St Lawrence's Day Nursery

Inspection of St Lawrence's Day Nursery Off High Street, Gnosall, STAFFORD ST20 0EX

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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 create a warm and welcoming environment specifically for babies and toddlers. The robust key-person system enables staff to build strong relationships with children and families. New children enjoy receiving cuddles and support from staff. Children settle quickly and feel safe and secure, and they are eager to play with their friends.

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The provision is good

Children benefit from an exciting, child-centred curriculum that ignites their curiosity and engages them well in learning. For example, staff blow bubbles for babies to watch and catch, helping them to develop their hand-eye coordination. Toddlers explore play dough. They strengthen their fine motor skills through rolling, pressing and making patterns. Staff provide skilled support, ensuring that children gain the knowledge and skills they need for future learning.

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The provision is good

Staff support children's emotional well-being. They use effective strategies to help children understand their feelings. For example, children learn about 'colour monsters' to help them recognise, understand and manage their emotions. Staff show children respect, and they are polite and use good manners when addressing them. Staff ask children's permission before carrying out personal care tasks, such as nappy changes or helping with self-care routines. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They introduce 'Golden Rules', such as being kind to our friends, from an early age. Staff give gentle reminders when needed and encourage good behaviour through consistent praise. As a result, children behave well and are kind and caring to each other.

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need to do better?

n Managers and staff are extremely passionate about the care provided to children. They create a nurturing home-from-home environment. They aim for children to become confident and independent learners. Managers prioritise staff supervision and training, offering opportunities for professional development to enhance their knowledge and skills. Staff feel well supported by managers. They work well as a team and are happy in the workplace. n Staff support children's communication and language development. They narrate children's play and introduce new sounds and words throughout activities. Babies and toddlers eagerly join in with stories and singing, copying actions and repeating simple words. Staff ensure children hear a rich and varied vocabulary by consistently narrating their play. However, staff could further enhance children's language skills by consistently allowing toddlers more time to respond

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need to do better?

to questions and encouraging them to sound out words, helping to strengthen their early language development. n Staff clearly identify what they want children to achieve. They use children's

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need to do better?

25 April 2025 starting points and interests to engage them in learning. Children adopt a 'can- do' attitude, taking risks and solving problems. For example, babies negotiate the rungs on a ladder, carefully working out how to move from one rung to the next. Toddlers build ramps for their cars by stacking boxes and balancing drainpipes. They work together to steady the pipes, showing teamwork and determination to reach their goal. This supports children to be confident learners. n Children enjoy a wide range of experiences that develop their understanding of the community and the wider world. Staff discuss other cultures and family structures as part of everyday play and through resources. Children visit the local church and meet visitors, such as a dentist, who come to talk to them. Parents help to enrich children's experiences. For example, they bring lambs in for the children to see and learn about.

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need to do better?

n Partnerships with parents are a key strength of the setting. Parents feel that staff are nurturing and warm. They comment that staff provide children with enriching experiences that enable them to thrive. Staff ensure that parents receive daily communication, both verbally and through an online system. They receive daily information about their children's care and photos of their day. Furthermore, staff send information about children's development and how parents can support learning at home. n Staff promote children's health and well-being. Children go outdoors every day and benefit from fresh air in the outdoor learning environment. The setting provides well-balanced, home-cooked meals and snacks. Children have access to drinking water throughout the day. Staff talk to the children about healthy eating and plan activities to support children's learning. For example, toddlers help prepare vegetables to make soup for afternoon tea

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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 develop their understanding of how to consistently promote and extend children's early language and communication skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 218492 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10399049 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 100 Number of children on roll 61 Name of registered person Oldroyd, Claire

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reference number

Telephone number 01785 824828 Date of previous inspection 19 November 2019

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Information about this early years setting

St Lawrence's Day Nursery registered in 1999. The setting employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold early years qualifications at level 6 and 11 at level 2 and above. The setting opens Monday to Friday all year round, except for one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The setting provides funded early education for all eligible children at the setting.

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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 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 joint observations of group activities. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector.

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Inspection activities

25 April 2025 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

25 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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