1st Place at the Elephant

Inspection of 1st Place at the Elephant 15 Hampton Street, LONDON SE17 3AN

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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 thrive at this welcoming and inclusive nursery, where they make good progress in their learning and development from their starting points. Staff provide a well-thought-out, ambitious curriculum. There is a strong emphasis on supporting children to explore and develop their creativity and expression. Outdoor learning features strongly in the daily routines for all children. During regular visits to the forest school, children develop a range of skills and learn to manage risks. Within the outdoor area, children excitedly participate in growing and planting activities, such as growing tomatoes and aubergines. They water plants and explore the soil. While doing planting, children decide to make 'soup' by mixing the soil with water. Staff support children to follow their own interests and develop their ideas.

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The provision is good

Children, including babies, demonstrate that they are happy, safe and secure. New children are sensitively supported to settle and given lots of reassuring cuddles. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and help them to understand and manage their feelings and emotions. Children share and take turns from an early age. They learn about the impact of their behaviour on others as staff provide gentle reminders about using 'kind hands' and 'kind words'. Children understand the routines such as helping to tidy up when the 'tidy-up song' is sung.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and managers are enthusiastic and committed and role model positive practice. They ensure a challenging curriculum is provided to ensure that all children consistently receive high quality learning opportunities. Subsequently all children achieve well and develop skills to support the next stage in their learning. Leaders carefully consider how to spend any additional funding to support the health and education of children, including those who may be disadvantaged. n Staff provide an extremely stimulating and varied indoor and outdoor learning environment. Resources are carefully selected to support children to explore their senses and develop their creativity. Children show confidence as they independently self-select resources to develop their own ideas and concepts. Although the learning environment is very well planned, a lack of consideration has been given to ensuring that the toileting facilities support children's privacy

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need to do better?

at all times. n Babies freely explore their learning environment. They develop their hand movements while searching through shredded paper for animals. They explore different textures while using paint, play dough, sand and water. Staff are nurturing, which helps babies to feel emotionally secure. Staff introduce new words to babies as they play with shells and explore the texture. n Toddlers build confidence in their physical skills as they navigate equipment and

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need to do better?

13 May 2025 develop their coordination. They enthusiastically join in singing sessions and know a number of songs and rhymes where they copy actions. Children develop a love of books and reading from a young age. Staff support this love of reading by offering good-quality books in each room and providing a lending library. The library is used effectively by the children, who enjoy taking books home to share with their families. This supports children to build on their early literacy skills. n Older children are confident and sociable and form friendships. They work together to make structures from crates and wheels and demonstrate strong problem-solving skills. They imaginatively act out being on a boat and excitedly talk about different places they will visit. Staff enthusiastically join in children's play. n Staff assess children's development to establish what they already know and can do. They use this information to identify any emerging gaps and plan for

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need to do better?

children's next steps. The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. Staff work in partnership with parents and make timely referrals to ensure that children receive the specialist support they need. n The staff team are consistent and well established. Staff say they enjoy working at the nursery and value the training opportunities provided to them. There are systems in place for staff supervision. However, the nursery does not always use its existing arrangements effectively to monitor staff's understanding to ensure a consistent approach to practice. n Partnership with parents is strong. Parents speak very positively about the nursery and the care provided. They like the inclusiveness of the nursery and find the staff friendly and caring. Parents like the opportunities that children have to go on outings. They value the guidance they receive from staff to help

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need to do better?

support children's progress at home, such as with toilet training. Staff are also proactive in helping parents develop their own skills such as learning about baby massage.

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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 review the toileting arrangements to further support children's privacy n focus staff supervision more precisely to ensure consistency in high-quality interactions across the staff team and to address any gaps in staff knowledge.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2741844 Local authority Southwark Inspection number 10382822 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 100 Number of children on roll 104 Name of registered person 1st Place Children and Parents' Centre Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 02077408070 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

1st Place at the Elephant registered in 2023 and is located in the London Borough of Southwark. The nursery is open for 50 weeks of the year, Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm. The nursery employs 35 members of staff. All staff hold appropriate childcare qualifications from levels 2 to 7. The nursery provides funded early education for children.

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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 children to learn. n The inspectors talked to staff and children 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 on children's learning. n The inspector and the manager carried out a joint observation within the pre- school outdoor area. n The inspectors held discussions with members of the leadership and management team and gained feedback from parents. n The inspector sampled some of the setting's documentation, including risk assessments and children's developmental records.

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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

13 May 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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