St Mary's Nursery

St Mary's Nursery St. Marys First School, Hencotes, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 2EE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 5 June 2015 27 June 2011

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is good

 The quality of teaching is good. The well-qualified staff use good questioning skills to extend, support and challenge children as they play. As a result, children are making good progress given their individual starting points.  Children form secure emotional attachments with staff because the key-person system is well established and relationships are strong. Consequently, children develop a strong sense of safety and security, which helps to promote their physical and emotional well- being.  Children are protected from harm because the management and staff team understand and effectively meet all the safeguarding and welfare requirements.  Staff fully implement robust policies and procedures to safeguard children. This means that children's health, safety and welfare are well promoted.  Partnerships with parents and other professionals are strong. Together they play a key part in how staff plan strategies and interventions to support children's needs.

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This provision is good

 Leadership and management are strong. The management and staff team are highly motivated in developing the nursery, in order to improve the outcomes for children's learning and well-being.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Opportunities to enhance children's outdoor experiences, by including more household objects and natural materials to explore and investigate, are not used to maximum effect.  Opportunities to share and celebrate the languages and cultural heritage of all children attending the nursery are not fully promoted.

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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

 enhance the outdoor play area to ensure that there are sufficient resources and materials to enrich children's creativity and imaginations, for example, by adding additional household objects and natural materials  provide opportunities for children to share and celebrate their home language and cultural heritage with staff and other children attending the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector completed a tour of the premises.  The inspector observed children playing in the pre-school room, day-care room, the playground and both outside play areas.  The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff and children throughout the inspection.  The inspector talked with the manager about the activities provided during the inspection.  The inspector took account of the views of parents of the early years children attending the setting, who were spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation and the systems for monitoring children's progress.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and the setting's policies and procedures.

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who attend. This is good

Children make good progress in their learning. This is because staff have a secure understanding of how to promote children's learning and development. Staff use good teaching methods, which challenge, support and extend children's learning so they think for themselves and solve problems independently. Staff teach children early phonics and the skills they require in preparation for starting school. For example, they go into the school hall and get changed for physical education. Staff know the children well so they build on their interests and effectively meet their needs. They teach children social skills, such as sharing and taking turns, and encourage children to help tidy away toys. Children's work and photographs are displayed throughout the nursery, which promotes a sense of belonging. However, these displays do not support the languages and cultural heritage of all children attending the nursery. Therefore, opportunities for celebrating

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who attend. This is good

differences and diversity are not as well promoted.

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good

Children develop a close bond and strong attachment with all staff. As a result, children feel safe and secure. They are confident, enthusiastic and motivated to learn. Parents are valued, respected and listened to. Staff work closely with them and other professionals to support children's individual needs. This ensures that any concerns parents may have are promptly addressed and help is obtained quickly to support children. Staff create an environment that is clean, welcoming and resourced with good quality equipment that is accessible to younger and older children in both playrooms. However, the pre-school's outdoor play area is not as well stocked or as interesting or stimulating as the day-care environment, which occasionally has an impact on children's behaviour. Children's self- help skills and table manners are well promoted at mealtimes and children learn the basics of good health and hygiene practices.

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provision is good

The management and staff team demonstrate a good understanding of their responsibilities for the safeguarding and welfare of children. They implement a range of policies and procedures to support the efficient working of the nursery. Supervision systems are in place to support staff's ongoing professional development and to promote their good practice. Staff are well qualified and experienced. They use training and effective evaluation of the nursery to make improvements, which have a positive impact on children's learning. The observation, assessment and tracking of children's progress is good. It clearly shows how well all children are developing in relation to their starting points. There are good partnerships in place with parents, other settings and other professionals. These partnerships support children well because information about their individual needs is regularly shared. Staff also work closely with the host school to ensure

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provision is good

that children are prepared well for their future move their.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 301777 Local authority Northumberland Inspection number 867329 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 49 Number of children on roll 47 Name of provider St Mary's Nursery (Hexham) Ltd Date of previous inspection 27 June 2011 Telephone number 01434 608723

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Setting details

St Mary's Nursery was registered in 2000. It is situated in the grounds of St Mary's Roman Catholic First School. The nursery operates Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, 51 weeks of the year. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education two-, three-, and four-year-old children. The nursery employs 10 members of staff, nine of whom hold relevant qualifications, including the early years teacher who has Qualified Teacher Status.

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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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