The Barn Nursery School (Wootton) Ltd

The Barn Nursery School (Wootton) Ltd Wootton St Lawrence, Basingstoke, RG23 8PE

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/11/2014 14/10/2008

p.1

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

p.1

This provision is outstanding

 Children are given interesting activities that inspire them to want to learn. They thrive on the extremely well-planned and organised opportunities to learn through play both indoors and out. As a result, children make rapid progress because they are both well supported and challenged in their learning.  All staff have a thorough understanding of the safeguarding policies and procedures which are rigorously implemented so that children are extremely safe. Children are extremely happy as staff give the utmost priority to their health and well-being.  The accuracy and rigour of the nursery's assessments supports highly effective planning for each child's next step in learning. As a result, this extensively identifies and closes any gaps in children's progress.  Partnerships with parents and carers, and other professionals, are very strong, which means children and their families are exceptionally well supported.

p.1

This provision is outstanding

 Outstanding leadership, based on accurate self-reflection ensures consistently high standards. The owners support a dynamic teaching team who work closely and effectively together to ensure children progress quickly and achieve well.  Self-evaluation is robust and targeted. All staff are involved in identifying strengths and weaknesses, and in effectively driving continual improvement.

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

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including children's progress records, tracking and assessment records, planning documentation and evidence of staff suitability.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to members of the staff team about the progress of their key children, and their understanding of the setting's policies and procedures.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of children, and spoke to a number of parents and carers.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the main classrooms and outdoor space undertook a joint observation with the owner.

p.2

Information about the setting

The Barn Nursery opened in 1984, and re-registered in 2007. The nursery operates from two large classrooms within a Victorian built school building in the village of Wootton St Lawrence, near Basingstoke. There is a fully enclosed outdoor play area attached to the premises. The nursery serves a wide geographical area. The provider is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 64 children on roll. Children attend for a variety of sessions each week. The nursery welcomes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who are learning English as an additional language. The nursery is open each weekday from 9am to 3.15 pm, term-time only. An early bird session runs from 8.30am - 9am and staggered main session times run from 9am or 9.15am to 12 noon. Afternoon session include a lunch club session and an afternoon session that operates until 3pm or 3.15pm. The two owners, who also work with the children, employ

p.3

Information about the setting

16 members of staff. Both owners have Qualified Teacher Status and one member of staff has Early Years Professional Status. There are nine further members of staff who have Qualified Teacher Status, two staff are qualified to level 5 and four additional staff are qualified to National Vocational Qualification level 3. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

p.3

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

 enhance further the range of writing opportunities in order to capture and excite all groups of children equally in making marks for a purpose.

p.3

who attend

Progress is outstanding for all groups of children in this happy and welcoming nursery. This is reflected in the stimulating and enthusiastic teaching which interests, excites and motivates children and accelerates their learning. Staff plan activities for each child's individual progress because they have excellent knowledge of how each of their key children learn best. This means that each day's activities are planned precisely to meet children's learning specific needs. Staff use sharply-focused assessments to obtain a clear overview of children's progress, which they share with parents. These show a comprehensive picture of the excellent individual progress they make over their time in nursery. Ongoing assessment is used exceptionally well by staff who set challenging targets for each child. Opportunities, such as 'Rainbow time' where children have one-to- one sessions, allow staff to tailor their support and focus on a specific area of

p.3

who attend

development. As a result, ongoing support is targeted and precise which accounts for the excellent levels of progress children make given their starting points. The quality of teaching is exceptional. Staff have high levels of subject knowledge. They are skilled at assessing children's understanding and moving their learning on by clever use of questioning, and opportunities for discussion. They understand the needs of each child and skilfully intervene to challenge children to think differently, to explain what they are doing and to discuss their feelings and views. Staff are skilled in getting children to be inquisitive and ask questions about the world around them. Children are encouraged to find out for themselves, solve problems and explore new things. This is particularly evident in 'forest school' where children can experience nature first hand and then use books, pictures and technology resources to find out more. This effective teaching practice

p.3

who attend

ensures that all children develop excellent learning habits. As a result, they are able to wrestle with problems, and work happily, both together and by themselves. They share ideas with confidence and are not afraid to say when they find something difficult and ask for help. Technology is used extremely well to inspire children's learning. This means they are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage in their education.

