Valley Farm Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are extremely settled and comfortable in this welcoming nursery. They move around the indoor and outdoor spaces with the highest levels of care and consideration for others.

For instance, they transport chairs from one table to another, waiting patiently for their friends to pass safely before moving their chair. Children's behaviour is wonderful. They are exceptionally kind and helpful, often independently clearing up after they have finished playing.

For example, children are keen to sweep up sand after playing boisterously with diggers in the sand tray. They develop excellent social skills and deligh...t in playing cooperatively with others to achieve shared goals. Children build a series of large bridges outside using crates, planks and wet sand for the 'cement'.

Older children laugh as they bounce and sway on tree swings, singing with their friends.Children talk animatedly about their favourite activities and past experiences at the nursery. They are eager to share their learning journey books with the inspector.

Children point out photographs of innovative activities, such as the dissection of a squid, sparked by their interest in sea creatures. They also take photographs of work and crafts they are particularly proud of, using the nursery's camera. Children are exceptionally active and motivated learners who take pride in their achievements.

Older children talk excitedly about going to 'big school', and younger children eagerly reflect on how much older they need to be to go too.

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

The highly organised and professional manager and co-manager precisely plan and evaluate a high-quality curriculum. The co-manager meticulously analyses the progress that groups and individual children make.

This helps to target teaching precisely to enhance children's progress to the highest levels.Staff form highly effective, positive partnerships with parents. They use an extensive range of communication methods to ensure every parent is fully involved in their children's experiences at the nursery.

Staff offer an abundance of information and suggestions for parents to continue or extend children's learning at home. They also provide guidance to parents to help them decide on a school which will fully support their child's needs. Parents report that this is all extremely useful and highly appreciated.

Children's literacy skills flourish from an early age. Staff promote a genuine love of reading and stories, as well as providing extensive materials for children to explore mark-making and early writing. Children confidently recall the key letters and sounds of their written name as they carefully label their drawings and write their name on cards.

Staff have a remarkable understanding of how children learn and develop. They benefit from highly effective supervision, independent research and reflective practice, which helps to continually enhance their skills. They have recently researched the concepts of 'resilience' and 'grit' which has further enhanced the excellent focus placed on children's emotional development and confidence.

Parents comment that they 'cannot recommend the nursery enough'. They speak highly of the expertise of 'fantastic' staff and of how their children have thrived in the nurturing environment. Parents praise the varied curriculum, particularly the excellent outdoor provision, which includes the surrounding farm and its animals.

Staff are exceptionally responsive to children's ideas. They promote children's problem-solving skills and extend their knowledge extremely well. For example, staff talk about the postal service as they encourage children to add an address to their letters and help them to make stamps.

Children experiment with coin rubbing to create an image of the queen and refine their superb scissor skills as they cut it into a rectangle or circle shape.Staff make excellent use of conversation with children during every activity. They build children's communication and language skills expertly, modelling clear speaking, interesting vocabulary and careful listening.

Children develop confidence in expressing themselves and join in eagerly with group conversations during sociable snacktimes and mealtimes.There is an extremely sharp focus on valuing each child's uniqueness. For instance, staff promote an understanding of individual preferences when children vote to select outings.

Staff inspire children to create self-portraits and children delight in seeing these, along with their handprints, displayed on the nursery walls. This helps to foster children's exceptionally strong sense of belonging.Staff give children a remarkably broad range of learning experiences that nurture and that reflect the local community and wider world.

For example, children learn about other countries and talk about how some are 'miles and miles away!'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and co-manager have a robust knowledge of the setting's policies and procedures. They have an expert understanding of how to safeguard children in the setting.

This includes knowing how to recognise if a child's welfare is at risk and what to do if they have a concern about a child or an adult. The manager and co-manager regularly attend safeguarding training to update and refresh this knowledge. The manager also diligently checks the initial and ongoing suitability of staff.