Clarence House Cambridge

Clarence House Cambridge Old Church Hall, Green End Road, Cambridge, Cambs, CB4 1RW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20 April 2016 27 October 2015

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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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

 Leaders and managers have worked hard to increase staff's knowledge and skills. Standards of teaching and staff deployment are vastly improved. Staff morale is high.  Staff and children have very good relationships. Children are confident to ask for help and are well behaved. Staff handle children's occasional disputes with confidence, encouraging them to share and take turns.  Sensory play for babies and younger children is given a high priority. They discover and explore a broad range of interesting materials, which helps to develop their inquisitive natures.  Staff support children's language development effectively. They have enjoyable, two- way conversations with children and encourage them to voice their ideas and opinions.  The partnerships with parents are increasingly good. Parents are invited into the nursery to share in children's experiences. They are well informed about their children's

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The arrangements for staff supervision, mentoring and support are not yet sharply focused on enhancing the quality of teaching to the highest level.  Although children spend a good deal of time in the nursery garden, this does not yet offer those children who prefer to learn outdoors experiences that cover all the areas of learning.

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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

 focus staff supervision, mentoring and support more precisely on enhancing staff teaching skills to an even higher level  extend the development opportunities in the outdoor areas so that children who prefer outdoor learning have enjoyable experiences across all the areas of learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching and spoke to staff about how they plan for children's progress.  The inspector looked at the premises and the resources available to children.  A range of documentation was looked at, including staff suitability and training, some policies and procedures and children's records.  The inspector discussed safeguarding arrangements and safeguarding training with staff and managers.  Discussions were held with a number of parents and their views and comments were taken into account.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Since the last inspection, a new, highly qualified management team has been recruited. They work closely with staff to evaluate the quality of the provision and make beneficial improvements. For example, they have strengthened risk assessments to help to ensure children play safely outdoors. Staff benefit from the positive encouragement from their managers. Their confidence in their teaching skills has grown, helping them to support children effectively. Parents' views are gathered to help the managers prioritise further improvements. Arrangements for safeguarding are effective. There are secure systems for staff recruitment and induction. Staff attend child protection training and understand the procedures that help to keep children safe from abuse or neglect.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

In spite of changes, staff know children well. They plan the next steps in learning using children's interests and abilities. Children's development is assessed regularly to ensure any delay in learning is seen and addressed. Children enjoy their learning. They spend long periods engrossed in play. For example, they experiment with mixing food colouring into water. Staff encourage them to describe what they see and consider what happens when the different colours mix. Children learn about mathematical concepts as they count out vegetable seeds and compare the sizes of plants. Staff work expertly with children who speak English as an additional language and support their growing skills in English well. They learn key words to reassure younger children and have visual cards and labels to help older children communicate easily.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff are caring and attentive to children's needs. They work closely with parents to settle children into the nursery. Babies develop secure emotional attachments to staff and are happy and content. Staff care for them well, play with them and provide interesting activities, such as mixing sand and water. Children learn to behave well because staff offer good role models. Sharing games and carrying out practical tasks help children to develop their understanding of taking turns and working with others. Children eat healthily and spend long periods in the garden, benefiting from fresh air and exercise. They enjoy sociable mealtimes where they sit with staff, relax and talk about their day. Staff help children to plant tomatoes and strawberries in the garden, so they can see where some foods come from.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children become confident communicators. They develop their independence through choosing their own activities and taking responsibility for their care needs. Children develop their imaginations well. They enjoy dressing up and taking part in pretend play. Children learn the value of writing as they undertake practical writing tasks, such as ticking off the safety checklist. Staff have good links with the local schools and actively prepare older children for their move on to school. For example, they invite teachers to visit and read stories to children about school life.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY478404 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 1031809 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 0 - 5 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 60 Name of provider Clarence House Day Nurseries Ltd Date of previous inspection 27 October 2015 Telephone number 01223778383

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Setting details

Clarence House Cambridge was registered in 2014 and is privately owned. The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds qualified teacher status and two hold early years professional status. Two staff are unqualified, and the rest hold qualifications at level 2 or 3. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.15pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. There are children who speak English as an additional language on roll.

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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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