Smiley Faces Day Nursery Ltd

Inspection of Smiley Faces Day Nursery Ltd Limekiln Lane, Wellington, Telford, Shropshire TF1 2JA

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is outstanding

Children enter this inspirational nursery with excitement and are warmly greeted by the enthusiastic staff. Parents are invited to walk their children into their appropriate rooms and discuss their children's experiences and routines with their key person. This provides staff with an excellent understanding of the children's needs for the day and allows them to support them with nurturing individual care. Staff are attentive to children's needs and help them to feel safe and loved. The inspirational team of staff display kindness and compassion to the children and each other. They demonstrate positive communication and use of manners. This provides children with positive role models and promotes exemplary behaviour throughout the nursery.

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The provision is outstanding

Children take part in stimulating multi-sensory activities, where they explore resources and experiment by mixing and pouring ingredients. They play cooperatively and share resources, managing their own learning and solving problems independently. The experienced staff offer stimulating questions and encourage children to extend their vocabulary. For instance, when staff ask what is happening to their mixtures, children describe that the jelly dissolves in water. At lunchtime, staff take part in engaging conversations with children about healthy eating. Children confidently explain that it is okay to eat a variety of foods in moderation.

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need to do better?

n The inspirational manager and staff have created a family ethos of love and mutual respect. This is visible consistently throughout the nursery. Staff get to know each family very well, including those that they are key person to. This enables the creative team to deliver a meaningful curriculum that focuses on extending opportunities for children and offering new experiences. Staff skilfully assess children's starting points and create personalised next steps. Children make excellent progress and are confident, independent learners. n The creative staff at this nursery make excellent use of their local environment to strengthen the quality of experiences that take place. Children visit the horse paddock and learn how to safely feed carrots to the horses. They benefit from opportunities to travel by bus and train to local museums and parks. These experiences broaden children's knowledge of the world and teach them about

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need to do better?

equality and diversity. The inspirational manager recognises the value of imaginative play in developing children's language and communication skills and creativity. She provides children with drama workshops to enhance their skills and uses evaluation of these activities to drive improvement in role-play provision in the nursery. n Staff in the nursery are highly efficient at identifying gaps in children's

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need to do better?

28 July 2023 development. They converse with parents immediately to discuss and address any concerns. The special educational needs coordinator creates personalised learning plans for children, identifying specific areas of need and targets for their development. She refers children to appropriate agencies for external support and follows advice from professionals. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make excellent progress from their starting points. Staff work closely with school staff to support a smooth transition for children moving on to school. n Parents are extremely grateful for the care and devotion that staff provide to their children. They state that their children make excellent progress due to the valuable experiences that the nursery staff offer. Parents understand what their children are learning at nursery and how to further support them at home. Staff regularly share children's next steps through the online parent portal and

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need to do better?

through written assessments. Parents are given ideas about how they can support number sequencing and reading with their children. n The manager identifies the importance of outdoor learning in enhancing children's physical development. This is an area of ongoing development in the nursery. Children take part in engaging learning opportunities to enhance their fine motor skills. Babies practise filling and emptying containers with rice. Older children enhance their hand and finger strength through opportunities to squeeze water from spray bottles and when mark making with chalks on blackboards. Staff extend opportunities for children to develop their larger muscles by balancing and jumping. They negotiate space and practise throwing and catching a variety of balls. n Staff speak highly of the motivational manager. They feel that their well-being is prioritised and that they can discuss any concerns with her. Staff are fully aware

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need to do better?

of their developmental needs. They have regular supervision opportunities, including peer observations. This offers staff opportunities to discuss and reflect on their practice. Staff address their own professional development needs by accessing an online training platform. They use this to strengthen their knowledge and skills and to develop their quality of teaching.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong safeguarding culture within the nursery, and children's safety is the priority. The manager has created a robust recruitment process that ensures all staff are strictly vetted to ensure their suitability to work with children. The manager and staff complete rigorous risk assessments to minimise risk to children attending the nursery. There are four designated safeguarding lead practitioners within the nursery. They are all aware of the importance of their role and their responsibilities. The manager and staff have an excellent knowledge of the signs and symptoms of abuse. They can describe what they would do if they have concerns about the welfare of a child in their care.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY292008 Local authority Telford & Wrekin Inspection number 10301718 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 47 Name of registered person Smiley Faces Day Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01952 250438 Date of previous inspection 2 January 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Smiley Faces Day Nursery Ltd registered in 2004. It is situated adjacent to Shortwood Primary School, in Wellington, Telford. The nursery employs 12 members of childcare staff, 10 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 2 to level 6. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am 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 provider. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. 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 special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. 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.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager. n Parents shared their views of the nursery 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

28 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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