Little Squirrels Play Forest at Seagulls

Inspection of Little Squirrels Play Forest at Seagulls Seagulls Surestart centre, Magdalen Way, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth NR31 7BP

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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

The manager and staff warmly greet children and their parents as they arrive. This, alongside flexible settling-in arrangements, helps children and their parents to form close bonds with their key person. Staff know the children well. They gather a broad range of information from parents about what their children like, know and can do. This helps staff to deliver a curriculum which covers all areas of learning. Children are encouraged to be curious and explore within the well-resourced learning environment, both inside and outside.

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The provision is good

Babies' routines from home for eating and sleeping are closely followed. Nappy changing is carried out sensitively and children are offered reassuring cuddles. Staff get down to the children's level and play alongside them. They model how to use resources so that children can follow. Staff make good use of learning opportunities as they read stories to the children with animation. Children have opportunities to handle books and learn how to turn pages. Staff successfully capture toddlers' imagination as they pretend to go on a magic carpet. They introduce familiar action songs which toddlers are keen to join in with. The toddlers giggle as they 'hop like bunnies' and 'stomp like a dinosaur'.

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The provision is good

All staff model expected behaviours and gently remind children of the rules, particularly when children struggle to share. Staff explain about turn-taking and support children to do this. They use appropriate strategies, such as images and picture routines, to help children to manage their own feelings and behaviours. Children are learning to be kind to each other.

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need to do better?

n The nursery is well led. Staff are appropriately recruited and inducted. There is a focus on staff well-being. Staff have a secure knowledge of safeguarding practice and policy. They receive effective supervision, support and mentoring to continuously improve. Staff attend a broad range of training to enhance their skills. There are clear plans in place to develop practice further, including implementing an intervention programme to better support those children with speech and language delay. n Staff encourage children's independence and build on children's existing skills. All children make independent choices about what to play with. Children learn how to put on their coats and persevere when they try and work out how to use the zip. n Staff help children to develop healthy lifestyle habits. Children enjoy nutritious snacks. They have plenty of opportunity for physical exercise and fresh air. They

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need to do better?

learn how to care for themselves as staff support them to use the toilet, wash their hands, brush their teeth and wipe their nose before putting the tissue in

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need to do better?

2 February 2024 the bin. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are appropriately supported. Staff use observation and assessment to track children's progress. Where further or external support is needed, the nursery's special educational needs and disabilities coordinator is swift to work in partnership with parents and other professionals. n The manager and staff engage particularly well with parents. The nursery is wholly inclusive. Parents are kept well informed about their children's learning and well-being through discussions with their key person. Staff invite parents to experience what their child is learning at nursery so that they can further support this learning at home. Parents receive valuable parenting advice and support. This includes sharing regular information through an online app, a book-lending library, dental health packs and other nursery initiatives. n Staff provide a language-rich environment. They provide commentary and pose

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need to do better?

simple questions, giving children time to respond. Staff repeat words children mispronounce and introduce new vocabulary, such as 'freezing' and 'squelchy'. On occasions, staff deliver small-group activities that capture children's interest. However, these activities are not currently well planned to ensure children, including those who are slower to speak, have rich and consistent opportunities to practise listening and speaking skills. n Staff deploy themselves effectively and children are appropriately supervised. However, transitions over the lunchtime period, where the nursery offers a 'rolling lunch', are not as well organised. As a result, at these times, several of the children are not engaged in purposeful play. Additional children arrive at the nursery for the afternoon session while activities are being tidied away. Others are required to wait for some time until there is a space at the table before they

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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 support staff to deliver well-planned, rich and consistent learning experiences, particularly for children who are slower to speak, so that they have good opportunities to practise their listening and speaking skills n review and enhance routines around lunchtimes, to ensure that children have opportunities to eat when they wish to, and others remain engaged in purposeful play at these times.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2656064 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 10311623 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 62 Number of children on roll 82 Name of registered person Little Squirrels Play Forest Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01493 660099 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Little Squirrels Play Forest at Seagulls registered in 2021. It employs ten members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 8am to 5pm, for 51 weeks of the year. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery provides funded nursery education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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 manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed how the early years curriculum is delivered. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching, indoors and outdoors, and considered the impact this has on the children's learning. n The inspector spoke to staff at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager of a group activity. n The inspector spoke to a sample of parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector held a management meeting and sampled relevant documentation, including evidence of paediatric first-aid qualifications, during the inspection.

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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

2 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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