We changed entity, from a Sole Trader to a Limited Company, this took effect with Ofsted from October 2022, all other aspects of the business remained the same (i.e. management). We are now operating as Home from Home Day Nursery Academy Ltd, registration number 2690482. However, all reports dating July 2004- June 2022 under Home from Home Day Nursery, registration number 123566, can be viewed via the link above. 

Early Years Advisory Team

Annual Quality Visit: March 2025

Purpose of visit:

• To support leaders to review the effectiveness of the setting curriculum with a focus on Personal, Social and Emotional (PSE) and Communication and Language (CL) development.

• To focus on how the setting is working to close gaps in development for all children

Outcome: The setting achieved a green grading, which is the highest grade. See below report summary. 

Reviewed audit with: Linda and Anne

Curriculum:

• The setting has an embedded ambitious curriculum for children.

The curriculum has clear end goals which are prioritised to meet the needs of each cohort. Practitioners that the EYC spoke to were clear about what these goals were and can give individual examples of the curriculum impact. Planning flows from the curriculum into daily practice and responds to children’s current interests and fascinations within the planned learning. For example, in ‘BBO’ the children are immersed in learning about space, which is represented in many ways across the environment, including within the role play, the creative opportunities and the book offer. Robust monitoring systems are in place so that leaders can easily evidence the impact of the curriculum and adapt it accordingly. These monitoring systems include regular meetings with the team and oversight of planning and observations. Children’s cultural capital is thoughtfully weaved through the curriculum for example, the setting recognises that the demographic they serve would benefit from the children taking part in group mealtimes, spending time out and about in the community and having screen free time, and this is reflected in the opportunities given to the children. Planned interventions to close gaps, match the intent of the curriculum and pedagogical styles. The setting SENCo was able to explain that they have monitored children’s progress carefully and closed gaps in development quickly through their usual planned teaching and learning.

Personal, Social and Emotional:

• The key person role is embedded

The setting carries out home visits for all children starting the setting, which the key person attends and leads, this enables relationships with key children’s parents and carers to be established and these are maintained through regular communication. A robust induction period ensures that new practitioners are mentored in the responsibilities of the key person role. Key persons spoke with knowledge about their key children. They recognised how their experiences at home can impact their learning and development and had a strong understanding of children’s previous experiences and home life. Every effort is made to consider the consistency of the key person, for example, ensuring that familiar staff cover in rooms and that the key person supports the transition between rooms.

• Practice that teaches children how to understand and manage feelings and emotions is embedded

The settings curriculum has specific end goals for self-regulation, and this was consistently discussed and demonstrated by the practitioners spoken to and observed by the EYC. The team were able to intuitively support all children to co-regulate, for example, by intentionally using the language of feelings and valuing children’s emotions and feelings. The team use personalised strategies to help individual children to understand their feelings and regulate their emotions, for example, by creating a calm space and providing resources such as ‘poppits’. Other activities such as mindfulness, yoga and activities to support children to move their bodies such as stretching and using the parachute also support children’s regulation skills.

Communication and Language:

• Practice that introduces and embeds new vocabulary to support communication and language development is embedded

Practitioners plan specific experiences to introduce new vocabulary, matched to activities, experiences and knowledge of individual children. For example, the EYC observed a practitioner discussing ‘craters’ with the children during an activity which linked to their current theme of space. This happened during a physical activity using a stretchy piece of fabric, therefore the practitioner used vocabulary such as ‘stretching’ and ‘tugging’ evidencing how new vocabulary is used in different scenarios and context. Songs, books and rhymes are planned for and link to current themes – these are also shared with parents so that the learning can continue at home. The setting has recently carried out a ‘literacy drive’ using familiar stories to embed language through activities and opportunities. Staff working with the younger children use Makaton to support children’s emerging language and staff respond sensitively to children’s pre-verbal cues and tune in to understand single words, repeating them back and adding words alongside. Staff were observed narrating play and using specific praise to support very young children’s communication and language development.

Early Years Quality Standards

We are currently working towards the EYQS Premium standard award. This accreditation is over a two year period. 

Year One: EYQS; The first year supports the team to reflect on your statutory and core provision through a series of self-evaluative modules. LA will undertake two statutory and two core modules before selecting from a range of subject specific modules. In discussion with our mentor and depending on the size of the setting, we will select the modules to complete as a whole team. 

Year Two: EYQS Premium; The second year allows us to deepen our knowledge, understanding and practice by focusing on one area where the LA determine where the widest gaps are in our provision, in the form of a project. This may have been highlighted during the year one process, identified from our cohort information or in discussion with our mentor. The project will be undertaken by our whole team which will be supported by an audit of our choice from the Early Years team. The audit will be specific to our chosen area for development (for example, environment – ECERS, physical development – MOVERS). Following our audit our team will use the project plan provided and undertake research using the findings from our chosen audit scale to improve outcomes.