Setting 2748367

Childcare on domestic premises

Unique reference number (URN): 2748367 Registered with Ofsted: 14/09/2023 Registers: EYR

p.1

Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.2

How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

p.2

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders create a strong inclusive culture where children's individual needs are identified and assessed from the start. Staff build trusting relationships with children and their families, helping them understand barriers to learning or wellbeing. Leaders use this knowledge strategically, engaging external professionals and securing additional funding so children receive timely and effective support. Regular 'Language for Life' screening enables staff to identify children who require early communication intervention.

p.2

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders make thoughtful decisions about the use of additional funding, including enabling higher staff ratios so children benefit from high-quality, targeted interactions. Children identified for additional support through 'Language for Life' interventions make clear gains in communication. This includes building their vocabulary and using words to describe a character's actions in a story, such as 'collect' and 'jump over'. Creative opportunities, including helicopter stories and role play, further strengthen children's language skills and confidence.

p.2

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders ensure staff make adaptations that help children feel secure, such as allowing them to finish a task at their pace before transitioning to the next activity. They closely monitor children's progress, reviewing support regularly to ensure it has the intended impact. As a result, children access all aspects of learning and make steady, meaningful progress.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Children make good progress from their starting points, particularly in communication and language, which is a strength of the setting. They grow in confidence during story times, song sessions and imaginative storytelling, using new vocabulary and expressing their ideas clearly. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make secure progress because staff understand their needs and provide targeted support.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Across the curriculum, children steadily gain the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need for the next stage of learning. They develop confidence, independence and an early mathematical understanding, building firm foundations for later success. Although children's progress is positive overall, variability in the quality of teaching prevents children achieving to an even higher level across all areas. Strong partnerships with parents and external professionals support smooth transitions. The leader's background as a teacher, and their purposeful focus of the curriculum and teaching for older children in the spring term, positively supports children's school readiness.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders have established a positive environment where, overall, children understand and follow simple expectations and routines. Children behave well and respond appropriately to staff guidance, supported by warm relationships and consistent adult presence. Staff model respectful interactions and mostly take opportunities to gently remind children of expectations, such as saying 'mind your bubble'. This helps children learn about personal space and consideration for their peers.

p.3

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children share, take turns and play cooperatively, with adults offering calm support when needed. Staff manage incidents with consistency and care, explaining why behaviours, such as stepping on toys, are not acceptable. These interactions help children understand consequences, develop self-control and build positive attitudes to learning.

p.3

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders recognise the importance of secure routines for children and families. They monitor attendance closely, contact parents when children do not attend and support families with punctuality, settling and transitions. Staff work sensitively with parents to develop consistent routines between home and the setting, strengthening children's confidence and emotional security.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that care practices are effective and meet children's individual needs well. Staff promote children's hygiene, through encouraging handwashing and helping children to recognise their own hand towels, which builds healthy habits and independence. Staff know children extremely well, enabling secure and responsive relationships. Children show strong attachments to their key person and seek comfort when needed.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders are strengthening approaches to emotional regulation. While practice is not yet fully consistent, children benefit from positive examples, such as adults noticing when they need space or time to talk. Staff make thoughtful adaptations, for example they give children enough time to finish a puzzle before joining a group activity. Staff consider children's ages, stages and individual needs when adapting routines and expectations, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These interactions help children begin to recognise and express their emotions and feel understood.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children benefit from sound routines around safety. However, at times, some staff do not implement the agreed strategies to fully support children to understand how to manage their own personal safety. For example, they do not always reinforce privacy during toileting or consistently remind children of the boundaries when playing outdoors in the forest area. These minor inconsistencies do not maximise opportunities to help children develop a secure understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed a clear and well-sequenced curriculum overall that reflects their aims for children's learning and development. Children generally experience a broad range of opportunities across all areas, with purposeful attention given to their physical, personal, social and emotional development. The curriculum places an emphasis on community, cooperation and building friendships, strengthened further through daily forest school sessions and tailored support.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff demonstrate a secure knowledge of child development and implement the curriculum effectively. They introduce new vocabulary, including positional language, and use stories and small-group reading to develop children's language and comprehension. Staff narrate play, model associative sounds and ask children questions about colours and quantities. They encourage early mathematical thinking, inviting children to count trains and add spots to dough. Staff use their knowledge of children's next steps, through assessments, to identify teachable moments that build learning over time.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff make appropriate adaptations to meet children's differing needs and in general staff use interactions well to extend children's learning. Leaders have strengthened curriculum practice through emotion-coaching and communication and language training. However, teaching and purposeful interactions from all staff are not consistently of high quality throughout the day, particularly during whole-group times. As a result, sometimes opportunities for children to explore their emotions and deepen their learning are limited.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders generally have a secure and accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and most areas for development. They review practice regularly and use self-evaluation effectively to agree clear priorities with staff. Decisions are made in the best interests of all children.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Professional development is targeted well overall. Training in 'Language for Life', Forest School, helicopter stories and emotional regulation strategies has had a positive impact on practice. Staff now use richer interactions, model purposeful vocabulary and responsive communication that support children's confidence and language development. Staff report high levels of wellbeing and feel supported personally and professionally. However, staff would benefit from even more moderation and support to help improve the quality of their teaching and interactions with children to an even higher level. Leaders are mindful of workload and provide clear expectations and manageable improvement goals.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work effectively with families and external professionals to support children who face additional barriers to their learning. Information is shared clearly through daily verbal communication and online updates. Leaders work in partnership with parents to promote consistency between home and the setting. This reinforces routines, expectations and strategies that support children's learning and wellbeing.

p.4

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children show they feel safe and valued from the moment they arrive. They confidently put their bags and shoes away and greet staff who understand their individual needs well. These warm, trusting relationships help children settle quickly and feel secure in their day- to-day experiences. Leaders monitor attendance and follow up promptly to help families establish positive routines.

p.5

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children develop a strong sense of belonging through familiar routines and the many opportunities they have to be independent. They take pride in recognising their own belongings and enjoy managing small tasks for themselves. For example, children bring their lunch boxes into the kitchen and confidently butter their own crackers at snack time, showing growing coordination and responsibility. Staff ensure that all children join in with activities, adapting support so everyone can participate alongside their peers.

p.5

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children enjoy a rich and varied range of opportunities to play, explore and achieve, both indoors and outdoors. They sit alongside friends during group activities, taking turns and working together in collaborative games, such as creating a beehive. Staff model positive language and give calm guidance, helping children manage their feelings, negotiate turn- taking and build friendships. Forest school sessions broaden children's experiences, encouraging curiosity, resilience and a love of nature. Outdoors, children delight in chasing bubbles, splashing through puddles and using books to search for leaves and insects. These experiences strengthen social connections and promote a sense of adventure. Children make steady, secure progress from their starting points, particularly in communication and language, supported through rich storytelling, purposeful conversations and targeted interventions.

p.5

Next steps

Leaders should strengthen the consistency of teaching and purposeful interactions so that children benefit from the strongest practice across all parts of the day. Leaders should more precisely support staff to embed consistent strategies that help children develop a secure understanding of how to manage their own personal safety.

p.5

About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:15 - 14:45

p.6

About this setting

Local authority: Bath and North East Somerset Council

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the manager, staff and parents during the inspection.

p.6

About this inspection

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.6

About this inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection.

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.7

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.7

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.7

Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

p.7

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.7

Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

p.7

Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

p.7

Urgent improvement

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.8

Urgent improvement

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.8

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8