Southover Nursery School

Southover Nursery School Southover Church Hall, St. James Street, Lewes, Sussex, BN7 1HR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12 July 2017 11 September 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

 Teaching is exemplary. Highly qualified staff use their exceptional skills and expertise extremely well. They complete meticulous observations, assessments and planning to support children's rapid progress in readiness for school.  The manager follows rigorous systems of performance management through which she supports staff hugely in their professional development. This includes providing excellent opportunities for them to achieve higher qualifications or to attend training which they can use to improve the outcomes for the children.  Children are highly focused and extremely eager to participate in the wealth of learning opportunities that are offered. They are very enthusiastic and enjoy exploring their environment, inside and outside.  The significantly strong partnerships with parents and other settings children attend have an excellent impact on their successful learning. Staff consistently keep parents

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This provision is outstanding

fully informed of children's progress and provide exceptional guidance to further support learning at home.  Staff work particularly well with other professionals to improve outcomes for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They seize opportunities to complete specialist programmes, which helps to enrich their understanding of how best to support children's social and communication needs.

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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 use the highly accurate evaluation methods and auditing tools to drive improvement even further.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to on the day of inspection.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including staff suitability checks; self- assessment information; children's observation, assessment and planning records; and documentation linked to monitoring children's progress.  The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and held discussions with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Managers highly value the staff team and demonstrate excellent leadership skills. Children's interests are at the forefront of planning and their views are listened to. Frequent monitoring by managers of children's progress highlights delays in learning, and staff take prompt action to close these gaps. Self-evaluation is comprehensive, continually developing and includes the views of parents, children and staff. This helps to maintain the high-quality standards and continuous development. Safeguarding is effective. All staff have a rigorous and thorough understanding of child protection. They are aware of their responsibilities, any emerging safeguarding issues that may affect children in their care, and procedures for reporting any concerns about a child's welfare.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Stimulating and challenging activities provided by staff capture children's imaginations, enthuse them and ignite their curiosity. Children relish the sensory experiences in soil and water. Staff use a wide range of strategies, including thoughtful questions and well-chosen vocabulary to deepen and secure children's learning. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language are particularly well supported by staff. They thoroughly enjoy highly individualised activities that reflect their interests and abilities. These capture their attention and they learn to concentrate, explore and communicate extremely well.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Key persons know their children exceptionally well and act as wonderful role models. They constantly praise children's achievements and exemplary behaviour. Children show excellent high levels of self-esteem. Staff provide a wealth of experiences to help children learn about different people and their needs in the local community. For example, children visited an elderly people's home and shared their paintings and sung nursery rhymes. Staff are exceptionally skilled at encouraging children to 'have a go' and try new experiences. For example, children worked cooperatively together, safely supported by staff, to design and build a bonfire with logs. Children quickly become extremely confident at balancing and crawling through tunnels during planned indoor physical play sessions.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children make excellent progress and rapidly develop the skills that support their learning and prepare them for school. Children show high levels of curiosity in their play. They search for bugs, such as snails, and care for them by providing grass and small flowers to eat. Children use careful thought processes as they tackle challenges. For instance, they make decisions on how to catch the balls they roll down the guttering tubes, choosing which sized basket would be suitable to use.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY459966 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 1063376 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 38 Name of registered person Sara Kathryn Hall

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 11 September 2013 Telephone number 01273486435

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reference number

Southover Nursery School registered in 2013. It is open on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 8.30am to 3pm, and on Thursday and Friday from 8.30am to 12.30pm, during term time only. The nursery school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. There are eight members of staff, four of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and two staff have 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

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

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