Little Adventures Nursery (Wedmore)

Inspection of Little Adventures Nursery (Wedmore) Wells Road, Latcham, Wedmore BS28 4SA

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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 are keen to come to this warm and friendly nursery. Parents feel well informed about what their children are doing and how well they are progressing at the setting. Staff take time to get to know the children and their families well. They gather information about what children can already do and use this information to plan what they need to learn next. Staff are sensitive and responsive to children's needs. When babies become tired or upset, staff comfort them and help them settle to sleep.

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The provision is good

Children access a range of stimulating activities that staff plan with children's interests in mind. This helps to engage them and instils a good attitude towards learning. For example, in the pre-school room, staff encourage children to 'feed' toy fish with small pieces of pretend fish food. This helps them to strengthen the small muscles in their fingers and develops their imaginative skills. In the baby room, staff encourage babies to explore objects with different textures. They link activities to key songs that they want the babies to learn, and encourage them to join in with the actions. Children develop their physical skills as they run and play in the large outdoor space. They learn about nature and life cycles by watching eggs hatch and observing tadpoles as they grow into frogs. Children make good progress in their learning.

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need to do better?

n Staff sing songs and read a range of stories to children. They encourage parents to share books with their children at home. This helps to involve parents in their children's learning and supports children to develop a love of reading. Staff support children to lengthen their attention span with gentle reminders about how to sit and listen. This prepares them for their move to school. n Staff extend learning opportunities by following children's interests as they play. For example, staff noticed older children talking about Italy during a play-dough activity. They built on this observation by supporting children to think about Italian foods. This inspired the children to make pizza from the play dough, expanding their learning experience. However, in the pre-school and toddler room, staff sometimes do not think about how to adapt activities to support the younger age range and these children lose interest.

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need to do better?

n Staff support children's communication skills using sign language and pictures. They widen children's vocabulary by skilfully introducing new words during activities. For instance, when exploring different fruits with the children, staff use words such as 'rough', 'spiky', 'silky' and 'core'. However, staff do not always support quieter children to contribute fully during activities. On these occasions, quieter children's learning experiences are not maximised. n Staff support children to learn how to share. They praise them when they

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need to do better?

12 July 2023 cooperate with their friends and emphasise the importance of being kind. They teach children to persevere when things go wrong and repeat the motto 'Try, try again'. Children are developing the skills that they will need to become successful learners in the future. n Children eat well-balanced meals that are home cooked. In the baby room, staff encourage children to wipe their hands and face and use a spoon to eat. Toddlers and older children wash their hands independently and help to clean tables ready for lunch. They hand out cutlery to their friends and serve themselves food using tongs. This careful sequencing of skills helps children to make progress with their levels of independence. n Staff support children to learn about different cultures and festivals, such as Diwali. They talk about other countries and languages. This teaches children about the wider world around them. However, staff do not always encourage

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need to do better?

children to listen to the views and ideas of their peers, to teach them to respect other children's opinions, even if they are different to their own. This means that children are not yet learning how to celebrate other people's similarities and differences. n The manager provides supportive supervision meetings for staff. She monitors their practice and well-being, and identifies any training needs they may have. She is highly reflective and acts on feedback to continually improve the setting. She has strong links with parents and works hard to help them feel part of the nursery community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The provider and the manager follow robust safe recruitment practices to ensure that only suitable adults work with children. Staff attend safeguarding training and are able to recognise the signs and symptoms which may indicate a child is at risk of harm. Staff know the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child. They also know how to raise concerns about another member of staff, and how to escalate a concern beyond the leadership team if necessary. Staff talk to children about safety rules and routines and help them to apply these in real-life situations. For example, staff talk to children about fire safety and provide clear instructions for children to follow.

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should:

n plan and adapt adult-led activities to cater for the age and stage of development of the children taking part to support their learning further n engage quieter children in discussions and play experiences to enable them to remain engaged and interested at all times

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should:

12 July 2023 n help children to learn about the similarities and differences between themselves and others, to deepen their awareness of diversity further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY400784 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 10299911 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 36 Number of children on roll 38 Name of registered person Little Owls Childcare Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01934 713 527 Date of previous inspection 22 January 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Little Adventures Nursery (Wedmore) registered in 2009. It is situated in Wedmore, Somerset. The nursery employs six members of staff. Of these, one holds an appropriate child early years qualification at level 6, one is qualified at level 5 and two hold a childcare qualification at level 3. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am to 5.30pm. 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 joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection 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 inspector carried out joint observations of a group activity with the manager. n The inspector spoke to several parents and grandparents 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

12 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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