Linden House Nursery

Inspection of Linden House Nursery 83 West Street, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 1SE

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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 play and learn happily with their friends. They make choices about some of the activities they would like to join in, contributing to their ability to follow their interests. Babies crawl and practise their newly acquired walking skills, enabling them to explore and discover the resources staff set out for them. The attentive staff recognise when babies are tired, settling them to sleep with their special toys and comforters they bring from home. This helps babies feel secure right from the start.

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The provision is good

Staff plan a varied curriculum to help all children build on what they already know and understand. For example, children play a matching game with staff. They talk about the pictures they can see and wait their turn to choose a card. This helps children build on their language skills, while strengthening their ability to take turns and follow a sequence of instructions. Children join in familiar routines, such as brushing their teeth, every day. This helps to promote positive attitudes towards good oral health and hygiene from a very early age.

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The provision is good

Staff give gentle reminders to help encourage children to begin to regulate their emotions while they join in activities. This contributes to children's good behaviour and the positive attitudes they have towards others. As a result, children play in a harmonious atmosphere.

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need to do better?

n Key persons know the children in their care well. They observe the progress they make and consider which areas of learning to focus on during both adult-led and child-led activities and games. The plans for the curriculum are clearly displayed for all staff to refer to, contributing to the consistent approach to teaching and learning. n Those in charge of the nursery support staff to extend their own knowledge and understanding of how children learn. Staff access both online and face-to-face training sessions. They share ideas and new information through a staff newsletter and team discussions. This helps to ensure that the curriculum and nursery ethos is maintained from the youngest babies to those preparing to move on to school. n Staff and leaders seek support from external professionals and agencies to help ensure all children have access to appropriate support and resources. This includes for example ideas and strategies to support speech and language.

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need to do better?

Additional resources for the most-able children are sought, helping to enable those preparing for school to confidently move on to the next stage in their education as independent, curious learners. n Children with special educational needs and/ or disabilities do well in the

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need to do better?

5 September 2024 nursery. Staff work closely with parents to maintain a consistent approach to children's developmental needs. This includes their emotional well-being. Staff use visual aids, such as cards depicting different emotions, to help children communicate how they are feeling. Through children's acknowledgement of different emotions, staff support them to feel calm and ready to continue their day. n Leaders ensure that children's transitions through the nursery and to other settings, including school, are as smooth as possible. Children have short visits into their new group room to help them get to know different staff and new routines. When staff feel children are ready for the change, key persons share as much information as they can about children's interests and current stages in learning. This contributes to children's ability to confidently move forward in their learning. n Children build positive relationships with staff. They welcome staff to join in their

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need to do better?

games and explorations. For example, children giggle during a game of hide and seek in the garden while they wait in anticipation for staff to find them. These relationships help children build their self-confidence to ask questions. However, staff do not always give children sufficient time or encouragement to help them develop their own thinking skills. As a result, children do not consistently solve problems for themselves or think about different ways of doing things. n Staff recognise the importance of providing a balance between adult-led activities and allowing children to select how and where they play. During their interactions with children, staff do not always add enough challenge that focuses on individual next steps in learning to optimise children's progress.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

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

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should:

n encourage children, giving them more time to develop their own thinking skills to help promote independent learning n support staff to extend children's individual learning experiences through appropriately focused challenges.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY103054 Local authority Central Bedfordshire Inspection number 10351842 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 36 Number of children on roll 40 Name of registered person De Leonardis, Dora Marie

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reference number

Telephone number 01582 662575 Date of previous inspection 23 October 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Linden House Nursery registered in 2002. The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff, 10 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including the manager, who is qualified at level 6. The nursery opens Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. 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 has received since the COVID- 19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken this into account in her evaluation of the provision. n The inspector went on a learning walk with senior staff. They discussed the curriculum and the impact it has on children's continued progress. n Leaders watched and evaluated an activity with the inspector. They talked about the quality of teaching they observed. n The inspector observed activities in the group rooms and in the garden. She spoke to staff, including the provider, and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n The inspector looked at some documents, including the evidence of suitability of staff and those connected to the premises, records of children's attendance and planning material. n The inspector viewed feedback questionnaires and some parental comments.

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Inspection activities

She took these into consideration in her evaluation of the provision.

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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 September 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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