Small Wonders Nursery, Pre-School and Forest School

Small Wonders Day Nursery And Out Of School Club 2a Eastwood Road,, Oundle, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE8 4DF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11 January 2017 9 April 2015

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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

 Managers at all levels are exceptionally ambitious for the setting, staff and children. All decisions about change and development are made with the specific intention of improving children's ability to access learning in the best possible ways for them.  All children display excellent attitudes to play and learning. Older children demonstrate high levels of interest and enthusiasm for extensive periods of time in small group sessions. With the skilful and attentive support of staff, babies and toddlers also sustain interest in activities for long periods, taking into account their age.  Staff are well qualified and very experienced in teaching and caring for young children. They have substantial knowledge of how young children learn and develop. They use their knowledge with skill and expertise to extend children's learning and develop their understanding in new and familiar play situations.  There is a sharp and effective focus on preparing children for their future education,

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This provision is outstanding

including a successful transition into school. Children are frequently exposed to carefully planned small group activities, specifically shaped to meet their needs.  Children behave extremely well and staff are excellent role models for this. Children have a very good understanding of how staff expect them to behave and follow routines without hesitation. Even the youngest children have a developing understanding of sharing and cooperating because of the way staff manage and explain expectations, including the impact of their actions to them.

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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

 make more precise use of the information held about children's development and the quality of teaching to support children to make even better progress from their starting points.

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors observed activities in all nursery rooms and inspected the outdoor play area.  The inspectors spoke to members of staff and children at appropriates times and held meetings with the nominated individual, the quality and standards area manager and the nursery manager.  One inspector carried out a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspectors took account of parents spoken to on the day and written feedback given by parents for the purposes of the inspection.  The inspectors looked at children's records, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of staff working at the nursery and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The management structure is highly effective in monitoring, supporting and developing staff. Staff have regular meeting with their manager and they receive clear and direct feedback on their performance. Managers have an extremely clear and precise view of the nursery. Children's progress and the way they prefer to learn are assessed in tandem. Changes are made as a direct result of this strong level of analysis. Staff identified that a group of children were not engaging with the wealth of activities offered indoors and that this was affecting their progress. However, these children thrived when outdoors. Forest school sessions and a vastly improved outdoor play area were introduced to the nursery. The children who were the focus for the plan showed demonstrably improved engagement. Staff then expertly introduced elements from outdoors inside the setting, which very effectively tempted the children to engage with learning indoors. Safeguarding

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

is effective. Staff have a very robust understanding of procedures. They confidently confirm the arrangements for reporting concerns about children or colleagues and know exactly where the contact information for other agencies is should they need them.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Assessment is accurate and precise. The information is used to plan exciting activities with prominence given to children's fascinations. Staff are highly skilled teachers who make excellent use of the training and development they receive. When an older baby began to pretend items were hot to touch a staff member quickly recognised this and harnessed the opportunity to develop children's interest and curiosity. She skilfully modelled imaginative play in a way that facilitated their learning in this new, exciting and advanced aspect of play. Parents have detailed feedback about their child's learning on a daily basis so that they can be true partners in learning and continue the themes and interests at home. Leaders also place great emphasis on educating parents. Highly effective engagement is achieved through weekend workshops and stay and play sessions.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

The nursery is extremely well-resourced, stimulating and child-friendly. Children have an excellent understanding of the daily routine. They respond without hesitation when staff speak to them or ask them to complete a task. Children are highly independent but seek support from staff if they need it. They leave their parents easily. Staff use innovative ways to help children to understand and value differences in people and society. They introduce the theme using characters such as snowmen, or helping children to think about how they are different from each other by comparing the different sizes of their feet.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children make strong progress and by the time they move on to school they have excellent skills and attitudes to learning. Throughout the nursery, from babies to pre- school, children are exposed to letters and the sounds they represent, and the language of mathematics. One result of this whole setting approach is that babies spontaneously count in sequence to five and older children count items accurately and remember what a group of five objects looks like.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY269478 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 1074129 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 105 Number of children on roll 107 Name of registered person Small Wonders Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 9 April 2015 Telephone number 01832 274929

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reference number

Small Wonders Day Nursery Limited was registered again in 2012 under new ownership. The nursery employs 10 childcare staff, of these eight hold a childcare qualification at level 3 or above. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year, closing for bank holidays and the Christmas week. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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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