Little Crickets Nursery School

Little Crickets Nursery School The Sports Pavillion, Herriard Green, Near Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG25 2PD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 8 May 2017 27 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

 The manager and her staff work exceptionally well together. They build on each other's strengths and know precisely how to tailor teaching to challenge every child at an appropriate and high level.  Staff are consistent as they teach children how to manage risks and follow rules. Children know where they can run free and when they must stop to wait for an adult to check for hazards, such as nearing the car park, pond or climbing equipment.  The manager diligently monitors all areas of children's achievement to ensure that every child makes excellent progress in their learning and development. Staff quickly intervene to close any gaps or delays in children's learning.  Highly experienced staff ignite each child's curiosity for learning and promote their literacy exceptionally well. For instance, as children love to be outdoors, staff inspire them with planting projects, where they write on plant labels. Children also eagerly play

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This provision is outstanding

with the, 'Windy washing lines', finding the letters of their names pegged out and attempting to rearrange them in the correct order.  Staff and parents share high aspirations for all children. They keep each other extremely well informed about children's current interests and achievements, and challenge children appropriately. Children gain high levels of knowledge, skill and responsibility. They are extremely well prepared for 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

 strengthen staff confidence and skills in supporting children's love of singing.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed, listened to and talked with children as they played indoors and during outdoor play.  The inspector talked with parents and listened to their views about the nursery and their children's progress.  The inspector looked at children's records, discussed staff's planning and evaluation of activities and how they exchange information with parents.  The inspector reviewed records and procedures relating to safeguarding and discussed a range of other procedures relating to children's welfare with the manager.  The inspector observed care routines and completed a joint observation with the manager. Together they discussed how staff training had contributed to children's safety, learning and development.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The manager continues to evaluate and improve her provision to sustain the highest levels of practice and outcomes for children. She uses her coaching in leadership skills to guide her staff and ensure they all use the latest government guidance and share ideas from degree training. For example, staff make excellent use of the internet to research and deliver fresh strategies and ideas for high-quality teaching. Safeguarding is effective. The manager places a high priority on staff attendance at refresher training and local updates on safeguarding and child protection. All staff know how to recognise and respond appropriately to any concerns about children's safety and welfare.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Sensitive, highly skilled staff use their extensive knowledge of each child, their family life and experiences in the local community to nurture children's self-confidence. Children rapidly contribute to group discussions and feel able to participate in pre-school performances. However, staff are less confident at extending children's love of singing and music as they relied heavily on the expertise of a recently retired colleague. Staff develop exceptionally effective partnerships with other providers, such as local schools. With an abundance of enthusiasm, staff motivate the older children to master excellent foundation skills in literacy. For instance, children talk through their ideas and test out the impact of new words. They sound out tricky words and begin to write sentences.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff create and children investigate rich and diverse play areas indoors and outdoors. For example, the youngest children laugh and chatter as they watch tadpoles wiggling and wonder how they turn into frogs. Children learn first hand about the properties of water as they float numbered toy ducks and see if a lemon sinks. Staff challenge the older children to think deeper and work out how frogs move between suitable habitats in their environment. They draw children's attention to changes in the seasons and to growth and decay. Children learn that what they do influences how living things survive.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children make excellent progress in their learning and development during their time at the nursery. Children learn to adjust their behaviour to different situations. For instance, they listen to each other's suggestions and politely negotiate to try and resolve differences of opinion. Children sit and talk socially when eating together and work as a team to clear away and clean up spills. They learn to plan, do and review their activities. Children develop the resilience to work through problems and pursue better ideas, such as joining together to build a tower taller than themselves. They are ready to take moves to school in their stride. Children are confident and capable communicators.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY409469 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 1094314 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 25 Name of registered person Nicola Helen Van der Gucht

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 27 April 2015 Telephone number 01256 384 114

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reference number

Little Crickets Nursery School registered in 2010. It operates from the sports pavilion in Herriard Green, near Basingstoke, Hampshire. The nursery operates five days a week during school term times. It opens at 8.15am each day and closes at 12.45pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and at 2.45pm on Mondays and Thursdays. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years. There are eight staff working with the children, all of whom hold appropriate qualifications from level 3 to level 6. One member of staff holds qualified teacher status.

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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

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