St Thomas Nursery

St Thomas Nursery Wade Centre, The Avenue, Kidsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST7 1AG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 April 2016 19 September 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

 The committee and management team show real drive in ensuring the best possible care and education is provided. Since the last inspection, major changes to the building have provided purpose-built facilities for children. Training and self-reflection is seen as key to developing excellence in teaching.  Children are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their learning in school. Staff use every opportunity to extend their learning. Children have an exceptional variety of experiences which support all areas of learning. Excellent communication with parents ensures they too can build on these activities and extend children's learning at home.  The quality of interaction between staff and children is exceptional. The dynamic delivery of learning by staff keeps all children captivated and fully focused at group times. It also encourages them to be totally engaged and active participants in

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This provision is outstanding

learning. They are making excellent progress in developing their positive attitude to learning and in their literacy and numeracy skills.  The staff have excellent records of children's abilities and actively use these assessments as a basis for the meticulous planning of activities. Children's progress is carefully reviewed by key persons and the manager to ensure all children, including those who are exceeding expectations, are encouraged to make maximum progress.  High numbers of children with physical disabilities have been cared for. Staff meet their physical needs while ensuring their learning experiences are extremely beneficial. They ensure children are assessed for any additional help and have funding for extra support in place well before they transfer to school.  The nursery is seen as a centre of excellence in the local community. Staff are keen to support others and share their expertise. A number of teaching staff have visited from

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This provision is outstanding

local schools for support in planning their provision for two-year-old children.

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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 the implementation of planned changes to the outdoor area and evaluate the impact on children's learning.

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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 manager and committee chairperson. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the nursery's self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to a small selection of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The managers and staff put a strong emphasis on regularly checking the quality of teaching. This means that improvements are constantly being made to enhance children's learning. Staff keep excellent records and detailed summaries of children's progress. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Robust systems ensure staff's suitability is checked when they are recruited and on a continuous basis. All staff have a good understanding of what would constitute a safeguarding concern, and specific training has been undertaken to develop staff skills in safeguarding disabled children. Staff are strongly encouraged to undertake training and qualifications, for example, they have completed letters and sounds training, and courses on getting children ready to read and on meeting the needs of boys. Staff are confident in working with a range of professionals to agree plans to meet the needs of children who have special educational needs or disability.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff make every second count and learning is woven into all activities regardless of children's ages. Staff display innovative teaching styles and present learning opportunities extremely well. Immensely animated staff role model active listening and answering questions. The way staff pose questions and the tone of their voice, gives the impression that children and adults are on a learning journey together. Children want to offer their opinion. When staff joke, 'None of you will guess this one!', children chorus back, 'Yes we will!' Toddler room staff ensure younger children have appropriate challenges which stretch them.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children understand about the rules of the group and are very kind to their friends. They receive lots of praise from staff and are encouraged to clap in praise of each other. Routines also promote successful learning. Objects on the snack table provide talking points to encourage conversations during meals. Children are very independent and show immense pride when they undertake special roles, such as preparing the table for snack time. They have a deep understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe and healthy. For example, children understand that it is important to tuck chairs under the table or hang up coats, so children using walking frames can move around the building safely. Children have a range of trips out, including to a local woodland. Staff have yet to evaluate their plans to develop the outside play space further to provide more opportunities for children to take risk and have adventures on site.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children are making rapid progress and have a thirst for learning. Their level of concentration at group times is exceptional. Mathematics and literacy sessions are planned each day. Children are making rapid progress in both subjects. They are developing confidence in the early skills they need for reading. Children confidently identify letter sounds and pre-school children blend words and start to use easy reading books. They have very good general knowledge and develop very good thinking skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 218244 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 854487 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 60 Number of children on roll 93 Name of provider St Thomas Nursery Committee Date of previous inspection 19 September 2011 Telephone number 01782 788061

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Setting details

St Thomas Nursery registered in 1993. The nursery employs 12 members of childcare staff. All of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications, two at Level 6, one at Level 4, eight at Level 3 and one at Level 2. The nursery is open Monday to Friday during school term times. Sessions are from 8.30am to 11.30am and from 12.30pm to 3pm, with a lunch club offered to children to bridge the gap between sessions. 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

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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