Giant Steps Sherburn Village

Sherburn Village Nursery Sherburn Village Primary School, Park House Gardens, Sherburn Village, Durham, DH6 1DU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26/06/2014 26/01/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 2 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

 Teaching is excellent. Staff are highly skilled at planning activities and experiences that motivate and challenge children. Assessment is accurate and precise. As a result, children gain a thirst for learning and make rapid progress.  The superb range of accessible resources and equipment offers a highly stimulating and rich environment for the children. This successfully captures children's ongoing interests, inspiring them to explore, investigate and become active learners.  Children thrive because staff foster their independence exceptionally well. This attribute builds their confidence, resilience and ability to learn by themselves. Consequently, children are extremely well-prepared for school and the next stage in their learning.  Children are safeguarded at all times because staff have an excellent knowledge and understanding of how to protect children in their care.  Leadership is excellent. Staff are highly motivated and strive to continuously improve

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This provision is outstanding

their already excellent service, to ensure they maintain their high standards for children's benefit.  Partnership working with parents and other professionals is highly valued. As a result, all children's learning and care needs are exceptionally well met.

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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 talked to the manager, staff and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and adult and child interactions indoors and outdoors.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector looked at a sample of children's developmental records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked staff records, including suitability checks, qualifications and training.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including planning, policies and procedures and risk assessments.

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Information about the setting

Sherburn Village Nursery was registered in 2007 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated the grounds of Sherburn Village Primary School, Durham, in a purpose built premises and is managed by Giant Steps Horden Ltd, a private company. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one at level 4. The nursery opens Monday to Friday term time only. Sessions are from 8.50am until 11.50am and 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 24 children attending, who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four- year-old children. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 develop even further the use of environmental print in the outdoor area, to maximise opportunities for children to see the written word and gain an even more extensive vocabulary.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is outstanding. Staff are highly skilled at observing children as they play and plan methodically for every child's individual journey of learning and discovery. Staff meet with parents when their children first start at the nursery, to gain information about what children can already do. This information, alongside careful observation, helps staff to gain an accurate baseline assessment of children's development. Children enjoy a very effective balance of both child-initiated play and adult-led experiences. Staff observe children's interests and assess them while they play, which they use to inform planning. Individual staff members know what their key children can do and are highly skilled in supporting their development further. They indicate on focused activity planning sheets how adult-led activities and interaction will support individual children's needs in relation to their interests. As a result, individual learning intentions are clearly identified and

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who attend

provision is consistently tailored to the needs of children. Assessment is continuous, precise and accurate and is regularly shared with parents. This includes the progress check for children aged between two and three years, which staff carry out in consultation with parents at the appropriate time. Staff produce individual target sheets from their planning and assessments, to ensure any gaps in children's development are quickly addressed. Consequently, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve exceptionally well and make excellent progress from their individual starting points.

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who attend

Staff have an excellent knowledge of how young children learn. They support them well by joining in their play and engaging them in conversations to extend their language and communication skills. Staff model good language and communication. They talk to children about what they are doing and introduce new words and vocabulary. Consequently, speech and language difficulties are quickly identified and tackled early to ensure children get the support they need. The indoor environment offers many opportunities for children to see print in the written word. However, there is scope to further develop the use of print in the outdoor environment for children to gain an even more extensive vocabulary. Staff expertly encourage children to lead their own learning. For example, children concentrate very well and become highly engaged as they meticulously wrap 'a present' to give to someone special to them. Children make

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who attend

independent choices from the vast array of open-ended resources, such as, wrapping paper, envelopes and bottle tops that staff have thoughtfully provided to support their learning style and capture their imagination. Staff use such opportunities superbly to skilfully extend and challenge children's learning. For example, children work out how to join objects together by using sticky tape, elastic bands and string. As a result, children develop excellent critical thinking skills and learn to solve problems. Staff use highly effective questioning to help children make predications. For example, children work out that the paint will 'splash' when staff ask 'what do you think will happen?' when she throws the ball into the mixture. Children have excellent opportunities to use information technology and find out how things work, for example, they control a computer mouse, take photographs with a camera and operate a blender. Staff skilfully interweave colour,

