Grasmere Nursery and Tadpoles Baby and Toddler Unit

Inspection of Grasmere Nursery and Tadpoles Baby and Toddler Unit Icknield Way, Luton, Bedfordshire LU3 2BT

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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The provision is outstanding

Children are welcomed into the setting by friendly and supportive staff who are passionate about what they do. Their emotional well-being is promoted to an exceptionally high standard, ensuring children have the opportunities and support to build strong attachments with staff and feel safe in their environment. Staff are gentle and caring. They provide comfort and security for children, by offering cuddles and reassurance. Staff are skilful at recognising and validating children's feelings, helping them to feel understood and valued. Young babies are gently rocked to sleep in staff's arms, helping them to feel secure and gain trust with new adults. Staff know children exceptionally well. They understand children's individual personalities, celebrate their differences and know how children learn best.

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The provision is outstanding

Children's behaviour is exceptional. Staff offer cues to give children a warning of change of routine. For example, staff ring a bell and sing, to notify children that it is snack time. Children listen carefully and follow staff's instructions, helping to tidy up the toys from the table. When children do become distracted staff quickly intervene, giving them clear instructions and refocusing their attention. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), develop an excellent understanding of the expectations at the setting. All children quickly learn and adapt very well to changes in their routine.

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need to do better?

n Staff ensure that children's physical development is well-sequenced and supported to a very high standard. Babies climb confidently up the steps and are provided with walking aids that help them achieve important milestones quickly. Older children climb and balance on the climbing frame outdoors, negotiating space and balancing across obstacles. They quickly develop their spatial awareness, as well as their fine motor strength, as they explore the play dough and use a variety of tools to experiment with. n Staff provide learning opportunities that spark children's interests and love of learning. Babies watch with awe and wonder as the bubbles float through the air. Staff model language, such as 'pop', 'rainbow' and 'bubble', and children excitedly pop the bubbles as they fall. Young children demonstrate a remarkable level of engagement in their learning. n Children's literacy skills are supported from a young age throughout all areas of

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need to do better?

their play. Children access a wide variety of books that are displayed across the setting. They enjoy looking at books independently and staff read stories and share their enjoyment when talking about the pictures. Children begin to recognise their name and develop a love of writing as they use a variety of tools to draw and make marks. n Children show deep levels of engagement in role play as they explore the toy

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need to do better?

27 January 2025 kitchen area. They practice essential social skills, including cooperation, sharing and interaction with their peers as they make 'dinner' for their friends and 'wash up the plates'. n Staff provide a vast range of learning experiences that extend children's communication and language skills especially well. One-to-one and small group intervention sessions ensure children who need it receive additional support in this area. Larger group singing activities help to extend children's vocabulary and promote their language skills. Children demonstrate they are exceptionally confident communicators through conversations with their peers and adults alike. n Staff teach children about their emotions and children develop a deep understanding from a very young age. Young children make links between expressions and words, learning to name their feelings. Staff support this further by signing and young children demonstrate their excellent understanding as they

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need to do better?

use Makaton signs to communicate with staff about how they are feeling. n There is a specialist provision for children with SEND and they are given the highest standard of care and education. Children's needs are identified quickly, and additional support is sought. Staff work closely with outside agencies, set appropriate, yet challenging targets for children and provide one-to-one intervention daily. Furthermore, staff are mindful of children who will be accessing mainstream school and ensure they are well-prepared and ready for this next stage in their learning. n Leaders commitment to improvement is highly evident. There are robust procedures in place for supervision and ongoing observations of staff practice are carried out. Leaders highlight areas for improvement quickly and implement action plans to ensure the highest standards of care and teaching are provided for all children.

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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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Setting details

Unique reference number EY241136 Local authority Luton Inspection number 10367600 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 63 Number of children on roll 95 Name of registered person Luton Borough Council

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reference number

Telephone number 01582 593426 Date of previous inspection 14 February 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Grasmere Nursery and Tadpoles Baby and Toddler Unit is part of Grasmere Nursery School and registered in 2002. The setting employs 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The setting is open each weekday, all year round, with the exception of bank holidays, two weeks in summer, two weeks at Christmas and one week at Easter. Sessions are from 8am to 5pm. The setting provides government funded early education for all eligible children.

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Inspection activities

n The headteacher, deputy headteacher and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The headteacher and the inspector carried out joint observations of group activities. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n Staff spoke to the inspector during the inspection and their views were taken into account.

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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 January 2025 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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