p.4

who attend

The strong focus on improving children's speech is evident in the wide and varied range of activities that prompt talk, and inspire interaction between children and adults. Staff pay attention to the early identification of any speech and language delay achieving secure early identification. They deliver targeted strategies through a bespoke programme of intensive support in line with any professionals recommendations. The well embedded use of signing to support language, visual timetables and the sensitive nature of staff interactions ensures children with special educational needs or language delay make above average progress. Children's early writing, particularly for the more able groups of children, is well supported through effective initiates such as 'Write, dance'. Within this work children have been experimenting with designs that promote their physical skills on a large scale. This develops their pre-writing skills. This provides them with an excellent

p.4

who attend

foundation and promotes their creativity and free expression. However, while staff experiment with dynamic initiatives to promote their pre-writing skills, some groups of boys show a reluctance to participate when these sessions becomes more formal. Staff are extending their ideas to tackle this in order to address the marginally slower progress that this group makes in comparison to the girls. This demonstrates the excellent attention staff give to identify any barriers to learning, in order to promote consistently high levels of progress for all.

p.4

who attend

Children make rapid gains in recognising the value of books and how they tell a story. Some begin to pick out sounds from the letters that match their names while others recall the story with increasing confidence to their group of friends. There is a strong focus on developing children's expressive language skills through enjoying popular children's stories together, for example when children joined in the repetitive phrases and then developed their understanding of being in a bear cave. Children use mathematical skills exceptionally well. Every opportunity is taken to develop skills practically, for example, discovering how shapes fit together and using counting skills to work out how spaces are available at snack. Children ably talk about 'adding' and 'taking away' and are given good opportunities to reason and give explanations to develop understanding further.

p.4

who attend

An extensive and highly productive range of strategies engage parents in their children's learning in the nursery. A series of parent notice boards provide information on educational programmes including what parents can do at home to build on the learning from the day. Parents learn more about their children's activities through regular newsletters and make their own contributions through regular questionnaires and more regular personal contact. Each child's key person invites parents into the nursery to celebrate special days and exchange formal and informal information on their children. This provides excellent continuity for children.

p.4

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

The atmosphere within the nursery is one of harmony and sense of family, and children thrive because of the strong focus on care and nurture. They are known and valued as individuals and because of this they feel secure and have high levels of confidence and self-esteem. Staff dedicate time to get to know children, and their families and carers, before they start in the setting. The Little Explorers settling in sessions provide an excellent opportunity for parents to share comprehensive levels of information about their family and their child's needs. These sessions facilitate the careful selection and matching of a key person to each family. The foundations are established for exceptionally strong relationships, which help children to settle quickly and to feel very secure. From the very onset staff develop very close relationships with each family. It is usual for the key person to make direct contact with the parent or carer of each child. They welcome children one

p.5

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

by one into the nursery and time is made to conduct a comprehensive handover in order to meet each child's needs. This adds to the sense of security felt by the children because this purposeful communication with parents promotes consistency between the home and the nursery.

p.5

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

Children's social skills develop at a rapid rate. They develop the confidence to make decisions, modify ideas and sustain very good levels of concentration. A wide range of resources, both outdoors and indoors, encourages children to make up their own play. In so doing, they learn to make relationships by sharing together and listening to others views. They successfully collaborate and learn together in small groups. They know how to take turns, share resources and are extremely good at listening to one another. The staff also make excellent use of the outdoor areas as a resource to provide a rich and interesting curriculum. They provide very clear messages to children to develop their excellent understanding of the benefits of fresh air and regular physical exercise. Hygiene procedures are meticulous and staff clean play spaces between sessions so children have access to an environment that supports their good health. The 'forest school' provides

p.5

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

exceptional opportunities for the children to learn about nature and develop their physical skills. Children ably learn to take small risks and work out how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, during the 'forest school' session they know not to go near the fire pit and discuss how they have to listen carefully to the rules. They develop their physical skills very well through the use of a wide range of equipment for climbing and balancing, and take part in many music and movement sessions.

