Sowerby Nursery School

Sowerby Nursery School The Portacabin, Sowerby County Primary School, Topcliffe Road, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 1RX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 2 July 2015 11 January 2012

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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:

 The manager has not ensured that all staff are fully aware of the procedures to follow if an allegation is made against a member of staff.  The manager has not provided the named deputy with all the relevant skills and information she requires, in the event of the manager being absent. As a result, the deputy is not fully aware of various aspects of the management of the nursery.  Not all records required for the safe and efficient management of the nursery are easily accessible and available for inspection.  Staff are not effectively using their observations to plan age-appropriate and challenging activities to support individual children's next steps and interests.  Staff miss opportunities to extend and challenge children's thinking during activities.  Children do not always have access to writing materials in the indoor and outdoor areas, to help them extend and develop their early writing skills.

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It has the following strengths

 The children are happy in this friendly nursery, and form close bonds with warm and caring staff. Children have confident attitudes and clearly feel safe and secure.  Children are prepared well for the move to school because of the good arrangements and strong links with the local schools. Staff liaise frequently with teachers, and children make regular visits into the schools.  The well-qualified staff teach the children about sharing and taking turns. As a result, children behave well and develop good self-esteem.  Effective partnerships with parents ensure that children are well supported to achieve as well as they can. Parents value the quality of education and care provided.

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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 all staff are fully aware of the procedure to follow if allegations are made against a staff member  ensure that the named deputy has all the skills and knowledge to take charge in the manager's absence  ensure all documentation is readily available for inspection, specifically a record of any complaints and outcomes  use observations of children's achievements and interests to plan and provide challenging and purposeful activities which support their individual needs and next steps in learning.

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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

 use purposeful discussion and questions to provide children with more opportunities to think about and share their own ideas  make a wider range of writing resources accessible to children, to enable them to practise their early writing skills spontaneously during indoor and outdoor activities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children and staff during a range of activities in the indoor and outdoor areas.  The inspector looked at a sample of policies, children's learning records and planning documentation.  The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection, and held a meeting with the deputy manager.  The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of the staff with the deputy manager.

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who attend. This requires improvement

Staff provide a selection of resources and activities in the room and the outdoor environment, so that children have opportunities to make their own choices in play. As a result, children are motivated, enthusiastic and confident learners. However, children have fewer opportunities to make marks as they play and the writing area has only a couple of felt-tip pens for the children to use. As a result, their early writing skills are not fully promoted. Staff support children's communication and language development. However, there are some weakness in the quality of teaching. Staff miss opportunities to extend children's learning and support them to develop their own ideas through the use of purposeful discussions and questions. Staff regularly observe children and this means they have a sufficient understanding of their abilities and likes. However, when planning for children's individual next steps in learning, staff do not always make effective use of their

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who attend. This requires improvement

observations and assessments to plan challenging and exciting activities. Overall, children are prepared for the move to school.

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requires improvement

Key persons support children well when they first start at the setting and with the move to school. This ensures that positive relationships are maintained between staff and children, which supports children's emotional well-being. Staff work closely with parents to obtain detailed information from them about their child. This promotes strong partnerships with parents. In addition, staff teach children suitable care practices, such as preparing to go outside and serving their own snack, so that they become confident and independent. Children's good health and physical skills are supported well. They enjoy daily outdoor play where they get plenty of fresh air and exercise.

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provision requires improvement

The manager has not fully implemented all of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; specifically, when the manager is absent from the nursery, as on the day of inspection, she has not ensured that her deputy has the skills and knowledge required to take charge. The deputy manager discussed how supervisions are in place to improve practice. However, she was unable to discuss this further as it is something she does not complete. In addition, she knows that self-evaluation is completed but is unaware of the improvements the nursery wishes to make. On the day of inspection, required documentation was not available for the inspector to view, such as the complaints log and any outcomes of complaints. Staff understand how to safeguard children and how to keep the environment safe and secure. However, some staff are unsure of the procedure to follow or where to find the relevant information if an allegation

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provision requires improvement

is made against a member of staff or if they have a concern. The well-qualified team complete the required training, such as paediatric first aid, which has a positive impact on children's care.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 400369 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 868869 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 55 Name of provider Sowerby Nursery School Committee Date of previous inspection 11 January 2012 Telephone number 01845 527321

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Setting details

Sowerby Nursery School was registered in 1992 and operates from a portacabin in the grounds of Sowerby Community Primary school, near Thirsk. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 8.45am to 11.45 m and from 12.45pm to 3.45pm, during term time only. The nursery employs six members of childcare staff, five of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above.

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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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