Wise Owls Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are excited to learn in this homely nursery.

The management team and staff know children well. The home visits and the close partnerships with parents contribute to children feeling settled and secure. Babies and toddlers snuggle up to their carers during story sessions.

They excitingly clap their hands and bounce up and down when attentive staff sing songs and nursery rhymes. This helps to build strong relationships and supports children's emerging vocabulary. Older toddlers have fun listening to stories about vehicles, such as trains.

They eagerly explore the environment, searching for items related... to the story. Adults are good role models. They acknowledge children's feelings and help them to build on their own identity.

Children take pride in their achievements, such as having art work displayed in a local gallery. Staff carefully incorporate children's interests into a wide range of activities. For instance, a curiosity in fairy tales by pre-school children, led to staff using props to help children recall and re-enact a popular story.

Adults attentively listen and respond to children with interest. They skilfully support children's language development, for example, by helping them to express their own thoughts and ideas. Some staff use sign language to help children who use this form of communication to express themselves.

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

The management team follow secure recruitment, vetting and supervision procedures to help ensure the expertise and suitability of staff. They value the creative skills of several of the staff who are musical or have artistic talents. Children are keen to have a go in activities.

For instance, babies smile as they discover that plucking the strings of a guitar makes sounds. Children's art work adorns the nursery and they have had some of these displayed in a local gallery.Staff are provided with a programme of training courses, such as completing higher qualifications.

They have focused on developing the curriculum to more precisely include children's interests and parents' feedback. Staff complete regular observations of children's achievements and use these to check their ongoing progress. They use good teaching strategies.

However, they do not always notice opportunities to challenge and extend older or more-able children's thoughts.Children's views are valued. They contribute their own ideas to the planning of activities, such as making 'buildings' from recycled materials.

Adults generally incorporate mathematical language during activities. However, at times, they do not consistently implement this with older pre-school children.Staff take time to learn as much as possible about children before they start.

They consistently praise children, helping to promote their confidence and sense of self-esteem. Babies and toddlers are encouraged to treat each other with respect. Older children play well together and demonstrate good social skills, such as giving each other a hug when leaving to go home or on to school.

Children confidently access the stimulating resources set out for them. They enjoy exploring the outdoor space. Younger children learn how to safely use the slide and staff remind them to hold on to the handles when using the steps.

Older children learn about how to keep themselves safe during walks to the beach for 'nature club'. Staff help them to care for the environment and they discuss the items that they collect on the beach, such as shells, wood and stones.The well-qualified staff provide very good support for funded children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

They build strong partnerships with parents and external agencies, such as speech and language specialists. Skilled staff use the knowledge gained to implement teaching strategies to help children make good progress from their starting points.Managers embed a reflective culture.

The staff work well together to identify continuous improvements that benefit children. For instance, the focus on training undertaken by some staff about children's nutrition, has had a positive impact on children's well-being. Parents say that their children's eating habits have improved since attending the nursery.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The management team ensures that staff are secure in their knowledge of the procedures to follow if they have concerns about children's welfare. Staff attend regular safeguarding training to help ensure that their knowledge is up to date.

They are aware about wider aspects of safeguarding, including the safe use of social media. Managers and staff know the procedures to follow in the event of an allegation being made. The managers recently reviewed their lone-working policy.

They completed thorough risk assessments and implemented strategies to help ensure that children are safe. For instance, they monitor staff's movements by using cameras in the sleep room.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: broaden pre-school children's understanding of mathematical concepts to support their learning experiences further provide the older and most-able children with an even greater level of challenge during activities, to engage their interest and to further extend their ongoing learning.