Springboard Nursery

Inspection of Springboard Nursery Springboard Sunderland, The Alec Dickson Centre, Rivergreen Industry Centre, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear SR4 6AD

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

This family-focused nursery is filled with fun and laughter. Children bound through the gate with big smiles on arrival, waving books that they have brought to share with their friends. This shows their confidence and eagerness to play and learn. Staff provide a safe, warm and welcoming environment, which they plan carefully to support children's learning. They encourage babies to show early imaginative skills. Babies pretend to feed vegetables to staff with a spoon and say 'yum'. They giggle while trying to catch bubbles. Older children search for bugs and dig for worms, checking off the creatures they find on a list. Staff encourage children to learn to take care of plants, exploring the smells as they water herbs and lavender.

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The provision is good

Staff plan a broad and balanced curriculum that supports all children. Staff join in with children's play, skilfully helping them to learn and remember more. Children recall what they have learned, looking back at pictures they have made linked to a favourite story. Staff's enthusiasm and encouragement helps children to concentrate during activities. This contributes to children's positive attitudes to learning. For example, children spend a long time exploring texture, shape and capacity while making 'sunshine cakes' from mud, flowers and water.

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need to do better?

n Staff provide a balance of direct teaching and opportunities for children to play and explore freely. This helps children to successfully build on what they already know and can do. Staff link planned activities to children's interests, which helps to ignite their curiosity. However, occasionally, staff do not recognise and support children who are reluctant to engage in some activities. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported particularly well. Staff recognise and celebrate the significance of every achievement, for example, when children develop the confidence to hold a friend's hand or to step over a crack in the pavement. Effective partnerships with parents and other professionals help children to make the best possible progress. n Staff provide plenty of opportunities for children to see and hear words. For example, they record scores on a chalkboard during a target-practice game,

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need to do better?

spelling out the names so that children can hear the letter sounds. Children make excellent attempts at writing when they add their name to a picture. They learn the initial sounds in their name during group times. This prepares them very well for learning to read. n Parents describe staff as 'awesome' and appreciate the detailed information they receive about their children's learning through an electronic app. They enjoy taking part in family learning sessions, where staff help them with ways to further support their children's learning and enhance their experiences at home.

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need to do better?

29 June 2023 n Children develop early friendships. They take a friend by the hand and ask, 'Can I join you?' Staff help them to share their feelings, for example, when they talk about starting school. However, staff are sometimes too quick to resolve conflicts for children. They do not always support children to consider how their actions might affect others or to find their own solutions to problems that arise during play. n Staff's nurturing and caring approach contributes to the warm, trusting relationships that they form with all children. This helps children to develop high self-esteem and a strong sense of security. Staff use detailed care plans to ensure that children's individual needs are met precisely. Children benefit from consistent encouragement and praise. They glow with pride when they receive a sticker for being the 'best tidier'. n Staff feel well supported and their morale is high. They benefit from one-to-one

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need to do better?

sessions with the manager and access to professional development opportunities that enhance their good teaching. For example, some staff attend a training course to help them to support children's developing language and communication skills even more effectively. n At the time of the inspection, the provider had not provided Ofsted with the full details of a change to the nominated individual. The provider took immediate action to rectify this. This does not impact on the safety and well-being of children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers attend regular training and briefing sessions to keep their knowledge of safeguarding up to date, and disseminate this to staff. Staff know the signs that can indicate that a child may be at risk from harm or abuse. They know how to record and report any worries about a child's welfare, which helps to ensure that any concerns are dealt with quickly and appropriately. Staff supervise children well. They hold paediatric first-aid qualifications to make sure that they can deal with any accidents appropriately. Accidents are recorded and these are shared with parents and reviewed to contribute to risk assessments. This helps to further ensure children's safety in the nursery.

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should:

n encourage reluctant children to engage more consistently in activities n support older children to learn how to resolve their own conflicts that arise during their play.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY292699 Local authority Sunderland Inspection number 10295355 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 48 Name of registered person Springboard Sunderland Trust

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reference number

Telephone number 0191 5155334 or 0191 5155301 Date of previous inspection 14 December 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Springboard Nursery registered in 2004 and is located in Sunderland. The nursery is open from 8am until 5pm, Monday to Friday. It operates all year round, except for bank holidays and two weeks at Christmas. There are currently eight members of staff working directly with the children, of whom six have appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery receives funding to provide free 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and staff and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the nursery. n The manager showed the inspector around the nursery. She talked about the curriculum and the way the nursery is organised. n The inspector observed staff's teaching and assessed its impact on children's learning. n The manager met with the inspector to discuss leadership and management matters. The inspector looked at relevant documents provided, including evidence of suitability checks carried out on leaders and staff. n The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. She also spoke to a number of parents and took account of their views.

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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

29 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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