Hester Way Children Centre Nursery

Hester Way Children Centre Nursery Hester Way Children Centre, Dill Avenue, Cheltenham, GL51 0ES

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10 March 2016 Not applicable

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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

 There is inspirational leadership of the nursery. The successful and well-documented drive to improve children's achievements demonstrates the aim for excellence in all aspects of practice. Children make outstanding progress.  Staff teaching is inspirational, well informed and effective. Staff spend time observing what the children can do and analyse this information well to identify children's next steps in their learning. Assessments are sharply focused to inform planning.  Settling-in procedures are highly robust. Children make strong attachments to staff and settle quickly. Children are very well supported as they move through the nursery and on to school.  Partnerships with parents and other professionals are exemplary. There is excellent support for disabled children and those who have special educational needs. The individual attention that children receive is exceptional.  Highly experienced and qualified staff act as mentors and provide excellent role models

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This provision is outstanding

to students, and to new and existing staff. This has a positive impact on staff practice and the quality of interactions to support children's learning.  Parents speak highly of the dedicated, nurturing and caring staff. In particular, parents value the home visits and individual support that their children receive.

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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 develop the already high quality of teaching to help children make the best possible progress in their early literacy skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with leaders at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector observed children's activities and staff teaching indoors and outdoors.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the curriculum leader.  The inspector looked at documentation, including a sample of children's records, planning and assessment records, and checked the records of staff suitability checks.  The inspector took account of the views of children, staff and parents spoken to on the day of the inspection, and of the provider's self-evaluation.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. Leaders and staff have an excellent understanding of their responsibility to safeguard children. They ensure that all staff implement highly comprehensive safeguarding policies and safe working practices exceptionally well to support children's health, safety and well-being. There is a meticulous and extensive programme for professional development, which enables consistently outstanding practice through effective coaching and training. For example, leaders are very supportive of staff and encourage them to reach their full potential and take on additional responsibilities within the nursery to develop their self-esteem. Leaders constantly and effectively monitor and revise their techniques in relation to children's progress and interventions where needed. This ensures that gaps are closing for groups of children and those identified as being in need of additional support.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

There is an exceptionally high focus on developing children's social and communication skills for their next steps in their learning. All staff provide excellent, ongoing commentary so that words are matched to the children's actions as they repeat activities, building children's vocabulary well. Staff routinely praise and recap on children's achievements, consistently supporting their understanding with sign language or visual clues. Staff recognise that, occasionally, early literacy skills are slightly less well promoted than early number skills. Children learn to count, compare and estimate well.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Exceptionally caring relationships with their key persons provide a secure base from which children learn and develop independence. Staff provide children with a vast range of exciting and explorative learning experiences indoors and outdoors. Staff continually encourage children to do things for themselves and praise them for trying each time. Staff are highly effective in modelling respectful relationships and valuing children's opinions. The staff team ensures that the diversity of families with children attending the nursery and of the wider community around them is valued and celebrated exceptionally well. Children have an excellent understanding of how to manage risks. For example, they develop excellent balance and coordination as they climb and walk along a fallen tree trunk.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children make rapid progress relative to their starting points. They listen and respond to each other extremely well, take high levels of responsibility, and are independent in preparation for school. Children of all ages make decisions in their learning and staff use skilled teaching to extend their play.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY474920 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 973807 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 2 - 5 Total number of places 88 Number of children on roll 69 Name of provider Gardners Lane And Oakwood Federation Ltd Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01242222490

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Setting details

Hester Way Children Centre Nursery registered in 2014. It is part of Gardners Lane and Oakwood Federation Ltd. The setting operates from a purpose-built building adjoining Hester Way Primary School, Gloucestershire. Sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am and 12.30pm to 3.30pm from Monday to Friday during school terms. The centre is open all year round and offers caf facilities. A team of twelve staff works directly with the children; of these, two have Qualified Teacher Status, one holds Early Years Professional Status, two have relevant qualifications at level 6 and six have relevant qualifications at level 3. The setting is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early years education for children aged two, three and four years.

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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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