Beenham Caterpillars

Inspection of Beenham Caterpillars Grange Lane, Beenham, Reading RG7 5PX

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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

As children arrive at the nursery, they receive warm and welcoming interactions from staff, who engage in conversations with them. Children form strong emotional attachments with staff, who get to know them well. This helps children to settle quickly and feel safe and secure.

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The provision is good

Children are becoming independent learners who confidently access activities and resources for themselves. For example, staff encourage children to use cutlery to cut up their own fruit for snack. Overall, children behave well. Children learn to take turns and share equipment as they enjoy the inside slide. Staff support children in the outdoor area to help build their self-confidence as they have fun learning to navigate push along cars.

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The provision is good

The curriculum supports children to develop a love of learning. Staff provide a range of exciting learning experiences, both indoors and outdoors. These fuel children's imagination. For example, children show delight as they pretend to be dinosaurs. Staff tune in to children's interests, and they build their knowledge and understanding from these interests as they read stories about dinosaurs with the children. Staff demonstrate that they prioritise children's well-being. For example, they check that children are dressed in suitably warm outdoor clothing. Staff act as good role models and encourage children to be kind and to develop good friendships. They encourage children to play with and alongside their friends throughout the day. This helps to build children's personal and social development.

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need to do better?

n Children immerse themselves in activities. Older children use their gross motor skills to transport equipment around the garden. Younger children explore a mixture of cornflour and water and build their fine motor skills as they squeeze and squash the mixture. Overall, staff use opportunities in children's play to extend children's learning. However, at times, staff answer questions for children and solve problems for them rather than encouraging them to do this themselves to extend their curiosity and thinking skills. n Leaders work closely with staff to role-model good practice and support professional development. They offer regular, constructive feedback to staff. This helps to support the team to drive improvement across the setting. n Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is carefully considered. Staff work closely with parents and professionals to help ensure that

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need to do better?

children receive continuous support and guidance. All children make good progress from their starting points. n Children enjoy music and singing. They delight in using the musical instruments, which helps to develop their awareness of rhythm and rhyme. Staff sing

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need to do better?

19 February 2025 spontaneously during play and care routines. Children eagerly join in with familiar words and actions. Staff engage children in lively music and movement opportunities, which further develop their physical skills. n Staff are attentive to any unwanted behaviour and always ensure that the children are safe. However, sometimes, staff do not fully explain the impact that unwanted behaviour might have. For example, they say 'kind hands' or 'walking feet' but do not explain what could happen if they run or throw something or snatch. As a result, some children repeat the behaviour. n Parents speak highly of the setting, particularly about the staff and good communication they receive. Staff work in partnership with parents to continue to support children's learning at home. For example, they share home learning ideas with parents through posts on their online journals. This supports the continuation of children's learning and development.

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need to do better?

n Staffing arrangements meet the needs of all children and ensure their safety. Staff complete risk assessments to identify and remove risks within the environment. This helps to keep children safe. Children benefit from meals cooked on the premises. Staff implement effective systems to ensure that children are not exposed to food to which they may be allergic.

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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 be consistent in their behaviour management strategies to support children to learn why their unwanted behaviour is not acceptable n help staff in understanding how to extend and challenge children's curiosity and thinking skills even further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2734511 Local authority West Berkshire Inspection number 10383352 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 75 Number of children on roll 21 Name of registered person Caterpillar Preschools Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07824888197 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Beenham Caterpillars registered in 2023. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm, all year round. The nursery receives funding to provide free early years education for children aged under two, two, three and four years. The nursery employs six staff. Of these, three hold qualifications at Level 3.

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Inspection activities

n The 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 The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. 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 The inspector and manager carried out a joint observation of group activities n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed 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

19 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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