Halstead Nursery

Halstead Nursery Halstead CP School, Otford Lane, Halstead, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 7EA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10 March 2015 29 September 2010

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is outstanding

 The enthusiastic and committed staff team provide stimulating and exciting learning experiences. Their excellent knowledge of how children learn, together with their recognition of each individual child's needs and interests, ensures all children are engaged and eager to explore and learn.  Children form strong bonds with their key person, as well as other staff. This means children feel happy and confident to explore. They become very involved in activities throughout their play and make good relationships with other children.  Strong leadership and highly effective staff performance management result in high staff retention and an exceptional commitment to their work. The committee and management team strive to ensure all staff access training to continue their professional development and extend their already expert knowledge and high qualifications.  Highly effective assessment and monitoring procedures means staff accurately identify

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This provision is outstanding

where children are in their learning and development. Staff plan and extremely successfully introduce interesting activities for children to ensure they progress exceedingly well in their next steps in learning.  The management and staff team are highly reflective on their practice. This means they are constantly seeking ways to further improve and deliver additional innovative ideas to strengthen their already existing excellent quality of teaching. For example, staff intend to develop the outside environment to further strengthen and maximise children's understanding of the world.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 maximise opportunities for children to use additional, real tools and natural resources in the outdoors to enhance their understanding of the world.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector toured the premises.  The inspector had discussions with staff, children, parents and a member of the committee.  The inspector observed play, activities and routines in the main rooms and outdoor areas.  A joint observation was undertaken by the inspector and the manager.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including children's records in learning and development, staff qualifications, training and safeguarding procedures and a selection of policies and self-evaluation.

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who attend. This is outstanding

There is an excellent balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities, which children access enthusiastically. The staff constantly add further resources to the already stimulating environment, both inside and outside. This highly stimulates children's interest to investigate, explore and learn. Children are exceedingly well supported to be active learners. They excitedly discuss how they use 'paw print' props to explore the garden to find characters from their circle time story. This shows how staff expertly extend literacy and language into all areas of learning to seamlessly enhance and motivate children's play and learning. The highly skilled staff consistently assess children's development. This helps identify any gaps in children's learning. Extremely effective partnership working with parents and professionals from external agencies means staff support children using outstanding teaching strategies. As a result, all children are extremely well supported and

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who attend. This is outstanding

make significant progress from their starting points.

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outstanding

The skilled, experienced staff support children to become independent in their self-care. Therefore, children flourish, showing high levels of confidence and pride in their abilities. They dress themselves to play outside, independently wash their hands, help prepare snack and wash up afterwards. These important life skills prepare children for the next stages in their learning and school. The staff have excellent procedures to keep children safe. This is central to all staff and embedded throughout all routines and activities. Children enthusiastically learn about healthy lifestyles, including the need for exercise and eating healthy food, which they are excited to grow in their vegetable garden and 'smelly welly' herb planters. Children's behaviour is exemplary, encouraged and positively praised by staff. Children independently remember the rules and demonstrate how they resolve issues, for example, using the sand timer to share toys or discussion to negotiate.

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provision is outstanding

Management are passionate to ensure continuous provision of outstanding care and education for young children. The management lead by exemplary example. Their excellent leadership and vision for the future motivate staff to excel in their already outstanding practice. All staff keenly maximise opportunities to attend specialised training to enhance their high-quality skills. This has a very positive influence on the exceptional progress for all children and the support received by each family. Management ensure their embedded knowledge is consistently updated and effectively passed on to parents, staff and other professionals through leading a collaboration of early years settings.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127219 Local authority Kent Inspection number 825402 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 32 Name of provider Halstead Nursery Committee Date of previous inspection 29 September 2010 Telephone number 07950681846

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Setting details

The Halstead Nursery established in 1963. It is managed by a voluntary management committee and is based in an annexe in the grounds of Halstead Community Primary School in Kent. The nursery opens five days a week during term times from 9am until 3.15pm. There are seven staff employed in the nursery. The manager and deputy hold early years qualifications at level 6. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free education to children aged two, three and four years.

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Setting details

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

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

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Setting details

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Setting details

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

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