Starfish Childrens Day Nursery

Inspection of Starfish Childrens Day Nursery Farnham College, Morley Road, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8LU

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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

Staff provide a welcoming environment. Children are happy and engage in play. They demonstrate the strong bonds they have with staff as they talk to them and share their news. Children are confident, and they talk to staff about their emotions. Staff encourage children to talk with them and share how they are feeling. If sad or cross, staff ask them why that might be and how they can change that. This helps children learn to self-regulate and manage their actions.

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The provision is good

Staff plan activities that follow children's interests and support their next steps in learning. They interact with children, talk to them and encourage them to discuss what they are doing. For example, children join coloured blocks together to match a number and a shape on a card. Staff count with them and support their problem- solving skills. They ask children to consider if they need to add or remove blocks to reach the right number. The daily routine is familiar to children. This enables children to feel safe and secure. Staff gain information about babies' needs and routines. Babies cruise around the room and explore different objects and textures. Staff focus on developing children's communication, their emotional well-being and their physical skills. Staff use repetition as a tool to aid in this process to further enhance children's learning. Staff encourage older children to undertake tasks by

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The provision is good

themselves. This builds on their independence skills and supports them in being ready for school. Children make good progress in their learning and development.

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need to do better?

n There has been a big change recently in the management and staff, and they are all working well together as a team. Management demonstrates a strong commitment to improving the provision. They are currently embedding several new initiatives, such as a parents' council, implementing new curriculum planning and a pre-school council to gain children's views. The action and the recommendation raised at the last inspection have been addressed effectively. n Staff know their key children well. They plan activities and experiences that support children to build on their current skills. There are support plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and these are overseen by the special educational needs coordinator. Staff work as a team across the nursery and share information about what children need to learn next. This supports children to make good positive progress and assists them to

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need to do better?

have a smooth transition between rooms when the time comes. n All children, even babies, enjoy looking at books. Older children thoroughly enjoy sitting and listening to stories and confidently explain what will happen next. They help to turn the pages of their favourite stories, and older children confidently read out familiar words. Children enjoy making marks with pencils on paper and talk about how they like to paint. However, children are less able to

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need to do better?

19 August 2024 independently choose and explore a wide range of media and materials, such as scissors and paint, to express their creativity and imagination. n Children enjoy healthy lifestyles and have access to several outside areas to build on their physical skills and learning. Children love to ride trikes and bikes around the roadway markings in the garden. They enjoy digging in the dirt for 'treasure' and show their kindness to others by sharing spades or seeking other ones. Babies can go outside each day. However, they share an area that older children also use, and this can lead to bark and other smaller materials getting spread across the floor. Staff minimise these potential risks but the time taken to do so restricts babies opportunities to play and learn outside. n Staff act as positive role models and encourage children to be kind and respect each other from an early age. Children behave well and develop a good

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need to do better?

understanding of how to manage their own behaviour. These are effective skills that children need for their future learning. n Children learn about their similarities and differences and about cultures. For example, staff speak to children in their home language and also help other children learn some phrases to say when on their holidays. This boosts children's self-esteem and confidence and expands their understanding of the world. n Partnerships with parents are good. Management has spent time talking to parents, gathering their views and sharing the changes they are implementing. They share daily information about children, such as sleep routines, bottles and food consumed. There is a new weekly update sent out to parents to enable them to know the activities that children have done and what is being planned. However, information-sharing about children's learning and development is variable and so does not fully support a consistent approach to meeting

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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 increase opportunities for children to independently explore a wide range of media and materials to express themselves, their creativity and imagination n review and improve the garden area for babies to enable them to build further on their learning and development outside n embed new information-sharing processes with parents to keep them better informed about their children's learning and development and promote a more cohesive approach to meeting their children's needs.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2566957 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 10333959 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 35 Name of registered person Starfish Childcare Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01252820333 Date of previous inspection 30 January 2024

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Information about this early years setting

Starfish Childrens Day Nursery registered in November 2019 and is managed by Starfish Childcare Limited. It is located in Farnham, Surrey. The nursery employs eight members of childcare staff. Of whom, five hold relevant early years qualifications from level 2 to level 6. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks a year. Sessions are from 8am to 6pm. The nursery provides funded 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 COVID-19 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 deputy manager completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years foundation stage curriculum. n The new manager and the deputy manager spoke to the inspector about children's learning and development, with a particular focus on communication and language. n Children told the inspector about their friends and what they like to do when they are at nursery. 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.

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Inspection activities

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

19 August 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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