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who attend

number, shape and measure into children's day play and experiences. They provide exciting and fun opportunities for children to be active and develop their physical skills. Children laugh and giggle as they move a piece of stretchy material side to side, up and down and back and forth. Staff skilfully extend the activity even further by encouraging children to think of another way they can move the material. Staff praise children's 'good ideas', which builds confidence and self-assurance in what they can do. Children learn to move their bodies imaginatively and in a number of ways, as they try and spin and control the hula hoops to the beat of the music. Staff also provide superb opportunities for children to strengthen the muscles in their hands through 'Squiggle Wiggle' exercises and manipulating dough. These highly effective methods, alongside a wide variety of mark making tools, help to support children's early writing skills. As a result, children gain the

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who attend

skills they needs in readiness for school.

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who attend

Partnerships with parents are excellent and staff are highly committed to involving parents in their children's learning. As a result, all parents engage very well with the nursery and become highly involved their child's learning. Staff regularly meet with all parents to keep them well-informed of their child's progress. Staff discuss children's key targets with parents and support them to learn how to complement children's learning at home. For example, staff provide 'curiosity bags' that contain very thoughtfully planned resources to support children's individual learning needs and interests. Staff encourage parents to record their children's learning by providing cameras and home learning sheets. A vast array of photographs and both home and setting observations are lovingly displayed on walls and in books. This shows staff value parents input and consequently, parents engage fully with the nursery and become highly involved in their children's learning.

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

Children's emotional well-being is extremely well-promoted throughout the nursery. The highly effective key-person system ensures all children benefit from strong attachments. This provides a strong foundation for their general well-being. The highly caring and supportive environment helps children feel safe and secure. Settling-in sessions are used to build relationships with parents, who are encouraged to share details of their child's individual care needs and routines. Consequently, staff know individual children very well and children benefit from consistent care. Teamwork is a key strength and staff work in harmony to ensure continuity of care throughout the nursery. Staff work very effectively together to meet the individual and group needs of children in their care. They are positive role models, who led by the management team, cultivate a caring, supportive and respectful culture. For example, staff show great interest as children talk about members

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

of their family who live in another country. This shows they highly value all children as individuals. Consequently, all children who attend display a strong sense belonging and emotional well-being. Staff promote children's confidence and their enthusiasm for learning very well by continually praising their efforts and achievements. They support children to make good friendships by supporting them to take turns, share and work together to tidy up. As a result, children are very well-behaved and learn to respect each other's feelings.

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

The superb range of accessible resources and equipment offer a highly stimulating and rich environment for children, which successfully captures children's ongoing interests, inspiring them to explore, investigate and become active learners. For example, a climbing wall has been introduced to the outdoor area following children's interest in climbing. Children can move between the indoor and outdoor area independently. This means they have daily opportunities to be active and enjoy playing and learning in the fresh air. They gain an excellent understanding of nature and the world around them. Children learn about the weather, 'cook' in the mud kitchen, hunt for bugs and care for plants. For example, children show great excitement and pride as they notice a flower that has grown as they water the plants. Staff support and encourage children to be healthy and make healthy choices using innovative ways. For example, children thoroughly enjoy making

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

smoothies with a variety of fruits, such as, strawberries, bananas, blueberries and mangos. They taste fruit that are familiar to them and experiment making new tastes as they predict which flavours will complement each other.

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

Transitions are superbly managed. The nursery has excellent links with the school and staff work closely with the reception teacher to support children's move to the next stage in their learning. Children due to start school spend short amounts of time in the reception class and gradually build towards eating their lunch in the school hall. The manager meets regularly with the reception teacher to discuss children's development and needs and provides an assessment of their learning. Children also spend some time accessing the large school playground, to build their confidence in playing and learning in a different environment. This ensures that their emotional well-being is superbly promoted and every child is very well-prepared for their next stage of learning.

