Castle Nurseries at Dunstanburgh Road

Castle Nurseries at Dunstanburgh Road 1 Bywell Street, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, NE6 2QN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 8 September 2017 8 July 2014

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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 quality of teaching is superb. Staff use precise observations and timely assessments of children's learning to plan fun and challenging experiences. Activities are targeted extremely well at supporting children to build on their individual skills and abilities. Children make excellent progress in all aspects of their learning based on their individual capabilities.  Children are extremely confident, self-assured and highly motivated to learn. They make individual choices in their play and continually extend their own learning.  Children's behaviour is impressive. They are very kind and helpful towards each other. Staff demonstrate a high level of respect for their colleagues and the children. They are excellent role models.  The manager and staff team work superbly together and are committed to meeting the specific needs of individual families. The team works tirelessly to seek out the services

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This provision is outstanding

and funding to help children make the best levels of progress.  The manager is fully dedicated to continuous improvement. She invests heavily in staff's personal and professional development. This helps to promote high staff morale and excellent outcomes for children.  The learning environment is highly stimulating, promotes choice and independence, and celebrates children’s learning and development exceptionally well.

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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 refine opportunities for staff to reflect upon and disseminate best practice to maintain the excellent quality of teaching.

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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 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 and provider. 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

Managers are highly organised and motivated to achieve the highest standards across the nursery. Safeguarding is effective. Staff use their training and experience to support families and to identify concerns about children's well-being. Staff benefit from regular supervision meetings with the manager. The manager is currently refining opportunities to support staff to use feedback from observations to improve the excellent quality of teaching even further. The manager ensures that training is completed, disseminated and implemented successfully. Parents speak very highly of the staff and the varied experiences they offer children each day.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff use their exceptional understanding of the children's interests and needs to provide challenges and to get children to think for themselves. Even the youngest children demonstrate excellent concentration skills as they learn to build in the outdoor area. Children listen to stories and join in with the actions and repeated words and phrases. All children have superb opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills. Two- year-olds benefit exceptionally well from the use of signs and visual prompts to help them to communicate most effectively. Staff use their detailed assessments of children's learning to monitor the progress they make.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children are interested in and excited about their time at the nursery. The wealth of resources freely available to them helps children to create imaginative learning experiences of their own. For example, pre-school children work together as they pretend to paint the house in the outdoor area using paintbrushes and water. Staff make very effective use of space. There are clearly defined areas which help children to find the things they need. Staff make sure children know they are valued and their contributions to discussions and activities are always welcomed. Babies are given excellent opportunities to practise their developing physical skills. They respond extremely positively to praise from their key person and celebrate their own achievements by clapping and squealing with delight. All children’s emotional well-being is exceptionally well supported.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children are extremely well prepared for learning in school. Children thoroughly enjoy being able to show what they know and can do. They look forward to the challenges of the next stage in their education. Pre-school children demonstrate high levels of concentration and excellent listening skills as they learn to name and play musical instruments during a small-group time. They have a very positive attitude about what they can achieve from a young age.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY104355 Local authority Newcastle Inspection number 1103918 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 - 8 Total number of places 55 Number of children on roll 86 Name of registered person Newcastle City Council

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 8 July 2014 Telephone number 0191 2654546

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reference number

Castle Nurseries at Dunstanburgh Road registered in 1991. It is managed by the local authority and operates from purpose-built premises in Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 8am until 6pm for 51 weeks a year. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year- olds. It supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language. There are currently 16 staff working directly with the children, all of whom have an appropriate early years qualification at level 3 or above and two with early years professional 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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