Cheddar First School Nursery

Inspection of Cheddar First School Nursery Cheddar First School, Hillfield, Cheddar BS27 3HN

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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

Caring and nurturing staff welcome babies as they arrive. An effective key-person system helps babies and young children to form strong bonds with familiar staff. Staff work closely with parents to help them provide comfort and continuity with home. Babies show they feel safe and content as they awake happily from their morning nap and greet staff with cuddles. These positive relationships help babies to settle quickly and engage in the wide range of exciting opportunities staff provide. For example, babies smile at staff and giggle as they splash in the water tray and show excitement as they get ready to play outside with the older children.

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The provision is good

The curriculum has a key focus on encouraging babies' personal, social and emotional development, developing their early language and communication skills and supporting their physical development. Staff skilfully weave these priorities into the daily routines. For instance, they help babies recognise themselves and each other in photos during the welcome song. Babies beam as they copy staff and attempt to say their friends' names. This gives babies a strong sense of self and helps them to make early friendships. Babies confidently explore the carefully planned environment. For instance, they enjoy feeling the sand slip through their fingers as they scoop and pour using different tools. This helps babies explore using their senses and enables them to develop and practise new physical skills.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and managers are dedicated and passionate. They have developed a clear and ambitious curriculum and strive to provide high-quality care and education for all babies. Committed and skilled staff deliver this curriculum with enthusiasm. Staff use effective planning and assessment systems to ensure that any gaps in babies' development are highlighted quickly, and additional support is put in place to ensure all babies make good progress from their starting points. n Interactions between staff and babies are positive and supportive. Staff praise babies and say 'good job!' when they see babies achieve a goal. For example, staff clap and praise babies as they make animal sounds and point to the correct pictures in books and when young babies walk independently to reach a toy. These interactions help to build babies' confidence and willingness to 'have a go' and take risks. n Staff continually teach children new vocabulary. They model new words, repeat

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need to do better?

key sounds and phrases, comment on what babies are doing and sing nursery rhymes. However, staff do not always give babies enough time or opportunities to respond and use this new vocabulary to fully enhance their early communication and language skills. n Priority is given to welcoming and getting to know each baby and family well.

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need to do better?

19 September 2024 Staff use the information parents provide to understand each baby's uniqueness and to personalise the care routines for each baby. Staff provide a wealth of information and advice to support parents and their babies. For example, they have arranged for parents to attend a sleep clinic to help with sleep routines and safe sleeping. Parents are invited to special events throughout the year, such as a 'teddy bears picnic'. These positive relationships support the continuity of care and learning for babies. n Babies enjoy the activities staff provide to support their physical development when outside. For instance, older babies learn to pedal and steer as they ride in the cars. Staff support younger babies to sit and balance on the see-saw. However, for those babies who have recently learned to climb, staff sometimes prevent them from doing so when inside. For example, staff sensitively stop

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need to do better?

babies who try to climb on furniture but do not provide suitable alternatives so babies can continue to climb to develop their confidence and ability to climb. n Parents speak very highly about this 'nurturing environment' and the 'dedicated staff'. They comment on the regular communication and how they feel a part of their baby's learning. Staff include parents from day one and offer support to parents for all aspects of babies' learning and development. For example, leaders and managers arrange for health visitors to visit the nursery regularly to give parents advice about babies' health and well-being. n Babies are developing a love of stories and books. They enthusiastically crawl and walk over to the quiet area as soon as they hear staff reading. Babies have a 'book bag' as soon as they start at the nursery. Staff also hold 'story weeks' throughout the year. They record videos of themselves reading bedtime stories

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need to do better?

for parents to share with their children at bedtime. This early interest and enthusiasm for books helps to develop babies' listening skills and introduces them to new sounds and words.

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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 give babies more time and opportunities to practise their emerging communication and language skills n provide more opportunities for babies to practise new skills, to help them develop confidence and competence in their physical abilities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2681801 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 10350778 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 9 Number of children on roll 16 Name of registered person Wessex Learning Trust

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reference number

Telephone number 01934 742931 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Cheddar First School Nursery registered in 2022. It is situated on the school site in Cheddar, Somerset. It provides care for children under two years old alongside the school nursery provision. It operates daily, term time only, from 7.45am until 5.45pm. All three members of staff hold a level 3 qualification.

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Inspection activities

n Leaders and managers joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want babies to learn. n The inspector held discussions with leaders and managers throughout the inspection and discussed how the curriculum is planned and implemented and how children's progress is monitored. n The inspector spoke to the babies and parents. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of an outside communication and language activity with the manager. n Staff spoke to the inspector about the progress their key children were making and how they plan and support their next steps in learning.

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Inspection activities

19 September 2024 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 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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