Mulberry Corner Nursery & Preschool

Inspection of Mulberry Corner Nursery & Preschool Mulberry Corner Nursery, Mulberry Corner, Castle Lane, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO53 4PW

p.1

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

p.1

The provision is good

Staff know all the children well. They focus strongly on meeting children's individual care needs, consistently supporting their personal and emotional well-being. For example, when children arrive at the nursery, staff provide reassurance that successfully enables them to settle and feel secure. Children are motivated to learn and enjoy being at the nursery.

p.2

The provision is good

Overall, staff provide children with an ambitious curriculum. They use their good knowledge of children's individual needs to provide them with a wide range of interesting activities and resources that motivate them to explore and learn. For example, they teach children about the weather as they splash about in rain puddles while wearing waterproof suits and boots. Staff provide a wide range of activities that support children's sensory development. For example, they provide opportunities for children to crush and smell garlic and fresh herbs and to explore dried cereal and pasta mixed with cocoa powder.

p.2

The provision is good

Staff support children's mathematical development well. For example, they teach them to count toy dinosaurs and leaves in sand, extending this development as children enjoy counting the number of spikes on the dinosaurs' tails.

p.2

The provision is good

Staff have clear expectations for children's behaviour. They support children well to understand and manage their emotions. For example, together with other agencies and parents, they create and use plans that successfully gain children's cooperation and develop their social skills.

p.2

need to do better?

n There has been a change of ownership, and the leadership team has established good systems to oversee the quality of the provision and to support staff. Managers review the quality of children's care and learning and work well with staff to continually improve outcomes for children. For example, staff have recently adapted daily routines to improve transitions for children between lunchtimes and sleep times. As a result, routines now focus more on children's individual needs, and they are happier and more relaxed. n The new leadership team has successfully implemented a number of changes that have improved outcomes for children. Managers coach and support staff to improve the curriculum overall, including the learning environment. For example, staff have created an outdoor art studio that supports children's creativity and provokes their curiosity to engage in art activities. Additionally, children now

p.2

need to do better?

have access to an outdoor book area, which staff use to support children's literacy development further. n Staff provide children with positive role models. They respond to the choices that

p.2

need to do better?

23 September 2024 children make during their play and show interest in what they say and do. For instance, when children choose to play in a home corner, staff join in and introduce animal hand puppets that inspire children to use their imagination and talk. n Overall, staff support children well to learn and use a wide range of vocabulary. For example, they teach older children about the meaning of words and words that rhyme. n Staff provide some activities that support children's physical development well. For example, children enjoy music and movement, yoga and using equipment during outings to playgrounds. However, although children spend time engaged in these activities, staff do not focus on this area of development as strongly as other areas of the curriculum. Therefore, although children generally progress well in their physical development, they are not consistently challenged. n Children develop useful skills for future learning. For example, staff skilfully

p.2

need to do better?

develop children's concentration during group activities, such as story times. Children eagerly join in with parts of the stories they know. Staff build on children's interest in books to extend their learning further. For example, they help children to make a play bug house after listening to a story about insects. n Children learn to behave well. For instance, staff explain to children what is going to happen next during routine events and use large sand timers to help them learn to take turns. They develop children's confidence and sense of pride, for example as they receive praise for their achievements. n Staff successfully develop children's independence. For example, they help older children learn to serve themselves at mealtimes and to use safe knives to cut up fruit to eat at snack time. Children learn to work together to help tidy up the resources. n Overall, partnerships with parents are strong. Staff provide a friendly greeting

p.3

need to do better?

when parents arrive to drop off their children. They share information with all parents about their child's progress. However, they do not take steps to check that the information they share has been understood, for example by parents who speak English as an additional language. This does not fully support continuity between home and the nursery for all children.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

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

p.3

should:

n strengthen the implementation of the intended curriculum to consistently extend

p.3

should:

23 September 2024 and challenge children's physical development n enhance communication with parents so that information about children's progress is shared effectively with each family.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY557428 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10364506 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

p.5

inspection

Total number of places 87 Number of children on roll 101 Name of registered person Mulberry Corner Nursery LLP

p.5

reference number

Telephone number 02380255170 Date of previous inspection 19 May 2021

p.5

Information about this early years setting

Mulberry Corner Nursery & Preschool registered in 2018. It is located in Chandler's Ford, Hampshire. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm, for 51 weeks a year. There are 27 members of staff who work with children. Of these, 16 hold relevant childcare qualifications from level 2 to level 6. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two and three years.

p.5

Inspection activities

n The inspector viewed the nursery and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk and a joint observation together. n The inspector observed how staff support children during indoor and outdoor activities and assessed the impact this had on their learning. n The inspector spoke with parents, managers, staff and children during the inspection.

p.5

Inspection activities

23 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.

p.5

Inspection activities

23 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.

p.6

Inspection activities

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspection activities

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

p.7

Inspection activities

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspection activities

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7