Peapods Nursery

Peapods Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2767864 Address: The Pavillion, Meadows Road, HENLEY-ON-THAMES, Oxfordshire, RG9 1BF Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 22/12/2023 Registers: EYR Registered person: Hopcroft Childcare Ltd

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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

Leaders and staff work closely with parents to establish children's starting points. This promotes children making sound progress right from the start. Children grow in confidence, demonstrate curiosity and engagement and enjoy their time at nursery. They build close friendships with peers and form strong bonds with staff who know them extremely well. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported sensitively and precisely. For example, children with speech and language challenges have targeted speech sounds supported during play alongside others as part of a game for all to enjoy. However, at times, staff do not consistently extend children's mathematical thinking during self-chosen play.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop a love for stories and regularly access books for themselves or to share with adults. Children enjoy moving rhythmically and joining in enthusiastically with nursery rhymes and songs. They benefit from the calmness that the nursery offers and demonstrate confidence and purpose when making choices about their play. This prepares them well for their next stages in their learning journey.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff have high expectations of children's behaviour at the nursery. Staff act as positive role models and children respond positively to instructions given and learn what is expected of them. They treat each other with kindness and respect, and staff support them with sharing and turn taking from a young age. For example, staff invite children one by one to choose props from a sack during rhyme time. Staff provide minimal support and gentle reminders to the group. This is a well-established part of children's everyday routine. Older children kindly offer friends toy pets and veterinary equipment when playing in the vet role- play area.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children benefit from the regular daily routines. They know where to put their belongings and how to help themselves to plates and glasses ready for snack time. They are clear about the expectations of walking safely and securely to the local park and adhere to the rules with minimal support required from staff. Children clearly have a sound sense of security and feel safe at the nursery. Leaders and staff have established strong bonds with both children and parents. Parents are supported with flexible sessions to ensure that children's attendance is regular. This helps them to build positive habits in preparation to start school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children form warm and positive relationships with their key person. They are taught to treat each other with kindness and respect and are learning to share and take turns during games and play. Children are supported to develop self-care skills. Babies learn to use spoons to feed themselves, while older children pour their own drinks from jugs. Staff have a high regard for children's understanding of oral health and weave this into day-to day planning. For instance, children revise tooth-brushing techniques during registration. Staff's practice promotes children's safety and meets their individual care needs well.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children bring packed lunches to the nursery. Leaders and staff provide parents with frequent advice and information on healthy options. This helps to ensure children have healthy and nutritious meals each day, and builds healthy habits for the future.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff ensure that children's interests and changes in home circumstances, such as a new baby or pet, are considered during the planning stages. Consequently, children feel listened to and valued. Staff support children in understanding health and wellbeing throughout the day. Children are learning to take safe risks for themselves. For instance, children are taught to hold onto handles when using the climbing apparatus, and to check for others before jumping off in a safe fashion.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Relationships between staff and children are warm. Children arrive happy and keen to see their key person. All children, including those new to the setting, are comfortable in approaching adults for cuddles and reassurance when required. This promotes children's wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have established a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes children's learning across all areas. Staff prioritise children's physical and personal, social and emotional development in particular. Children take part in outdoor activities daily including trips to parks, woodland walks and planting in the community alongside the park keeper. Visits from sports coaches, music and movement teachers, as well as in-house yoga sessions, all support children's physical health and sense of wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff assess children to establish their current stages of development and to identify potential gaps in understanding. They discuss these and work closely as a staff team to plan activities that support children to reach their next steps accordingly. For instance, they plan targeted teaching moments during play to support children experiencing a speech delay. However, at times, some staff do not consistently use spontaneous opportunities during play to extend children's learning further. For instance, they do not respond to children's questions fully or use modelling to show what is meant by a certain number or amount to support a deeper understanding. That being said, the vast majority of children access a wealth of mathematical activities and are performing well in this area.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, staff model ambitious language to the children. They narrate the youngest children's play and introduce new words, such as 'calf' to the children during play. Children's language acquisition is supported well.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff work closely with parents to consider how to meet the individual needs of all children. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or those facing other barriers to their learning. Leaders and staff utilise report findings from outside professionals, such as speech and language therapists, and implement recommendations to help children to reach their targets. Staff know their key children very well and quickly identify when children may need additional support.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Although there are currently no children at the setting in receipt of additional funding, leaders are clear about how they would identify how to use such funds to best support individual children's needs. They understand the importance of assessing the impact this spending has had on children's learning experiences and wellbeing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff use regular assessments to inform future planning and make them aware of any gaps in knowledge or skills. They are proactive in gaining support from parents and the local authority if concerns about a child's progress arises. For instance, members from the Early Years Advisory Team are invited into the nursery to complete observations alongside staff, and to discuss recommendations for accessing any early help when appropriate and beneficial.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders understand the nursery's strengths and can identify areas for future improvements. They have recently implemented a system to help support staff in identifying children who may need help with speech and language skills. This has resulted in them acting even more swiftly than before in ensuring the provision is suited to individual needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders value staff highly and manage their workload thoughtfully. Staff feel appreciated and supported. Leaders encourage professional development and offer regular training opportunities. However, some staff would benefit from further targeted support to extend children's learning more consistently during play.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders listen to parents and children when planning topics and activities and adapt these to meet the changing needs of the children. For example, staff meet the needs of individual children facing barriers to their learning during group activities rather than singling them out to complete target-related tasks. Positive partnerships with parents and other professionals promotes effective communication, allowing specific tailored support for children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are prompt in updating policies and procedures that ensure that they are compliant with statutory requirements and their vision. Robust systems are in place for safer recruitment and supervisions. This demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and the provision of a safe and stimulating environment.

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

Leaders and staff help children to feel safe and secure at the nursery. Children benefit from the warm and calm nature of this carefully planned environment. They arrive happy and separate from parents with ease, swiftly making positive choices about their play. Staff work closely with parents to get to know their key children well, finding out what they can already do and what their next steps in learning are. Staff provide flexible settling-in options to ensure that each child's wellbeing is prioritised. New children quickly form strong attachments with their key person. This develops their self-confidence allowing them to freely play and explore, knowing that they can seek comfort from a trusted adult when needed.

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

Staff value children's voices and opinions at the nursery. Children are taught that they will be listened to and heard. For example, when staff share books with children, they take extended amounts of time to listen to children's comments about pictures and how these relate to their own experiences, such as trips to the beach. This supports children's sense of belonging.

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

Children enjoy the well-sequenced curriculum that leaders and staff have thoughtfully designed to cover all 7 areas of learning, while tapping into children's interests. For instance, when the youngest children show a preference for soft toys, the topic changes to a teddy bear's picnic. Children engage in activities, including role playing with teddies, while staff introduce counting, sorting and teddy-related arts and crafts. Staff adapt activities to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, can access these.

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

Staff work closely with parents to ensure that they have a good understanding of the importance of regular attendance and how this has a positive impact on their child's development. As a result, children attend regularly, form positive relationships with staff and peers and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning.

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Next steps

Leaders should support all staff to evaluate and reflect on their teaching skills, and focus training opportunities to further develop this specific area of their practice. Leaders should reflect on, and enhance, how staff support children's growing understanding of mathematical concepts during self-chosen play.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke to the staff and leaders 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

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Address:

The Pavillion Meadows Road HENLEY-ON-THAMES Oxfordshire RG9 1BF

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Hopcroft Childcare Ltd

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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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1 to 4

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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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

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

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