Little Explorers

Inspection of Little Explorers Future House, 25 Pomona Street, LIVERPOOL L3 5TL

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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

Since the last inspection, the setting has worked with the local authority to meet the previous actions raised. These improvements have impacted positively on children's care, learning and development. Leaders gather feedback from the families who attend and other agencies to support them in maintaining a clear view of the setting's strengths and areas of development. Leaders have designed an aspirational curriculum and have good oversight of the progress that children make. Staff use opportunities as they arise to extend children's learning. For example, when children use their imaginations to make ice cream for each other, staff provide suggestions and join in to extend their play. Children queue up and pay for the ice cream. Staff encourage them to consider how much the ice cream costs. Children have fun and make good progress in their learning.

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The provision is good

Staff welcome children enthusiastically on their arrival at the nursery. They take the time to get to know each child and family. Staff value children's individual personalities and family backgrounds. They are good role models as they model respect, such as seeking permission from children before changing their nappies and using good manners. Children have formed good bonds with the staff and their peers. They play well together and show great care and kindness to living things. As they dig, they carefully look for 'wriggly worms'. As they play with dolls, they gently wrap them up and rock them.

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need to do better?

n The registered body has ensured that the required checks have been completed for all directors to assure their suitability. Leaders are committed to the continuous improvement of the setting. They use feedback from parents and the local authority to continue to drive improvements. Leaders have effectively met the actions raised at the last inspection. n Partnership working is a strength of the nursery. This helps to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Leaders work with staff to identify any children that may benefit from extra support in their learning. They put in place early interventions and use the specialism of other professionals. This helps all children to make the progress they are capable of. n Practitioners support children's language and communication skills well. They model clear language and use gestures and objects to support children with

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need to do better?

SEND, or those who speak English as an additional language. They read aloud to the children in an engaging way and children independently explore and share books with their friends. Babies use animal sounds as they see animals on the pages of the books. Children make good progress in their communication and language development.

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need to do better?

26 November 2024 n Staff provide children with a range of experiences to build upon their physical skills. Babies are provided with space and encouragement as they begin to take their first steps. Staff show older children how to catch a ball and then encourage them to throw it to their friends. Staff model how to stand on scooters as children develop their balance and co-ordination. Children show high levels of confidence in their physical abilities. n Mathematics is woven into everyday activities in a fun way. As children build with blocks, staff count and use these opportunities to introduce positional language. For example, they introduce concepts such as 'under' and 'over' as children explore the bridge they have made. Children recall this learning as they proudly exclaim to their friends that they went under the bridge and over the river. n Leaders have established strong relationships with parents to ensure they are

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need to do better?

kept up to date about their children's learning and how to extend this at home. Parents value the time that staff take to get to know each child's individual personality. They have noticed particular progress with their children's confidence and communication skills since they have started attending. n Leaders place high importance on staff well-being and staff report that they feel well supported in their roles. Leaders have introduced new coaching and supervision systems, and these are impacting positively on staff practice. However, these systems are still in their infancy and the support for some staff is not as targeted in building upon their knowledge and skills. This results in some minor inconsistencies in the implementation of the setting's policies and curriculum. n Staff plan activities that meet children's needs and capture their interests. They are clear what they intend for children to learn and children eagerly join these

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need to do better?

activities. However, at times, staff do not link children's learning between different activities. For example, as they introduce new colours in an activity, they do not provide other learning opportunities that enable children to apply their new knowledge and skills in different contexts.

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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 continue to provide staff with support, training and coaching to address the minor inconsistencies in practice n provide children with learning opportunities that enable them to use, and make links with, what they have learned, in different contexts.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY375074 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 10325963 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 60 Number of children on roll 43 Name of registered person Aigburth Opportunities

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reference number

Telephone number 0151 708 7868 Date of previous inspection 7 December 2023

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Information about this early years setting

Little Explorers registered in 2008 and is situated in Liverpool. The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am until 6pm, all year except for bank holidays and a week at Christmas. The nursery offers government-funded places for children aged nine months to four years.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The manager and deputy manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector held discussions with leaders to assess the effectiveness of leadership and management. n The manager and the inspector carried out an observation together of a group activity. n Leaders provided the inspector with a sample of key documentation on request, including documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff. n Leaders spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n The inspector considered the comments and views provided by staff and a local authority advisor.

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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

26 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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