The Mulberry Bush Waterlooville

The Mulberry Bush Waterlooville

Unique reference number (URN): EY499416 Address: Waterberry Drive, Waterlooville, PO7 7UN Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 13/06/2016 Registers: EYR Registered person: The Mulberry Bush (Waterlooville) 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

Generally, children, including those who face barriers to their learning, make progress in all areas of learning and development. Children develop socially and emotionally as they play and learn together. They feel secure, safe and are confident in their environment. This supports them as they investigate and explore. For instance, children use their senses to examine sunflowers as they play in the mud kitchen area. They compare the prickly stem to stinging nettles and talk about different textures. Children begin to make sense of the world around them.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children show increasing skills in carrying out tasks for themselves. For example, they learn to use the toilet independently, put on their hats to protect them from the sun and self-serve at mealtimes. This prepares them well for their next stage of learning, including going to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Overall, leaders and staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children are given clear and appropriate messages about rules and boundaries, which helps them understand what is expected of them. Typically, staff promptly identify times when children need additional support to help them manage their emotions effectively. Positive behaviour strategies, such as, using the dark tent, sensory lights and story sacks, help children, including those who face barriers to their learning, regulate their emotions. This helps children develop the skills they need to become confident learners.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff are reflective and seek to continually enhance the learning environment for children. For instance, new approaches, such as smaller key groups, have effectively supported children's behaviour and improved children's focus and attention in learning. These strategies have a positive impact on children's behaviour and are on their way to becoming fully embedded in children's daily routines.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Generally, staff support children's personal, social and emotional development well. They help children recognise their emotions by labelling their feelings. Staff read stories to children, which helps them develop their emotional literacy, empathy and understanding of how others may feel. Staff develop secure attachments with children and help them feel safe, valued and cared for.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

On the whole, policies and procedures to support children's health and wellbeing are generally understood and implemented well across the setting. Children play, explore and learn in an environment that is safe and promotes healthy lifestyles and routines. For example, children take part in daily yoga sessions where they learn to control their breathing and stretch their arms and legs. This supports their emotional health and promotes positive awareness of physical activity and rest. In addition, children are given ample opportunities to learn about healthy foods and the positive effects that eating well has on their bodies. For example, they grow their own vegetables in the nursery allotments and staff talk to them about healthy choices while they eat. Children learn how eating and drinking well supports their growth, wellbeing and give them energy.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The key-person arrangements help children build positive relationships and trust in those who care for them. Staff are kind, caring and have established genuine bonds with children and their families. Staff recognise the importance of parental partnerships and ensure effective communication to keep them updated with changes in routines, such as sleeping, weaning and development. This ensures continuity in care and learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

On the whole, the curriculum in place is well-thought-out and considers helping children develop their skills as they transition through the rooms. As such, children typically build on their knowledge, supporting their individual next steps and developmental needs. Mostly, staff understand what they are teaching children and why it is important. However, some staff's knowledge is not secure, which can impact the delivery of intended learning. At these times, children's learning is not supported as well.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Typically, staff know children well and plan activities that they know they will enjoy that support their individual learning. However, there are times when some staff members do not always recognise teaching opportunities to pursue children's interests. This can impact children's motivation and engagement in learning experiences. Despite this, children are curious, inquisitive and seek to find out more by asking questions.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff carefully interweave mathematics into children's experiences through planned activities and their interactions. For instance, staff build towers with children and encourage them to count the bricks, notice patterns and talk about sizes. Children make predictions as they anticipate when the tower becomes too high and it will fall down. This helps children explore relationships between numbers and objects.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Overall, leaders and staff have created an environment that is inclusive where children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities needs (SEND), and their families are welcomed and feel valued. Typically, staff and leaders know children well and identify children's needs swiftly. They use their professional judgement to assess children's learning and development to ensure no emerging or changing needs are overlooked. Staff work with parents and other professionals to create specialised plans with targeted support that helps children make the progress they are capable of.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff use a range of strategies. For instance, they use signs, visual cues and routines to help all children, including those with SEND, or those who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing, participate in daily routines and learning. Additionally, the recent Makaton training that staff have attended has a positive impact on reducing communication barriers. Children begin to use signing independently, which gives them confidence and supports their emerging speech. Generally, leaders and staff recognise the importance of working in partnership with other professionals to seek further guidance and advice. Leaders use additional funding precisely to benefit outcomes for individual children. This helps children build on their skills and prepares them for future learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Overall, senior leaders have effectively managed recent changes to the leadership team with minimal impact on the day-to-day running of the nursery. However, policies and procedures were not robustly followed, leading to breaches of requirements regarding supporting children with known allergies. Leaders have since reviewed their policies and implemented additional processes to ensure children are not given food or drink that they cannot have. The improved arrangements have strengthened practice and ensure children's needs are effectively met. Leaders are reflective and passionate about making the necessary changes to further improve outcomes for children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders value their staff team and help them grow within the company. Staff report high morale and feel well supported by those in charge. Leaders offer bespoke training that helps staff enhance their skills. Staff share how recent training, such as emotional literacy support assistance, has helped them support children's emotional needs. This has a positive impact on children's emotional wellbeing, resilience and self-regulation.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and staff work with local schools to ensure transitions are smooth. They put in place additional support for children who face barriers to their learning. Additionally, leaders and staff organise parent meetings to help parents navigate and support children through this transition. This helps prepare children and their families for the future.

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

Children are warmly greeted by friendly staff and leaders when they arrive in this nursery. Younger children hold their arms out to staff in anticipation as they are handed over by their parents and carers. Leaders and staff work in partnership with parents to promote regular attendance and punctuality. Children are developing positive routines and gain a sense of belonging as they settle into their busy yet stimulating environment.

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

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or those who face barriers to their learning, quickly immerse themselves into play and a range of carefully planned activities prepared by staff. For example, children eagerly take part in bucket time

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About this setting

Unique reference number (URN): EY499416 activities, which help develop patience and improve their attention and focus. Staff help children build their vocabulary as they learn new words, such as 'stretchy' and 'wriggly'. This supports their communication and language skills well. Children enjoy being physically active as they run around outside and play games, such as hide and seek. They build and construct with purpose as they use bricks to build houses and towns. Children develop positive relationships with one another.

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About this setting

Children engage in beach clean-up role-play activities where staff help them understand the importance of keeping the oceans clean and disposing of waste responsibly. Children talk about making responsible choices and putting their litter in the bin. They are gaining an understanding of the world they live in and develop respect for nature.

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About this setting

On the whole, children typically demonstrate positive behaviour towards staff and each other. Staff and leaders have high expectations for behaviour and help children recognise what is right and what is wrong. Children learn and play in an inclusive, respectful environment where their emotional wellbeing is prioritised by staff and leaders.

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Next steps

Leaders should further develop staff knowledge of the curriculum intention so it can be implemented more precisely and consistently. Leaders should support staff to recognise when opportunities arise to follow children's interests and extend their learning further.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, staff, parents and children 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:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: The Mulberry Bush (Waterlooville) 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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