Minibugs St Austell

Inspection of Minibugs St Austell 17a Moorlands Road, St Austell, Cornwall PL25 5BS

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

Staff greet children warmly with a friendly cheer on their arrival. Children excitedly share their experiences from home and settle quickly into nursery routines. Children have formed close bonds with staff and feel secure in their presence. Babies hold their arms out to their key persons, who respond affectionately. Toddlers point to visual aids to show they are 'happy'. Pre-school children show confidence in sharing their needs, and staff support them effectively.

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The provision is good

The curriculum is designed and implemented well. Staff understand where children are developmentally and know how to progress their learning. Staff encourage children to develop their communication skills. For instance, staff provide children with props, and together they sing accompanying songs. Babies begin to use sign language for words such as 'please' and 'more' and begin to babble. Staff talk to children about what they are doing with the sand. They introduce new words such as 'sieve' and 'pour' to extend their vocabulary.

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The provision is good

Children are highly independent. Older babies and toddlers retrieve their own comforters from their bags ready for nap time. Children of all ages feed themselves competently during lunch. They develop their hand-eye coordination and ability to carry out tasks for themselves. Children play harmoniously together. They behave well and understand the nursery's expectations.

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need to do better?

n Staff encourage children to strengthen their finger and hand muscles in preparation for early writing. For example, babies explore dough by squeezing and making marks in it. Staff encourage them to use the toy dinosaurs to make prints in the dough. Toddlers use tools effectively in a mixture of cornflour and water. Older children begin to write letters of their name onto whiteboards, showing good pen control. n Children develop their problem-solving skills well. They enjoy pouring water into the tiered water bowls. They know that once the top bowl is full, water will tip and cascade down into the middle bowl and then into the lower one. Children work out that they will need to place a bucket underneath the last bowl to catch all the water so that they can start the process again. n Children benefit from the professional development programmes staff attend. For instance, children begin to understand their emotions through stories and

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need to do better?

visual aids. They use these to communicate how they feel. Staff provide praise and role model effectively to children, enabling them to feel calm and relaxed. n Children enjoy participating in local events within the community. Leaders and staff implement these throughout the year. For example, children visit the nearby care home, where they engage in a variety of activities with the elderly

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need to do better?

27 June 2025 residents. Children enjoy arts and crafts and parachute games with their new friends. Younger and older generations enjoy their interactions together. n All families are welcome at this inclusive nursery. Staff gather essential information about families and celebrate diversity. Children enjoy learning about 'Martisor', a Romanian festival, and share bracelets to signify the start of Spring and a 'healthy year'. Children enjoy sharing dual-language books with their family and share photos of their own experiences from their home country. n Staff morale is high, and they report how leaders support them effectively. Staff well-being is a strong priority. Leaders provide them with regular gifts and team building days to show their appreciation of their hard work and that they are valued members of the team. n Staff ensure children are protected in the sun and record the ultra-violet levels for that day. They encourage children to drink plenty of water to keep them

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need to do better?

hydrated. However, the deployment of staff is not always effective. At times, too many staff focus on care practices, meaning some older children play alone or wander around without consistent interactions from staff. n Staff provide challenge to those children who are most able in preparation for school. Children begin to hear and say letter sounds and link these to words, such as 's' for spider. Staff show them how letters are formed and work closely with local schools to ensure a consistent approach.

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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 better understand their roles, particularly those working with older children, to enable them to be deployed effectively so they can provide consistent interactions with children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY546035 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 10398557 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 76 Number of children on roll 102 Name of registered person Minibugs Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0161 831 9722 Date of previous inspection 29 October 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Minibugs St Austell registered in 2017. It is situated close to the centre of St Austell, Cornwall. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round. There are 27 members of staff, two of which hold qualifications at level 6. The manager holds a level 4 qualification and 12 staff members are qualified at level 3. Two staff are level 2 qualified and 10 staff are unqualified. The nursery offers government-funded places for childcare and receives specific funding for disadvantaged children.

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Inspection activities

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 inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children spoke with the inspector during the inspection. n Staff spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity in the pre-school room with the manager. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n Staff spoke to the inspector during the inspection.

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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

27 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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