Rocking Horse Nursery Stamford Limited

Inspection of Rocking Horse Nursery Stamford Limited 85 Rutland Road, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 1UP

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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

Staff at this family-focused and friendly setting care well for the children. Children show kindness to each other and play well together because the staff model positive behaviour. Staff offer children many opportunities to develop their independence. For example, they encourage children to find their bags and put away their comforters after sleeping. Staff praise their efforts, which helps boost their self-esteem. Children enjoy listening to stories read by staff. They cuddle with their key person and listen intently. Younger children explore the different textures in interactive books, while staff encourage them to turn the pages. Older children use props to retell a familiar story of a hungry caterpillar, taking turns to act out the different parts of the story.

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The provision is good

Staff provide valuable outdoor experiences for the children. They help older children develop physical skills as they learn to coordinate their hands and feet on balance bicycles. Children navigate various obstacles and are supported to build core strength as they reach up to make marks using long paintbrushes. Younger children develop hand-eye coordination while playing with different resources in the water tray. They giggle in excitement as they use spoons of different sizes to create the biggest splash.

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need to do better?

n Staff interact well with children during activities. They model new language and reinforce different words while helping children prepare recipes for a 'new drink' outside. Staff introduced words such as 'lemon' and 'tea' and encouraged children to describe the smell of the tea using the new vocabulary. As a result, children develop strong communication and language skills. n Overall, staff base the curriculum on children's interests and their next steps in learning. For example, they help older children recognise their names in preparation for school. Staff encourage children to learn phonics. However, this activity is not age-appropriate for most of the children who attend. Consequently, many children struggle to engage and quickly lose interest. n Staff provide a wide range of books and read to children at different times throughout the day. Children enjoy stories and independently choose books,

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need to do better?

easily recalling familiar stories. Staff encourage children to act out stories and 'snap' like a crocodile as they recall a book about walking through the jungle. Staff support children in making connections in their learning and help them remember the names of different animals that live in the water. As a result, children build knowledge and retain information about the world around them. n The staff know the children well and respect each child's individual needs. They ask children for permission before taking them to change their nappy and ensure they maintain the children's privacy during this time. Staff work closely with

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need to do better?

10 April 2025 parents to understand and respond to children's individual routines. However, some staff are unfamiliar with the mealtime routine, which causes mealtimes to become disorganised. As a result, not all children understand what staff expect of them during this time. n Leaders recognise what the nursery does well and what needs to be improved further. For example, they have prioritised developing the outdoor environment and used funding to enhance this area. Leaders and staff actively support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They collaborate closely with other professionals to ensure children receive timely support. As a result, children with SEND make good progress from their starting points. n Leaders prioritise staff well-being. The well-established staff team states that it feels supported and appreciates the training it receives. Leaders hold regular supervision sessions with staff to discuss their professional development. For

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need to do better?

example, experienced staff actively support unqualified staff by role modelling how to help children develop their imagination skills in the outdoor mud kitchen. As a result, staff morale and retention remain high. n Staff build positive relationships with parents. They work with parents to help support children's development at home, such as with potty training. Parents state they appreciate the information staff share, which helps them understand what their children are learning at the nursery.

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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 refine the literacy curriculum so that it is age-appropriate and meets the needs of all of the children n strengthen staff's understanding of mealtime routines and ensure they help children understand what they expect of them.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY276326 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 10388221 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 48 Number of children on roll 101 Name of registered person The Rocking Horse Nursery Stamford Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01780 757922 Date of previous inspection 3 July 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Rocking Horse Nursery Stamford Limited registered in 1992 and is located in Stamford, Lincolnshire. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, 15 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery provides government funded places for children aged nine months to four years.

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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 staff spoke to the inspector during the inspection. 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 carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager. n Parents shared their views of the nursery with the inspector. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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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

10 April 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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