Oxfam Workplace Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are warmly welcomed into this exceptional nursery. It is a hive of learning, fun and activity.

Children are completely engrossed in their learning. This is evidenced by their remarkably high levels of confidence and self-esteem.Children thrive with rich experiences that help them to learn about the world around them.

For example, children relish learning about the planet they live on and how they need to take care of it for their own future. Children confidently discuss the need to plant more trees and care for our forests. Furthermore, they talk about the different issues, such as forest fires in Austr...alia and erupting volcanoes in Spain.

Children learn about recycling and the harm caused by single use plastics. They are rapidly gaining new knowledge about the world they live in. Children behave exceptionally well and treat each other with kindness and respect.

There is an excellent focus on supporting children's communication and language skills. Staff swiftly identify children who arrive at the setting with lower than typical speaking skills. Highly skilled interventions help children to catch up quickly in their learning.

Toddlers learn new words rapidly and older children are remarkably articulate. Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, are confident and competent communicators.

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

The manager is inspirational.

The dedication she and her team give to providing high-quality care and education is admirable. The curriculum is ambitious and exciting for children. It is perfectly embedded throughout the nursery and successfully builds on and extends children's prior knowledge.

Knowledgeable staff skilfully intervene at appropriate times to add value to children's learning and challenge their thinking skills even further. All children are incredibly well prepared for the next stage in their learning.Literacy development is a strength at the nursery.

Young children learn to recite rhymes and songs. Children have access to a wealth of books. They learn about the difference between fiction and non-fiction.

Staff are animated as they read with superb expression to children and take time to talk to them about the books they read. For example, children are able to describe their favourite books they love to read as well as competently naming the author and illustrator. Children develop a love of learning, which is demonstrated through their remarkable levels of motivation and concentration.

They are consistently engrossed in exciting and challenging activities.The manager has a profound commitment to continuous reflection and self-evaluation. Staff are encouraged to research the latest developments in the field of early years.

For example, recent research on children's emotional development has been used highly successfully to support children in recognising and dealing with their emotions.Staff deliver consistent messages to help children understand how they can make healthy living choices. This is evident through discussions with children.

They tell the inspector the importance of their regular yoga sessions and how they need to 'stretch and wriggle'. Children understand they must not consume too much sugar. They explain how they know this can cause tooth decay and these foods are only allowed in small quantities as treats.

Parents highly rate what they consider to be an exceptionally caring and communicative staff team, who 'go above and beyond'. Parents praise the high-quality education opportunities available to their children. Furthermore, parents express the excellent communication when the setting was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff worked tirelessly and extremely closely with parents to support children's learning.Staff are especially caring towards the children, creating an extremely nurturing environment. New children settle remarkably quickly.

They form strong bonds with staff, who show a genuine interest in their well-being. Children follow the respectful behaviour modelled by staff and are consistently kind and helpful to each other. For example, when one child was not keen to read a book because it had a 'scary' character in the book, another child quickly offered support to her friend.

She offered to hold her friend's hand during the story.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager has high expectations of staff, especially regarding their knowledge of safeguarding.

Staff receive rigorous safeguarding training, including ongoing discussions and workshops on child protection. They monitor the welfare of the children vigilantly. Staff demonstrate detailed knowledge of the signs that could indicate a child is at risk of harm, including from exposure to radical and extremist views.

Staff have an excellent understanding of their duty to identify and respond to concerns about a child and/or member of staff working with them. The manager maintains meticulous recruitment procedures. She ensures staff's suitability through ongoing checks.