Freshfields Nursery School Ltd

Freshfields Nursery School Clifford Forge House, Clifford Road, Clifford Chambers, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 8HW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/05/2013 14/04/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 1 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Babies and children are nurtured, thrive and have a wonderful time. They are looked after by caring, dedicated staff who fully understand and successfully meet each child's needs. Staff form close bonds with children, so they settle well, become increasingly confident and are eager to make the most of the nursery's very well-resourced and exciting surroundings.  Highly effective teaching ensures babies and children are inspired to learn and make excellent progress. Rigorous observations and assessments enable staff to fully understand and precisely plan for each child's needs. Babies and children relish the rich and rewarding activities which build on their interests, abilities and understanding, and enable them to make great gains in their learning.  Strong partnerships with parents and carers underpin the staff's success in meeting children's needs. Parents' views about their child's routines, background, character,

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This provision is outstanding

interests and abilities are very much part of the staff's accurate planning and tailored provision for every child's care, learning and development.  The principal and senior managers are highly motivated and successful in achieving excellence. Their rigorous monitoring and evaluations take full account of children's, parents' and staff's views. Well-targeted priorities for improvement lead to better planning and organisation of the educational programme, for instance, extending children's creativity and mark-making skills.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in babies' and children's rooms in the main house, coach house and outside learning areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the principal, nursery manager and nursery secretary.  The inspector spoke to key persons and children.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of records, policies and procedures relating to children's welfare, health and safety.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and from information included in the nursery's parent survey.

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Information about the setting

Freshfields Nursery School opened in 1990 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is privately owned and run as a limited company. The nursery is situated in the rural village of Clifford Chambers, close to Stratford-upon-Avon. It operates from a Grade Two listed manor house and adjacent converted coach house set within an acre of private grounds. Children have access to various outside areas, including a playground, sensory garden, mini farm and Forest School area. Children in pre-school also attend Forest School sessions in Moreton Morrell. Children attend from the local area and surrounding villages and towns.

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Information about the setting

There are 34 members of childcare staff, including the principal and nursery manager, who has Early Years Professional Status. Two members of staff are qualified teachers, one has an early years degree, and 25 staff have appropriate early years qualifications to level 2, 3 or 4. Several staff are working towards further early years qualifications. The nursery also employs 12 other staff who work in the nursery office or kitchen or help with maintenance, gardening and cleaning.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is open Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year, closing for Bank Holidays and a week at Christmas. This includes a holiday club for children aged three to eight. The nursery's main opening hours are from 8am to 6pm, with a breakfast club from 7.30am to 8am and a late club from 6pm until 6.30pm. There are currently 200 children attending, all of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. It supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 enhance the already excellent arrangements for evaluating staff's practice and for promoting their professional development by embedding more rigorous monitoring of their progress in meeting individual targets for improvement.

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who attend

Managers and staff are highly successful at helping children of all ages to be eager and competent learners. They create most interesting and exciting environments indoors and outside. These surroundings capture children's interest and imagination, and foster their enthusiasm for observing, exploring and investigating. Staff support and interact very well with children. They reassure them and give them confidence to join in, learn how to concentrate and persevere, and to become increasingly resourceful and independent in directing their own learning. At every stage in a child's time at nursery, staff work closely with colleagues, parents and, where appropriate, other agencies to ensure they have a precise understanding of each child's starting points and ongoing needs. This helps staff to accurately plan for each child's next steps and interests and to tailor their support, activities, and resources to cater for these. Effective information sharing with parents and

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who attend

rigorous monitoring of children's progress enables staff to promptly identify developmental delay. They work sensitively and effectively with parents to access appropriate support from other agencies and to follow up agreed strategies in the nursery, for instance, to improve children's communication skills or behaviour. Staff are already extremely confident and skilled at helping every child to develop his or her communication skills. Their consistent use of signing and visual prompts helps all pre-verbal children to understand and to be understood. These strategies are also used very effectively to promote and develop the confidence and communication skills of children who speak English as an additional language or who have delayed speech.

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who attend

Parents and carers make a significant contribution to their children's learning at nursery. Their comments about their child's activities and achievements at home are very much encouraged and celebrated, for instance, as part of displays of 'wow' moments. These comments and other information exchanged between parents and staff are used in key person's assessments and planning. Parents are encouraged to read and comment on their children's delightful and informative learning journals at any time. Parents of two- year-olds are fully involved in the nursery's completion of their child's progress check. All parents are given regular written assessments of their children's progress and have opportunities to discuss their development more formally with their child's key person, including attending parents' evenings.

