Little Owls Nursery Middleton Laurel Bank

Inspection of Little Owls Nursery Middleton Laurel Bank 100 Middleton Park Avenue, Leeds LS10 4HY

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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 and parents receive a warm welcome on arrival. The caring staff show a genuine interest in children's lives. They provide a calm and nurturing environment, which enables children to feel safe and secure. Children and babies settle quickly and demonstrate their strong bonds with staff. Staff know children extremely well and are attentive to their needs. Children are confident to explore and show a positive attitude to their learning.

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The provision is good

Staff support older children to learn to take care of living creatures, such as children carefully handle chicks. In the garden, children compare the size of the carrots and pumpkins they have grown. They use their increasing memory and recall of how they were seeds and that seeds need the sun and water to grow. Babies relish the opportunity to bathe the dolls, benefiting from the soothing water and sensory experience. Toddlers demonstrate their confidence as they eagerly invite the inspector into their play, sharing the pretend food.

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The provision is good

Older children develop their smaller hand muscles as they competently use the sticky tape dispenser and use scissors to cut paper. They create their own artwork and confidently describe what they are drawing. Children form strong friendships. Staff help them to learn to play cooperatively and behave well. Children understand the golden rules that are gently reinforced by the staff.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff are committed to providing high-quality care and education for all children. They have developed an inclusive curriculum that supports all children and their individual learning needs. Staff use additional funding appropriately. For instance, the manager identifies and buys resources to meet children's individual learning needs. n Staff go above and beyond in their commitment to ensuring that children are safe and their needs are met. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and for those children who speak English as an additional language, is strong. Staff use their expertise to implement strategies while they wait for outside agencies to make their assessments. Interventions are precisely targeted and teaching is consistent. As a result, all children make good progress in their learning. n Children's communication and language skills are extended and supported well.

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need to do better?

Staff teach children new words and use signing to build strong foundations for listening and speaking. This helps children to gain the confidence to engage in meaningful conversations. Babies and some toddlers communicate through gestures and the sounds of their voices. Staff interpret their wants and needs well, while also repeating sounds and modelling single words to encourage their

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need to do better?

13 July 2023 speaking skills. n Overall, staff organise adult-led activities well. For instance, children thoroughly enjoy their speech and language session. However, very occasionally, children who are participating in the session and staff's attention is distracted due to other activities going on around them. This means that sometimes children's focus is not consistently maintained. n Children learn about healthy lifestyles. They have access to plenty of space outside, where they can run and happily challenge their physical skills. They grow their own produce, including strawberries, carrots and pumpkins, and benefit from nutritious meals. n Staff frequently use mathematical language, such as 'big, small' and 'fast' as children play. However, not all staff make frequent use of numbers or counting during children's play to extend their early mathematical skills fully. n Children learn about different countries' traditions, events and celebrations

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need to do better?

beyond their own. They explore positive cultural images, books and resources and learn to value the differences and similarities. For instance, parents help staff and children to learn more about Eid and the Buddhist festival of Wesak. This helps children to gain a good understanding of the wider world. n The manager has high expectations of the staff team. She provides very good support through peer observations, one-to-one supervisions and team meetings, to help enhance their good practice even further. n Parents are very complimentary about the support and communication they receive from staff. Staff visit children at home before they start at the setting. This gives parents the opportunity to talk about the needs of their child and helps children to feel safe and secure. Parents comment that since their children have attended, their language development and confidence have improved.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff's safeguarding knowledge is strong and is very relevant to the needs of children and the community. All staff are well trained and highly vigilant. They know how to share any concerns or worries about children's welfare. Staff act swiftly and persistently to ensure that every child is safe and well protected. They work closely with other professionals, to ensure consistency in care and support with early help. Staff know the procedures to follow if they have concerns about another member of staff. Risk assessments are robust to ensure children's well- being and safety. Effective recruitment and supervision procedures help to make sure that staff working with children are suitable to do so.

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should:

13 July 2023 n improve the organisation of adult-led focused group activities further, so that children fully benefit from these opportunities and their learning is not interrupted n support staff to develop children's early mathematical skills and knowledge, paying particular attention to counting skills and using numbers.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 512410 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 10302266 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 70 Number of children on roll 100 Name of registered person Leeds City Council

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reference number

Telephone number 0113 2714706 Date of previous inspection 19 February 2020

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Information about this early years setting

Little Owls Nursery Middleton Laurel Bank registered in 2011 and is situated in Leeds. The nursery employs 17 members of childcare staff. Of these, one member of staff holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 6, 13 members of staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, and one member of staff at level 2. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions 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 nursery 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 nursery. n The inspector carried out a learning walk with the manager and discussed how the curriculum is delivered. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. She spoke with staff and children during the inspection. n The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector held a meeting with the senior managers. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector spoke with parents during the inspection 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

13 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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