Our Lady Star of the Sea Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are exceptionally confident as they arrive at the nursery and settle quickly. They demonstrate a high sense of self-worth as staff listen to and value their thoughts and ideas.

The highly effective key-person system ensures that staff are responsive to children's individual needs. Children develop independence over time. They look after their belongings and pour their own water or milk at snack time.

Staff have high expectations and are excellent role models, calmly helping children to resolve any conflicts that may arise. Children are kind and respectful towards each other as they play cooperatively. S...taff share how they make mistakes, and this helps children to understand the importance of trial and error.

Staff provide a stimulating variety of rich activities in the thoughtfully considered environment. This helps to promote children's love of learning. For example, children enthusiastically use a light table to explore the seashells they collected on a recent trip to the beach.

Children talk animatedly about how the strawberries they are growing in the garden at nursery are turning red and will be ready to eat soon. Staff provide gentle guidance and plenty of opportunities for children to revisit learning experiences. This helps children to master their new skills and build secure foundations for learning.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff provided a wide range of ideas and resources to support learning at home. They ensured regular contact with all children and their families. This helped to maintain the strong relationships between staff and children, and enabled children to settle quickly when they returned to nursery.

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

The nursery is led by a highly qualified and aspirational manager. The passionate staff team is extremely reflective and has a strong understanding of child development. This underpins the ambitious curriculum that builds on what children know and can do.

Staff consistently provide challenge for all children in all areas of learning. Therefore, children make exceptional progress.Communication and language form a key focus for the nursery, and staff support this area superbly.

They introduce a wide range of vocabulary. For example, children use words such as 'germinate' and 'nocturnal' when talking about previous learning experiences. Staff use a range of strategies to swiftly address any gaps in learning.

This helps to ensure that all children make the very best progress they are capable of.Physical development is supported very well. Children develop their large-muscle skills as they climb, balance and run in the large outdoor space.

Squeezing shaving foam and using paintbrushes to make marks with water help children to develop the smaller muscles in their hands. This supports children to develop strength in preparation for early mark making.Literacy is superbly supported in the setting.

Children listen avidly as staff read stories. Staff talk about the characters and emphasise what happens at the beginning, middle and end. This helps children to understand the language and sequence of stories.

Staff write down the stories that children tell, and encourage children to write their name on them. Children are proud of their creations. Staff support children's self-esteem at all times.

As a result, children are resilient and confident.Staff are highly skilled in supporting children's mathematical development. Opportunities to practise counting, numeral recognition and problem-solving are woven throughout the daily routine.

Children explore symmetry and pattern as they learn about butterflies. They demonstrate excellent number knowledge as they talk about the number of tens and units in large numbers.Staff provide many enticing opportunities for children to learn about the world around them.

They sensitively support children to recognise similarities and differences between themselves and others. Strong links with the local school support transition. This helps to ensure that children are well prepared for the next phase of their education.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit greatly from the work staff do. The manager is highly proactive in seeking advice and guidance about children's specific needs. Funding is used to support identified needs, and staff work tirelessly to ensure that all children have the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

Parents are overwhelmingly complimentary about the nursery. They praise the staff's nurturing approach and say that this helps their children to settle and thrive. Parents speak favourably about the information they receive regarding their children's progress.

They particularly appreciate the ideas that staff share to help them to support learning at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have an excellent knowledge of safeguarding.

They fully understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff know what they must do if they are concerned about the manager or another member of staff. They know the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about a child's welfare.

This includes the procedure to follow if they have concerns about children or parents displaying extreme views or behaviour. The manager follows rigorous procedures to ensure the suitability of adults working with children. Children learn how to keep themselves and others safe as staff help them to build challenging obstacle courses outside.

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