Creative Explorers Nursery - Crouch End

Creative Explorers Nursery - Crouch End

Unique reference number (URN): 2789375 Address: Holy Innocents Church Annex, 134 Tottenham Lane, London, N8 7EL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 19/04/2024 Registers: EYR Registered person: Creative Explorers Crouch End Limited

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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.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

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

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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.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make steady progress from their starting points and develop confidence in familiar routines and activities. Babies become increasingly curious explorers. They respond to songs, repeat sounds and words and engage with story times. Toddlers enjoy role play, sensory play and outdoor experiences that help them to build their vocabulary and confidence. Children are generally prepared appropriately for their next stage, including moves between rooms.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children's achievement is not consistently secure due to some inconsistencies in teaching. Some children, including older toddlers, are not always given enough opportunity to practise their independence and communicate their thinking. As a result, while children's progress is evident, it is not consistently strengthened across all parts of the day.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders promote a calm and caring environment. Staff build warm relationships with children and help them to feel secure. Parents and carers value the support they receive to promote their children's positive behaviour at home. This includes sharing strategies, such as using 'kind hands' and books that help children to understand empathy. Leaders also promote the importance of attendance. Staff follow up on children's absences promptly. They work with families where there are concerns about children not attending.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally enjoy learning and engage positively with activities. They play alongside one another, join in songs and take part in shared routines, such as snack and mealtimes. Staff consider children's ages and stages when offering reassurance and guidance, especially for younger children.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

However, routines and expectations are not yet embedded consistently enough. Some transitions take too long at several points in the day, including after snack and after outdoor play. Children sometimes wait without clear direction. At times, aspects of the daily routine do not take place because the transition to handwashing and lunch overruns. Staff's expectations for children's independence are also variable. Older toddlers are not always helped to manage belongings, tidy away or take part in routines in ways that match their stage of development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff support children's welfare and wellbeing effectively. Key persons know children's routines and provide attentive care. Babies benefit from secure and responsive relationships. Staff soothe them through songs, gentle talk and familiar routines, including during nappy changing and sleep times. Sleep arrangements are organised carefully. Staff carry out regular checks to help keep children safe and comfortable. Leaders give clear attention to children's health. Children brush their teeth after lunch, and staff promote healthy eating through discussions about foods that help children to grow and stay well. Mealtime arrangements are organised to take account of children's additional needs and dietary requirements. Staff consult parents and carers carefully when children start and when changes are made that affect children's care.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff also support children's emotional wellbeing. They help children to feel welcomed, involve families in events and provide guidance when children need help to manage feelings or behaviour. Children show that they feel secure with familiar adults.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

At times, the organisation of routines does not support children's wellbeing consistently. Some daily transitions are too lengthy, which affects the flow of the day. This means children do not always move smoothly from one experience to the next.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed a broad curriculum that reflects children's ages, interests and the setting's priorities for communication, wellbeing and exploration. Babies and toddlers enjoy experiences linked to stories, seasons and the natural world. Weekly activities, such as music, cooking, yoga and nature-based learning, add breadth to children's experiences. Leaders review the curriculum regularly and draw on professional learning, including work with other early years approaches, to refine what they offer.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff use assessment information and knowledge of children's starting points to plan experiences. They support children's language by naming objects, repeating words and joining children's play. For example, staff introduce new vocabulary during planting activities and extend children's pretend play in the mud kitchen. Babies benefit from sensory experiences that encourage their curiosity and attention.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders rightly prioritise children's physical, personal, social and emotional development. However, the implementation of teaching is not yet consistent. Staff do not consistently give children time to think and respond to questions. Teaching does not always help children to practise the specific skills linked to their next steps. For instance, opportunities to build babies' gross motor development and to extend toddlers' independent participation vary across the day. This means the intended curriculum is not yet translated into practice with enough consistency.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Overall, leaders create an inclusive culture by gathering detailed information when children start. This includes information about children's routines, development and family circumstances. This helps staff get to know children quickly. Staff work with parents and carers to shape support from the outset. Leaders identify children who may need extra help and seek advice from the local authority's early years and inclusion team. They work with external professionals, review support plans and meet with families to consider children's progress and any changes needed. Leaders have also worked with social workers and foster carers when children have been known to children's social care. Staff access training to strengthen their understanding of supporting children's communication and language, sensory play and regulating their emotions. Leaders use additional funding, including early years pupil premium, to support children's experiences

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Inclusion Expected standard

and language development. Parents value the practical guidance they receive to help their children at home.

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Inclusion Expected standard

However, inclusive practice is not yet implemented with full consistency. Staff know children's identified needs, but agreed approaches are not consistent in day-to-day interactions. For example, support for children developing early language and those working towards greater independence varies across routines and activities. As a result, barriers to children's learning and wellbeing are identified appropriately, but are not reduced as consistently in practice as leaders intend.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have established secure systems to meet statutory requirements and oversee the day-to-day running of the provision. They monitor staff's suitability, training and first-aid qualifications carefully, including through electronic tracking systems and a well-maintained single central record. Leaders provide regular supervision sessions, team meetings, weekly huddles and access to a wide range of professional development. Staff speak positively about the support they receive and the way leaders listen to their views.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders understand the setting's strengths and are reflective about its priorities. They use learning walks, audits and discussion with staff to review practice. Leaders work closely with parents and carers, the local authority and other professionals to support children's care and development, particularly those who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have rightly identified the need to strengthen consistency in daily practice. However, these priorities are not yet embedded securely enough across the provision. As a result, staff do not implement routines and curriculum intentions with enough consistency. This can be seen in prolonged transitions, uneven promotion of children's independence and variability in how well teaching helps children practise their next steps.

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

Children are welcomed into a warm and caring setting, where staff know them well. This helps children to feel safe and settled. Babies receive nurturing care. Staff sing to them during nappy changing, talk gently to them as they explore and help them to feel secure in their relationships. Toddlers move confidently between familiar adults and enjoy joining in with imaginative and sensory play.

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

Children benefit from a varied curriculum that reflects their interests and the setting's community-focused approach. They explore natural materials, water plants, smell herbs, such as thyme, and delight in pretend play. For example, children pretend to make 'strawberry ice cream' in the mud kitchen. Babies handle shredded paper, beads and resources linked to stories with curiosity. Staff build children's language by naming what they see and do. Parents and carers value the regular communication they receive. They appreciate the practical ideas that staff share to support their children's learning and behaviour at home.

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

Children begin to develop healthy habits. They wash their hands, brush their teeth after lunch and hear staff explain that foods, such as cucumber and carrots, help them grow 'big and strong'. Staff identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those at an early stage of speaking English as an additional language. Leaders work with parents and external professionals to support these children.

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

Overall, children feel that they belong in the setting. They enjoy a range of experiences that help them explore, communicate and build confidence. Babies and toddlers benefit from warm relationships, thoughtful care and opportunities to learn through play. This helps them to feel secure and ready for the next stage in their development.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently so that children are supported to practise and consolidate skills linked to their next steps across all areas of learning. Leaders should ensure that daily routines and expectations are consistently embedded so that children experience a well-organised day and are supported to develop their independence.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children and parents and carers during the inspection.

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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

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Address:

Holy Innocents Church Annex 134 Tottenham Lane London N8 7EL

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Creative Explorers Crouch End Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

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

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Exceptional

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

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Strong standard

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

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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.

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Needs attention

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

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Urgent improvement

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

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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.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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