p.5

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

Fundamental to the children's rapid progress is the excellent emphasis given to promoting their personal, social and emotional development. All adults have high expectations for the children's behaviour and model excellent standards of courtesy and manners. This is mirrored in the way children behave. They thrive on the warm welcome they receive each morning and afternoon and the way they are respected as individuals. Excellent use is made of a recognised programme for developing and encouraging children's self-esteem and confidence as staff deliver sensitive support for those children who require additional support to manage their feelings and behaviour. This has been instrumental in teaching children how to become confident learners and how to develop self-confidence and believe in themselves.

p.5

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

Staff promote high levels of independence. As a result, children are encouraging of one another and are able to persevere until a task is finished. For example when completing a complex puzzle, persevering with a handwriting task or tidying up after themselves at snack. Children show respect for all adults and for each other. They are polite, have very good manners and are friendly and cooperative. They quickly establish close friendships. Older children help to look after the younger children without prompting, for example at snack time older children help their younger friends find a place at the table, help them choose and plate and encourage them to help themselves to a snack. All children learn very quickly how to dress and undress, putting on their boots, wet weather suits or coats to go outdoors. As a result, children develop very positive attitudes to learning, behave extremely well and are given opportunities to develop a broad range of skills, which

p.6

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

enable them to cope with the demands of the next stage of their education.

p.6

provision

The nursery is led and managed exceptionally well. The owners are highly qualified and widely experienced early years professionals. They demonstrate an exemplary work ethic and model professional standards at all times in their expectations of excellence. Under their dynamic and visionary leadership, the able staff team share a common sense of purpose. They are reflective practitioners, who welcome new ideas and are keen to try them out. This encompasses shared values including the willingness to learn from each other, inject new ideas and take risks. This fully supports their determination to do the very best they can for each child. As a result, children benefit immensely from high quality teaching and learning and make exceptional progress because of the richness of educational programmes and the strong values and ethos of staff.

p.6

provision

There is a comprehensive awareness of safeguarding issues among staff at all levels. The designated safeguarding officer has an astute awareness of her statutory responsibilities to protect children from harm and abuse. She guides and supports the staff team if they have any concerns about a child's care to ensure prompt and effective action is taken to safeguard children. She facilitates any multi-agency support that is required and is relentless in her pursuit to promote children's well-being. The staff team also have an excellent understanding of the procedures to follow as they attend regular safeguarding training. Safeguarding scenarios and information are included in staff meetings to increase staff's awareness so that they are clear about how to identify and report any concerns. They are confident of the appropriate procedures to follow in the event of concerns about a child, or if they have concern about the behaviour of another adult. Systems to appoint

p.6

provision

new staff are robust and recruitment and vetting procedures support the nursery's commitment to safeguarding. There is a well-established system for monitoring ongoing staff suitability. Risk assessment procedures are precise, embedded and encompass all aspects of daily practise. Staff are vigilant in ensuring that children are safe and all safeguarding requirements are met. These robust procedures ensure that the highest possible regard is given to safeguarding and promoting children's security at all times.

