Pumpkin Patch in the Park

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are highly motivated to learn and demonstrate exceptional levels of engagement at this inspiring nursery. Leaders and staff are ambitious for all children to reach their highest potential. This includes ensuring children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have precise, effective support.

Staff plan, so learning and development is accurately adapted to meet children's individual needs. Knowledgeable staff use their expertise to curate a meticulous, sequenced curriculum. This is fully embedded across the nursery with clear intentions, securely implemented through outstanding teaching practice.
...
Children demonstrate impressive attitudes to learning. They are eager to participate in purposeful and enriching experiences that give children a platform to explore and become creative co-researchers in their own play. This ignites children's curiosity to use the skills and knowledge they acquire to help them make sense of their world.

For example, children engage in enquiry-based projects, such as 'what is nature?' They participate in reflective discussions in small groups to hear each other's views. Children are very respectful and courteous as they listen to one another. This leads to some highly stimulating and thought-provoking opportunities for children to test their ideas.

Children engage in visits to explore their community and participate in forest school sessions to learn about the natural world. Children show intrigue about plant roots and engage in mini science experiments. This is to discover if they can cultivate new roots from potatoes and peppers.

Children learn about where food comes from, growing and measuring their own plants and using descriptive language to talk about growth and change over time. Children find out about environmental topics, such as recycling, and how they can play their part in caring for nature and the wider world. Staff skilfully link this back to the initial question children asked, 'what is nature?', so they can make connections in their learning.

The exposure to these experiences contributes towards children learning about respectful citizenship, which builds positively to their community and society as a whole.

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

Leaders and managers have a clear and purposeful vision to ensure children receive an empowering early years experience. This is to equip them successfully with the knowledge and skills ready for their next stages of education.

They have highly effective strategies, which are fully embedded to ensure there is meticulous oversight of the provision. As a result, leaders' and managers' high expectations for care and education are delivered to the children consistently.Leaders invest significantly in their staff to provide them with inspiring ongoing training and professional development opportunities.

For example, staff undertake international study tours, so they can experience first hand the teaching approach that is central to the ethos of this nursery. Staff are inspired and highly motivated to implement what they have learned in their practice. They demonstrate exceptional knowledge of how children learn.

Staff use this to provide a highly productive curriculum and enabling environment for children.Staff have excellent knowledge of the children in their care. They seek their views and contributions, using this to inform what they plan to teach.

Staff highly respect and value children as unique individuals. Children have incredibly strong bonds with the adults that care for them. Staff recognise the importance of emotional well-being.

They teach children the language of emotions to help them have the tools to regulate their behaviours. Children have high levels of resilience and demonstrate perseverance when they are faced with challenges in their play and learning. They show they are proud when they achieve their intended purpose.

Staff provide children with enriching experiences to expose them to the awe and wonder of the world. For example, children are fascinated to learn about different artists to extend their knowledge of the creative arts. This includes learning about the abstract artist Miro.

Children comment 'I'm drawing a Miro', when they self-select the mark-making tools they require to create their artwork. Staff explore this through discussion with children and help them to talk about and describe their creations.Children have excellent attitudes to learning.

They are highly confident and incredibly curious. Children learn about growth and change over time. They show a keen interest in measuring their size and use string as a tool to compare their heights.

This supports children to learn mathematical concepts around size language and the use of tools to find out how to measure. This has led to other activities looking at growth. Children are growing their own sunflowers and vegetables.

They show delight when they use a ruler to measure their plants and proudly state their findings to a member of staff. This helps children to learn that print carries meaning.Children take responsibility for themselves and are highly respectful and courteous to one another.

When they have finished using the water jug, they pass it to their friends, so they can pour themselves a drink. Children contribute towards their own well-being and do so with great independence. They take themselves to the snuffle station to wipe their own noses and dispose safely of the tissues.

Parents are extremely happy with the care their children receive. They comment about the exemplary learning experiences on offer at this nursery. Parents remark on the highly effective parent partnership to ensure they have an accurate update about the progress their children are making.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The designated safeguarding leads (DSL) demonstrate a secure understanding of how to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. They ensure they remain up to date with training and guidance.

The DSL and staff are familiar with the process to follow for making referrals in line with local procedures. This is to ensure that children who may be at risk of harm will receive intervention in a timely manner. Staff have a clear understanding of the indicators of abuse as well as a secure knowledge of a range of safeguarding issues.

This includes county lines, extremism, and domestic violence. Staff know to contact the local authority designated officer if there are concerns about the conduct of an adult working with children. Extensive risk assessments are in place to ensure children remain safe at the setting and during riskier play in forest school sessions.