Hedgehog House Nursery School

Hedgehog House Nursery School 8 Homefield Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 2HZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21 April 2015 17 May 2011

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Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Requires improvement The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Requires improvement The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Requires improvement The setting does not meet legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 Staff make routine assessments of children's learning but do not consistently monitor their progress against expected levels of development in order to plan activities that will challenge children. Children are typically making satisfactory progress but are not fully challenged.  Staff ask children questions about what they think or what is happening but do not give them sufficient time to come up with their own answers. This hampers children's critical thinking skills.  Staff give children only basic instructions when managing their behaviour. As a result, children's behaviour is generally appropriate but they are not fully gaining the skills they need to consistently manage their own behaviour.

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It has the following strengths

 Managers and staff know what action to take should they have concerns about the welfare of a child. They promote children's safety through suitable risk assessments.  Children benefit from strong relationships with staff, which means that they are secure and confident. This promotes their well-being.  Staff have appropriate teaching skills. They organise activities to engage children in play based on their interests. As a result, children enjoy playing and learning.  Staff share children's achievements with parents so they are kept informed of their child's progress.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 ensure that planning and assessment is carried out by all staff consistently in order to give children challenging activities across all educational programmes.

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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

 give children time to think and formulate their thoughts so that they can find answers to questions themselves  give children skills to manage their own behaviour in readiness for the next stage of their learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children at play indoors and outdoors.  The inspector examined a range of documentation, including staff checks and children's records.  The inspector spoke to parents to gather their views.  The inspector and deputy manager carried out a joint observation.

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who attend. This requires improvement

Staff meet with parents when children first start to share information about their child's abilities and achievements. Staff plan activities around themes, such as Spring, although weaknesses in assessing children's progress mean that activities lack challenge. Staff are alongside children as they play and talk with children to develop their communication skills. For example, for younger children, they have a song bag of small toys that signify different songs. Older children use hexagons to create a pattern, while staff talk about the features of different shapes and how the pattern looks like a honeycomb. This means that children of all ages build sound communication skills, although staff do not consistently give time for children to think about their answers to questions.

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requires improvement

Staff provide an effective key-person system for children. The small staff team cares for all the children in one play area which creates a family atmosphere. Children build secure attachments to staff and are confident to explore their environment. This promotes their emotional development well, although staff do not fully promote children's skills in managing their own behaviour. Children have plenty of space available to play, and independently choose toys and equipment to set their own challenges. For example, children arrange stepping stones to create their own obstacle course. This means that children are well motivated to play and learn. Children enjoy regular play in the fresh air, grow different foods in the garden, and collect eggs from the hens. This builds their understanding of healthy lifestyles and promotes their physical development. Overall, children gain sound skills to help them in their future learning.

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provision requires improvement

Managers work alongside staff in all aspects of their work and so have a sound understanding of their strengths. Managers talk with staff about their professional development and staff attend courses which they feed back to their team. After a language course, staff developed their skills in modelling correct language without making children feel wrong. Managers set targets for improvement and review when such targets have been met, for example, reviewing fire safety drills. Managers supervise staff to reflect on their practice and provide ideas for improvement, although there are still inconsistencies in the quality of planning. Most staff are well qualified and this is reflected in their teaching skills. Parents comment on the usefulness of staff advice regarding potty training or activities at home. Managers also promote children's consistent care by working in close partnership with local services for children with additional needs.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 113520 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 846043 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 48 Name of provider Lynn Brown Date of previous inspection 17 May 2011 Telephone number 01903 209922

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Setting details

Hedgehog House Nursery opened in 1987. It is a privately owned group, located in Worthing, West Sussex. The nursery is open five days a week, during term time only. Sessions are from 9am to 12 noon, and 12 noon to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Children can stay all day. The setting is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years. There are seven members of staff, including the manager, six of whom hold relevant early years qualifications at level 3.

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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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