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who attend

Babies and children are very well prepared for the next stage in their learning. Staff working with babies and toddlers are adept at settling and encouraging them. They follow up their characteristics and interests and provide plenty of opportunities for their active learning. Babies and toddlers eagerly explore a wide range of textures, shapes and sounds. They enjoy discovering how things fix together, work and change. They relish exploring their natural surroundings, including first-hand experiences to observe and care for birds and animals. For instance, all children enjoy visiting the hens, goats, pigs and rabbits in the nursery's mini farm and looking after their unit's hamster and fish.

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who attend

Staff communicate very well with babies and toddlers. They consistently chat to them, ensuring they know what is happening next, enhancing their enjoyment and extending their communication skills. Routines, such as meal times, are used very effectively to promote younger children's social skills and independence in eating and drinking. Younger children relish being active and become physically confident and competent. Staff working with babies carefully plan individual physical experiences to promote each child's growing dexterity, coordination, balance and movement. Toddlers become increasingly adept at using wheeled toys and in balancing and climbing on different apparatus, levels and surfaces. Three- and four-year-olds based in the nursery's sessional care and pre-school are inspired by the staff and their surroundings to be very competent and resourceful learners. In all areas of learning they are very well prepared for school. Children

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who attend

confidently decide and direct their freely chosen play, for example, when making a 'slide' out of large scale wooden construction equipment or acting out going on a train journey. They are very attentive and purposeful during adult-led activities. For instance, when asked to make observational drawings and take photographs of features in the sensory garden, children quickly identify what they want to record. They sit quietly and concentrate as they expertly draw their pictures, often annotating them with a comment. They eagerly describe and proudly show their drawings to the adults, before independently using the camera to take their photographs.

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who attend

Pre-school children are extremely skilful communicators. They are articulate and confident speakers. They describe what they are doing or making and eagerly discuss and develop their ideas during imaginative play, for example, when pretending to be vets or pirates. Staff skilfully question children to challenge their thinking, develop their vocabulary and to involve them in describing, for instance, how the plot of a story develops. For example, during a well-told story featuring a bad tempered goat, children eloquently explain why the animal may be unhappy and how they might tackle the problem of feeding her. Another group of children listening to a story about a dance competition predict and describe the character they think might win. Children confidently recognise and use letters and sounds, such as the initial letter of their name. They competently label their work with their names and readily attempt to write other words in context, such as 'flower' and

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who attend

Pre-school children are physically confident and competent. They thoroughly enjoy the challenges of Forest School, using varied apparatus and equipment indoors and outside, and taking part in extra-curricular football and tennis sessions. They are increasingly independent in managing their personal care and following good hygiene practices.

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who attend

Pre-school children count accurately and competently use and recognise numbers. A group of children and a member of staff are preparing for a train journey. While one child sits reading in the 'waiting room', the other children carefully number the seats they have made and make corresponding numbered tickets. The children are confident and adept at identifying and ordering these numbers and matching tickets to seats. They challenge each other if they feel they have not got the correct answer, such as 'that is a nine not a six'.

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who attend

A wealth of resources and the staff's enthusiastic support provide rewarding possibilities for babies and children to be imaginative and creative. All children relish painting and drawing, including older children readily and expertly recording their observations and ideas in their detailed drawings and designs. Children's role play and small world play are often elaborate and sustained. For example, a small group of two-year-olds eagerly settle to making phone calls and keeping records in their 'office'. In the outdoor area, wooden structures representing a pirate ship and a large vehicle form the basis of many exciting journeys and adventures. Children's den building and large-scale construction are stimulated by a rich variety of recycled and natural materials.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

High priority is given to helping babies and children to settle quickly, form close bonds with their key persons and develop a strong sense of belonging. Staff get to know children and their families well and make sure they fully reflect children's backgrounds and interests at nursery. Staff are kind, approachable and reassuring. They make sure sessions and routines run smoothly and explain things clearly. As a result, babies and children become increasingly confident in their surroundings and are well prepared for what is happening next. For example, babies soon become familiar with lunch time preparations and are eager to help with feeding. Older children are keen to independently manage their personal care and hygiene, but are reassured by having a member of staff on hand to help them if needed.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

