Poppies Child Care (Cumbria) Ltd

Inspection of Poppies Child Care (Cumbria) Ltd SCHOOL HOUSE, TOLL BAR, DISTINGTON, WORKINGTON, CUMBRIA CA14 4PJ

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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

Leaders and staff at the setting have developed a curriculum that adopts a blended approach. The curriculum intent is clear and ambitious. Leaders have a good knowledge of how children learn. They have researched different methods of delivery and believe that children are unique and learn in different ways. Leaders and staff are reflective and open to change. Leaders frequently adapt the curriculum intent to support children's individual needs. The staff team is mostly long established and highly qualified. This means staff know the children well.

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The provision is good

Children who are new to the setting receive gentle support and encouragement from staff to help them to develop a sense of belonging in the baby room. Staff are sensitive in their interactions with children and adapt how they communicate to meet their different levels of development. Once children enter the nursery, they thrive in environments designed to spark their curiosity. Leaders and staff organise the setting to help meet children's interests. They thoughtfully arrange inviting spaces that encourage child-initiated play. For instance, younger children benefit from low-level furniture and activities that support their physical growth. Older children engage in experiences that build their understanding of mathematical concepts, such as recognising number symbols and practising counting. Staff have a secure understanding of child development. They provide children with nurturing experiences, which supports them to settle well.

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need to do better?

n Children's communication and language are supported well from an early age. Staff working with babies and younger children respond positively to their babble and encourage sounds and first words. Older children hear new words and vocabulary and begin to include them in their conversations. Staff ask children questions and patiently wait for them to think about the answer and respond. They recognise where there may be gaps in children's speech and language and work with outside professionals to ensure children receive any additional support they may need. n The setting identifies children with special educational needs and/or disabilities very well. There are well-established systems to identify where children may need support, and early help is sought promptly. Leaders make excellent use of additional funding, ensuring that all children have access to the full range of learning experiences available. As a result, children make strong progress in

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need to do better?

their development, with support extending to their families as well. n Staff skilfully support children's development in mathematics. Children sort colours of objects they find outdoors. They estimate which group of objects is the biggest. Then they count excitedly to find out which colour has the most objects. Staff continually ask children to count how many children there are.

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need to do better?

6 February 2025 Children leave this setting to go to school with a good understanding of mathematics. n Children make choices in their play. For example, older children vote to decide which story they want to listen to. They count how many votes each book has and know which book had the most votes. Children, throughout the nursery, enjoy looking at books. They enjoy listening to stories and eagerly talk about characters in the stories as staff read to them. n The setting's curriculum, which is broad and ambitious for children, is relatively new. It focuses on the important knowledge children should learn and which order this should be taught in. However, in practice some staff do not always consistently implement parts of the curriculum as intended, with particular regard to children's personal development. This means that occasionally learning experiences do not help children to fully develop their independence skills.

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need to do better?

n Staff provide children with a variety of healthy and home-cooked meals prepared fresh on the premises. They are aware of children's allergies and dietary requirements when serving food and ensure that these are adhered to. This supports children's physical well-being. n Leaders and staff build very strong relationships with parents. They ensure that parents are involved in all aspects of their children's care and education. For example, parents are invited to the setting for informal meetings and provided with regular feedback. Parents report how much their children love attending the nursery and comment on the wonderful care and support they receive.

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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 understand and consistently implement the nursery's curriculum to further enhance children's independence.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY489601 Local authority Cumberland Inspection number 10368038 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 24 Number of children on roll 42 Name of registered person Poppies Child Care (Cumbria) Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01946 834 050 Date of previous inspection 6 March 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Poppies Child Care (Cumbria) Ltd registered in 2015. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualification at level 3 and above. The manager has early years professional status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 5pm, for 49 weeks a year, with the exception of public holidays. The nursery offers funded care and early education for children aged from nine months to four years.

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Inspection activities

n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The manager and the inspector discussed how the nursery organises its early years provision, including the aims and rationale for its early years foundation stage curriculum. n Staff spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector and the manager carried out a joint observation of a mathematics activity.

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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

6 February 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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