The Leighs Nursery Group

The Leighs Nursery Group Great Leighs Village Hall, Boreham Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 1PP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20 January 2016 23 March 2011

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Children play in a highly stimulating learning environment. Children practise their balancing and develop their concentration when walking on the wavy balancing beam. They develop coordination while bouncing on the small trampoline.  Staff have built exceptional partnerships with parents. Parents are extremely happy with the care and learning provided. They are fully involved in their children's learning and are well informed of their children's progress. Parents are provided with guidance and ideas on how to support their children's learning at home.  The well-qualified staff provide an abundance of exciting and challenging activities for children. They become rapidly engaged and are enthusiastic in exploring and investigating in meticulously planned activities that meet their individual needs.  The management team is very enthusiastic and dedicated in their drive for improvement. Through self-evaluation and reflection they seek ways to improve

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This provision is outstanding

children's learning experiences.  The nursery works exceptionally well with other professionals to promote children's specialised individual support that is needed to close identified gaps in learning and development.  There is a strong focus on supporting children's language and communication development. Staff regularly use sign language along with spoken language to communicate with children. Children eagerly and confidently join in with an interactive story session and action songs.  The management gathers the views of parents, children and staff and incorporate their contributions when setting new targets and implementing changes.

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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

 continue to sharpen the assessments of the impact of the quality of teaching on maintaining the highest levels of achievement for all children.

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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 nursery manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery managers. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the nursery's self-evaluation, children's learning journeys and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to a selection of parents and children during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are very knowledgeable and know the signs and symptoms to be aware of that would raise a concern about a child's safety or welfare. The nursery has a robust system of vetting, recruitment and induction in place for staff which promotes children's safety and well-being. Staff benefit from precise supervision and evaluative observations of their practice. Focused training supports the excellent quality of teaching provided and enables well-qualified staff to further enhance their own learning and development. Staff have an excellent understanding about how children learn and develop. The management team rigorously monitors the way in which staff complete children's assessments. They also check on the achievements and progress of each child. They are keen to use the information from these processes even more effectively, in order to analyse the impact of the teaching on children's outcomes.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Children have many opportunities to practise forming letters and to extend their early writing skills in a meaningful way in their play. They write out appointment cards in the hairdresser's role-play area. Children are encouraged to write their own name at all opportunities. Their next steps in learning are precisely identified through the robust system of observation, assessment and planning. Staff use opportunities to develop children's mathematical knowledge of adding and subtracting through their play with bricks while building towers. Staff continually differentiate activities and skilfully extend them for older children and simplify them for younger children when needed. This ensures that all children contribute fully during activities and are challenged very effectively.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children gain an excellent understanding of nature. They have many and varied experiences with Gary, the nursery snail. Children learn what environment he likes to live in by exploring different textures for him, including sand and soil. They explore what he can eat and drink and discuss what food and drink keeps them healthy too. Children are confident to hold Gary and enjoy the fact that he holds onto a piece of cucumber that he is eating when lifted up. They explore his spiral shape and draw their own snail pictures. Children's behaviour is excellent and they develop close relationships with others. Staff value each child's views and ideas. These are incorporated into the weekly plan of activities. Staff praise and encourage the children, which builds their self-esteem and confidence. Children learn to respect each other's differences through activities and books they read. They learn the benefits of keeping healthy during their snack time. They recall

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

a visit to the dentist and the importance of brushing their teeth.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children, including those who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs, make exceptional progress from their starting points. Children's gaps in learning are swiftly identified and, with targeted support, they make rapid progress. Children are extremely well prepared for their next stage in learning and for the move on to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 402153 Local authority Essex Inspection number 847896 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 67 Name of provider Carol Overee Date of previous inspection 23 March 2011 Telephone number 07751024351

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Setting details

The Leighs Nursery Group was registered in 1992. The nursery employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including one with Qualified Teacher Status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 8.50am until 11.50am and from 12 noon to 3pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language, disabled children and those with special educational needs.

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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

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Setting details

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