Maidendale Nursery

Inspection of Maidendale Nursery Maidendale House, Burnside Road, Darlington, County Durham DL1 4SU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Children are excited as they enter this exceptionally well-resourced, caring and nurturing environment. Children of all ages and abilities show the highest levels of confidence and self-esteem as they immediately settle in. They are eager for their day to begin, which demonstrates how extremely safe and secure they feel in the nursery.

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The provision is good

Older children show remarkable levels of problem-solving skills for their very young ages. For example, children are engrossed in scooping sand. They work out for themselves to extend this activity by removing their socks and using them as containers. Children's faces show intense concentration as they think through how to hold the socks with their fingers and fill them with sand at the same time.

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The provision is good

Children relish the learning opportunities in the outdoor environment. Babies learn to negotiate inclines and manoeuvre themselves around children and resources. They giggle with pleasure as they realise that hitting water with beakers makes the water splash onto their faces. Older children talk with confidence about how the different plants they are growing need lots of water because of the sunny weather. They discuss together that they need to use smaller watering cans as the plants are very small. This helps to develop children's understanding of caring for the natural world and nurturing living things.

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need to do better?

n Children across all ages are exceptionally well behaved. Babies look with curiosity at older children playing and wait happily until the resources are passed to them. Older children show consideration and respect for others and the ability to work as a team. For example, when children pretend to be pirates, they make sure that all children have resources before they begin to play. n Staff know when they talk to children to get down to children's level, speak slowly and clearly and give children time to answer. Staff introduce new words into children's vocabulary as they play. For example, as children thread flowers into a frame, staff describe how children are 'making patterns' and 'sequencing colours'. n Staff are creative in the ways in which they develop children's early mark- making skills. They encourage children to draw circles on boards on the wall using brushes and water. Children have space to develop their large movements

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need to do better?

as they stretch to paint on large rolls of paper. n Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is a key feature of the nursery. The manager and staff are proactive in engaging with a wide range of other professionals. This enables children and families to get the specialist support they need. Staff use additional funding very well to support

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need to do better?

14 June 2023 vulnerable children. n Staff teach children to keep themselves healthy. Older children know to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. They talk about 'washing the germs away'. Staff support younger children to put soap and water on their hands and encourage children to look at their hands to see if they are clean. n Staff encourage children's independence skills exceptionally well. For example, some children choose oranges for snack. Staff explain to children that pushing their thumbs into the peel of oranges helps to remove the skin. As children complete this process for themselves, they relish the very genuine praise that staff give them for their achievements. n The manager and staff work together as an integrated team, where everyone is supportive of each other. Strong teamwork and a desire for children to achieve are at the centre of everything staff do. This is reflected in the range of

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need to do better?

imaginative activities that children receive and the progress they make in their development. n Staff plan a wide variety of very well-resourced activities. They talk confidently about the learning that children receive from the activities provided. Some staff bring numbers and counting into children's play. For example, they encourage children to count the pebbles they use and how many scoops of sand they put in a bucket. However, this is not consistent for children of all ages throughout the nursery.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding and children's well-being are a top priority for all staff at this nursery. There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff and leaders know children and families very well and are alert to any concerns. For example, staff provide parents with information about the risks associated with children using the internet. There are effective systems in place to identify any children or families who may need early help or support. Staff work closely with a range of other services to help to keep children safe. They attend regular training to help them be knowledgeable and confident in fulfilling their responsibilities. Leaders have robust recruitment procedures to ensure that only those suitable to work with children do so.

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should:

n support staff to be consistent in developing children's mathematical understanding, particularly children's understanding of numbers and counting.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY358816 Local authority Darlington Inspection number 10289380 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 72 Number of children on roll 152

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Name of registered person

Firth Moor & District Community Assn Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01325 376723 Date of previous inspection 23 November 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Maidendale Nursery registered in 2004 and is located in Darlington. The nursery employs 19 members of childcare staff. Of these, one staff member holds a qualification at level 6, 15 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and three staff are unqualified. The nursery opens all year round, from 7.30am until 6pm, Monday to Friday. It 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 that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and inspector carried out a learning walk. This helped the inspector to understand how staff organise the nursery and the curriculum. n The inspector observed the quality of education, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n A joint observation was carried out with the manager. n The inspector spoke with children, parents and staff during the inspection and took into account the written views of parents. n The inspector looked at various documents, including those related to the suitability and qualifications of staff.

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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

14 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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