Countryways Nursery

The Learning Lodge For Little Explorers Aldershaw Farm, Kent Street, Sedlescombe, East Sussex, TN33 0SD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 August 2016 10 September 2012

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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 Outstanding 1

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This provision is good

 Staff successfully identify children's learning priorities and show good teaching skills. For example, staff let children lead the play and sensitively intervene to extend their thinking and learning. Children make good progress in relation to their starting points.  Staff provide a good range of opportunities for children to develop their early reading and speaking skills. For example, staff have used ideas from their training to create a cosy loft area where children spend time chatting and looking at books.  Children benefit from a highly stimulating learning environment. For example, they take part in an extensive range of enjoyable learning experiences around the farm.  Staff support healthy lifestyles extremely well and children have an excellent understanding of healthy eating. For example, parents comment that children come home and tell them what is healthy food and what is not.  The manager is very reflective and committed to continual improvement. For example,

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This provision is good

she involves staff and children in decision making and values their ideas.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff are not consistently making the most of opportunities to build on children's already strong creative skills.  Children do not consistently have opportunities to use their home languages in the setting.

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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

 extend the already wide variety of art and craft activities to include more opportunities for those children who prefer to be creative outdoors  provide further opportunities for children to use their home languages in their play and learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's activities indoors and in the outdoor area.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents on the day of the inspection, including their written feedback.  The inspector held meetings with staff and the manager.  The inspector sampled children's learning records and other relevant documentation, including the setting's improvement plan.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a good understanding of what to do if they have a child protection concern and they supervise children closely. The manager implements thorough recruitment procedures and is committed to improving staff's skills. The manager monitors teaching and learning consistently and makes sure every child is achieving. Staff work effectively in partnership with parents and agencies to meet children's individual needs and narrow gaps in learning. The manager evaluates practices effectively and identifies ways to improve children's experiences further. For example, staff are creating more challenging opportunities for children to build on their good physical skills. Since the previous inspection, children now enjoy a wider range of opportunities that help increase their early writing skills.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff observe children's progress consistently. They know children well and carefully tailor activities to meet their individual needs. Children thoroughly enjoy exploring and investigating different materials, such as oats and pasta. Staff teach children new skills as well as building on what they already know. For example, staff make good use of questioning to extend children's already strong language skills. Children confidently hold conversations with adults about their experiences and recall stories they have read. Young children develop good communication skills, for example, when they repeat words and sentences that staff say.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children show high levels of security and emotional well-being. They behave extremely well and build excellent relationships with others. For instance, older children show an exceptional awareness of the need to care for their younger friends. Children are extremely confident, independent and highly motivated. For example, during the inspection, a group of younger children persevered and worked exceptionally well together at a chosen task. They carefully filled and carried their watering cans to the water-pipe play area. They worked out that they needed to get the leaves out of the funnel to enable the water to flow down the pipes. They attempted it themselves but knew when they needed to ask for adult help.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children develop well in the skills they need to move successfully on to school. They join in enthusiastically with activities. Children show a lively curiosity and interest in the world around them. They manage their personal needs well, such as dressing themselves. Children help adults with tasks, such as sweeping up leaves in the outdoor area. Children develop strong mathematical skills; for example, they count during everyday activities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY399786 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 1058910 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 17 Number of children on roll 19 Name of registered person Lynne Margaret Fenwick

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 10 September 2012 Telephone number 07745 234 284

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reference number

The Learning Lodge for Little Explorers registered in 2009. It operates from a converted part of a farm house in Sedlescombe, East Sussex. The nursery opens on Monday to Thursday from 8.15am to 5.30pm, for 49 weeks of the year. The provider is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The provider employs five staff. Of these, three staff hold childcare qualifications at level 3 and one holds a relevant qualification at level 2.

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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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