Cygnets of Henley Ltd

Inspection of Cygnets of Henley Ltd Valley Road Primary School, Valley Road, HENLEY-ON-THAMES, Oxfordshire RG9 1RR

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

Children are happy and settled in this welcoming nursery. Staff greet children in the morning as they arrive and spend time talking with parents. This informative interaction at the beginning of the day helps staff to find out about children's sleep and well-being, so they can support children's individual needs.

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The provision is good

Leaders and staff have a clear vision of what they want children to learn. They provide many resources and plan age-appropriate activities for them, indoors and outdoors. Children demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning and are fully engaged in their self-chosen play. For example, older children become deeply engrossed in testing their creative skills with magnetic building blocks. They use their imaginations and demonstrate perseverance as they stack the magnets to create tall buildings. Attentive staff are close by and offer lots of praise and encouragement. This promotes children's creativity and understanding of cause and effect, and it gives them a strong sense of pride in their achievements.

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The provision is good

Babies and toddlers enjoy a good balance between adult-led activities and those they choose for themselves. They have opportunities to explore sensory play, such as pouring and scooping rice into cups, and enjoy the feel of colourful water bags. They squeeze and touch the different materials and show curiosity in their play. This engages them in new experiences and helps to strengthen their small-muscle skills effectively.

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The provision is good

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour and instil good manners. For example, they remind children to say 'please' and 'thank you', share resources and wait their turn. This helps children to behave well and to be kind and caring towards each other.

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need to do better?

n Children have plenty of opportunities to get involved in physical activities. For example, they play in the garden using ride-on and balancing toys. Staff also provide opportunities for children to take part in ball games and use the large field of the adjacent school. This supports children's physical development and engages them in team sport. Furthermore, staff plan to introduce weekly yoga sessions to promote children's health and overall well-being further. n Staff promote children's literacy, as well as their speech and language development, effectively. For instance, they sing with the children and read to them every day. Furthermore, staff engage children in alphabet games and challenge them to name words that start with individual letters. Children relish the praise they continually receive from staff and thoroughly enjoy taking part in group sessions, ready for their move on to school.

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need to do better?

1 February 2024 n Staff skilfully encourage children's mathematical learning across the nursery. For example, young children show high levels of concentration as they pour liquid into funnels and excitedly observe how it flows out. Children aged two and three learn about different shapes during art and craft activities. Pre-school children proudly demonstrate their counting skills as they play games with staff and count their steps. This promotes children's sequenced mathematical learning superbly, ready for the next steps in their learning and development. n Children learn independent skills with the help of experienced staff. They wash their hands independently, feed themselves at mealtimes and tidy away resources and toys. However, new and less experienced staff do not consistently give children the knowledge and skills they need to apply for future learning. This is because the support and training for newer staff are not implemented

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need to do better?

fully. n Staff speak positively of the manager and report that they are well supported. Regular supervisions and team meetings help staff to feel valued and content in their role. Staff work well together in their own rooms and across the nursery. This helps to promote consistency and supports children's transition as they move up to the next room. n The manager and staff work together collaboratively with the local school, the local authority and other professionals to support the children in their care further. Staff take good account of children's needs when using additional funding. For instance, they obtain resources to encourage children's communication skills, which has a positive impact on their speech and language development. n Staff work in partnership with parents to provide continuity in children's care routines. They share information with parents about their children's day and their individual achievements. Parents report that their children have made good

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need to do better?

progress, particularly with their speech and language and social skills.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n strengthen the support and training for newer and less experienced staff to provide greater consistency across all aspects of children's learning and development.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 133509 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 10307831 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 43 Name of registered person Cygnets of Henley Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01491 414434 Date of previous inspection 20 March 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Cygnets of Henley Ltd registered in 2014 and is located in Henley-on-Thames. The provision operates daily, from 8am until 6pm, all year round. In addition, an out-of- school club operates from the school premises from 3pm to 6pm, during term time only, and a holiday club operates from 8am until 6pm, during school holidays. There are 18 staff working with the children. Of these, two hold a level 5 early years qualification, and six hold level 3. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged three- and four-years-old.

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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 her evaluation of the provider. n Staff talked to the inspector about how they plan activities and what they do to support children's learning and development. They also explained the procedures that they follow to keep children safe. n A joint observation of an activity was carried out by the inspector and the manager. n The inspector went on a learning walk with the manager to look at how the curriculum is planned and delivered. n The inspector spoke to children and viewed their activities. n The inspector spoke to parents and considered their views.

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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

1 February 2024 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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