The Vale Nursery

The Vale Nursery The Vale Nursery, Wilbury Drive, Dunstable, LU5 4QP

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 1 November 2016 26 November 2012

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

 Supervision for staff is highly supportive. Staff enhance their skills as they are encouraged to undertake further training to increase their levels of qualification and widen their knowledge. Individual responsibilities for different areas of the curriculum help to motivate staff. This undoubtedly contributes to the diverse, creative and high- quality teaching methods that staff use.  Staff closely review the progress of children who receive early years funding. An astute programme of additional practical support is on offer for children. This has been successful in rapidly improving children's learning, attainment and attendance at the nursery.  Close, professional relationships with parents support them to continue children's learning at home. Parents feel welcomed into the nursery. They describe the nursery as brilliant. Staff appreciate the important role parents play in educating their children and

p.1

This provision is outstanding

seek as many ways as possible to work in partnership with them.  Staff are infectiously enthusiastic and show a real sense of joy in their work as they interact with children and guide their learning. Staff are superb role models who provide children with a warm and safe place where they can flourish and thrive.  Children are confident and articulate. They make exceptional progress in their communication and language development. Children who speak English as an additional language quickly develop into competent talkers who experience high-quality teaching and interactions with staff.  Behaviour is excellent. Children know about expectations and are able to express themselves and their feelings. They resolve minor disputes with confidence and show high levels of emotional resilience.

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

 continue to extend on the ways that children can make assessments about their own learning, evaluating the impact of this on their skills for future learning.

p.2

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 manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector took account of the views of parents written in evaluations and feedback.  The inspector talked to children and joined in with a listening walk and music and movement session.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The designated person for safeguarding at the nursery shares her extensive knowledge with the team. Staff have an extremely good knowledge of child protection and local issues that affect children's well-being. There are robust procedures for recruitment and induction of new staff. Extensive risk assessments help staff to identify and reduce any likely hazards to children. The nursery is led by the enthusiastic and highly ambitious manager and committee. The manager leads the committed and competent staff team with a sense of vision and drive for excellence. Self- evaluation is used as a highly effective tool to review the nursery, including the quality of teaching and the excellent progress that children make. This enables staff to target any areas for development with precision. Cohesive working with the host school leads to children being extremely well prepared for moving on in their learning.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

The high ambitions staff have for all children inspire them to learn. Meticulous records demonstrate children's very rapid progress from their individual starting points. Staff are developing ways for children to more actively contribute towards assessments of their own learning. Staff know all children extremely well. They are able to confidently identify their next steps in learning and use multiple ways to support them to achieve. Children go on listening walks outdoors where they hear sounds and record them. They use their imagination as they suggest sounds could be a giant's footsteps or dinosaurs' stomping feet. Children listen for echoes in the empty hall and explain why they can hear but not see everything, such as aeroplanes in the foggy sky and wind blowing the trees.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children choose their own key person. They develop incredibly strong relationships with the staff who care for them. Children are very well settled. Warm praise helps children to know when they do well and they beam with pride as they show the model they have created. Children's health and well-being are given priority at the nursery. Staff do music and movement sessions, including yoga moves, in fun and energetic ways. Children follow staff actions and are able to move their bodies with increasing control and imagination. Teaching about being healthy is excellent. Children delight in playing in the garden. Extensive opportunities for outdoor play helps children to enjoy fresh air and exercise.

p.3

Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children display high levels of enthusiasm and interest in their learning. Children for whom the nursery receives funding make particularly swift progress and exceed expectations for their age. They become confident in using letter sounds to help them to read their names and begin to write words. Children count as they play, recognise difference in size and shape and reel off their knowledge of different colours. Children are highly competent and aware of their achievements. They enjoy being challenged and are exceptionally well prepared for starting school.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY448107 Local authority Central Bedfordshire Inspection number 1060287 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 33 Name of registered person The Vale Nursery Management Committee

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 26 November 2012 Telephone number 07812696287

p.4

reference number

The Vale Nursery was registered in 2012. The nursery employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above, including the manager who is qualified at degree level. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 8.45am to 11.45am and 12.15pm to 3.15pm. There is an optional lunch club for children who attend all day. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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