Village Nurseries Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are offered a rich, inviting and challenging environment which ignites their enthusiasm for learning.

The pre-school is extremely well-organised and calm. Children settle quickly and gain a strong sense of belonging. The dedicated staff team has high expectations for all children.

Staff place children and families at the centre of all they do. Together with families, staff build on children's prior learning. Children benefit from the excellent range of stimulating opportunities available to them.

These ensure they gain new skills to prepare them for future learning. Children excitedly explore t...he secret garden and learn about the natural world. They keenly use binoculars to look for birds, and magnifying glasses to hunt for minibeasts.

Children operate technology resources as they use voice recorders and listen to what they can hear. Mathematical language and concepts are skilfully woven into conversations to consolidate children's knowledge. Children confidently use positional language and discuss size and lengths as they identify bugs, for example.

Staff inspire children's thinking skills as they discuss how a bird's nest is created. Children weigh and measure ingredients to make play dough. They increase their fine motor control as they use scissors to cut and add herbs.

Children write their names on their work and mark-make with mud and chalk to extend their early literacy skills.

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

The dedicated manager leads an extremely committed team. Staff work cohesively to maintain the high quality of teaching.

They provide an exciting learning environment that promotes all areas of the curriculum. The very effective key-person system ensures all staff know children's needs extremely well. Staff use observations and accurate assessments.

They skilfully identify any areas where extra support is needed. All children make excellent progress from their starting points.The manager and staff team build exceptionally strong partnerships with parents.

They involve them fully in their children's learning and advocate continued learning at home. Staff work tirelessly to ensure children's emotional well-being is secure. Parents speak very highly of the caring staff and the commitment they show in supporting their children.

They state that communication is excellent, and they are kept updated on their children's progress. Staff value diversity and support all families to ensure this is embedded in their outstanding practice.The staff team is proactive in ensuring that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive additional support.

The manager expertly liaises with other professionals. She uses additional funding extremely well to make sure every child reaches their full potential. Staff successfully build on children's confidence and language effectively through small group activities.

These help to increase their social interactions.Staff place a high priority on children's language and communication skills. They skilfully ask questions and interact to extend children's thinking and introduce new vocabulary.

Children demonstrate they are confident communicators and engage in conversations with staff and their peers. For example, children enthusiastically acted out a story in the garden, working as a team and increasing their knowledge and imagination. Children show excellent concentration and share their experiences.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff positively role-model expected behaviour. They use visual prompts to provide gentle reminders.

Staff actively listen to children and value their voice. Children show respect to their peers and use good manners. They proudly learn about their own uniqueness, the local community and other cultures, which supports their understanding.

Their independence is promoted throughout all areas of learning. Children respond well to praise and encouragement and show delight when their name is added to the achievement board.The manager ensures rigorous procedures are in place to improve the setting further.

She monitors staff practice and supports peer-on-peer observations. An established training programme is in place to ensure the high quality of teaching is maintained to benefit the children. Staff are given time to manage their workloads and support for their well-being.

Staff state they are well supported by the manager. This is reflected in the excellent staff retention rate and high morale, which empower the children to achieve.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff deploy and supervise children effectively. They place a high priority on children's safety and well-being. Children are reminded about safety during activities and routines and learn to manage risk.

Staff use risk assessments and ensure the pre-school is a safe place for children to play and learn. All staff have completed safeguarding training, including wider issues. They are confident in their knowledge of child protection.

They know the signs that could indicate a child is at risk. Strong policies are in place and staff know the procedures to follow to report any concerns. Robust recruitment ensures that all staff are suitable for their roles.

Also at this postcode