Hemsley House Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children delight in the opportunities that are provided for them at this exceptional setting.

They arrive excited to join in and explore. They are greeted warmly by staff, who know them extremely well. Staff provide children with a wealth of activities and experiences linked to their interests.

For example, children were extremely focused at the 'wrapping station', where they were supported to wrap different sized boxes ready for Christmas. Children are highly motivated to learn and explore, and were fascinated by the changes to their ice sculptures they had made the previous day. Staff expertly scaffold childre...n's learning, posing questions about how they could measure the snow on the ground, providing rulers and jugs to measure it in different ways.

Children confidently use mathematical words, such as 'spherical', to talk about the different shapes in the ice. Staff prioritise children's emotional well-being. They ensure that all children feel included and important.

Family photographs adorn the setting and children happily point to their own families, talking about them. This supports children's sense of belonging exceptionally well. Staff have prioritised language and social development, and they have adapted their practice and provision to ensure all children make excellent progress.

Children show high levels of respect for each other. They sit together at lunchtime, sharing food they have helped to prepare, taking turns to use tongs to share out the lunches. They chatter and laugh together clearly enjoying each other's company and that of the staff.

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

Children are incredibly happy, safe and secure at this setting. They receive excellent encouragement to keep themselves safe. For example, they have their own, brightly coloured jackets and clipboards, and join in with staff completing daily risk assessments in the garden.

They confidently wash their own hands and faces, and staff have purchased different mirrors to help children to do this themselves. This helps support children's independence extremely well.Parents are exceptionally positive about the setting.

They particularly reference the support that they themselves have received. They talk highly of the support to help their children with separation anxiety, and of the significant progress their children have made. They say that the lending library and story sacks have really helped them to share stories and books with their children.

They talk about how their children have learned the alphabet and developed their language skills.Leaders and managers are passionate about providing a curriculum which meets all children's needs. They are highly reflective of their practice and what they offer, continually developing the provision based on what they know about the children and their needs.

For example, they have employed a full-time chef to support children's dietary requirements, and to ensure that all children have fresh, unprocessed meals and snacks. Children absolutely delighted in kneading the dough they had made the day before. They use words they had learned including 'prove' and 'gluten', when talking excitedly about the rolls they were making to go with their homemade soup later for tea.

They develop an excellent understanding of healthy and nutritious food choices.Leaders and managers have a shared vision for the setting. The manager talks highly of the wider organisation.

A culture of excellent support and training ensures all staff feel confident in their jobs. Staff's well-being and workload is prioritised, so that all staff feel cared for. They report working at the setting is 'like a family'.

The staff team work exceptionally well together.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported. Staff go above and beyond to support children.

For example, they use sign language to include and engage children with hearing difficulties. They speak words in children's different home languages, such as Lithuanian, to support them to settle in immediately. They use funding to develop an inspiring sensory room, purchasing a range of resources to spark interest and curiosity.

Staff plan the environment exceptionally well, ensuring they match activities and experiences precisely to what children need to learn next. They skilfully build on what children already know and can do, extending their learning. For example, children enthusiastically join in with their favourite 'Gruffalo' story, recalling the story and answering questions posed by staff.

Staff utilise every opportunity to extend children's language skills and foster a love of books.Staff are excellent role models. They are incredibly responsive to children.

For example, children jump up and down throwing their arms around adults when they see them. Children have very good relationships with each other, showing kindness and respect. For example, they offer paintbrushes to each other when exploring pine cones in a tray, suggesting different ways to paint them together.

Staff prioritise ensuring children learn real life skills. For example, they provide hammers and nails for children to use. Staff use this opportunity to link to children's mathematical learning.

Children engage enthusiastically, concentrating and persevering to hammer the nails in, counting how many they have done. Staff praise children's efforts and celebrate their achievements widely. Children develop high levels of self-esteem and confidence.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders and managers create a highly effective culture of safeguarding. Staff have an in-depth knowledge of the signs and symptoms of abuse, and talk expertly about the processes and procedures for reporting concerns.

They understand what to do if they feel their concerns are not being taken seriously, or if they have concerns about a colleague. Staff recruitment procedures are robust, and leaders and managers regularly check staff's ongoing suitability. Regular staff meetings and staff supervision means staff continually talk about relevant safeguarding issues to deepen their understanding.