The Sandcastle Nursery

The Sandcastle Nursery The Sandcastle Nursery, Lane End Road, HIGH WYCOMBE, Buckinghamshire, HP12 4JF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11 August 2015 17 October 2011

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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

 Overall, the quality of teaching is good. Staff observe children and use this information to plan activities that meet their needs well. This ensures children make good progress and gain the skills they need for a successful move to school when the time comes.  Parents are delighted with the care and education their children receive. They feel well informed about their children's progress and value the support staff offer to enable them to continue this learning at home.  The owner and manager ensure all staff share their understanding about how to safeguard children. All staff take sensible steps to keep children safe and know what to do if concerned about a child's welfare.  Children develop trusting and happy relationships with the staff that look after them. This promotes a sense of security and has a positive impact on their well-being.  The managers organise a comprehensive range of training opportunities for all staff.

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This provision is good

This helps to ensure staff's knowledge and skills remain up-to-date and enables them to continue to meet the needs of all children well.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 On occasion, the opportunities for children to engage in freely-chosen play experiences indoors are more limited compared to those which are adult-led, and staff do not always make the most of these to extend children's learning as fully as possible.  Staff do not always effectively manage routine times for older children. For example, when older children are sleeping or resting, there are fewer activities on offer for the other children, including those arriving for the afternoon, to use.

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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

 review and improve the opportunities for children to engage in freely-chosen play, particularly indoors, to improve further the outcomes for all children  develop how daily routine times are consistently used to help build on older children's learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children and staff both indoors and outdoors.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the provider.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.  The inspector spoke with staff about their understanding of safeguarding, child protection and first aid.  The inspector sampled documentation, including policies, children's records and staff's qualifications.

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who attend. This is good

Staff know the children well and consider their interests and stages of development when organising activities. Those caring for babies and very young children ensure there are lots of opportunities for them to crawl and explore. They make good use of opportunities to introduce new language and teach new skills. For example, staff encourage children to name items they find together in the sand, and teach children how to scoop and dig. Toddlers learn to play cooperatively when playing listening games. Older children learn about weight and measurement when transporting sand and water outside. Staff value the importance of developing children's communication and literacy skills. They encourage parents to borrow books to continue this learning at home. On occasion, children's learning is interrupted; for example, staff ask older children to go and wash their hands ready for mealtimes when they are in the middle of listening to a story.

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good

Children's care needs are well met. Staff ensure the nursery is clean, safe and welcoming. They check for hazards and take the necessary steps to minimise risks. They ensure all children are well prepared when they move to new rooms within the nursery, and allow children to make frequent, short visits to get to know staff. As a result, these moves are managed extremely well and children continue to feel happy and confident. All children learn about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. They have daily opportunities to play in the fresh air and meals are nutritious and appetising. Children's learning is furthered because they plant and harvest vegetables to be used by the cook. Staff looking after the youngest children play close attention to their routines from home and follow them at nursery to provide continuity and a sense of security.

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provision is good

The manager and owner understand the responsibilities of their roles and fulfil them well. They regularly review all aspects of the provision and consider how they can further improve what they do. For example, they have made significant improvements to the outdoor area since the last inspection. Children now have lots of opportunities to play imaginatively and to make choices about what they would like to do when outdoors. This demonstrates a good capacity for further improvement. Managers are currently considering how they can improve further the opportunities for children to explore their creativity. They ensure all staff have opportunities to reflect on their practice. They organise their team to ensure that more highly qualified staff can share their skills with colleagues, which helps ensure good standards are maintained.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY427490 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 822754 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 80 Number of children on roll 121 Name of provider Sandcastle Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 17 October 2011 Telephone number 01494 474848

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Setting details

The Sandcastle Nursery registered in 2011. It is situated in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The nursery operates from Monday to Friday throughout the year, with the exception of a week at Christmas and bank holidays. It is open from 8am until 6pm. It receives funding to provide free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 32 members of staff who work directly with the children. Of these, 24 hold relevant childcare qualifications between level 2 and level 6, including two members of staff who hold Early Years Professional 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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