Inspection of Colourbox Red Lodge

1 Lavender Close, Red Lodge, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk IP28 8TT

Inspection date: 11 January 2022

Overall effectiveness	Outstanding
The quality of education	Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes	Outstanding
Personal development	Outstanding
Leadership and management	Outstanding
Overall effectiveness at previous inspection	Not applicable

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children’s needs are of paramount importance to all of those involved in running the nursery. Children thrive there. They learn at their own pace as they keenly follow their own interests.

Children are excited to start their day. They enjoy the company of their peers as well as time playing and learning on their own. Older children show exceedingly high levels of self-control and respect for others. Young babies and toddlers play alongside one another harmoniously.

The play and learning opportunities that children have are excellently matched to their individual stage of development. All children learn to concentrate well as they experiment with using the Montessori resources. Children calmly and quietly persevere towards the goals that they set themselves. For example, they continue to try, several times, to open a container until they succeed. Children are proud to show adults their artistic creations.

Children develop strong communication skills. Where they need extra help to promote their communication and language skills, the attentive staff work closely with parents to support this. Staff help children to learn to use signs and gestures to aid their communication. Children learn to communicate their needs and wishes. They learn how to have boundaries with others, respect for their own and each other’s bodies and their right to decline physical touch from others.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

The dedicated leaders and managers use their extensive knowledge and skills to lead staff in achieving the highest standards. This includes the provision of compassionate and fully inclusive practice to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders monitor and evaluate every aspect of the nursery’s provision to ensure that it remains highly effective.
Each aspect of the experiences that children have is meticulously planned indoors and out. This gives them the opportunities they need to succeed, progress and develop the skills they need to become lifelong learners. Leaders, managers and staff plan to ensure that all aspects of the children’s day have purpose and learning value. This helps children to become highly independent.
The arrangements that support staff are extensive. The leadership team works to ensure that staff look forward to coming to work. Staff appreciate how valued leaders make them feel. They are very proud of the outcomes that children achieve, across all areas of their learning, as a result of staff’s work. Leaders deliver bespoke training plans to every member of staff to improve their knowledge and skills.
The senior management team spends time working directly with the children. This helps the team to maintain strong relationships with parents and children. The senior management team leads staff to deliver high-quality teaching. Leaders listen to, and are highly responsive to, the views of children, parents and staff.
Children show their sense of responsibility in the way they care for their environment, the resources and each other. They develop strong self-care skills, such as competently washing their own hands, serving their own nutritious food and clearing away afterwards.
All children develop strong bonds with the staff, who focus on their individual routines and needs. Young babies gaze contentedly at the staff as they drink their milk. They enjoy the exchange of facial expressions through this close and warm contact. This helps to foster their feelings of safety and security.
Leaders appreciate the varied backgrounds and experiences of staff and children. Staff plan engaging, high-quality experiences to help children learn about the diverse world in which we live. Meaningful learning takes place to support children to understand the different ways of living across the globe. For example, children learn how the nursery organisation supports the education of children in other countries.
Staff teach children how to take pleasure from simple activities of living. Children are captivated as the staff deliver new information to them. For example, staff demonstrate to them how they can develop their skills, such as slicing an apple or carefully pouring from a jug.
Staff are extremely positive during their interactions with children. The staff model exemplary social skills at all times. They show that they value children’s ideas and contributions and involve them in decision-making. This helps children to have a strong sense of belonging.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Proactive and knowledgeable safeguarding lead practitioners can identify when children may be at risk of harm or neglect. They take swift action to work with parents and share relevant information with the appropriate authorities. All policies and procedures are regularly reviewed to ensure that the safety of children is maintained. Those responsible for safeguarding maintain clear and appropriate records. Staff are trained to understand wider safeguarding issues. For example, they understand how to recognise possible gender-based violence. Staff ensure that they raise any concerns to make sure that children are safe and protected from harm.

Setting details

Unique reference number	EY559107
Local authority	Suffolk
Inspection number	10190195
Type of provision	Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registers	Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register
Day care type	Full day care
Age range of children at time of inspection	0 to 4
Total number of places	46
Number of children on roll	85
Name of registered person	Colourbox Montessori School Ltd
Registered person unique reference number	RP903381
Telephone number	07949081833
Date of previous inspection	Not applicable

Information about this early years setting

Colourbox Red Lodge registered in 2018. It is one of six settings run by the same management team. The nursery employs 20 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including three who have qualified teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round, except for bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

Information about this inspection

Inspector
Kate Hipperson

Inspection activities

This was the first routine inspection the nursery received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the nursery.
The inspector observed the quality of interactions between staff and children and evaluated the impact on children’s learning and development. The inspector spoke to children and staff at appropriate times.
The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including first-aid records and evidence of the suitability of staff members.
The inspector spoke with a small number of, and read written feedback from, parents and considered their views.
The leadership and management team met with the inspector. They discussed the curriculum for children, to help understand what it is that staff aim for children to learn and remember, and how this is implemented. The inspector also had a tour the nursery with the provider and operations manager, who is currently in an active management role in the nursery.
The inspector carried out a joint observation of a learning activity with the operations manager.

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.

If you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted.

The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) 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.

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