The Pumpkin Patch

The Pumpkin Patch Bury Campus, Bury, BL9 6PH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 1 November 2016 Not applicable

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Excellent leadership is based on the shared and extensive skills of the provider and the early years manager. They have used their expertise and individual track records in improving settings to establish provision of the highest quality.  Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of where the provision is most successful. They know this because they rigorously audit many aspects of the provision. This includes supervising staff and monitoring the quality of teaching and the difference it makes to children's learning. Leaders are highly driven and continually reflect and make changes to maintain the highest standards.  Highly qualified and well-trained staff, including the provider who is a qualified teacher, use their knowledge impressively. They deliver targeted teaching strategies of the highest quality. This makes a particular difference to children's personal and social development, their communication and language skills and their early literacy skills.

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This provision is outstanding

 Many children start the nursery with speaking, listening and physical skills that are less than typical for their age. By the time children leave, the majority have made excellent progress. This includes children who have special educational needs.  Children's emotional development is very well supported by the impressive partnerships between parents and their named key person. Children settle very quickly and become confident explorers. This helps them take every advantage of the very high quality, spacious learning environment and the many impressive learning opportunities offered.  Links between parents, other professionals and the neighbouring school are used impressively. Staff develop an exceptional, shared approach to supporting families. This includes safeguarding children and planning together in order to maximise children's readiness for continuing their learning in school.

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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

 reflect on the use and impact of the sensory area within the baby room and further consider how to continuously maintain the excellent learning opportunities for this age group.

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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 three joint observations, including both child-led learning and adult-initiated activities, with the nursery manager and the provider.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager and provider. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the nursery's self-evaluation, evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery and their training, audits carried out and evidence provided by other sources.  The inspector spoke to a small group of parents during the inspection. She took account of their views, and the views of others, using the nursery's own records.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Leaders have very high expectations. They keep abreast of the most up-to-date information and make excellent use of their expert partners. They establish rigorous operational procedures and an impressive curriculum. Leaders precisely check the quality of staff's work. The provider uses her own teaching background and skills to give staff clear advice about how to deliver activities in even better ways. She trains all staff to help children learn about numbers, letters and the sounds they make from a very early stage. Staff have extensive opportunities for further training. The nursery works impressively with other professionals to keep children safe. They provide space for partners to hold multi-agency meetings in the building, which significantly supports families who need to attend. Risk assessment is very robust. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Each key person uses their precise assessment of what children can do to deliver activities which are highly responsive to individual needs. Staff very quickly identify when children are at risk of developmental delay and leaders swiftly implement specifically tailored support. This helps children make great strides in their learning. At times, staff have attended appointments with a child and parent, such as for speech and language therapy. This helped them establish highly consistent support and teaching. Teaching all children to develop their listening skills, social skills and their speaking is given utmost priority. Staff use specific teaching programmes to guide them when they deliver small-group sessions to children. They skilfully use high-quality storybooks to help model reading and use puppets to engage children in meaningful, mathematical songs and rhymes. Parents further extend learning at home using the book lending scheme.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Excellent steps are taken to work with parents to sensitively introduce children to the nursery. The spacious environment and excellently resourced activities ensure that children receive the highest levels of care and are highly motivated to play. Leaders have recently created a highly stimulating sensory area for babies and are considering how to further develop this. Staff make full use of the vibrant garden as a way to enhance all children's learning. Staff working with babies use particular teaching programmes to help develop their movements. External experts also deliver fun physical activity sessions to help refine pre-school children's coordination. Staff place great importance on developing children's personal skills. Highly consistent routines and expectations help children learn what is expected of them and they operate with extremely high levels of independence.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children develop keen attitudes to learning. They respond to new, exciting experiences with awe and wonder. Typically, they make the greatest progress in their personal development and their ability to talk and listen. They quickly develop a love of stories and rhyming strings. The rich opportunities provided for learning letters and the sounds they make give children an excellent foundation to make a flying start in their reading at school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY535825 Local authority Bury Inspection number 1067010 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 - 11 Total number of places 133 Number of children on roll 139 Name of registered person The Pumpkin Patch Nursery School Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 0161 9517840

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reference number

The Pumpkin Patch was opened by its current owners in 2014 and registered under a limited company in 2016. The nursery employs 18 members of childcare staff. Of these, 15 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. This includes two staff with a relevant degree and the provider who holds qualified teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education sessions for two-, three- and four-year-old children and cares for children who have special educational needs.

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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

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

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