strengthen children's emotional development. This includes children forming close relationships with their key person and their friends who attend nursery with them. Children show that they feel safe and secure, separating easily from their parents on arrival and eagerly greeting their friends. Staff support children to talk about how they are feeling and to understand how their feelings and behaviours may impact on others.

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The provision is good

Staff offer encouragement to children throughout all aspects of play and learning. They celebrate with children when they show pride in their achievements. For example, staff show others a model of a toy castle a child has created using recyclable materials. Staff and children join in offering compliments and praise. This helps to promote children's self-esteem.

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need to do better?

n The quality of interactions between staff and children is strong and is occasionally outstanding. This includes specific focused time in an on-site wooded area. Children use clipboards and pencils to note how many different insects they can find. They show that they are highly engaged in their play and learning. Children work together to lift logs and stones and make new discoveries about different insects and where they live. They make comparisons between insects when using magnifying glasses. For example, children note that some insects have lots of legs and others have wings, so they can fly. Children talk enthusiastically about a favourite story of a worm when they find one in the garden. This demonstrates children's good language skills. n The dedicated manager is passionate about the setting for children and staff alike. She places a strong emphasis on promoting the well-being of staff, children and parents. She evaluates the setting very well and is aware of priority

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need to do better?

areas. She gathers the views of others to help her to enhance and make improvements to the setting. This includes capturing the views of parents. Staff benefit from extensive training and regular supervision sessions. For instance, they have experienced visiting another setting to gather ideas and to help them to enhance their own practice at the setting. n Risk assessments are prioritised. Children are supported to understand how to keep themselves safe. For instance, they talk about the importance of wearing sunhats and cream when the weather is too hot outside. Staff are vigilant and

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need to do better?

12 June 2023 support children to learn how to tidy away toys and resources after use. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported. Staff use individualised plans for children to help them to understand the nursery routine. Children benefit from small-group focused activities that help them to develop their social skills. Children show that they make good progress in all areas of their development. n Staff encourage children to develop their physical skills. They model how to squeeze and grip play dough in their hands to help to develop children's grasp. Furthermore, staff offer encouragement as children learn to climb steps to a slide in the outside area. Children learn to coordinate containers full of water to fill drainpipes and tubes and laugh as they watch the water rush down. n Children benefit from healthy meals and follow good hygiene practices. This helps children to understand how to lead a healthy lifestyle.

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need to do better?

n Managers complete practice observations on staff. This helps them to identify and address any emerging weaknesses in practice. However, children are still getting used to some changes in the nursery. This is particularly relevant for pre-school children. During group activities, some children are confused about which group they belong in. n Some transition arrangements do not provide children with enough time to finish what they are playing with. This is particularly relevant when staff announce it is the end of play time too abruptly.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager demonstrates an excellent understanding of safeguarding procedures and practices. She shares her knowledge with the staff team. This is demonstrated through staff's implementation of the setting's policies and procedures. They understand the process to follow for the concern of a welfare of a child. This includes the possible indicators of abuse. They show a thorough understanding of how to follow the setting's whistle-blowing procedure and report any allegations of inappropriate practice. The manager works in close partnership with external professionals, this helps to meet children's individual needs. This includes monitoring records for children to help to ensure any concerns are swiftly identified and addressed.

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should:

n build on performance management procedures to help to identify emerging gaps in practice, particularly when introducing change to children's routine n enhance transition times at the setting to help children to prepare for the end of their play time before introducing the next part of the daily routine.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY320833 Local authority Gateshead Inspection number 10247961 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 152 Number of children on roll 75 Name of registered person Team Valley Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0191 4915050 Date of previous inspection 24 June 2022

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Information about this early years setting

The Valley Nursery and Kids Club registered in 2006. It is situated in Team Valley. The nursery employs 26 members of childcare staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including two with early years professional status or early years teacher status. 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 The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n Children communicated with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. 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 inspector carried out a joint observations of a group activity with the manager n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum.

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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 June 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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