Scale Hall Nursery

Scale Hall Nursery 17 Cleveleys Avenue, Lancaster, LA1 5HB

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17 August 2016 Not applicable

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

p.1

This provision is good

 The quality of teaching is consistently strong. The staff team is well qualified and demonstrates an excellent understanding of how children learn. Staff use a wide range of teaching techniques to support, challenge and motivate children. Children make good progress in their learning.  Partnerships with parents are very well established. Parents are kept well informed with regard to their children's progress and are encouraged to share what they know about their children's achievements at home. Staff support continuous learning through the borrowing library and various educational packs for parents to complete at home.  The outdoor play area is particularly well presented and provides children with a wealth of opportunity to explore and extend their learning across all areas. Extremely well- resourced individual play spaces within the garden create vibrant hubs for learning where children remain engaged during their play.

p.1

This provision is good

 Staff place high priority on preparing children both emotionally and developmentally for school. This is embedded from a young age as children are encouraged to be independent at all times. Older children enjoy school-themed activities within the role play classroom outside.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always fully explore all potential partnerships with other early years settings children attend to help achieve a more collaborative approach to children's learning.  Monitoring of children's progress is not consistently rigorous across all groups to gather very precise information and to ensure programmes of support are even more effectively targeted and implemented.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 enhance partnerships with other settings and promote more regular and direct information sharing to provide greater continuity in children's learning  include a greater range of groups when monitoring children's progress to gather even more precise information about the progress children make over time, and use this information to plan and implement targeted support programmes.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact this has on children's learning, both inside and outside.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and held a meeting with the provider, manager and in-house development manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector looked at children's records, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of staff and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The manager ensures staff are vigilant and understand the procedures to protect children's welfare. For example, all staff receive relevant training and are regularly updated via staff meetings. There is good support in place for staff. The system for staff supervision helps to monitor practice and raise the quality of teaching and learning for children. For example, together the manager and staff identify training to support professional development. Self-evaluation includes the views of staff, parents, children and visitors to the setting. Targeted action plans help to drive forward the quality and ongoing improvement of provision. Children with special educational needs are supported well. Targeted programmes of support are swiftly implemented and there is good communication and information sharing between all involved.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff have high expectations of children. They set a good level of challenge and steer learning in different directions, remaining with children's own ideas. For example, children show an interest in a tape measure. A member of staff suggests they measure some nearby items. They talk about the numbers and which ones are greater, supporting good mathematical thinking. The member of staff continues to extend learning as he suggests they measure some other items, encouraging children to think about which ones they think will be the biggest. Children use excellent critical-thinking skills as they predict and test their ideas. Staff regularly assess children's development through good quality observations and plan for their next steps.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children benefit from the small group size and the good support they receive from staff. Staff are kind and caring towards the children and are attentive to their needs, greatly supporting their emotional and physical well-being. This helps children to feel safe and secure in the nursery and have the confidence to explore. Staff are very good role models, helping children to treat each other with respect, share and cooperate during play. Children behave well and show that they understand the rules. Children demonstrate a firm understanding of safety and how to lead healthy lifestyles. For example, during play in the construction area, children talk about how the hard hats protects their heads. As children enjoy play in the sunshine, they talk about why we sweat, showing they understand the effects of the sun our bodies. They go on to talk about drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated.

p.3

Outcomes for children are good

Children are working comfortably within the range of development typical for their age. Those who speak English as an additional language are well supported and develop a very good level of English. Children are confident communicators and use a wide vocabulary. They begin to learn and blend letter sounds in order to read simple words and sentences. Children celebrate each other's differences as they develop an understanding of diversity beyond their own family. They learn the skills they need for their future learning and in readiness for school.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY489072 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 1015285 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 49 Name of registered person Scale Hall Nursery Ltd

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01524 39015

p.4

reference number

Scale Hall Nursery was registered in 2015. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications, including the nominated person, who holds a level 6 qualification, and a member of staff with qualified teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8.30am until 5.45pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

reference number

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

reference number

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

p.5

reference number

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

p.5