Inquisitive Minds Pre-school and Day Nursery

Inspection of Inquisitive Minds Pre- school and Day Nursery Trinity Hall, Victoria Road, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 3AL

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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 show they feel safe and secure in this welcoming and diverse nursery. Even the newest children who are apprehensive to leave their parents receive reassurance from the warm and caring staff and settle quickly into their activities. Babies explore interactive books and know that if they press the buttons, they will hear the corresponding animal noise. Toddlers explore dinosaurs in the 'swamp' and transport them out and back in again. Staff talk to them about the names of the dinosaurs and weave in some early mathematical language, such as 'big' and 'small'. Pre-school children use their imaginations that are based on real-life experiences as they pretend to cook in the role play kitchen and serve food to their friends. They concentrate well during a colour-mixing activity, developing their hand muscles as they use paintbrushes to mix the paints together.

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The provision is good

The manager offers the children a broad and balanced curriculum that is based on the Montessori pedagogy. She helps children develop the skills and knowledge they need to move through the rooms in the nursery and on to school. She places a strong focus on giving children experiences they may not have outside of the nursery, such as football training and visits to the farm. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) swiftly identifies when children may be at risk of falling behind and works closely with the local authority to put in place support to help children catch up. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who learn English as an additional language, make good progress in relation to their varying starting points.

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need to do better?

n Staff report the manager is very supportive of their emotional well-being, as well as their professional development. Staff receive regular training from the manager and attend external courses. Staff in the baby room have changed how they introduce books to babies. They now point to the pictures and use single words rather than reading the story word for word, to promote the children's understanding of language. n Partnerships with parents are positive. Parents report that staff are approachable and communicate well with them about their children's development. They also appreciate the photos and the information they receive through the online application. Parents have opportunities to see their children's learning in action through the regular 'stay and play' sessions they attend. n Children's behaviour is good. Staff sensitively support them to share and take turns and to negotiate any minor disputes. Children play together cooperatively,

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need to do better?

and staff support them to make friends. n The nursery is extremely inclusive, and staff know the children's backgrounds in detail. Children's home languages and cultures are learned about through the

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need to do better?

14 September 2023 'cultural days' the nursery has. Parents and children share their customs, including their cultural foods and clothes. Some staff speak the languages that the children use at home. Staff use their home language in the nursery and repeat what they say in English to develop children's language. n Children have lots of opportunities to test their physical abilities. Babies crawl and pull themselves up to standing as they learn to walk. Toddlers develop their coordination as they throw and kick balls. Pre-school children negotiate space well as they ride around on scooters and practise their balancing skills when they walk along crates and stepping stones. n Staff support children's communication and language well. They use simple words with babies to encourage their understanding. Some toddlers speak fluently, and others use hand signs to make themselves understood. Older children engage in conversations with one another and the staff. Overall,

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need to do better?

children enjoy listening to stories. However, staff do not always read to children with enthusiasm to introduce them to new ideas and concepts and to increase their vocabulary and engagement. n Children are supported to develop their understanding of healthy lifestyles well overall. They enjoy eating healthy snacks and have regular drinks of water. However, sometimes hot lunches contain sauces that have high levels of salt and sugar. These do not fully support children's good oral health. n The manager and SENCo work very closely with parents to find out about their children's home routines. The manager offers parents lots of advice about how to encourage their children's routines, such as sleeping and minimising time watching television. She encourages parents to help children develop their independence and self-care skills at home, to help children catch up in readiness for school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager has a sound knowledge of safeguarding and child protection procedures. She liaises with the relevant agencies and keeps records to ensure that information is shared. She regularly checks staff's safeguarding knowledge and updates their training. Staff are confident in their knowledge of the signs that a child may be at risk of harm. Most know the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child or the conduct of a colleague or where to find that information. Recruitment procedures help ensure that adults are suitable to work with children. Staff check the premises and equipment for any hazards. They record accidents children have and share these with parents.

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should:

14 September 2023 n help staff understand the importance of story time as part of the curriculum, to enhance children's love of books and to introduce new ideas, concepts and vocabulary n review children's food choices to encourage healthy eating and promote good oral health.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2553309 Local authority Swindon Inspection number 10309844 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 130 Number of children on roll 63 Name of registered person Tips4choices CIC

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reference number

Telephone number 07931395615 Date of previous inspection 24 August 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Inquisitive Minds Pre-school and Day Nursery registered in 2019 and operates from Trinity Hall in Swindon. The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff. Of whom, 11 are qualified between level 2 and level 6. It follows the Montessori ethos. The nursery opens Monday to Friday. Sessions are from 8am to 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and the deputy manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about the curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The children told the inspector what they like doing at the nursery. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this was having on children's learning. n The inspector spoke to staff at appropriate times during the inspection. n Parents shared their views of the nursery with the inspector. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the manager. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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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

14 September 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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