p.7

provision

Teaching is consistently of the highest quality. Performance management and ongoing training of the staff is highly targeted and used exceptionally well as a tool to bring about improvement. Staff meetings are a place for professional dialogue and staff regularly share their expertise knowledge and successful practice on a wide range of ongoing issues. They are keen to take on additional roles within the nursery and this ambition means there is no complacency and adds to the nursery's excellent capacity to improve further. The owners provide staff with regular information packs on current trends, articles from childcare publications and further information that is pertinent to their personal development. This not only keeps staff up to date with current initiatives but also supports a continuous drive for improvement, refinement and innovation in teaching. The quality of teaching is regularly monitored through peer-on-peer observations, analysis of progress

p.7

provision

data and staff self-reflection. This ensures that teaching at all levels is consistently high and rigorously informed by targeted, ongoing feedback. Training is directly related to the role and experience of individual members of staff and links directly to annual improvement plan priorities. It is evident that the highly qualified staff team feel passionate about the work they do and high quality teamwork and their ongoing commitment to continuous professional development is a major factor in this nursery's success. As a result, the depth and extent of teamwork, openness in sharing practice, and interest in providing new and exciting ideas for children's learning all contribute to a motivating curriculum and consistently outstanding teaching.

p.7

provision

Self-evaluation is highly effective. All staff are involved in considering the nursery's strengths and weaknesses which gives an accurate view of performance. The annual cycle of monitoring and evaluation is highly responsive to the needs of the children and their families. Assessment for learning is well established as part of teaching and every child's progress and well-being are monitored daily. Data are used extremely effectively to check and improve how well children are doing and to put high-quality interventions and support in place. Staff further use this information to carefully consider what is hindering or preventing good levels of achievement and as a result also make excellent use of progress data to inform future plans. In addition, termly pupil progress meetings quickly identify any barriers to learning and staff undertake a full analysis of all aspects of their practise and adjust priorities in the improvement plan accordingly. This ensures that the most

p.7

provision

relevant areas for development are identified. As a result, the educational programmes are meticulous monitored and evaluated and the information is used to excellent effect.

p.7

provision

Staff demonstrate an excellent commitment to ongoing improvement. Practice is constantly evolving and new initiatives are very well thought through and implemented consistently. The nursery has built on its strengths and improved still further since their last outstanding inspection. They have placed a renewed focus on the use of a high quality phonics programme to support the most able children in their early reading and the introduction of the 'forest school' has been highly effective in engaging groups of children in the benefits of outdoor learning. The impact of these initiatives can be seen in children's outstanding achievement in literacy and the children's enjoyment of the enhanced and highly dynamic learning spaces which fosters innovative learning.

p.7

provision

The nursery's effective partnership with parents and carers is a major strength of the nursery. There are extensive opportunities for parents to find out more about what happens in the nursery and contribute to their children's learning. For example, through the 'home links' worksheets. They are also actively encouraged to become partners in learning and learning targets are regularly shared with them. They are given frequent updates on children's progress and home school learning ideas are exchanged in order to build on children successes at home. The good links with families extend to excellent opportunities for family learning and invitations to focus events and regular social occasions help share and celebrate children's achievements. This also extends to childminders and other early years settings which promotes high levels of consistency in children's learning. Parents are appreciative of the excellent provision their children

p.8

provision

receive from the staff. They state that they value being able to come into nursery to take part in activities and to participate in what their children are learning. Parents and carers are actively encouraged to communicate their thoughts on the nursery, through annual questionnaires and the parent's feedback 'bubble' board. The children's 'voice' is strongly heard through everything staff do. Staff analyse any comments and immediately act upon any suggestions for improvement. Past pupils spoken to at the inspection, comment retrospectively on their time at the nursery and return to share their further successes at school with their key person. Good links with local primary schools contribute to the smooth passage of children moving onto full-time education. The nursery makes excellent use of a range of external agencies to support children with specific learning needs. These outstanding partnerships ensure that no child is left behind in their learning and that all

p.8

provision

children they receive the very best levels of support.

p.8

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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

p.9

Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

p.9

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.10

Setting details

Unique reference number EY361332 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 918311 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 64 Name of provider The Barn Nursery School (Wootton) Limited Date of previous inspection 14/10/2008 Telephone number 01256 782 580

p.10

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.10

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.10

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.10

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.10

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.11

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.11

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.12

Type of provision

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

p.12