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provision

Safeguarding procedures are extremely effective, which ensures children are kept safe at all times. Robust recruitment and vetting systems ensure all adults working with children are suitable to do so. Staff complete up-to-date safeguarding training and are extremely competent in the procedures to follow and who to contact in the event of any concerns about children, or adults working with children. An extensive range of policies and procedures are very successfully implemented, reviewed and shared with parents. Staff carry out thorough risk assessments and comprehensive daily checks. This helps to provide an exceptionally safe, secure and stimulating environment for children without having a detrimental effect on their independence and freedom to explore. The premises are very secure and no unauthorised person is able to gain entry. As a result, the nursery is a very safe place for children to play and explore. Regular fire drills, accurate accident

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provision

records and robust procedures for the management and administration of medication ensure that children's safety remains paramount. The manager ensures that staff are deployed effectively according to qualifications and experience with specific age groups of children. Staff are highly conscientious in ensuring the safety and supervision of children. Highly effective organisation and deployment of staff ensure ratios are always maintained. Excellent procedures and systems are in place and are followed implicitly, which enhances safeguarding practice. This means that children are well-protected in the nursery.

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provision

The leadership and management of the nursery is exemplary. The nursery is extremely well run by a knowledgeable, dedicated and reflective manager. Children are cared for by highly qualified, motivated and experienced staff. Management implement a thorough induction programme, which provides excellent support for all staff and sets out the very high standards. The performance of all staff is closely monitored and their ongoing professional development is actively promoted through many training opportunities. The qualifications of staff and continual professional development has an extremely positive impact on outcomes for children's learning and development. For example, recent training has resulted in staff developing an even greater understanding of ways to support children's mathematical development. As a result, children are making even better progress in this area. Through observing staff practice, the manager monitors the

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provision

effectiveness of the quality of teaching. Staff performance is also monitored through regular staff supervision and appraisals. Regular team meetings help staff to share knowledge and expertise and learn from each other, which ultimately enhances the quality of teaching and learning. The manager monitors and reviews the educational programme and consistency of assessments to continually drive improvement for children. Self- evaluation is at the core of the nursery's operation. Both the manager and staff are highly skilled at recognising areas for improvement and addressing them successfully, including the recommendations raised at the last inspection. The manager and her team have highly effective procedures to monitor the overall educational programme for each child. The exceptional monitoring and tracking system ensures children's progress is precisely monitored over time from their starting points to when they leave. This means any

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provision

delayed development or gaps in progress can be quickly and effectively addressed. As a result, children make excellent progress in their learning and development.

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provision

Excellent partnerships between parents, external agencies and other providers are evident and well-established. These contribute to meeting children's individual needs highly effectively. Interventions are sought at an early stage to identify any group falling behind their peers or below their expected achievements. This results in children's needs being effectively met and relevant support services, such as speech therapists, being involved. The nursery has worked hard to build excellent relationships with local schools. The manager encourages teachers from local schools to visit the nursery so their prospective children to get to know them. As a result, the move to school is smooth and children's individual learning and care needs are very well supported. The nursery works very closely with the local early years team, who provides training and support. Highly effective communication systems ensure that parents are kept fully informed of their children's

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provision

progress. Photographs and informative displays cover the walls. These illustrate the breadth of activities that children are actively involved in during their time at the nursery, accompanied by explanations relating to how children learn. An abundance of informative leaflets, newsletters, policies and procedures are readily available. This helps ensure parents are aware of how the nursery operates and know how to raise any concerns. The view of parents, children and staff are readily sought and responded to. For example, parents and children were consulted on the planning of the recently developed outdoor area. As a result, parents and children feel listened to and valued. Parents written comments are extremely complementary. They comment on the excellent service the nursery provides and how much progress their children have made in their learning.

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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 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

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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.

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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 EY350509 Local authority Durham Inspection number 863332

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 16 Number of children on roll 24 Name of provider Giant Steps Horden Limited Date of previous inspection 26/01/2010 Telephone number 07722322853

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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

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’.

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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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