Garden Cottage Nursery

Garden Cottage Nursery The Square, Highden, London Road, Washington, West Sussex, RH20 4BA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13 June 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

 The well-qualified provider and the staff team have worked hard to maintain and enhance the extremely high standards of care and learning for children. The provider and her highly experienced deputy consistently seek, evaluate and act on views of staff, children and their parents to continually drive improvement.  Staff provide very high-quality teaching and they ensure each child receives the support they need to reach their full potential. Consequently, children are inquisitive learners and skilful interactions help them to gain high levels of confidence. Purposeful outings, such as visiting animals and the forest, also contributes to this.  Staff caring for babies and toddlers are warm and nurturing. They are particularly attentive to their needs, offering cuddles and reassurance as necessary. Consequently, children settle well and have secure emotional attachments to staff. Older children are

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This provision is outstanding

extremely well behaved and have exceptionally good manners.  Partnership working with parents and other professionals is very strong. Staff share information quickly and effectively to help ensure that children's care and learning needs are consistently met exceptionally well. Parents speak highly about the setting and praise the high quality of teaching and care that their children receive.  Staff complete observations and detailed assessments. Gaps in children's progress are quickly identified and highly effective teaching strategies are implemented.

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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 enhance the highly effective programme of professional development to consistently drive and sustain the already outstanding teaching practice.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the provider, the staff team, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection. She observed all areas used by children and activities in the indoor and outdoor learning environment.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager. She held a meeting with the senior staff team.  The inspector looked at samples of children's records and planning documentation. She also looked at evidence of the suitability of staff working with the children.  The inspector sampled a range of other documentation, including the safeguarding policy, accident records and risk assessments.  The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The provider, who is also the manager, has exceptionally high expectations for what children can achieve. She shares her experience with staff and ensures children are provided with high-quality learning experiences. The provider uses very robust recruitment procedures to help ensure the suitability of staff. Detailed inductions, supervision meetings and daily discussions contribute effectively to monitoring staff's performance. The manager recognises the importance of continuing to enhance staff's knowledge, skills and expertise even further. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have an excellent understanding of what to do and who to contact if they are concerned about a child's welfare. Children's safety is central to everything staff do and they are extremely vigilant of children at all times.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff plan a very wide range of rich, imaginative and enjoyable experiences that keeps children interested and engaged in learning. Staff expertly use an interest in a popular story to extend children's communication skills. For example, children enthusiastically sing the related complex songs. Older children excitedly tell visitors about the forthcoming concert and their individual roles. There is an extremely strong focus on outdoor learning. This is skilfully used to help children extend all aspects of learning, such as the formation of letters and mathematical understanding. Younger pre-school children delight in spotting birds who come to eat the bird food that they have made. Staff take every available moment to support babies' and toddlers' emerging communication skills superbly.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff know children extremely well. The home visits and regular discussions with parents about their children's changing needs contribute to this. Staff ensure babies' home routines are followed and take positive steps to ensure sleeping children are comfortable. Staff encourage children to be very independent from an early age and make them feel extremely valued. For example, they listen attentively to children's daily news and eagerly engage in their conversations. Children's nutritious mealtimes are sociable occasions. Staff sit alongside them and reflect on the day so far. Children confidently explain to visitors how to keep safe when feeding the animals and when they visit the forest. They have ample opportunities to practise their physical skills, such as climbing on wooden structures.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children make excellent progress from their starting points. They are highly motivated and become engrossed in learning. They are rapidly gaining skills they need to support their future learning. Children eagerly read books which they take home to share with their family. They have excellent social skills and manage their own personal care.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 113496 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 1099952 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 78 Number of children on roll 148 Name of registered person Lesley Jane Denman

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 9 April 2015 Telephone number 01903 877718

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reference number

Garden Cottage Nursery registered in 2000. It is situated in Washington, West Sussex. The nursery employs 15 members of staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. One member of staff holds a level 2 forest school qualification. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 8am until 6pm, all year round. 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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

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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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