Blenheim Early Years

Inspection of Blenheim Early Years Blenheim Cp School, School Way, Leigh-on-sea SS9 4HX

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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 demonstrate wonderfully warm and secure attachments with staff. Youngest children seek out trusted adults when they are upset, and they receive reassuring cuddles and soothing words. Well-planned settle visits support children to build trusting relationships and separate easily from parents and carers on arrival. Staff have a secure knowledge of their key children. They capture essential information about children when they join and use this to provide a tailored experience. This includes personalised sleep and feeding routines for the youngest children.

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The provision is good

Staff know children well. They are clear about the unique needs of children and the support they require to make progress. Children are supported well to access the curriculum and engage in meaningful learning. Regular partnership working with parents and professionals strengthens the outcomes for children and ensures that no children get left behind. Children engage positively in their play and learning. They demonstrate good behaviour and listen well to adults. Staff praise children for managing tasks such as serving their snack and washing their hands. This helps children to remember the positive choices that adults encourage them to make. Children show kindness to their friends. They take turns to cross the stepping stones and wait patiently for their friends to finish.

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need to do better?

n Leaders have a clear and ambitious curriculum that, overall, supports children to progress through the nursery and be prepared for the next stage of their education. For children who move to the school, the curriculum model offers familiarity and provides the foundations for future learning. n Children benefit from the regular use of stories. Staff read often to children and use stories as a foundation for the curriculum. Children show a deep enjoyment of books as they engage in both one-to-one stories and group sessions. Staff encourage conversation and support children to discuss and describe what they see in pictures. Children are developing a broad vocabulary that they use confidently in their play. n Children engage in a range of activities that help them to express their creativity. They enjoy making medals from collage materials and designing pictures and cards for their families. Children develop their fine motor skills as they handle

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need to do better?

scissors and use glue sticks. Staff encourage them to think about how to attach the strings to medals using the available materials. This supports problem- solving and making choices. n During snack, children enjoy healthy foods, such as cucumber and corn. They serve themselves and pour their drinks with confidence. Children wash their cups and plates when they have finished. This supports their growing independence

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need to do better?

17 June 2025 and ability to manage practical life skills. n Children are physically active. They navigate the complex climbing structure with confidence and skill. Large blocks provide an opportunity for children to design and construct a large model together. n Children learn about nature and develop their senses. They plant pumpkins and measure how much they have grown. Walks through the school grounds include visits to woodland and nature areas, where children explore living things and learn about how things grow. Children experience the feel of natural sand on their feet as they climb into large trays of sand. n Children show high levels of well-being. They beam with pride as they show the inspector the medals they won at the Blenheim games event. Youngest children confidently leave their key person and happily explore the environment. Children are able to fully participate in the learning opportunities available to them.

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need to do better?

n Leaders work with a range of partners to identify areas for development. The nursery is supported by the trust, and those with oversight and governance offer support and guidance. This means that continuous improvements and ways of working are quickly identified and actioned. n Staff receive regular supervision. Mandatory training is routinely attended to ensure that staff know how to keep children safe. However, staff do not access training that specifically supports their own personal development and teaching skills. This means that sometimes the quality of staff teaching across the nursery is not consistent for all children. n Parents feel well informed about the time children spend at the setting, They appreciate the excellent communication and updates they receive. They comment that children are happy and settled and enjoy their time at the setting.

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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 the quality of their teaching through a targeted programme of training so that interactions are of the highest quality and support children to consistently build on what they already know and can do.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2725277 Local authority Southend-on-Sea Inspection number 10394500 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 68 Number of children on roll 100 Name of registered person Learning in Harmony Multi Academy Trust

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reference number

Telephone number 01702 474684 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Blenheim Early Years registered in 2023. The setting operates from Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, all year round, except for bank holidays, two weeks in August, one week at Easter and one week at Christmas. The nursery employs 22 members of childcare staff. Of these, six staff members hold an appropriate qualification at level 6, and 11 at level 3. The nursery provides funded early education for all eligible 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 the children to learn. n The inspector spoke with leaders about the leadership and management of the setting. n Parents shared their views with the inspector during the inspection, and their views were taken into account. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching and interactions, both indoors and in the garden. n The inspector viewed a sample of documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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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

17 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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