Mini Explorers Nursery@Pulborough

Inspection of Mini Explorers Nursery@Pulborough Pulborough Village hall, Swan View, Pulborough RH20 2BF

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Babies build strong bonds with staff, who know their needs and personalities. This enables babies to feel safe and secure. Babies readily approach staff for reassurance and guidance, which staff give willingly, showing great warmth and compassion. Babies enjoy looking at the self-register board and explore with staff who is attending each day. Staff repeat the names of babies to enable them to hear and learn their friends' names. This helps babies to build further relationships and strengthens a sense of community and family. Babies sit with each other at snack and mealtimes, making eating a social occasion. They have healthy, home-cooked meals, supporting them to develop a good understanding of healthy lifestyles.

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The provision is good

Babies smile with great delight and enjoy playing peekaboo, looking through the cardboard tubes or using chiffon material to cover their faces. They giggle out loud when staff gently tickle them, demonstrating their thorough enjoyment. This boosts babies' understanding of interacting with others and the sequence of games. The provider, manager and staff understand how to observe and assess children's development. They use this information and what they gain from parents to plan for what babies need to learn next and the sequence this should follow. This enables babies to move on to the next stage in their learning successfully.

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need to do better?

n The leadership team has a strong focus on continuous development. The team provides babies with new areas to explore and develop new skills. Babies learn to climb on the soft play resources within the sensory room. They gain an understanding of their community, such as through trips to the library and park. n Leaders are supportive of their staff, recognising the importance of selecting the right candidates for the expansion of the nursery team. They provide regular individual and staff meetings to enhance staff's practice. Staff access training and evaluate how they can incorporate this into the setting. Staff report that they relish working in a small setting where they can really get to know the babies and their families. They comment about the supportiveness of the management team, stating that managers are 'always there'. n Key staff know the babies well. There are clear procedures to ensure that staff

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need to do better?

who are supporting other staff are also aware of what babies need to learn next. Staff understand how children develop and that learning has a sequence. This means that staff plan successfully for babies' next steps in learning. n Staff provide a language-rich environment for the babies. They make animal sounds, such as those of a lion and elephant, and babies begin to copy and respond. Staff also help babies to make observations of the features of the toy dinosaurs, and they support babies to link specific features, such as the teeth, to their own.

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need to do better?

9 November 2023 n Babies have a short circle time, where they greet each other with a song. Staff use simple signing, and babies watch with interest as they absorb the words to the songs. Babies copy and use simple sign language, such as when saying thank you. This enhances babies' early communication and language development. n Staff are receptive to the changing needs of babies and understand aspects of development that may affect their mood. Babies sleep and eat in accordance with their own needs and routines, and staff know how to sooth them to sleep. This provides an added sense of security. n Babies learn to be independent and access a well-organised environment. However, sometimes, when babies indicate that they want to explore the creative resources, staff do not always respond effectively. This means that babies are not always able to follow their own choice of play and learning. n Staff have a clear understanding of babies' families and home lives. They engage

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need to do better?

babies in talking about their family members, such as about their grandparents. Staff display photographs of those important people in the babies' lives, which supports early communication and a sense of belonging. n Staff burst into song throughout the day, enhancing babies' experiences. However, staff play music throughout the day in the background. This is sometimes distracting for babies, or they do not listen to the music, and it therefore loses its purpose. n Partnerships with parents are good. Parents express that they chose the nursery due to its small size and family feel. Parents state that they trust the staff team and can see clear advances in the development of their babies. For example, they comment that the progress made in the speaking and social skills of their babies is highly evident.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a clear understanding of safeguarding and their role in keeping children safe. They have regular training to keep their knowledge fresh. They hold safeguarding quizzes and review scenarios at staff meetings to explore their understanding. Staff assess and minimise risks in the environment effectively. Babies receive gentle reminders about being careful and aware of others. They learn to take risks in safe surroundings, such as climbing the stairs independently, with staff following behind to ensure their safety. This enables them to develop an early awareness of their safety, and it encourages them to persevere to learn new skills.

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should:

9 November 2023 n strengthen staff's responses to babies when they indicate or gesture their choice of an activity n revise the use of background music to ensure that it does not disrupt babies' play and learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2707973 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 10310655 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 19 Number of children on roll 13 Name of registered person Mini Explorers West Sussex LTD

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reference number

Telephone number 07400263226 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Mini Explorers Nursery@Pulborough registered in 2022. The nursery is situated in the village hall, Pulborough, West Sussex. It is open each weekday, from 8am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The provider currently employs four members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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 managers and inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager. n The inspectors spoke with staff and interacted with babies. n Parents shared their views about the setting with the inspector. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises.

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Inspection activities

9 November 2023 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

9 November 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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