Little Hubbers by the sea

Inspection of Little Hubbers by the sea 2 South beach retail centre, Links Road, Blyth, Northumberland NE24 3FE

p.1

Inspection date: 20 May 2025 - 16 June 2025

p.1

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

p.1

The provision is good

Children are happy and settled in this welcoming nursery. The nursery is safe and secure. There is a wide range of resources that meet the children's needs and interests. Staff use good settling-in procedures that ensure that children are happy to come to the nursery. They find out about children's needs from parents. They do a baseline assessment that helps staff to plan appropriate next steps for children's development.

p.2

The provision is good

Staff help children to become confident, independent individuals. For example, babies learn to feed themselves from an early age. Toddlers become excited and squeal with delight as they stamp and jump on the images projected onto the floor. Pre-school children serve their own lunches, which helps them to make their own choices. Staff are very interactive with children. They sit down at their level, join in with their play and support them as they talk through what they are doing. Children enjoy stories from a young age. Staff read to them and share the pictures. Older children join in with well-known refrains.

p.2

The provision is good

Staff act as positive role models and have high expectations for children's behaviour. They focus on helping children to form positive relationships with each other and to develop their social skills. They are gentle and kind with children when there are any disputes. They help children to understand the consequences of their actions.

p.2

need to do better?

n Management has a good understanding of the curriculum and what managers want children to learn. This helps all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make good progress from their starting points. Staff use children's interests when planning activities. They adapt them to the abilities of individual children. This helps to keep children motivated and engaged in their learning. n Management is clear in its assessment of staff's performance. Managers assess how staff interact with the children. They model behaviours as they work alongside them. Staff receive one-to-one support and supervisions. This helps them to identify what works well and what staff could do to improve. n Funding is used effectively to meet different children's needs. For example, management has had professional advice regarding the resources managers provide for children. Staff are currently developing book bags that can be taken

p.2

need to do better?

home by parents to share with their children, to support their early literacy skills. n Management is constantly evaluating to make improvements. Managers make changes where needed. For instance, they have divided the baby area into two areas. This is so that non-mobile children can learn to move around in comfort.

p.2

need to do better?

20 May 2025 n Staff plan exciting activities for children. For example, they provide coloured spaghetti and paint to babies for exploring the different textures. Pre-school children use an interactive board to draw. Overall, staff engage well with children during activities. However, there are occasions where they do not challenge older children enough, so that they have the time to work things out for themselves. n Children have daily access to fresh air. The provider is keen for children to learn about the local environment. Staff plan many exciting outings. They visit the beach and open-green areas, where they can play with a ball. Outings further afield are taken on the bus, and they visit places, such as the local lighthouse. These activities help to develop children's physical abilities. n Staff provide parents with regular information about their children's time in the nursery. They speak to them and correspond with them through the nursery

p.2

need to do better?

application that they use. Staff provide a written report at the end of term that informs them about the progress their children are making. Parents report that they are happy with the care that their children receive. They say they particularly like the outings that the children go on every day. They like how staff have helped them or given them support, where needed. n Overall, staff support children's communication and language skills well. They teach young children songs and rhymes. These help to build their vocabulary and self-esteem. However, children's dummies are not always removed from children when they are happily playing. This impacts on children's developing speech and language skills.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

p.3

should:

n support staff to understand when it is not appropriate to use a dummy for children, so that they do not inhibit children's speech and language development n strengthen staff's skills in recognising when children need more time to process information and work things out for themselves.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 2806401 Local authority Northumberland Inspection number 10403905 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.4

Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

p.4

inspection

Total number of places 80 Number of children on roll 133 Name of registered person Little Hubbers Day Nursery Ltd

p.4

reference number

Telephone number 07592059906 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

p.4

Information about this early years setting

Little Hubbers by the sea registered in 2024. The nursery employs 24 members of childcare staff. Of these, 20 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above, including one member of staff with qualified teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, for 50 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides government-funded places for children and receives early years pupil premium funding and The Disability Access Fund.

p.4

Inspection activities

n The nursery managers and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The nursery managers and the inspector conducted a joint observation of an activity together. n The inspector spoke with the provider and managers about the leadership and management of the setting. 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 spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

p.5

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.

p.5

Inspection activities

20 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.

p.5

Inspection activities

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspection activities

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

p.6

Inspection activities

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspection activities

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6