Knowle Nursery School Limited

Knowle Nursery Park Mead Primary School, Park Drive, Cranleigh, GU6 7HB

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/05/2014 Not Applicable

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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

p.1

This provision is outstanding

 Staff have an extensive knowledge of how young children develop and learn, which allows them to plan an exceptional range of experiences that ensure every child reaches their full potential.  The enthusiasm and passion of the owner and her staff is evident, team work is strong and the majority of staff are well qualified.  Children thrive under the care of the inspiring staff team who have a comprehensive understanding of each child's care and learning needs.  Strong and effective links exist between providers, parents and other agencies, who all work together to ensure children's needs are met and that no child is disadvantaged.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the interaction between the staff and children.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to children, parents and staff to ascertain their thoughts on the nursery.  The inspector sampled electronic and paper records kept on the children.  The inspector discussed aspects of the nursery with the owner.

p.2

Information about the setting

Knowle Nursery, an established provision within the village of Cranleigh, re-registered in 2013 as a limited company. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery operates from a building within the grounds of Park Mead Primary School in Cranleigh, Surrey. Children have access to three group rooms, toilets and an outside area. The nursery is open during term-time only. It operates on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday between the hours of 9.15am to 1.45pm and on Tuesday and Fridays sessions are from 9.15am until 12.15pm. There is an option for an early drop-off daily from 9.00am.

p.3

Information about the setting

There are currently 65 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. A team of eleven staff work with the children. The manager is qualified to level four and four other staff have relevant level three qualifications and there are two staff with qualified teacher status. The nursery receives funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four years. It supports children with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery receives support from a mentor from the local authority.

p.3

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

 be consistent when counting randomly to help children sort and order numbers as they count.

p.3

who attend

Children thrive in this innovative and exciting nursery where they learn through their play. Children access an extensive range of activities which are fully supported by staff who are successful in engaging them to consolidate or enhance their individual learning. Skilled staff show a genuine interest in what children are saying and doing, building on the children's interests whilst incorporating learning. Children become thoroughly engaged in hunting for insects in the wooded area of the garden. They use magnifying glasses to examine their insects more closely and with care, comparing the different features and discussing how the worm can climb up the side of the container when it has no legs. They match the creatures to the pictures displayed in the woods, looking closely to make sure they are the same. The enthusiasm of the staff member results in children being focused and they talk excitedly about the insects, many increasing their vocabulary and knowledge

p.3

who attend

through their conversation. Children have many sensory resources to explore and investigate. The purposeful interaction of the staff results in children describing what they are feeling and how to solve problems. For example children wanted to have water added to the sand. As it was raining they decided to put their buckets outside to collect rain. Discussions then took place between the children about how slow it was for the bucket to fill and 'it would be quicker to go and get some from the tap'. Children become fully engaged in the inspiring building area. They decide to build a garage for the fire engines using real and pretend bricks and wood. They find different materials and stack them to make walls and a roof. The positive interaction from the staff encourages the children to think about size and shape, which results in children thinking it through and solving the problem so the end product is the right size for the engines.

p.3

who attend

Staff create different, fun, innovative activities to extend children's mathematic development. They sit in small focused groups where a member of staff has created a game that incorporates number work with a book the children have been exploring and that links with their own knowledge. It involves the children going on a plane journey, counting how many windows there are and finding the people to match. They then look at the written number and add and take away more numbers using the matching symbols. Children talk about where the plane might be going, 'Kenya' some of them say which stems from a book they have been enjoying activities from. Other children talk about when they went on a plane. At group time they sing 'five little monkeys' using a puppet, but the monkeys keep popping back up, much to the delight of the children who think it is hilarious. The versatile member of staff uses this opportunity to teach about adding and

p.4

who attend

subtracting in a practical, but fun way which fully engages all of the children. However, on occasions when they count random dots in a game or picture, staff do not encourage children to order and sort the numbers to help them count reliably. All of these activities support children to be active and independent learners and be exceptionally prepared for their next stage in learning.

p.4

who attend

Children aged between two and three years old have additional assessments completed on their progress. This is done in conjunction with their parents who contribute their knowledge of their child and so the next steps in the child's learning are decided together.

p.4

who attend

Children with any additional needs are very well supported. The nursery works well with any other agencies involved and individual learning plans are created for them. The cohesive team are all aware of these which enables any interaction with the child to be purposeful and helps them to progress in their development. Staff foster excellent relationships with parents and carers. They receive good quality information about their children's progress and observations made on their children are accessed through the electronic system used by this nursery. Staff are available to talk to parents about their child each day at pick up and drop off times.

p.4

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

The key worker system is thoroughly embedded. Each child has a key person who is responsible for assessing the individual children and identifying their next steps in learning. They are the main contact for the parents who they spend time with, particularly as each child starts so that the nursery has a comprehensive understanding of their achievement to date. Key persons undertake the observations and assessments resulting in them having a significant understanding of each child's needs. This helps children have secure attachments, building on their confidence and self-esteem, resulting in them being emotionally prepared for their next stage in learning.

