Country Mice Nursery

Country Mice Nursery Station Road, Cowfold, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 8DA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 June 2015 26 January 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 new manager has already reviewed and assessed the nursery to make sure that it meets the requirements. She has implemented many worthwhile and effective changes, which have already improved children's learning and well-being.  Staff work closely with parents and other early years settings children attend to make sure that they share information regularly. This fully supports consistency in children's care and development and helps as they move on to the next stage in learning.  The quality of teaching is good. Therefore, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress in their development. They thoroughly enjoy their play and become fully engrossed in their experiences.  An effective key-person system helps children form secure bonds with staff. This promotes their well-being and helps to ensure that they feel happy and safe. Staff give high levels of praise, which strengthens children's confidence and self-esteem.

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This provision is good

 Staff are passionate and enthusiastic about their roles. They respond well to the individual needs of each child, enabling them all to join in with the activities on offer. This successfully supports children's skills and they develop a strong sense of belonging.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always extend children's independent play and learning experiences. For example, they do not provide additional resources to help children explore and learn about the natural world.  Children cannot always freely access all of the stored outdoor toys and resources to support their chosen play.

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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

 extend children's independent learning by providing additional resources that enable them to find out more about the natural world  make all outdoor resources and toys more freely accessible to children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including children's development records and key policies.  The inspector held discussions with parents to seek their views.  The inspector observed activities and the quality of teaching both indoors and outdoors.  The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and held a meeting with the management of the provision.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.

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who attend. This is good

Staff accurately observe, assess and plan for children's individual learning needs. They provide stimulating and exciting activities and experiences that effectively challenge children. Staff value children's input in planning the environment, for example, they change the home corner regularly dependent on the children's interests. Older children practise the letter sounds in their names and also unscramble letters to put them in the correct order to spell their name. This supports their literacy skills and helps those moving on to school. Children show great interest in exploring the variety of technological resources. They wound the handles on the torches and lanterns and looked at the patterns the lights made on the ceiling. This effectively encourages children's understanding of technological resources. Children receive effective support to develop their mathematical skills. They are able to sort items by size, recognise written numbers

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good

Staff consistently offer children clear explanations as to why their behavior may not be appropriate. For example, staff remind children not to run down the steps as they might fall and hurt themselves. Children also talk about their feelings daily which enables them to gain a good understanding of their emotions and those of others. Staff celebrate children's achievements using a rocket launch countdown system. Children show great delight in gaining their rewards, which demonstrates its effectiveness as it promotes their confidence and sense of achievement. Staff make the most of opportunities to support children's awareness of a healthy lifestyle. For example, they talk about why water is healthier than carbonated drinks. Children set up obstacle courses, work together to locate all of the items they need, line up and happily wait their turn. This enables them to take risks in safe surroundings.

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provision is good

The manager assesses gaps in individual children's learning and monitors any trends across different groups, for example, boys and girls. Staff are able to highlight any individual gaps in children's learning and efficiently plan to reduce these gaps quickly. The manager continually evaluates through creating well-targeted action plans. She seeks parent's views and staff highlight the strengths of the setting and their practice and provide any ideas for improvement. Staff have a clear knowledge of child protection procedures and how to report any concerns they may have. This effectively safeguards children. The manager regularly observes and assesses staff performance through appraisals and individual meetings. Staff have good opportunities to attend training and develop their skills. For example, a course on planning for the environment has inspired staff with ideas to increase children's enjoyment of literacy and reading in the outdoor

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Setting details

Unique reference number 113450 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 839860 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 56 Name of provider Cowfold Pre-School Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 26 January 2011 Telephone number 01403 864011

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Setting details

Country Mice Nursery registered at its current site in 1992. It operates from a purpose- built room with an enclosed outdoor play area adjacent to St Peter's Primary School in Cowfold, near Horsham, West Sussex. The nursery operates Monday to Friday from 9am until 12 noon and from 12 noon until 3pm, during term time only. The nursery also offers breakfast and after school sessions from 7.30am until 9am and from 3pm until 5.30pm, catering for working parents and children at the adjacent school. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free education for children aged two, three and four years. There are eight staff and five hold an appropriate early years qualification. This includes the supervisor who holds 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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