Mere Nature Kindergarten

The Mere Nursery Chester Road, Knutsford, WA16 0PU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 February 2017 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

 The management team and staff provide a welcoming, safe and secure learning environment enhanced with high quality, stimulating resources. Creative displays celebrate children's achievements and provide helpful information for staff and parents.  The highly effective management team regularly reviews the quality of the provision. They use precise self-evaluation and monitoring alongside the views of parents and staff to successfully drive improvements. Parents are extremely complimentary about the warm, family atmosphere they provide.  Staff are ambitious and fully committed to developing their practice. They are enthusiastic and keen to learn new skills and knowledge to ensure they are providing excellent learning opportunities for children.  The quality of teaching is outstanding. Staff see every moment as a potential learning opportunity and make the very best use of these to enhance children's potential to gain

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This provision is outstanding

further knowledge and skills.  Staff work extremely well with parents. For instance, parents share children's interests and achievements via the online journal, which staff use with great success to inform planning and support children's learning. Staff also make excellent links with other professionals and within the local area to enhance children's development.  Children are extremely happy and settled. They form secure emotional attachments with staff. Home visits help staff to determine very secure starting points for children's learning. Settling-in sessions ensure children quickly develop a strong sense of belonging.  Staff provide an exceptional range of resources and activities that reflects and values the diversity of children's home lives, languages and experiences. Staff promote equality and provide an inclusive environment for children.

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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 focus on the excellent process of coaching and mentoring staff, evaluating the impact of this support on maintaining the outstanding practice.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. All staff have an excellent knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures and this underpins everything they do. Staff consistently implement a robust range of policies and procedures to promote children's safety and well-being. They are vigilant to potential risks in the environment and take appropriate action to promote children's safety at all times. Recruitment and induction procedures for new staff are robust. The manager holds frequent meetings with staff to continually review their excellent practice and highlight any further training needs. The expert knowledge gained from training is fully used to ensure children's excellent progress. For example, a strong focus on supporting early communication and language skills by introducing sign language has seen children make rapid progress in this area. The management team is extremely reflective and have identified that helping staff to develop

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

through coaching and mentoring is key to driving improvements further. They are keen to refine these processes in order to help staff maintain and enhance their exceptional practice.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff plan meticulously and skilfully adapt the learning environment to reflect the children's current learning needs and interests. Consequently, children are animated, engaged and motivated to learn. Staff provide high-quality interactions with children and actively promote their investigative skills to support learning. For instance, children who show an interest in wild birds are encouraged to think about how birds find food in winter. They demonstrate sustained thinking as they discuss and research bird habitats. Children use their small-muscle skills to make a bird feeder. Staff constantly follow children's lead and ask thought-provoking questions which encourage them to communicate and solve problems. Mathematics is a strong focus. Staff skilfully incorporate number and positional language into discussion and often encourage children to recognise shapes.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff are excellent role models. They listen carefully to children, respecting their views and valuing their opinions. Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff skilfully use positive strategies to help children manage their own behaviour and keep themselves safe. Children have numerous opportunities to develop their independence skills and make choices. For example, they select resources and help to prepare their own snack. Staff effectively promote children's good health. For instance, children enjoy healthy meals cooked on site and benefit from excellent opportunities to engage in physical activities in the extensive outdoor areas. Children independently follow good hygiene routines.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children show a very positive attitude towards learning. They listen attentively and talk confidently about their family and experiences, using items from their unique 'chatterbox' as a visual prompt. Young children enjoy singing and show their physical skills as they make marks, explore and climb. All children make excellent progress from their individual starting points and are exceptionally well prepared for their next stages in learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY495622 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 1031895 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 70 Number of children on roll 37 Name of registered person The Village Nursery Group Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01565 830 083

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reference number

The Mere Nursery was registered in 2015. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and three staff have early years professional status or 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 for two-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

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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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