Elm Cottage Day Nursery and Out of School

Elm Cottage Nursery at Thorngrove Primary School Thorn Grove Primary School, Woodstock Avenue, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, Cheshire, SK8 7LD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 7 December 2015 4 July 2011

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 Staff are passionate about their role and the provision of high-quality care and learning. Effective self-evaluation takes into account the views of staff, parents and children to help make sure that the nursery is continually evolving.  Children's behaviour is particularly good. Staff promote their confidence and self- esteem through ongoing praise and encouragement.  Highly qualified staff use an effective system of observational assessment to plan activities that are relevant to children's interests and learning needs. Staff support older children in the acquisition of useful key skills, such as early writing, which helps to prepare them for school.  Staff have very good partnerships with parents. They share information which allows parents to extend children's learning at home. Staff liaise closely with parents to help ensure that all children make good progress given their starting points.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The arrangements for staff to identify how their teaching skills could be improved are not always fully effective. As a result, on occasion, the quality of teaching in the Big Bears room is not as consistently high as in other areas of the nursery.  At times, staff do not give children sufficient time to express their thoughts and ideas, or to develop their imagination and critical-thinking skills.

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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

 refine the monitoring of teaching practice and give staff more opportunity to reflect on and improve their teaching  give children more time to think and to develop their imagination and critical-thinking skills to a higher level.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held meetings with the manager and spoke with staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation, such as the nursery's self- evaluation, children's assessment records and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector took account of the spoken and written views of parents.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Staff are strongly committed to developing a high-quality provision for all and, as a result, self-evaluation is robust. Effective systems are implemented to inform priorities for improvement and are used to set targets for the future. The manager has a good understanding of how to implement the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All required records, policies and procedures are in place to safeguard children. Arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff know how to identify any concerns and report these to the relevant agencies. Staff are enthusiastic and the manager fosters this through supervision and support with training. Parents comment that they are very happy with the service the nursery provides. The nursery has developed good links with local schools and other providers to help ensure a consistent approach to children's care and development.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Children enjoy a well-resourced environment, both indoors and outside. A key strength is the interesting range of activities on offer which captures children's imagination. Children show good levels of concentration and they quickly settle into activities that spark their interest. Staff place a clear focus on supporting children's communication skills. They use songs, books and discussion time well to provide opportunities for children to speak and increase their vocabulary. Staff effectively observe and assess children's learning. They use this information to plan for children's development and they track and monitor their learning well. Teaching is good and staff know the children particularly well as individuals. Children are making good progress in their communication and language skills.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children and parents are warmly welcomed by all staff at the start of each session. They take time to engage with each child and their parents individually, ensuring that children receive the reassurance they need to settle into nursery. Staff have a good understanding of the individual needs of their key children. This helps children to form strong attachments and relationships. Children make choices about their play. They move independently from one activity to the next, showing good levels of confidence. They benefit from daily opportunities for outdoor play. Staff encourage healthy lifestyles. All children look after themselves confidently at mealtimes and older children show good levels of personal independence. Staff encourage children to explore differences between what they and others know and have experienced. Staff are good role models. They are deployed well, use consistently applied strategies and provide clear guidance for children

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

about acceptable behaviour. Children are settled and happy in their play and behave well.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children are progressing well in their learning and development. Children are active learners and are acquiring the skills they need for their future learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY300705 Local authority Stockport Inspection number 848875 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 1 - 4 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 61 Name of provider Elm Cottage Limited Date of previous inspection 4 July 2011 Telephone number 0161 485 7681 * 0161 786 9007

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Setting details

Elm Cottage Nursery at Thorngrove Primary School was registered in 2005. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications at degree level and 10 hold level 2 or 3 qualifications. The nursery is supported by a general manager who is a qualified teacher. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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

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Setting details

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Setting details

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Setting details

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