Flitwick Day Nursery

Inspection of Flitwick Day Nursery 20 Steppingley Road, Flitwick, Bedford MK45 1AJ

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 Requires improvement

p.1

The provision is good

Children are happy, well settled and engaged in purposeful activity. Staff gather information from parents when children first start about what they know and can do. This helps staff to adapt the environment to support children to settle in. Staff are kind and nurturing as they help children to form secure bonds. They know that children need to feel safe and secure to be ready to learn. From the start, staff help children to learn about their emotions and the vocabulary to express how they feel. Staff are consistent in how they support children to start to regulate their behaviour. Staff work with parents to devise appropriate strategies to help children who need more support.

p.2

The provision is good

Staff know children well and provide a range of resources and activities that reflect children's individual interests. They use their professional knowledge of typical child development to develop stimulating activities that successfully capture children's interest. Younger children enjoy exploring play dough. They learn new words, such as splat, pop and push as they manipulate the dough. Staff purposely provide such activities to help children build strength in their hands to help them to use cutlery. Older children use tweezers to pick up pom-poms that they sort by colour. This also helps them to further develop the muscles in their hands to help them use scissors.

p.2

need to do better?

n Since the last inspection, leaders and staff have worked hard to establish and implement a curriculum that helps children gain the skills they need for the next stage in their education. Staff understand the curriculum and plan effectively for each child. They review children's progress regularly and this helps to identify any emerging gaps in children's knowledge or development. n Staff working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) liaise closely with other professionals and parents. They plan and implement targeted interventions to help children catch up or, in some cases, to support parents to seek further professional involvement. n Children's safety is promoted well at the nursery. Staff are vigilant to identify emerging hazards in the environment and take prompt action. They sweep up and discard fallen sand, which presents a slip hazard for children. Leaders review

p.2

need to do better?

and interrogate accident and incident forms completed by staff to help to identify where changes in the environment may be needed to reduce the number of accidents. n Parents are positive about the nursery and state that their children are happy to attend. They say that staff really care about providing their children with the best support and education. Parents add that they are well informed about their child's progress in learning. n Staff interactions with children are warm and gentle. They are enthusiastic in

p.2

need to do better?

9 September 2025 their work and are child focused, following their lead in play and introducing words and phrases that help to develop their understanding and vocabulary. n Children readily choose to look at books and staff read them to children on request, as well as at specific points in the daily routine. Building further on children's emerging love of books and stories, staff have introduced a library for children to borrow books to share at home. n Babies receive lots of reassurance from caring staff. They settle quickly and their faces beam with enjoyment when staff blow bubbles or sing songs. Staff adapt their interactions well to meet the individual needs of children. They understand that babies benefit from routines to help them to settle and build confidence to explore. Staff provide babies with lots of opportunities to practise their physical skills as they gain increasing control to walk and climb.

p.2

need to do better?

n After lunchtime, when some children take a nap, other children are quietly occupied in their choice of play. At these times, staff do not always notice or join in to ensure children benefit from good-quality interactions to develop their communication and language skills further. n Staff say that they enjoy working at the nursery and that they are well supported to fulfil their roles. They receive regular supervision meetings that help to identify further training and coaching to help them improve further. Staff say that they feel valued by leaders. They work well together to implement the nursery's aims and ethos.

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 help staff to provide consistency for all children to engage in meaningful interactions that help them build their communication and language skills, particularly in the post-lunch period when some children are sleeping.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY486612 Local authority Central Bedfordshire Inspection number 10389607 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.4

Registers

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

p.4

inspection

Total number of places 84 Number of children on roll 84 Name of registered person Davidson-Roberts Ltd

p.4

reference number

Telephone number 01525 718866 Date of previous inspection 16 January 2025

p.4

Information about this early years setting

Flitwick Day Nursery registered in 2015. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff, of whom 13 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery provides government funded early education for all eligible children.

p.4

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 talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n Staff spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. 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 and the deputy manager carried out a joint observation of a group activity. n Parents shared their views of the nursery with the inspector. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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

9 September 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