Little Owls Nursery Kentmere

Inspection of Little Owls Nursery Kentmere Kentmere Avenue, Seacroft, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS14 1BN

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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 develop close bonds with the caring practitioners. They show that they feel happy and secure in the nursery through their play. Practitioners no longer make home visits as they would have done before the pandemic. Instead, they talk to parents in the nursery to find out about children as they start. Practitioners use this information to plan activities that children enjoy and that support their good progress. For example, children play with their key person and familiar toys when they arrive. This helps them settle quickly and feel secure. Children learn to manage risk, with the support of the practitioner, as they balance along an obstacle course. This helps them to understand how to keep safe as they play outside.

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The provision is good

Children behave well at the nursery. They learn about their emotions from the caring, sensitive practitioners, who help them to play together and share. Practitioners have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children learn to use polite manners, such as saying 'excuse me,' as they listen to practitioners and follow their lead.

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need to do better?

n Practitioners plan activities to help children develop new ideas about the world around them. Children are curious as they investigate a range of interesting objects. For example, babies and younger children explore wooden objects and shiny materials. They maintain focus as they enjoy spending time in the sensory room. Older children confidently experiment with colours and texture as they select materials to make pictures. They use their senses as they roll rosemary dough to make models. Children enjoy learning outside. They delight as they run, dig and build. These activities help children to build small and large muscles as they play. n Practitioner's careful planning helps children learn to care for themselves, become independent and make healthy choices. For example, young children follow picture instructions to use a mirror and equipment, and they learn to wipe their own noses. Practitioners provide healthy food and drinks for all children,

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need to do better?

including those with allergies. Older children learn about healthy portion sizes as they serve their own food. Practitioners help children to count five pieces of fruit as they select their snack. They talk to children about the healthy foods on offer. n Leaders monitor assessments of children's learning to ensure that any potential gaps are identified and planned for. They work effectively with others to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have appropriate support. Leaders use additional funding well to support children's learning. A recent example is a visit to a puppet theatre, which enabled children to learn about stories and develop their confidence and speaking skills. These

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need to do better?

6 July 2023 approaches help children to make good progress and be ready for their next stage. n Practitioners comment that their well-being and professional development are valued by leaders. Regular supervision sessions help them reflect on their work. Practitioners put into practice new training. For example, they teach children more complex words, such as 'dehydrated', after attending training, which helps to develop children's speech. n Practitioners read books enthusiastically to small groups of children. Children snuggle closely to practitioners as they listen with interest and talk about what they have heard. This helps children to develop their listening skills, learn new words and develop their early literacy skills. Leaders encourage families to borrow books from the nursery's new lending library. This supports children to continue to learn at home. n Partnerships with parents are good. Parents are happy with the care their

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need to do better?

children receive and the progress they make. They enjoy daily updates of what children do at the nursery and share information about activities at home. For example, parents share information about cultural and religious celebrations enjoyed at home. However, these opportunities are not always explored as much as they could be in the nursery. Therefore, children do not always learn what about makes them unique and about different people. n Leaders have high expectations and a clear view of what they want children to learn. They have developed a curriculum based on children's interests and what they need to learn next. Practitioners plan activities from observations of children's play. However, they do not always develop children's thinking and learning fully. This means that, sometimes, children do not make as much progress as they could.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and practitioners have a good understanding of their duties to keep children safe and to protect children. They are aware of possible indicators of abuse and neglect. They understand the local safeguarding procedures for reporting concerns about children's welfare. Leaders and practitioners know what to do should an allegation be made against a member of staff. They keep their child protection knowledge up to date through training courses, staff meetings and further reading. Practitioners make daily risk assessments to ensure the rooms and garden are safe and secure for children. Leaders monitor accidents and make changes, where necessary, to prevent further accidents. This helps to keep all children safe at the nursery.

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should:

6 July 2023 n extend the skills of practitioners to enable them to develop children's thinking and learning even further n promote children's understanding of diversity by celebrating and learning about their own cultures and faiths and those of different people.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 512412 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 10295222 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 61 Name of registered person Leeds City Council

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reference number

Telephone number 0113 3782679 Date of previous inspection 4 December 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Little Owls Nursery Kentmere registered in 1998. The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, and four hold appropriate qualifications at level 2. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 8am until 6pm, all year round, with the exception of bank holidays, the Christmas period and for five staff training days. The nursery closes at 4pm on the first Wednesday of each month for staff training. 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 provider. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n Children spoke to 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 manager and inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity in the outdoor area. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. 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

6 July 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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