The Old School House Nursery And Pre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children leave their parents without hesitation and settle quickly at their chosen activities.

They have a positive sense of belonging and identity within this welcoming nursery. Children develop strong attachments to the staff and enjoy their interactions. Staff are friendly and caring.

They have created an environment that encourages children's enthusiasm for learning and supports their emotional well-being successfully.Children behave well and develop positive attitudes towards their learning. They are respectful, patient and greet visitors politely as they pass by.

Children develop confidence in social sit...uations. They talk to staff and with each other about what they plan to make and how they might do it.Children are inquisitive learners and develop good physical skills.

Outdoors, they experiment with water and chalk. They colour the water with the chalk and enthusiastically notice changes when the colours mix. Children transfer the water using jugs to make puddles and use wooden planks to create balance beams over the puddles.

Staff give praise when children balance and walk along the planks independently. This helps to boost children's self-esteem and confidence. Indoors, older children use construction blocks to work out how to build houses.

Younger children have fun playing games that involve sorting different-coloured bears into patterns. Babies move confidently around and concentrate as they use their fingers and thumbs to pick up small wooden rings to collect into a basket.

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

The manager has worked hard to develop an ambitious curriculum and developed an approach which centres on children's interests.

Staff know children well, what they want children to learn and the progress they have made. However, although staff use children's interests as a basis for the activities they provide, occasionally, they are unsure of how to extend an activity to enrich the learning and help children to develop a deeper understanding.Children in receipt of funding or with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported.

Staff discuss any gaps or concerns about children's development with parents. If necessary, they make referrals to other agencies. Staff are aware of the current targets for children with SEND.

They liaise consistently with other professional agencies involved with the children.Staff offer good support for children who speak English as an additional language. They help children to learn English and also show respect for their home languages.

For example, when children settle, staff gather familiar words and phrases in children's home language. All children's language development is well supported. For instance, all children take part in group times regularly.

The chef prepares healthy and nutritious snacks and cooked meals on site. Toddlers enjoy eating and discussing their favourite vegetables as they feed themselves independently using cutlery. Older children learn to serve themselves and manage to pour water from jugs.

Children make healthy choices and develop a healthy lifestyle.Staff offer a range of activities, such as drama, physical education and ballet, to give children opportunities that they may not otherwise have. The manager sources teachers to visit weekly.

This enables staff and children to learn new skills alongside each other. In addition, children enjoy planned outings. For example, they visit local shops, the library, theatre, beach and parks.

This helps to promote children's sense of self within their local community.Staff work hard to develop positive partnerships with parents. They share detailed information with parents, which encourages their involvement in children's learning at home.

Staff provide a variety of leaflets and activities to support parents in a range of topics, such as oral hygiene and sleeping tips. Parents praise the staff for their effective communication and for the advice they receive.The leadership team are strongly motivated and strive for improvement.

They evaluate their provision to provide high-quality learning experiences for all children. The manager is an enthusiastic role model for the staff team. She is passionate about providing high-quality care where all children feel welcomed.

As a result, the children and their families are at the heart of practice.Staff feel well supported in their roles. They benefit from regular staff meetings, supervision sessions and plentiful training opportunities.

The manager implements a strong training plan for staff to develop their practice.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager understands her role and responsibilities as the designated safeguarding lead.

Staff complete regular training to keep their awareness of child protection issues up to date. Leaders and staff know the process to follow if they have a concern about a child and the procedures for referring to external agencies. They have reflected on recent matters and reviewed policies and procedures to bring about further improvements.

Children with health needs have care plans that are understood and followed by staff. The leadership team follows safer recruitment procedures to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff even further to extend learning opportunities for children in order to enrich the learning and help children to develop a deeper understanding.