The Willows Day Nursery

The Willows Day Nursery 23 Park Road, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6SG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 July 2016 17 December 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 sets high expectations for children's learning and the quality of teaching. Staff are keen to help children achieve well. They share the ambition of the manager. They have made good improvements to the quality of the provision since the previous inspection.  Staff have a good understanding of how young children learn and develop overall. Children enjoy a good range of motivating and engaging activities. Staff help children to play, work well together and enjoy learning.  Children's behaviour is good. Staff are positive role models for children to follow. Children are safe and well cared for. They develop strong bonds with staff and form good friendships with each other.  Children make good progress from their individual starting points. Staff make good use of assessments to identify and address gaps in children's knowledge and understanding.  Parents appreciate the care staff provide. They receive good information on their

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This provision is good

children's achievements and guidance to support their learning at home.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The procedures for staff's professional development are not always sharply focused on raising the quality of teaching above the good standard already achieved.  Staff do not always respond fully to children's emerging learning needs and achievements during their play, in order to further extend their learning. This means that, on some occasions, children are not given enough opportunity to achieve all they are capable of.

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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

 focus procedures for staff's professional development more sharply on raising the quality of teaching to an even higher level  develop teaching further, so that it is highly responsive to children's evolving needs and to what they are capable of achieving.

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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 completed a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager. He looked at relevant documentation, such as the nursery's self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff.  The inspector spoke to a small selection of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager gathers the views of parents, children and staff well to evaluate the nursery's effectiveness and to plan for future improvement. Staff take good advantage of training opportunities to increase their knowledge of teaching strategies. This has, for example, had a good impact on children's speaking skills and the progress made by those with special educational needs or disability. The leadership team analyses the progress made by groups of children, in order to reduce any differences. Arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are trained well and have a good understanding of how to keep children safe and free from harm. They apply their knowledge to create a secure and stimulating learning environment.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff make good use of the accurate assessments they complete of children's achievements. This helps children to make good progress towards the next steps in their learning. Staff help children develop skills to support their future learning well. For example, children learn to listen carefully to stories and memorise and repeat words and phrases from them. Staff help babies to feel confident in their surroundings and to explore the world around them. For example, they help them to anticipate what will happen when they turn the handles of a Jack-in-a-box toy or when they press buttons and pull levers on an activity board. Staff provide interesting opportunities for children to develop their mathematical and creative skills. For example, children learn about the properties of different shapes when washing and drying pots with soapy water in their role play.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff form strong bonds with parents. Good procedures to introduce children and babies to the nursery help them to settle in quickly and make a good start in their learning and development. Staff help children to learn to make decisions and select their own toys and games. Children are happy and content. They learn to follow rules and show concern for others. For example, children know they should play with, 'kind hands' and use their, 'listening ears' to pay attention and follow instructions. Children's social skills are well developed. They work and play together and are keen to share their toys. Staff promote children's knowledge and appreciation of healthy lifestyles. Mealtimes are friendly and sociable occasions. Children put their toys away carefully while enthusiastically singing the tidy-up song.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children of all abilities, including those with special educational needs or disability, achieve well throughout their time in the nursery. Children develop good listening and speaking skills. Older children learn to read simple words and phrases and to form letters and numbers accurately. Children make good progress in their physical development, including developing good hand-to-eye coordination. For example, children learn to use scissors to cut paper, card and other materials of different textures with accuracy. Children show imagination in their play and sustain their interest for increasing periods of time.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 206245 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 1035364 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 - 4 Total number of places 57 Number of children on roll 39 Name of registered person Mr Kyran Connolly & Mrs Helen Connolly Partnership

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 17 December 2015 Telephone number 01298 79287

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reference number

The Willows Day Nursery was registered in 1997. The nursery employs eight members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children with special educational needs or disability.

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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

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