Lanterns Arts & Educational Nursery

Inspection of Lanterns Arts & Educational Nursery Unit D,Great Eastern Enterprise Centre, 3 Millharbour, LONDON E14 9XP

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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

Staff plan the environment to play a key role in supporting children's learning. Leaders ensure that the spaces where children play are fun, interesting and varied. This helps to develop children's imaginations. For example, staff plan role-play areas to give children opportunities to explore familiar environments and share their experiences with their friends. They provide enrichment activities, such as dance and art, to build children's confidence and to support their independence. Staff listen carefully to children's views and plan the environment to enable children to make independent choices about what they play with. They listen carefully to children's views and opinions. This helps children to feel valued, and they settle well into the nursery.

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The provision is good

Overall, children behave well and learn the skills they need to have positive social interactions with others. Staff demonstrate sharing, turn taking and manners, which they expect of children. Children learn about the impact of their behaviour on others. This supports children to have a positive attitude to their learning, and they play happily with their friends. Staff support all children to engage with the play and learning opportunities available. Children make good progress and are ready when it is time to move on to their next stage of learning, including starting school.

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need to do better?

n Staff have a good understanding of child development and children's individual learning needs. Babies hear lots of sounds, words and early language. Staff encourage children's mathematical development throughout the day. Younger children learn to recognise and match colours. Older children confidently develop their counting and numeracy skills during focused activities. n Children enjoy opportunities to listen to stories, sing songs and explore books throughout the day. Children come together with their friends for scheduled reading and song sessions led by a member of staff. At other times, children choose books to look at independently or share with a friend. This helps to develop children's love of reading and early language development. n Children enjoy a wide range of activities and experiences that help them to develop their skills and interests. There are a number of dedicated spaces in the

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need to do better?

nursery for children to learn in, such as a separate art room, dining hall, dance studio and soft-play room. These opportunities enrich the curriculum and add exciting opportunities, which are accessible to all children. n Some children struggle when it is time to transition to a new space. Staff do not consistently support them to understand where they are going or what is happening next. For example, the transition to mealtimes in the dining hall becomes noisy and chaotic. This means that some children take time to settle

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need to do better?

28 November 2023 into the new activity, and this has an impact on their behaviour. n Staff support children's physical development well through a range of activities, including music, movement and dance. This promotes children's understanding of their bodies, how they engage with others and their interaction with the environment. Babies learn to be confident crawlers and walkers. Older children develop an awareness of their bodies, how to manage their self-care and keep themselves safe as they play. n At the end of every day, staff let parents know what their child has enjoyed and how their learning can be supported at home. Parents attend a termly meeting with their child's key person and can view their child's observation records at any time. This helps parents to engage with their child's learning and supports any requests for additional support from outside agencies. n Leaders have good relationships with the staff team, and this has a positive

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need to do better?

impact on staff retention. The long-standing staff team enjoy their roles and get to know children well. Although leaders are approachable, the current supervision arrangements do not fully support staff to identify areas for development in their practice and individual training needs. n Leaders are aware of their responsibilities to liaise with external agencies if there are any concerns about a child's development or if there are safeguarding concerns. Leaders make referrals in a timely manner and follow the guidance provided as required. This ensures that children are kept safe and any gaps in their learning are addressed swiftly.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff understand their roles in keeping children safe from harm. They know the steps to take if they have concerns about the welfare of a child or the conduct of a colleague. Staff supervise children well and take steps to ensure that children are safe while eating and sleeping. Leaders implement robust recruitment procedures to make sure that staff are suitable to work with children. Staff check the identity of visitors and ensure that they are always supervised. Leaders make sure that the environment is regularly risk assessed and any identified hazards are addressed.

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should:

n consider how to better support children's understanding of the daily routine to help them to transition more easily between activities n extend arrangements to provide individualised support, coaching and training for staff, to further extend their practice.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY372099 Local authority Tower Hamlets Inspection number 10319354 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 106 Number of children on roll 65 Name of registered person Lanterns Schools Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 02073 630951 Date of previous inspection 30 January 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Lanterns Nursery registered in 1995 and transferred to its new premises in 2008. It is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The nursery is open for 50 weeks of the year, from 8am until 6pm, Monday to Friday. It provides funded early years education for three-year-old children. The nursery employs 19 members of childcare staff. Most staff hold early years qualifications at level 3. The manager has an early years degree and holds early years professional status.

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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 viewed the nursery and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The deputy manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a creative activity with the deputy manager. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took

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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 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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