Squirrels Nurseries (Welwyn)

Squirrels Nurseries (Welwyn) Oak Tree Children's Centre, Holwell Road, WELWYN GARDEN CITY, Hertfordshire, AL7 3RP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26 May 2016 21 September 2010

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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

 Leadership is inspirational. The management team shows a strong focus and passionate drive to provide excellent care and inspirational learning for children. Staff are highly motivated and work exceptionally well together, creating a secure, safe and wonderful learning environment for children.  The nursery provides a rich and vibrant learning environment where the children are highly stimulated. Varied and imaginative play experiences for children, especially outdoors, are delivered by staff who have an excellent understanding of how children learn.  Partnerships with parents are exceptional and are a particular strength at the setting. The nursery entirely values parents as partners and places the highest priority on working closely with all parents. Highly effective strategies ensure parents are fully engaged in their child's learning and development.  Children who have special educational needs and those who speak English as an

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This provision is outstanding

additional language are supported extremely well. Staff work closely with parents and outside agencies to ensure that all children's individual needs are highly effectively met.  All staff are highly skilled and sensitive in helping children form secure emotional attachments and provide an exceptionally strong base for children's developing independence and exploration. As a result, children flourish and make excellent progress in their learning and development according to their starting points and capabilities.

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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 raise the knowledge and skills of staff to an even higher level, enhancing children's experiences and providing inspiration to others.

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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 carried out joint observations with the nursery manager and held a meeting with the manager and deputy manager.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning and a range of other documents, including evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and of the nursery's self-evaluation form.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Management and staff have an excellent understanding of the learning and development requirements. Staff have high expectations and are motivated exceptionally well by the manager. There is a comprehensive and ongoing programme for staff development that underpins the excellent educational programme on offer. It covers all aspects of practice and leaders are seeking to build on this, in order to continue to raise the knowledge and skills of staff to an even higher level. Monitoring of children's learning and development is accurate and precise and meticulously tracks the progress of both individual children and groups of children. Any gaps in learning are then swiftly identified and addressed. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Robust policies and procedures are in place, including those for the safe recruitment of staff. The nursery forms very successful links with local schools, in order to support children's future move to school. Comprehensive

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

self-evaluation processes actively contribute to sustaining the highly effective provision and the outstanding service they provide.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff guide learning exceptionally well with outstanding teaching strategies, precise assessments and planning for individual children. Staff successfully support and promote children's development and have high expectations of what children can accomplish. There is an extremely strong focus on activities that promote investigation, exploration and experimentation, especially outdoors, with children using all of their senses. Younger children are extremely curious learners as staff playfully develop their liking for messy play. Outdoors, children initiate a treasure hunt and highly skilled staff make good use of this opportunity to use rich descriptive language and introduce new vocabulary in context. This is one of the many ways that staff support older children's high-quality communication skills.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children are exceptionally happy. They thrive in the extremely welcoming environment and quickly settle at activities. Their personal, social and emotional needs are exceedingly well met. Staff are highly skilled and ensure all children are helped to learn to the best of their ability. Children's independence is extremely well promoted from an early age and they follow good hygiene routines. Behaviour is excellent and all staff are positive role models. Their calm approach ensures that children feel highly valued. While outdoors, staff are deployed effectively to skilfully supervise children so they are safe, but also encourage them to reasonable take risks and be adventurous in their play. As a result of the exceptional care offered by staff, children learn independence skills which will support and promote their future learning and eventual move to school.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children make consistently high rates of progress in relation to their starting points and are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their education. Children are highly motivated and very eager to join in. They consistently demonstrate a strong drive towards developing positive attitudes to active learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY276945 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 848619 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 86 Number of children on roll 142 Name of registered person Squirrels Day Nurseries (Welwyn)

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 21 September 2010 Telephone number 01707 391797

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reference number

Squirrels Nurseries (Welwyn) was registered in 2003. The nursery employs 22 members of childcare staff. Of these, 14 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and three staff are qualified at level 6, including one with early years professional status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday for 48 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children with special educational needs and children who speak English as an additional language.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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

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