Lewes Clock Tower Nursery

Lewes Clock Tower Nursery Sussex Downs College, Mountfield Road, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2XH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11 May 2016 11 February 2013

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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 work well with parents, and information about children's progress is shared regularly. This helps to involve parents in their children's learning.  There are effective links with other professionals and schools. This helps to provide continuity in children's care, learning and development, and support them when they move between settings and on to school.  Children are happy, confident and independent. They have good relationships with staff, which helps to support their emotional well-being.  Children make good progress. The manager completes regular monitoring of their progress to identify their achievements and any gaps in their learning. This helps staff to provide activities and learning experiences to meet children's individual needs.  Children have a range of opportunities to find out about the differences between themselves and others. For example, parents come into the nursery to share their

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This provision is good

cultures, clothes and traditional food with the children.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always provide the younger children with a wide range of opportunities to freely explore different materials and extend their creativity.  Children are not always given enough time to think about their ideas and solve problems for themselves before staff ask further questions.

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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

 strengthen the range of opportunities for children to develop their creativity  build further on the use of careful questioning to extend children's interests and problem-solving skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities both indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on the children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector spoke to children and staff.  The inspector met with the manager and the nominated person, and sampled a range of documents, such as staff suitability checks and children's learning records.  The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager involves parents, staff and professionals from the college to help evaluate and review practice. For example, different areas were created in the garden to encourage children's learning further, particularly for those who prefer to be outside. Staff have regular opportunities to meet with the manager for individual training, support and coaching. This helps to develop staff's skills and practice, which raises outcomes for children. Safeguarding is effective. All staff have a good knowledge of safeguarding matters and know the procedures to follow to keep children safe from harm.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff have a good understanding of child development and how children learn through play. They use their observations and assessments to identify children's current skills and abilities and plan relevant learning experiences to help them make progress. Staff make good use of additional funding to target gaps in children's learning. For example, special window-marker pens were purchased to encourage children, particularly boys, to practise their early writing skills. Staff use all opportunities to count and use mathematical language, including measuring fruit at snack time. They provide parents with detailed information about children's progress and share ways with them to extend learning at home.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children behave well, and learn to take turns, share and consider each other's feelings and views. They have many opportunities to play outside and learn about the world around them. For example, they grow and eat vegetables and smell the different herbs grown in the garden. Staff encourage children to explore using their senses further. For example, they cut up different herbs and put them in the sand. Children are independent and serve themselves at snack times. They have confidence in leading their own play; for example, they mix resources, such as sand and paint to create pretend soup.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress in relation to their starting points. They know how to behave and have good social skills. For example, they talk to each other, negotiate different roles in their play and share their thoughts and ideas freely with staff. Children freely access a wide range of tools and equipment that support their physical skills. For example, they enjoy using croquet hammers to hit footballs through tunnels and manoeuvre wheelbarrows around stepping stones in the garden. Children gain a broad range of skills to support the next stage in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY283084 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 1027871 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 - 5 Total number of places 15 Number of children on roll 18 Name of provider Sussex Downs College Date of previous inspection 11 February 2013 Telephone number 0303 003 8299

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Setting details

Lewes Clock Tower Nursery registered in 1994. The nursery operates from a self- contained unit within Sussex Downs College in Lewes, East Sussex. The nursery opens on Monday to Thursday from 8.30am to 5.15pm and on Friday from 8.30am to 5.00pm, during term time only. The five staff have appropriate early years training and qualifications. The nursery receives funding to provide free early 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

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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