The Old School House Nursery II

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children behave impeccably and they are exceptionally polite. They know what is expected of them and their attitudes towards learning and each other are incredibly good.

Staff are vigilant in ensuring that children are fascinated to learn in a secure and safe environment. Staff build on children's ideas and interests well. For example, children are excited about picking their homegrown pumpkins.

They go on to engage in a wide range of pumpkin activities, such as stacking them in size order. This supports children to develop good mathematical skills as they play. Children have excellent levels of respect and understandi...ng for others.

They gain incredible levels of empathy. For example, they excitedly help care for an extensive range of animals, such as 'Sonny' the pony and 'Lucky' the pig. Children have good opportunities to explore and investigate the natural world.

For instance, they enjoy routine visits to the chickens to collect their eggs and learn about life cycles. Staff ensure that they provide all children with the skills they need to succeed and make good progress. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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

Staff get to know individual children and their personalities and likes and dislikes well. Children have a good sense of belonging and have positive well-being and self-esteem.All staff establish positive relationships with parents and keep them involved and informed in their children's learning.

For example, staff encourage parents to regularly share their children's achievements from home.Children are confident to communicate and share their thoughts. For example, children engage in detailed dialogue with staff about their play.

Staff support children to develop good communication skills. For instance, staff consistently ask challenging questions and provide children with enough time to think and then respond.All children have a wide range of opportunities to gain a good understanding of other people's similarities and differences from around the world.

For instance, they learn about traditions of other religious beliefs as they explore rangoli patterns for Diwali.The manager and staff evaluate their practice together effectively. For example, they have regular meetings to discuss how the events and activities staff provide motivate children to learn.

Staff use their findings to support their future activity plans. The manager monitors the quality of care and education within the nursery. She routinely observes staff interact with children and provides them with helpful feedback to support their future performance.

All staff are keen to keep up to date with new early years information and build on their skills and knowledge even further. They attend beneficial training. For example, they have learned different ways to motivate children to learn outdoors.

Staff have implemented new interesting activities, such as enabling children to cook items on a camp stove and make their own dens.Children gain good physical skills. For example, they negotiate a range of equipment and resources to climb and balance, such as rope swings and tractor tyres.

Younger children negotiate more age-appropriate balancing and climbing equipment. Children learn about the importance of healthy eating. One way they do this is by growing their own healthy produce, such as cucumber and carrots.

However, staff do not consistently encourage children to follow good hygiene routines to fully understand the importance of being healthy.Staff establish positive partnerships with other early years professionals. This helps provide children with a positive and consistent approach to their shared care and learning experiences.

For instance, information about children's achievements is regularly shared with the staff at other settings that children attend.Staff have a good knowledge of the seven areas of learning and implement the Montessori approach well. Staff provide children with stimulating activities.

Children are exceptionally eager to learn and have an incredibly positive attitude to the learning that they choose to participate in. However, staff do not consistently organise small-group, adult-led activities to support all children's learning more effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and child protection policies. They understand how to help keep children safe and protect their welfare. This includes knowing who to contact to seek additional advice regarding potential concerns.

Staff complete and monitor thorough risk assessments which cover all aspects of practice. Staff teach children how to remain safe. For example, children have an active role in risk assessing.

They learn about the different potential risks, such as identifying fungi and nettles in the woodland area. Staff do their utmost to ensure all learning environments are safe and secure.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: consistently encourage children to follow good health and hygiene routines and develop their physical well-being even further review and improve the organisation of planned small-group, adult-led activities to ensure that they promptly engage all children in their learning experiences.

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