Bowdon Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children thrive in this exceptionally well-planned and well-resourced indoor and outdoor learning environment. Staff offer children a warm greeting as they arrive and show genuine interest as they ask how they are.

Children run into the setting with confidence and delight ready to start their day. The quality of education is outstanding. Children benefit greatly from a rich and highly ambitious curriculum that continually builds on their skills, knowledge and ability.

They demonstrate their learning as they recall prior knowledge about life-cycle stages when releasing butterflies into their garden. Children use ...words such as 'spinning', 'cocoon' and 'chrysalis'. They handle the butterflies with great delicacy and are happy to see them fly away, expressing how they hope to see them again soon.

Later, children create colourful symmetrical butterfly paintings, building on their knowledge and skills effectively. Personal development and healthy lifestyles are a strength at this setting. Children develop great physical stamina as they participate in a daily mile walk around the track.

They show excellent ability to manage their own safety as they pick up their sun hats from the box to protect themselves from the sun. Children return invigorated and full of chatter. Children conduct their own risk assessments as they identify possible hazards and place laminated warning signs to keep their friends safe.

Furthermore, children enjoy healthy foods and snacks and use real food in the role-play area to make healthy soups and salads. These activities support them in forming healthy habits for their future. Children are highly respectful of each other and demonstrate consistently positive attitudes towards learning.

They work incredibly hard to build a tall tower of bricks. When finished, they place a 'work in progress' sign in front of their tower, where it remains untouched for several hours. This demonstrates children's recognition and high regard for the achievements of others.

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

Leaders and staff have the highest ambition for all children, including children with special educational needs or/disabilities (SEND) and children in receipt of additional funding. The excellent key-person system and accurate use of assessment mean that gaps in children's learning, and any specific needs, are identified early and acted on quickly. Staff undertake specialist training alongside parents and external agencies to meet the needs of children with complex needs.

All children are well prepared for their next steps in learning.Children are deeply engaged in their learning and show an uncompromising commitment to completing tasks. For example, children determinedly make multiple trips across the playground to transport scoops of water carefully.

They skilfully navigate many obstacles and other children and repeat the journey many times. They inform staff that they need the water to make the sand thick enough to build their sandcastle. Children demonstrate an excellent 'can-do' attitude.

They practise problem-solving skills through critical thinking and play with a real sense of purpose.Children are kind and caring towards one another and show consistently high levels of respect for others. They show great ability to share as they wait patiently for resources to become available.

Often, children will also choose to wait for resources for their peers so that they can begin play together. This shows wonderful consideration for others.Staff instil a love of books, stories and rhymes.

Children arrive with their favourite books from home, as well as returning books from the lending library. Staff weave core stories throughout the learning environment, which fosters children's imagination and creativity. Children immerse themselves in stories and books, taking great care of them.

Consequently, children use an extensive range of vocabulary and language structures and are confident communicators.There are highly effective arrangements in place to best support all staff to improve their practice continually. Staff receive regular review meetings that are informed by frequent observations of their practice.

Staff say that they feel well supported and are passionate about providing the best possible start for children in their care. Those staff with lead responsibilities, for example in supporting children with SEND, are both highly experienced and well trained.Parents and carers are extremely complimentary about the setting.

They talk repeatedly about the exceptional quality of communication they receive linked to their child's progress and about the ideas given to extend learning at home. Parents consistently talk about the excellent progress their children make from their starting points, including the friendships they have made with the children and staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff and leaders at the setting have a detailed and in-depth knowledge of safeguarding. This is maintained through regular training. As a result, staff have a deeply embedded understanding of what might give them concern about the welfare of children.

They also know precisely how to report such concerns. Staff are clear on what constitutes an allegation and how to manage their concerns. The strong culture of safeguarding runs through the setting.

All staff understand the equal responsibility they share to keep children safe from harm. Staff support children to understand how to keep themselves and others safe, through daily routines and activities. Children become expert risk assessors.

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