Northlands Park Nursery

Inspection of Northlands Park Nursery Northland Parks Children's Centre, Davenants, BASILDON, Essex SS13 1QX

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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 Good

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The provision is good

Children become involved in a wide range of activities. Babies have lots of fun exploring different ways their bodies can move. They are excited to dance to music from different cultures. Staff join in enthusiastically and encourage children to try new movements. Babies laugh as they wiggle and clap rhythmically. Older children also enjoy taking part in activities that challenge them physically. The nursery welcomes a coach who leads children in active exercise sessions. Staff talk about the benefits of stretching and warming up first. Children eagerly show how they can touch their toes and do star jumps. They listen to the instructor attentively and carefully follow instructions. This helps children begin to develop important skills in readiness for moving on to school.

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The provision is good

Staff effectively build on children's language and communication skills. Babies name familiar objects in books. Staff read animatedly and ask the youngest children about the noises animals make. This helps support children's ongoing language development. Staff introduce new words as they speak to older children, to extend their existing vocabulary. For example, they describe the rolling pin as 'knobbly', and explain that magnets 'attract' when they stick together. Staff throughout the nursery use basic sign language so all children can communicate, make choices and understand what is happening next.

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need to do better?

n The dedicated manager strives to achieve the best outcomes for all children. However, due to staffing shortages, staff are not always deployed as effectively as possible. At times, children do not fully benefit from strong interactions from staff. Despite work pressures, staff are happy in their roles and work well together as a team. They have varied professional development opportunities to extend their knowledge. n There is a clear curriculum threaded through the nursery. The key persons gather information from parents when children first start. They find out information about any missing knowledge and decide how to support children to learn and develop more. However, staff in the baby room are less clear about how youngest children learn best. They sometimes focus on planning overly complex activities that are not age-appropriate and limit children's opportunities to explore and experiment. n The manager assesses the impact of teaching through her observations of

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need to do better?

practice. She identifies where children may need extra support to close any gaps in their development. The manager, who is also the special educational needs coordinator, works with staff and other professionals to support all children to make progress. Staff have an input into how additional funding is used so their key children can fully benefit from specific resources and experiences.

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need to do better?

30 June 2023 n Children become increasingly independent as they move through the nursery. Babies show a good understanding of keeping the environment tidy. Outdoors, they stack cones away and tell staff, 'no more', when they look around to check all the pans are away. Older children serve their own food and pour their own drinks. This builds on their self-help skills. n Staff introduce mathematics incidentally throughout the day. For instance, they talk about 'halves' and 'quarters' when children cut up their own fruit. Staff show them recipes in the home corner. They discuss weights, how long the dish needs to cook and how many people it will serve. This helps children gain a practical understanding of mathematical concepts. n The nursery has close links with the on-site children's centre and neighbouring school. This enables them to signpost families for support, if needed. They share information with teachers so they are aware of children's individual needs. Staff

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need to do better?

take a real interest when children talk about visits to their new school. They talk about the similarities and differences and what children might expect. This makes their transitions to the next stage of their education smoother. n The manager describes how she has built on the strong parent partnerships established through the COVID-19 pandemic. They are currently fully involved in plans to improve the garden. Parents send in videos and photographs to show children's learning at home to promote continuity. They are very happy with the care their children receive and say they have 'come on leaps and bounds', especially in their speech and language and growing confidence.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager is able to identify children who may be more vulnerable to abuse or neglect. Staff know the procedures to follow if they are concerned about a child's well-being. They clearly explain how they would report to the appropriate professional in the event of an allegation about another adult. Robust recruitment helps to make sure new staff are suitable. The leadership team monitor ongoing suitability through a comprehensive induction programme, regular checks and supervisions. The manager has shared information with parents about online safety to raise awareness and help keep children safe.

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should:

n improve staff deployment to help staff make the most of all opportunities to build on children's learning n support staff to fully understand how to embed the curriculum for the youngest children, so that every child is provided with consistently high quality learning experiences.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY294263 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10289407 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 50 Number of children on roll 82 Name of registered person Pre-School Learning Alliance

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reference number

Telephone number 01268725616 Date of previous inspection 24 November 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Northlands Park Nursery registered in 2004 and is situated in Basildon, Essex. It is one of a large chain of nurseries run by the Early Years Alliance (formerly Pre- school Learning Alliance). The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff. Of these, six staff hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3 and above, four members of staff hold a qualification at level 2. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks of the year, except for bank holidays and three staff training days. Opening times are from 8am until 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 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 setting. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection, discussed their key children and took account of their views. 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 manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability

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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

30 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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