Wheatlands Educational Nursery

Wheatlands Educational Nursery The Old Village School, Church Street,Goldhanger, MALDON, Essex, CM9 8AS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 July 2016 8 September 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

 The manager and staff team have a clear commitment to improving outcomes for children. The manager and staff proactively seek support from advisors and take prompt action to address areas for development. The qualified staff team works together very well.  Children are motivated and engaged in their play and learning. Staff provide a good range of activities and allow children sufficient time to explore and make independent choices in their play.  Staff make regular observations of children's achievements and use this information to plan activities that link to their next steps in learning. All children make good progress.  Partnerships with parents, external agencies and schools are strong. Children receive very good support, which contributes to meeting their care needs successfully and improving outcomes.  Children's behaviour is good. Staff make sure that children understand what is expected

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This provision is good

of them and encourage children to develop good manners, take turns and share resources.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The management of staff performance is not always as rigorous as it could be to ensure all staff take advantage of the professional development opportunities on offer.  Managers do not make the best use of information about children's learning to help them track the progress of particular groups of 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

 monitor performance management more precisely to encourage all staff to access the training and professional development opportunities on offer to develop their knowledge and skills  strengthen monitoring systems to track the progress of groups of children to identify and target potential gaps and patterns in learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager. 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 selection of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Staff know what to do if they are concerned about children's welfare. They understand their responsibility to protect children. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Overall, the manager uses regular staff meetings and supervision sessions to monitor staff practice well. Partnerships with external early years professionals help to implement new ideas for the benefit of the children. The manager monitors staff's suitability closely and they all attend statutory courses, such as safeguarding and first aid. Parents speak positively of the nursery. Staff invite parents into the setting to discuss their children's progress and parents' positive contributions to children's assessments support learning at home.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff provide children with a rich, stimulating and exciting learning environment, both indoors and outdoors. Staff provide a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated learning, enabling children to make choices about what they wish to do. Resources available to the children are used very well to encourage counting, sorting and problem solving, which they approach with enjoyment and enthusiasm. Staff consistently talk to the children, commenting on what they are doing and asking questions to encourage their thinking and exploration. The garden offers children an extensive range of opportunities to develop their communication and language skills in a unique way. For example, children talk to each other as they make bug houses; they excitedly search around the garden using magnifying glasses looking for caterpillars and other bugs. They make cakes using play dough to sell in the seaside cafe and build in the construction area. Children talk to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

each other and staff in a relaxed and informal manner.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are happy and content; they confidently explore the environment, working and playing together well. Staff teach children about the importance of keeping safe and staying healthy. They provide nutritious snacks and regular drinking water. Children enjoy fresh air and exercise in the outdoor area on a daily basis. Staff get to know children and their families very well and build strong relationships with them from the start. All care routines are agreed with parents and a positive approach to healthy practices is maintained. Staff deploy themselves effectively and supervise children closely at all times.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children make consistently good progress in their learning and development. Children are becoming confident and active individuals who enjoy learning. Older children are engaged in activities that support them in recognising letters and hearing sounds in words. This helps support and extend children's language, thinking and literacy skills and prepares them in readiness for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 402052 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1026868 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 14 Name of registered person Cherry Ann Hood

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 8 September 2015 Telephone number 01621 788777

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reference number

Wheatlands Educational Nursery was registered in 1994. The nursery employs six members of childcare staff. All hold appropriate early years qualifications. Five staff have an early years qualification at level 3 and one member of staff has a qualification at level 2. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, during school term times. Opening times are from 9.15am until 3.15pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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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