The Old Station Nursery, Henley

The Old Station Nursery, Henley Fairmile, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 6AD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 5 January 2017 1 July 2013

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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

 The manager ensures staff have an excellent knowledge of how to keep children safe. She has created a culture of vigilance where staff protect children's welfare thoroughly.  Staff are highly responsive to children's needs. They have an exceptional understanding of how children learn. They use accurate observations of children to plan precisely for their future learning.  The manager delivers a highly effective training programme to help staff develop their expert knowledge. Staff deliver high quality teaching.  Staff are extremely skilled and sensitive. They help children of all ages form special bonds with a key person. With the skilful support of their key person, children become very confident in their own abilities to explore the environment independently.  The manager monitors groups of children's progress precisely. She quickly identifies when some children may need additional assistance and ensures staff help them to

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This provision is outstanding

catch up quickly. All children make excellent progress from their starting points.  Staff place a particularly sharp focus on encouraging children to acquire early reading and writing skills. For example, staff talk to children about the initial sounds in their names and encourage children to write their own names and labels during play.  Children develop skills that prepare them for school exceptionally well. They are very adept at managing to do things for themselves.

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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

 continue to build on the strong teaching practice to enhance toddlers' early mathematical skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager and discussed the self-evaluation process.  The inspector had a tour of the areas used by the children.  The inspector examined a sample of policies, children's records and other documents, including suitability checks for staff.  The inspector spoke with several parents, staff and children to gain their views of the nursery.  The inspector observed staff and children during play and completed a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. The manager trains staff exceptionally well to recognise children who may be at risk. For example, they know how to protect children from extreme ideas and help them to learn right from wrong. The manager holds highly effective meetings with staff and supports them extremely well. She identifies when they need additional guidance to enhance outcomes for children, such as providing training to support two- year-olds. The manager uses evaluation effectively and she seeks the views of others to develop practice. For instance, parents now feel much more involved in preparing their children for the move to the next room as the manager has enhanced communication with them. The manager's diligent reflection identifies that children in the toddler room would benefit from stronger teaching to help them practise counting skills.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff use their excellent knowledge of children to plan highly challenging activities. They help children learn about the natural world and skilfully introduce them to the creatures that live within it. For example, they encourage toddlers to hold the nursery's giant snails to discover what they feel like and to compare them to those that make their homes outdoors. Staff keep parents exceptionally well informed of the progress their children make and how to extend learning at home. For instance, staff recommend books and games to babies' parents to help extend communication and language skills. There are extremely strong links with other settings that children attend. For example, key persons at each setting meet to share information about children's development, which helps to ensure exceptional continuity in the care and learning children receive.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children are confident, motivated and have great fun as they learn. Their behaviour is exemplary and they demonstrate high levels of respect for others. Staff give children an abundance of praise and help them to develop confidence. Older children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, staff teach them to complete risk assessments before taking part in challenging activities during trips to the forest school. Staff help children to develop a superb understanding about healthy foods. For instance, children planted and harvested their own pumpkins and enjoyed making their own soup.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Pre-school children have excellent imaginations. For example, they independently chose the resources to make a pretend birthday cake and worked very well with each other to plan a party for a character in a book. Children communicate and cooperate exceptionally well. Children develop valuable skills that prepare them exceptionally well for their next stage in learning and for moving on to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY455419 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 1063146 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 - 5 Total number of places 64 Number of children on roll 62 Name of registered person The Old Station Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 1 July 2013 Telephone number 01491577716

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reference number

The Old Station Nursery registered in 2012. The provision also has a holiday club. The nursery offers care from 7.30am to 6.30pm for 51 weeks of the year. There are currently 13 staff. The manager holds a qualification at level 5 and eight staff are qualified at level 3. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years.

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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

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

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