Helping Hands Day Nursery

Inspection of Helping Hands Day Nursery 4 St. Chads Road, TILBURY, Essex RM18 8LA

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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 Requires improvement

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The provision is good

Children enjoy their day at nursery. They are greeted by caring staff, who know them well and take time to speak to their parents to find out how the children have been at home. Children quickly gravitate to their small friendship groups. They engage in a range of freely chosen, as well as some adult-led, focused activities. Children are keen learners and listen attentively to staff when they read stories and participate in conversations. Children are caring and respectful of each other. They understand the nursery rules and confidently talk about how they need to clear toys away when they have finished playing with them.

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The provision is good

Staff embrace younger children's interests and engage in fun activities based on these. For example, they dress up in an adult shark costume to join the children singing and acting out their favourite song about a family of sharks. Older children are helped to overcome any concern about visiting a dentist, as staff introduce and enable them to explore tools and equipment that might be associated with a trip to the dentist. They carefully lie back in a recliner chair while their friends look at their teeth. Staff support this learning well, ensuring that they use clear, positive language when modelling this experience.

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need to do better?

n The provider, manager and staff have worked hard since the last inspection to address the identified weaknesses. Staff have undertaken a wide range of training to help them to develop their knowledge and gain a greater understanding of their roles. The provider has engaged well with the local authority and intends to continue to do so moving forward. The staff team continue to develop their expertise and work well together as a team. n Parents speak highly of the manager and staff. They comment that their children love attending the nursery and are making good progress in their learning. Parents feel involved in their child's day as staff share a good amount of information with them. Staff encourage parents to continue with their children's learning at home. For example, they share the importance of reading to children, which has encouraged parents to read more bedtime stories and share books with their children at home.

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need to do better?

n Staff use effective tools to help them to identify any gaps in children's learning. Where identified, they work with parents to put in place effective strategies and plans to help to close the gaps. Staff focus their attention on extending children's speech and communication. They and parents have seen positive successes with some children who had limited speech, now engaging fully in discussions. n Since the last inspection, the provider has developed the way in which she uses the local environment to enhance children's learning experiences. The staff now

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need to do better?

25 April 2024 regularly take children to local parks, the library and to shops. They use the newly purchased 'kiddi-buggy' to transport younger children on these trips. n Children are provided with opportunities to play in the newly enclosed outdoor space. Here, they explore water as they make decisions where to place lengths of guttering to pour the water down. They decide how to construct walkways from planks of wood and tyres to enable them to explore new ways of moving and being physical. However, staff do not make good enough use of the outdoor environment to build on the learning experiences for children who prefer to play outside. n Staff are developing their understanding of different approaches to children's learning. For example, they are introducing more resources and materials that enable children to be freely creative with no determined end product. As a result, children use their imagination to create and construct. Staff use effective

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need to do better?

questioning to enhance the children's thinking. n Babies eagerly participate in a food tasting activity, where they are able to touch, smell and taste a range of foods. They show their like or dislike for each food with appropriate facial expressions. Older children learn how to take care of incubating eggs and wait eagerly for them to hatch into chicks.

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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 guide staff to make better use of the outdoor environment to support the continuing good progress of children who prefer to play and learn outside.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY423018 Local authority Thurrock Inspection number 10297686 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 25 Number of children on roll 55 Name of registered person Helping Hands Day Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01375858566 Date of previous inspection 17 May 2023

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Information about this early years setting

Helping Hands Day Nursery registered in 2011 and is privately run and managed. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 6.30am until 7pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery employs seven members of staff, of whom two hold an early years qualification at level 5, one at level 3 and one at level 2. The nursery receives funding to provide free 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 pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children spoke to the inspector and told her about their friends and what they like to do when they are at nursery. n The inspector spoke to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector carried out joint observations of activities with the provider. n Parents shared their views of the nursery with the inspector. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed the suitability of staff working at the nursery.

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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

25 April 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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