Happy Jays

Inspection of Happy Jays Ryder House, York YO51 9AT

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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

Children and parents are greeted warmly when they arrive at the start of the day. Staff demonstrate that they clearly know all of the children and their families very well. The nursery Staff chat to children at mealtimes, which are highly sociable. This helps children to become more confident when taking part in conversations. Children thoroughly enjoy the freshly prepared meals provided. Children are treated with kindness and respect by the caring staff team. A very strong key person system supports children's emotional well-being. It is particularly effective as children first join the nursery or are ready to move up to the next room. These times of change are managed carefully, based on children's individual needs. This helps build children's confidence, so they are ready to learn and develop.

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The provision is good

Children engage in a wide range of activities to help develop their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. Babies enjoy being taken for walks in the local community. Children also take part in forest school sessions, with the highlight being toasting marshmallows over a fire. The nursery also makes regular visits to the residents in a local care home. Here they particularly enjoy listening to stories. They go out with staff to buy the ingredients for baking activities. These experiences contribute to developing children's social skills.

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need to do better?

n Managers describe a curriculum that is based around children's interests. They have a good understanding of how to sequence learning to meet children's individual stages of development. There is a strong focus on developing children's communication and language skills. Children of all ages develop a love of listening to stories and joining in with familiar rhymes and songs. Children are constantly learning new words. n Staff generally identify what they want children to learn from the activities they plan. They consider the knowledge and skills they want individual children to develop. Staff then adapt activities for different children, so they all gain a sense of achievement. For example, some toddlers take turns as they roll balls covered in paint. They help each other to squeeze out the paint. Other children are encouraged to learn about colour mixing. However, learning is less effective when staff do not identify what they want children to learn. This sometimes

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need to do better?

leads to children's play lacking purpose. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress from their starting points. Staff benefit from regular visits from a dedicated SEND specialist, who shares her expertise with them. Parents of children with SEND also value the support their children receive at the nursery. n The nursery rooms have been arranged to enable children to make independent play choices. Resources are easily accessible. Babies giggle with delight as they

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need to do better?

5 June 2024 explore the feeling of sand on their bare feet. Toddlers engage in imaginative play as they create meals in the home corner. Pre-school children learn to compare the size of dinosaurs in the water tray. However, at times there are too many different activities available, meaning children become easily distracted. As a result, they wander around spending only a short time playing in a particular area. This does not help develop their concentration. n Staff identify supporting children's self-care skills to be an important part of their role. They recognise how this can help children to be ready for the next stage in their learning. Children who are ready to move on from the baby room start to sit at the same type of table as in the dining room. Pre-school children serve their own meals. At times, children do not receive consistent messages about what they should be trying to do on their own. For example, when children are

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need to do better?

asked to tidy up, they often stand and watch as staff do this for them. Toddlers are not asked to fetch their own drinks. Pre-school children are not always encouraged to wipe their own noses. n Children's physical development is promoted effectively. Babies are encouraged to pull themselves up so they can access resources at different heights. They become increasingly confident as they clamber into a ball pool. They practice rolling balls to knock down plastic bottles. In the pre-school garden they negotiate different obstacles to develop their balance and coordination. n Leaders and managers are highly reflective. They continuously identify areas for development. They welcome support and advice. Staff are encouraged to attend regular training to develop their practice further. Their emotional well-being is also an important focus for the management team. They recognise staff as being the most valuable resource within the nursery. This helps to create a strong

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need to do better?

team and contributes to children benefiting from a positive start to their learning.

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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 further to use information about individual children to plan and deliver learning opportunities that fully support their next steps of development n develop the learning environment more to support children to engage in purposeful play throughout the day n provide even more opportunities for children to do things for themselves, in order to prepare them for their next stage of learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY549331 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 10350815 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 45 Number of children on roll 72 Name of registered person First For Childcare 3 Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01423322827 Date of previous inspection 26 November 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Happy Jays registered in 2017 and is located in Boroughbridge. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 hold early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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 inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in 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

5 June 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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