St Gregorys Child Care Trust

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children bound into this setting with eagerness and joy.

They dance with excitement and revel in the happiness that permeates this lively, jolly nursery. Children are extremely enthusiastic learners. They eagerly crawl on their hands and knees to look for mini-beasts in the shrubs.

They scramble up the hill, which becomes 'the slopes of the volcano' to roar like a dinosaur at the top. Practitioners delight children with their own exuberance and sense of fun. Children join them to march around the playground while going on a 'bear hunt'.

They respond to direction to creep carefully and tread quietly so t...hey do not wake the bear. Children behave exceptionally well. They are very happy, safe and secure at this setting.

As they balance on large boulders, they support less able children by holding their hand and waiting for them to catch up. Purposeful play is visible in every area and the level of engagement is exemplary. Practitioners skilfully encourage children to share experiences.

For example, children race by on the bouncing hoppers, saying, We are at the races just like mummy and daddy, woo hoo, off we go, giddy up'. Practitioners bring stories alive. They are skilful in creating a sense of wonder.

They help children to sequence events through the art of storytelling. Stories are shared in a multi-sensory, communal manner. Each and every child maintains attention throughout.

Plentiful opportunities to participate mean they retell stories through signing, language and a sense of drama. This means children are confident, able communicators.

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

Children are provided with exceptional opportunities to learn about the wider world.

For example, they explore 'authors of colour'. This helps them to deepen their understanding of diversity and cultural difference. They learn Mandarin, Spanish, Polish and Italian from staff members.

They giggle as they shout 'uno, dos, tres, quattro' and gleefully greet adults with a flourishing 'adios'. A deep respect towards diversity within the setting exists alongside its catholic faith.Children make significant progress from their starting points.

This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language. Staff readily build on what children know. They use their exceptional knowledge of children's interests to challenge, plan and ignite children's desire to learn.

Leaders are inspirational in their commitment to ensure every child receives equal opportunities to flourish. Staff work extremely well together and feel very well supported by the manager. The manager shows great integrity for the professional development and well-being of her team.

Leaders reflect on the environment, teaching and routines to ensure these match children's needs.Staff provide children with exceptional challenge to solve their own problems and make links in play. For example, children build towers using large foam bricks.

They consider how to make it taller but cannot reach. Staff encourage children to think what would make them taller. Children are then able to solve the problem by standing on a brick themselves to reach the top.

Children are very well prepared for their next stage of learning. Excellent transition arrangements exist with the on-site school. Setting staff and school staff support each other exceptionally well.

For example, cohort tracking is used to identify areas for improvement. Training is then matched to this and moderated to ensure training has impact. Children's understanding of numbers, shapes and measures is excellent.

Parents are very complimentary about the quality of care and education children receive. They feel very well listened to and comment on the exemplary support they are given. They make particular reference to the kindness, flexibility and respect they receive.

Younger children's prime areas of learning are very well supported in a variety of ways. For example, dough disco encourages the children to manipulate dough while dancing and responding to music. Children then call out as they 'squeeze, splat, roll and squish' the dough.

They listen carefully to what comes next and follow the instructions of staff. Children receive constant praise for their efforts. This gives them the confidence and desire to try harder.

The behaviour of children at this nursery is outstanding. A positive attitude to learning is nurtured upon by the exemplary teaching of staff. This then encourages children to 'have a go'.

Staff recently attended training on restorative practice. This has led to children being able to build relationships rather than repair them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff can describe indicators of abuse and know how to keep children safe from harm. They can talk about wider aspects of safeguarding in relation to radicalisation and how this can be found within extremist views. Staff also understand how to protect children online and the effect cyberbullying can have on children.

Staff meet regularly and provision is made for safeguarding to be prioritised. The setting works extremely well with multi-agencies to ensure families have the appropriate support, when needed, which directly benefits the children. Documentation is well organised and implemented to ensure the safety of children on the premises.

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