Smartees Day Care Nursery Ltd

Inspection of Smartees Day Care Nursery Ltd Little Rascals Day Nursery, 89 Preston Road, Yeovil BA20 2DN

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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

The sensitive settling-in procedures and strong key-person system ensure that children soon become emotionally secure. They quickly settle and are eager to engage in the activities. Leaders and staff have developed a small nurturing group for toddlers. They have their own area that overlooks the pre-school, exposing them to the environment from the safety of their own space. They watch the older children, building their confidence so they move up happy when they are ready.

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The provision is good

Leaders and staff plan an ambitious curriculum and an effective environment, which enable children to become active learners. For example, outdoors, children explore rolling different-sized balls down a drainpipe. They see which size fits best and rolls the fastest. Staff provide effective support, asking good open-ended questions to promote children's critical thinking. For example, when a ball is too big to fit through the hole of the stand holding the pipe, staff ask children what they could do. Children consider moving the pipe down the stand and discover through trial and error what works best. Staff introduce mathematical concepts from a young age, such as counting one to three and noticing that filling a watering-can makes it heavy. Hence, by pre-school, children can place items in order of size and count with confidence.

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need to do better?

n Staff plan successfully, and using their meaningful observations, they know what children can do and what they need to learn next. They provide good interactions with all children, focusing appropriately on embedding their prime areas of development. Staff identify any gaps, and those responsible for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities plan specifically for them to catch up. n Leaders are strong role models for the quality of teaching. For example, they keep children engaged, focused and thoroughly enjoying their learning. Staff work well as a team and there is a strong emphasis placed on professional development. Through training, staff in the baby room have implemented a curriculum that meets babies' specific needs, and pre-school staff have introduced a children's council, involving them in what they want at the setting. n Staff use a core range of well-known books throughout the nursery, enabling

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need to do better?

children to remember the sequence of stories to extend their knowledge and vocabulary. For example, babies' eyes trace the book as staff make it flap like a butterfly, and toddlers name items in the pictures. Pre-school children explain how the caterpillar makes a cocoon around itself, hangs it from a tree to keep safe and appears as a butterfly. n Overall, staff provide good support for children's communication and language skills. Babies communicate their ideas through gestures, and staff respond well.

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need to do better?

27 November 2024 For example, they indicate the song they want to sing through props. Staff use words with signs and actions and add vocabulary. However, staff do not always give babies enough time to babble in turn-taking conversation, and they do not narrate what toddlers do to extend their vocabulary and understanding even more. n Staff support children's independence well. For example, they help children to put on their coat, step by step, until they can manage. Older children cut up fruit, use a juicer, choose their cereal and pour their milk. Young children cooperate with nappy changing and wash their hands before eating because of the sensitive interactions from staff. Eventually, children manage their personal needs for themselves and develop a good understanding of a healthy lifestyle. n Children have warm relationships with staff. Staff are gentle and kind with babies, and care routines ensure that young children feel safe and secure. Staff

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need to do better?

have high expectations for behaviour, such as children respecting others. From a young age, children learn to share and use 'kind hands'. Staff help older children to understand their emotions, manage conflict and behave well. Children are eager to join in with activities, developing a positive attitude to learning, preparing them well for school. n Parents are incredibly positive about the setting and comment particularly on their children's confidence. Following the last inspection, leaders and staff have increased their support for children's learning at home. Parents confirm the important sharing of information, including resources for children and for parents with English as an additional language.

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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 improve staff techniques further on talking with younger children, to develop their speech and understanding even more.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY480779 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 10367681 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 49 Number of children on roll 79 Name of registered person Smartees Day Care Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01935 411144 Date of previous inspection 19 February 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Smartees Day Care Nursery Ltd registered in 2014 and is situated in Yeovil, Somerset. The nursery is open on Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm throughout the year, except for one week at Christmas. It offers government funded places. There are 16 members of staff. Of these, the manager has early years professional status, one member of staff holds a qualification at level 4, eight hold a qualification at level 3 and five hold a qualification at level 2.

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Inspection activities

n The manager, deputy and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the setting and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector talked to staff at convenient times and observed the quality of teaching, indoors and outdoors, assessing the impact this was having on children's learning. n The manager and inspector conducted a joint observation of the quality of teaching and learning during a group activity with older children. n The inspector spoke with parents and children, taking account of all their views. n The manager, deputy and inspector discussed the leadership of the setting, and the inspector sampled documentation, including 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

27 November 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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