Ottertots Day Care Nursery

Inspection of Ottertots Day Care Nursery East Hill, Ottery St. Mary, Devon EX11 1QH

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Inspection date: 12 June 2025 - 3 July 2025

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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

Children feel comfortable and settled at the nursery. They form strong attachments with the warm and friendly staff team and are familiar with the daily routines. For instance, babies point happily to the sleep room when they know it is almost time for their nap. Staff are energetic, enthusiastic and playful, which builds children's confidence to take part, have a go and express themselves creatively. Older babies follow the staff's lead to make picnic foods from play dough for their play dough people. When staff and pre-school children work together to create a story, the children raise their hand confidently to share their ideas about what will happen next. They giggle happily when staff use their imaginative ideas in the story and listen with interest to hear what suggestions their friends will make. Babies enjoy listening to nursery rhymes and they play along with musical instruments.

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The provision is good

The management team is ambitious in their vision for the curriculum. They work with staff to design a broad and stimulating curriculum that gives children a range of experiences, both inside and outdoors, including as part of their forest school provision. Children make good progress and gain the knowledge and skills needed for later learning, including school.

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need to do better?

n The management team and staff plan activities and experiences that interest children and motivate them to have a go and try new things. Staff know the children well and understand how they learn. For example, staff notice when toddlers enjoy throwing toys playfully so they place targets on a wall for children to throw balls at, which provides good support for their physical development. Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery. On occasion, staff do not target children's next steps as precisely as they could during adult-led activities, to engage the children more deeply in their play and extend their learning further. n Staff use a range of strategies to support children's communication and language development. They often use signing while speaking, and they sing and read to children throughout the day and model a broad vocabulary. However, at times, staff do not encourage children to share their thoughts and

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need to do better?

feelings, to help build their confidence and skills to express themselves through speaking. n Staff are clear in the messages they give to children about their expectations for children's behaviour. They provide gentle prompts when needed to remind children how to share and take turns. Children learn to use good manners and are polite. For example, with support from staff, toddlers share the pens and thank each other for bringing the pens back when their friends have finished with them.

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need to do better?

12 June 2025 n Children learn good social skills from the positive relationships they form with staff. Staff give children frequent praise to build their self-esteem and children copy this positive behaviour. For example, pre-school children quietly celebrate and cheer for their friends when they are selected by staff to help with a task. n Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff share relevant information about the parents, to keep them informed and involved in their children's experiences at the nursery. For example, they notify parents about which staff care for their children, what their children are currently learning and how parents can extend this further at home. Parents speak very positively about the nursery and the team. n With staff's support and encouragement, children learn to be independent. For example, they use cutlery to feed themselves at mealtimes and pre-school children put on and take off their coats and boots.

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need to do better?

n The management team encourage staff to express their own ideas about changes they can implement. For example, staff have recently reviewed the curriculum and are in the process of introducing a new strategy to develop staff's confidence and skills to reflect on their own practice. The staff report high morale and enjoy working 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 strengthen the quality of staff's interactions with children, to provide even more encouragement and support for children to practise and develop their speech n provide more targeted support to build on children's next steps during adult-led activities, to engage the children fully in their play and extend their learning further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY358746 Local authority Devon Inspection number 10399432 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 80 Number of children on roll 152 Name of registered person Ottertots Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01404 815854 Date of previous inspection 2 December 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Ottertots Day Care Nursery registered in 2007. The nursery operates from the outskirts of Ottery St Mary in Devon. It is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm, all year round. The nursery provides government funded places. There are 33 staff. Of these, 21 staff hold early years qualifications at level 2 or 3, and two hold higher- level qualifications.

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Inspection activities

n The provider, deputy manager and room leader took the inspector on a learning walk to discuss the early years curriculum and what they want children to learn. n The deputy manager joined the inspector on two joint observations of adult-led activities, to reflect on the quality of teaching and learning. n The inspector spoke with parents and children during the inspection and considered their views. n The inspector observed staff's interactions with children and spoke with them about their key children. n The provider and deputy manager met with the inspector to discuss the leadership and management of the nursery.

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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

12 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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