Your Co-op Little Pioneers Nursery and Pre-School Apley

Inspection of Your Co-op Little Pioneers Nursery and Pre-School Apley Midcounties Childcare, Unit 2, Coopers Mill, Apley, Telford TF1 6BU

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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 and parents receive a warm welcome from staff as they arrive. Children enter the setting happily and quickly settle to their chosen activities. Staff know children well. They plan activities based on children's interests and next steps for learning. As a result, children enjoy learning and make good progress from their initial starting points. Children are confident and happily engage with staff, their peers and visitors. They are eager to share what they have been doing and to include them in their play. For example, older children build an ice-cream shop with wooden blocks. They use sand and water to scoop the ice cream into a cone and sell it to staff for £14. Children initiate conversation as they talk about the colour of visitors' shoes and compare them to their own.

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The provision is good

Staff recognise the importance of providing children with regular opportunities for outdoor play in the fresh air. Children develop their physical skills as they dig in the sand, ride bikes, and climb the steps to the slide. Older children practise yoga positions, such as the tree, and count to 10 to see how long they can stand before losing their balance. Staff teach children about the natural world. For example, babies are fascinated as they watch a ladybird crawl on their arm and leg. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They encourage good manners and calmly explain to children that they will make their friends sad if they do not use 'kind hands'. Older children recognise different emotions from pictures on a ball and say that they want to make the angry face happy.

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need to do better?

n The setting benefits from a strong leadership team. They are wholly reflective and swiftly implement changes that will improve practice and ensure children's safety. Robust recruitment and induction procedures ensure that everyone working with the children are deemed suitable. n Leaders monitor staff and identify where additional support and training may be required. Staff's ongoing professional development is given high priority. Staff regularly attend training and explain how they will implement what they learn into their own practice. n The key-person system is strong. Children forge close relationships with their key person and often seek them out to join in their play or for a reassuring cuddle. Staff respond well to children's routines. They know when babies are tired and need a sleep. Staff working with babies and younger children attend specialist training to enable them to implement safer sleeping practices that

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need to do better?

ensure children's safety during this time. n Children have great fun as they play in the water. Babies splash the water and are fascinated by the shiny discs that staff have provided for them to play with. Toddler-age children fill and pour water from different sizes of containers and

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need to do better?

16 June 2025 shout with laughter as they jump in the tray they have poured the water into. However, there are times when staff do not extend children's learning and communication skills as well as they could. n Children throughout the setting develop a love of books. Babies and younger children turn the pages of the books and look at the pictures. Older children listen intently to stories. They know that the wording on the back of the book is called the blurb and that the words go from left to right. Staff engage children in conversation about what they can see in the story, and listen with interest to what children have to say. However, sometimes staff do not include those children in the activity who want to join in at their own level of understanding. Children and parents can choose a book from the lending library to take home and read together. This further encourages children's love of books and stories.

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need to do better?

n Children enjoy healthy, home-cooked meals. Allergies and dietary requirements are stringently adhered to. However, staff do not consistently organise the activities prior to mealtimes, or when children are waiting for their meals, well enough. Some children's learning is disrupted by general routines, such as handwashing, and others spend long periods of time waiting for their food. n Overall, the support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. Staff assess children's progress to enable them to swiftly identify any gaps in children's learning. Staff work closely with parents and outside agencies to ensure children receive the specialist support that they need. n Leaders and staff work hard to develop positive relationships with parents. Parents' views are sought and a 'you said we did' board shows parents how their comments have helped to shape practice. Parents speak highly of the setting.

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need to do better?

They value the support that staff provide for themselves and their children and the ideas to support their children's learning at home.

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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 provide support for staff to help them to extend children's learning, including language skills, even more and to enable them to recognise how to include all children in activities at their own level n consider the organisation of some activities, especially before and during mealtimes, so that children's learning is not disrupted and they do not spend long periods of time waiting.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2799641 Local authority Telford & Wrekin Inspection number 10406065 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 105 Number of children on roll 154 Name of registered person The Midcounties Co-Operative Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01952 308159 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Your Co-op Little Pioneers Nursery and Pre-School Apley registered in 2024 and is located in Telford. The setting operates Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6.30pm and is open all year round, except for bank holidays. The setting employs 30 members of childcare staff. Of these, 22 are qualified at level 2 and above, including two who hold level 5 and one who has early years professional status. The nursery provides government funding for all eligible children.

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Inspection activities

n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. 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 manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity. n The inspector spoke with the manager and senior leaders about the leadership and management of the setting. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke to children to find out about their time at the setting. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector.

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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

16 June 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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