p.4

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

The transfer from one room to the other and the transition to school is well-organised. Staff from the older children's room spend time with the younger children for example, reading stories and undertaking large group activities such as singing. They exchange information with the child's key worker and update information from the parents. Children share one garden and are able to play in both rooms if they wish. This results in children already knowing the staff and environment before they actually make the move across to the pre-school room. Children moving on to school are encouraged to be ready for the experience, many being able to write and recognise their own names. They have had a good foundation across all areas of learning and are confident and independent learners. Staff invite school reception teachers in to discuss and meet the children before they leave.

p.5

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

Children play in a wonderfully bright, spacious and stimulating environment and staff support them exceptionally well in their play while the extensive range of resources effectively offer them great variety and interest. Being outdoors and connecting with nature is an important message the children quickly learn. The garden is part of the continuous provision and is used exceedingly well for the benefit of all children. Both the indoor and outdoor areas are exceedingly well laid out, to offer children substantial and inspiring learning environments where they learn through their play.

p.5

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

Children's behaviour is excellent, they have developed good relationships with staff and the other children. They are happy to share and take turns and they work collaboratively together to achieve their aim. For example, two children work together to build a tower using the soft bricks. They talk to each other and compare their height to the towers' and keep building until they are happy that it is as tall as they are. They learn to respect and value others through well-planned activities and staff role modelling. Children are keen to be the helper of the day, they count the chairs and crockery that is needed and lay the tables with table cloths. Staff use these opportunities to encourage children to solve problems as they ask 'how many do we need?' And 'how many more?'. Staff praise children frequently, building on their self-esteem.

p.5

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

Children learn about healthy lifestyles and are supported until they are able to undertake their own self-care skills. They know to wash their hands before snack and after messy play, they choose when to have a snack, find their name label and sit having conversations with the children around them, making it a social occasion. Children successfully pour their own drinks, choosing from water or milk. Children are building on their physical skills as they try and then succeed, in using a variety of tools and resources. They climb and pull each other around in wagons, while other children eagerly help to pull the wagon if it is too heavy for them. Children learn about different life-cycles as they plant fruit and vegetables or study the tadpoles, discussing and looking at books to compare the changes from frog spawn in to fully developed frogs.

p.5

provision

The staff approach to safety is outstanding. Comprehensive procedures are in place and readily accessible to ensure safeguarding requirements are met. All accidents are monitored and changes made if it becomes apparent that there is an area where children have frequent accidents. For example, staff identified that the pirate ship was just such an area so they made adjustments to the equipment to ensure that it continued to be safe for the children. All adults have undergone rigorous checks to ensure their suitability and excellent communication means all are aware of their roles. Staff deployment is very effective in keeping children safe at all times and ensuring they have plenty of adult support when they need it. The premises are secure and children's safety assured. There are detailed and comprehensive risk assessments which are understood and effectively used by the staff. They cover all areas the children use, both indoors and out. Staff have

p.6

provision

all received safeguarding training and are very aware of their responsibility to report any concerns they may have about a child or an adult. They have the relevant telephone numbers to contact readily at hand if they are not happy with the way their concern is being handled by management.

p.6

provision

The leadership and management of the nursery is inspirational. The owner and her team work exceptionally hard to oversee, encourage and develop the service they provide. All the staff are passionate and knowledgeable about their work. They are constantly looking beyond and at how and what they can do to improve the outcomes for children. The setting is exceedingly well organised to ensure outstanding care and education is provided for all children. The owner has extremely high aspirations and all aspects of the provision are carefully monitored. Any changes within the setting are assessed in terms of the outcomes for children.

p.6

provision

The staff are committed to ongoing training to ensure they can help the children develop their skills. An excellent range of resources fully support children with their learning, including those who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities and any who have English as an additional language. A significant strength of the nursery is the teamwork and staff have a very clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

p.6

provision

Activities and the interaction from the staff are very well-matched to children's individual abilities. Management record the effectiveness of all activities, including the progress made by each group of children. Each child has a learning journey that charts their experiences and achievements and are recorded electronically, enabling parents to access their child's profiles when ever they wish to. The electronic system effectively monitors the education programme and supports the identification of groups and individual children, to highlight any gaps in their learning or experiences immediately.

p.6

provision

Staff, parents and children contribute to the nursery's self evaluation. Management use this information as well as their own monitoring, to analyse and create action plans. They are continually looking at their practice and the service they offer to families and make many improvements throughout the year. They are currently responding to parents requests and building on their library of games and story sacks for the parents to borrow.

p.6

provision

Partnerships with parents and others is exceptional. Extensive ongoing information is exchanged between the nursery and parents, promoting continuity of care and learning.

p.7

provision

Daily discussions take place with the child's key worker, sharing worthwhile information between the nursery and home. Parents are extremely happy with the nursery and state that their children love coming here. They are fully aware of their child's development and state the staff are excellent. The nursery has effective communications with other agencies involved with the children and access help and support for those children with any additional needs.

p.7

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

p.7

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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

p.8

Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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.

p.8

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.

p.9

Setting details

Unique reference number EY469375 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 940719 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 45 Number of children on roll 65 Name of provider Knowle Nursery School Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07785 324644

p.9

Setting details

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.

p.9

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.10

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,

p.10

Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.11

Type of provision

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

p.11