There is a strong focus on ensuring babies and children are emotionally and socially well prepared for the next stage in their learning. They thrive in response to the staff's positive praise and encouragement and are keen to do well. They relish the many opportunities for choice and exploration in stimulating surroundings. Staff are positive role models and are highly effective in helping children to behave well, to be kind and caring, and to develop good relationships. Children show high levels of self-control during activities and readily respond to staff's requests and increasingly high expectations.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Babies and children are very well cared for by staff who fully understand and carefully provide for their individual routines, dietary, health and physical needs. Throughout the day, staff promote babies' and children's comfort and hygiene during well-managed nappy changing, potty training and toileting routines. They are calm and reassuring when children become unwell or have an accident. They promptly give appropriate treatment and seek medical advice in an emergency, ensuring parents are kept fully informed and involved in decisions regarding their children's well-being.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Babies and children are looked after in safe and very well-maintained surroundings. Staff supervise children carefully and teach them how to behave safely and sensibly as they move around the premises, handle tools and use equipment. Children learn how to manage risks, for instance, during more challenging physical activities, gardening, large- scale construction activities and Forest School sessions. They are also encouraged to fully understand the importance of a healthy diet and physical exercise. They enjoy nourishing meals and snacks and grow vegetables, which they then use, for instance, to make soup. Babies and children spend a lot of time playing and learning in the inviting and well- equipped outdoor areas. They often have picnics and relish using the great variety of physical play equipment and having the space to run about and explore.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Transitions within the nursery are very well managed to ensure children are settled and there is continuity in provision. There are preliminary settling-in sessions, and key persons in both rooms discuss children's care, learning and development. Parents also complete new 'all about me' questionnaires and receive a comprehensive welcome pack for the new room. There is also a photo of the key person to share with children so their security is very well enhanced. The principal and manager are keen to enhance continuity for school leavers by arranging for key persons to accompany them on school visits.

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provision

The principal, nursery manager and senior management team are passionate about providing high quality education and care for children and families. Everyone works together to ensure children learn and are looked after in exciting and well-equipped surroundings. The very dedicated and motivated staff are valued and supported in order to consistently achieve excellent standards of teaching and care. There are highly effective arrangements for promoting their professional development. As a result, the majority of staff have or are working towards an early years qualification and they attend regular good practice sessions and training. Peer observations and mentoring by more experienced colleagues are used effectively to evaluate and develop staff's practice and performance. Consideration is being given to embedding more rigorous monitoring of staff's progress in achieving their individual targets for improvement.

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provision

Highly effective monitoring and evaluation of all aspects of nursery's provision involve staff, parents and children. For example, there is a very clear overview of the impact of the educational programme as a result of staff's consistently rigorous monitoring of each child's development, and thorough tracking and analysis of groups of children's progress. This enables managers to promptly identify and address inconsistencies in teaching or learning. For instance, in 2012 the nursery's improvement plan included a target to improve children's attainment in mark making and emergent writing. With the help of their local early years team, the nursery improved planning and provision of activities and resources to encourage all children's mark making indoors and outside. As a result, staff are more confident in promoting this aspect of children's literacy and children are showing high levels of skill. Many children confidently give meaning to marks they make as they

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provision

draw, write and paint. Children in pre-school, including those moving on to school, confidently label their work with their name and other words. Key priorities for teaching and learning in the nursery's 2013 plan have been successfully tackled, to improve planning for children under three and to extend the range of resources and experiences to enhance children's creativity.

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provision

The nursery's strong partnerships with parents, carers and others underpin its success in fully meeting children's needs. Parents welcome being able to express their views about their children's care, learning and development. They are reassured by staff's feedback about their children's daily activities, routines and achievements at nursery. Parents are kept fully informed about all aspects of nursery life, for instance, via displays in the nursery, comprehensive newsletters and the nursery website. Parents are also encouraged to express their views, for instance, in surveys, about the quality of the provision and to influence change. Managers and staff maintain professional relationships with other agencies involved in supporting individual children's welfare, care and development. This includes effective information sharing and links with the many schools children move on to. The manager and key persons ensure every school has information about each child's

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provision

development at the point of transfer. Where possible they talk to teachers directly and some teachers visit the nursery to meet the children. The principal and manager are keen to enhance continuity for children who are due to start school by arranging for nursery staff to accompany them on school visits.

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provision

Procedures for safeguarding children are exemplary. The principal and her senior staff fully understand their responsibilities as lead officers for safeguarding. They ensure staff attend regular safeguarding training and have opportunities to discuss procedures, record keeping and how they would respond in different situations. In their work with children, staff are conscientious and alert to any concerns about children's welfare or safety and take prompt action to address these. Children's welfare and well-being are further protected by the nursery's robust staff recruitment, vetting arrangements and induction, ensuring all nursery employees are suitable. The principal and senior managers also demonstrate they understand their responsibilities for notifying Ofsted and other agencies of any significant incidents relating to children's health, welfare and safety.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 200597 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 910197

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 154 Number of children on roll 200 Name of provider Freshfields Nursery Schools Ltd Date of previous inspection 14/04/2011 Telephone number 01789 261633

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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