Nursery @ Itchen College

Nursery @ Itchen College Middle Road, Bitterne, Southampton, Hampshire, SO19 7TB

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14 October 2016 13 November 2013

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

p.1

This provision is outstanding

 Children have an excellent sense of belonging and very high levels of self-esteem. Staff are extremely caring towards the children and build very warm relationships with them.  The manager leads an extremely well-organised and stimulating environment and children's learning improves rapidly. The extensive range of resources helps motivate and engage children, maintaining excellent outcomes.  Parents are extremely positive about the care their children receive. For example, they comment on the excellent information they receive about their children's development and how to support this at home. Parents appreciate the highly effective partnerships they have with staff and the support they receive to extend children's learning, leading to rapid progress.  Staff support children's health and safety and well-being to exceptional standards. They work together successfully and make sure that children's safety is paramount. Staff are

p.1

This provision is outstanding

highly effective in supporting children to understand how to keep themselves safe.  The manager provides exceptional standards in all aspects of the day-to-day running of the nursery. She has consistently high expectations of staff to provide exceptionally high outcomes for children's care and learning.  Children's development is monitored very closely. Staff make regular and skilful observations, provide concise assessments and tailored planning, leading to rapid progress for all children.

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

 build on the current processes of supervision and monitoring for staff to help continue to maintain the highest quality level of teaching.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of children and parents through discussions on the day.  The inspector observed staff interactions and activities indoors and outdoors.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the deputy manager.  The inspector viewed a sample of policies and procedures, staff records, and evidence of staff suitability checks.  The manager gave the inspector a tour of the nursery.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. Extremely thorough systems are in place to keep children from harm. For example, staff are fully aware of how to report concerns about colleagues' behaviour and how to monitor children's attendance. Staff continually update their knowledge and attend training. For example, recent training has enabled them to monitor children's progress even more precisely and identified the need for boys to be able to play and explore in larger spaces. The manager is aware of how she can improve monitoring of staff practice even further. She oversees the tracking of children's progress to address any gaps in learning, enabling all children to make rapid progress. The manager and staff work exceptionally well in partnership with others, and identified gaps in learning close quickly.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff provide children with sharply focused learning opportunities led from outstanding knowledge of their individual needs. The highly skilled staff provide swift support to maximise all children's learning. For example, staff continually use carefully timed questioning to extend children's learning even further. Children are exceptionally motivated by the complex play opportunities and develop excellent communication and problem-solving skills. For example, staff enable children to communicate their thoughts and interests through using sign language.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff support an excellent sense of belonging and respect for others. For example, with help from parents they made unique family books to support children to settle quickly and build trust. Staff have a highly effective key-person system which is extremely well- thought-out to give children maximum benefits of consistency. For example, times of sessions are considered along with natural connections to staff members, providing the child with exceptionally high levels of security. Behaviour management is excellent and well supported, for example, through careful explanation of others' feelings. Children thrive in the outside play space, extending their learning and supporting their well-being.

p.3

Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children are exceptionally well prepared as they progress through the nursery and for the move on to school. They have extremely high levels of confidence and independence. For example, babies have an excellent awareness of the daily routines and are highly motivated through enticing resources. Older children have excellent opportunities to develop mathematical skills in ways that capture their interest. For example, children delight in lining up dinosaurs, counting them, and then knocking them over. Children are highly engaged and thrive in the well-planned and extremely stimulating environment.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 131604 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 1061357 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 90 Number of children on roll 78 Name of registered person Itchen College

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 13 November 2013 Telephone number 023 8044 4544

p.4

reference number

The Nursery at Itchen College registered in 2001 and is situated in Southampton. The nursery is open all year. Sessions are from Monday to Thursday from 8am to 5pm and on Friday from 8am to 4pm. The nursery employs 21 staff; of these, all hold relevant early years qualifications and the manager and deputy have completed foundation degrees at level 5. The nursery receives funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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