St Hugh Of Lincoln Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children and their families build exceptional and meaningful bonds with all staff. These begin before children even start nursery. Through a programme of highly effective home visits and settling-in sessions, staff and children build trusting relationships.

The warm welcome on arrival for all children includes children who speak English as an additional language. For example, all staff greet children and their parents in their range of home languages. This continues as staff extend this to children with their peers at the morning welcome time.

Children are incredibly happy and content, which shows they feel safe... and secure. Children confidently explore the nursery. They access an extensive range of exciting, stimulating activities which are diligently planned by experienced and knowledgeable staff.

Staff view every child as an individual and want every child to feel valued and important. Children's behaviour is impeccable. They follow the rules of the setting, take turns and interact respectfully with staff and their friends.

Children learn to be highly independent from an extremely early age. For example, older children recall to their younger friends the order of using the nose-blowing station and the importance of why they need to take the germs away. These habits are instilled early on and, therefore, becomes natural to children.

In addition, all children vote each morning to select the snack of their choice. Children develop an extremely strong love of books and reading from the moment they join the nursery. They can be found enjoying looking at books independently or sitting with staff becoming completely immersed in their interactive experience.

Children continually hear new words. For example, staff weave new words into their vocabulary such as 'amphibian' and 'heart rate' to challenge children's speaking skills further.

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

Leaders and staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) exceptionally well.

They complete assessments that promptly identify potential delays in children's development. Staff collaborate with parents and other professionals. They work together to create support plans and a range of interventions to help bridge any gaps in children's learning.

Leaders make timely referrals to ensure children receive the support they need.Staff have a real sense of pride for working at the nursery and all comment on the cohesive team. Staff are sympathetic and empathetic practitioners.

The depth of commitment they show to the children in their care is excellent. Staff comment on how much they love the work they do. Leaders and staff demonstrate passion and dedication to the children and families in their care.

The curriculum is exceptionally well designed, with a strong focus on communication and language and personal development. Staff have an exceptionally clear understanding of why they plan and provide the activities and experiences for children. The basis for the plan for what children need to learn next is innovative and inspiring.

Children in receipt of funding make superb progress. Staff use funding effectively to give children opportunities that they may not ordinarily access. For example, funding has been used to give children access to coaching sessions aimed at supporting their physical development and self-regulation.

This supports children who have fewer experiences to develop their physical skills at home and helps to strengthen different muscle groups.Children form close relationships with their key person. This enables children to feel extremely safe and secure in their nursery environment.

Staff are completely respectful of children's choice and fully value their opinions. For example, they ask if they can change their nappies and use sign language to reinforce what they are asking.Parents state that they think the nursery is exemplary.

They describe leaders and staff as dedicated, nurturing and exceptional. Leaders invite parents and carers into the setting to join them in educational talks and workshops. In addition, parents of children with SEND welcome meetings with leaders, which take place in their home environment.

Leaders share resources and ideas to support home learning. Parents state their children blossom at the nursery, meeting and exceeding their milestones, and are fully prepared for school.Children's behaviour is exemplary.

The personal development of children is carefully nurtured. Children, as well as adults, can be heard instilling the nursery's values and rules, such as 'being kind and caring' and 'sharing with our friends'. Staff give sensitive support and guidance to help children talk about and manage their feelings.

All adults lead by example.Children are well prepared for the world around them. Nursery proudly celebrates its diversity and the community they reside in.

Staff use their in-depth knowledge of each child's home life and cultural background to ensure it is represented, respected and shared at nursery. Furthermore, staff enrich children's lives further by a range of exciting visits into their community. For example, they visit the neighbouring care home weekly.

Children are proud of who they are, what they can achieve and their voices are listened to.Leaders prioritise staff's ongoing training, for example more recent focus on communication and language and self-regulation development training. This has made a significant and substantial contribution to the quality of education that children receive.

Staff report that there is an exceptional team ethos. They comment that they feel listened to and that the extremely high levels of training on offer enable them to feel completely valued

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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