Southmoor Little Angels

Inspection of Southmoor Little Angels Laurel Drive, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX13 5DJ

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children demonstrate that they are happy and secure in this welcoming setting. They quickly settle into the daily routine. Relationships between staff and children are warm and friendly. Staff provide babies with nurturing care and sensitively support young children. Children receive lots of reassuring cuddles, and they snuggle up to staff to share individual stories. Children show curiosity and engagement as they explore their learning environment. Staff act as positive role models to children. Children behave well and are supported to develop kindness and empathy towards others. The effective key-person approach ensures that children form secure attachments with key staff. For example, children enjoy spending time during focused activities with their key person and seek them out for reassurance when needed.

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The provision is good

Staff respond skilfully to children's ideas as they play, and they narrate what they are doing. This helps to ignite children's communication and language. For example, as children show an interest in using tape measures, staff model effectively how to measure their height. Children respond that they have grown. Children show delight in a 'spa' activity as they dip their feet into the water tray. Staff sensitively encourage children to talk about what makes them happy to achieve their intended outcomes and focus on 'mental health week'. Staff ensure that children receive plenty of praise to recognise their achievements. This builds children's confidence and self-esteem.

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need to do better?

n The new management team is skilled and passionate about providing inclusive care and education for all children. The team continuously strives to adapt the environment, to drive improvements and strengthen the staff team further. Leaders are reflective and demonstrate a clear vision for the future. n Staff work well as a team. They say they enjoy working at the nursery and feel valued and supported. There are some opportunities for staff to complete training and attend development days as a whole team. Overall, leaders engage well with staff and offer effective support for their well-being. However, methods of coaching and mentoring are not robust enough to support staff to improve their knowledge of the curriculum and practice. n Leaders are committed to providing a curriculum to ensure that all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, develop the knowledge and skills they need for the next stage of learning. The curriculum is

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need to do better?

interesting and designed to support children to be curious, self-aware, self- confident and independent. n A good emphasis is placed on developing children's communication skills. Staff hold interesting conversations with children to guide their speech. They also use

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need to do better?

5 February 2025 early signing so that younger children who do not yet speak can express their needs. Staff communicate using clear and repetitive language to help children understand and expand their vocabulary. They engage in lovely interactions with children, for instance discussing who they love at home. This prompted staff to provide a range of construction materials to support children's interests, particularly for those whose families are in the building trade. n Children enjoy taking part in the different learning experiences available to them. For instance, many children delight in being outside in the fresh air and are quick to prepare and dress appropriately for outdoor play. Staff support children to be curious and to take managed risks in the outdoor area to help build their self-confidence. For instance, children carefully negotiate space on bikes. They learn mathematical concepts of measuring, using planks of wood to balance and

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need to do better?

weigh mini cable reels. Staff deploy themselves well to help ensure that children are safe at all times. n Staff know their key children well. Older children confidently make choices and decisions about their play. They are curious and eager to take part in activities. They ask questions and quickly respond to instructions from staff, for example, when they are given a timed warning to tidy up before lunch. n Staff foster good relationships with parents. They acknowledge the importance of sharing information with parents and do so in a variety of ways. These include verbally communicating children's daily experiences and sharing special moments on an online app. However, this does not fully provide parents with ways to help them to support their children's learning at home and to help them make even more rapid progress.

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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 enhance methods of coaching and mentoring to support staff to have a clearer understanding of the curriculum and further raise the quality of practice n strengthen communications with parents so that they know their children's next steps in learning and how they can support their development at home.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2786013 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 10381003 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 62 Number of children on roll 78 Name of registered person Little Angels Childcare Group Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07487657309 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Southmoor Little Angels registered in 2024 and operates from the grounds of John Blandy Primary School in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6.30pm for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery employs 15 staff to work directly with the children, 11 of whom have early years qualifications ranging from level 2 to level 6. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment process, following information we received about the provider. n The inspector observed activities in the three main base rooms and garden. She talked to staff about the progress individual children are making and what they want the children to learn. n The provider, the manager and the inspector completed a learning walk across all areas of the nursery to understand how the early years provision and the curriculum are organised. n A joint observation was carried out by the inspector and the manager. The inspector observed interactions between staff and the children and the impact these have on children's learning. n The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children. n The inspector reviewed relevant documentation, including the arrangements for paediatric first-aid training. The inspector had a discussion with leaders about

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Inspection activities

the evaluation of the setting and plans for improvement. n The inspector spoke to parents and the children during the inspection and took account of their views.

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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

5 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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