The Old Station Nursery St Neots

Apricot Day Nursery Longsands College, Longsands Road, ST. NEOTS, Cambridgeshire, PE19 1LQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25 October 2017 21 March 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

 Leadership is exemplary. The extremely sharp focus to inspire and support staff combined with the rigorous review and monitoring of every aspect of the provision significantly contributes to the outstanding level of care and education they provide. Children greatly benefit from this and gain excellent skills to help prepare them for their future learning.  Staff use their expert knowledge to provide and adapt superb learning experiences which engage, motivate and enthuse children to explore. For example, they build stimulating learning spaces to support children's physical development and problem- solving skills.  Partnerships with parents are extremely strong. Staff actively encourage parents to support children's learning at home. Parents are highly positive about the staff. They state they are very well informed about their child's progress and feel they form close relationships with staff and thoroughly enjoy their time in the nursery.

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff help children to do things for themselves from the start. Children are eager to try new things and show keen perseverance to keep trying when things do not always work the first time.  Children show high levels of self-control and behave extremely well. Staff help them to share, take turns and respect each other.

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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

 enhance the excellent outdoor learning environment further to support those children who prefer to learn outside to make even more progress in mathematics.

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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 to staff and children during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and the 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, together with written feedback provided by other parents.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff confidently fulfil their role to protect children from harm and discuss wider safeguarding issues in detail. Leaders implement highly effective recruitment procedures to help assure the suitability of new staff. They conduct regular supervision meetings with staff to review their continued suitability and to coach and support them to improve their practice. Staff share key learning points from training they attend and undertake proactive research to help the team grow and develop superbly. The manager encourages staff to contribute to and take responsibility for self-evaluation of the nursery. Staff have identified a drive to further improve the outdoor learning environment, especially to promote more opportunities for children to explore and understand early mathematics.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff confidently observe children as they play. Staff use parents' contributions about their child to help them accurately assess children's progress. Staff engage children in purposeful conversations as they play. They repeat babies' utterances and introduce new words to help older children build their vocabulary. Babies have space and stimulating activities which encourage them to explore. For example, they stand and follow the movement of a ball as it descends through layered pieces of toy guttering. Older children build obstacle courses outside which challenge them to jump and climb. Staff intuitively weave mathematical language as they count and consider the different heights of the crates and logs they walk on. Staff enthusiastically play with children as they explore water. They inspire children to work things out for themselves when a gap in the toy guttering leaks water to the floor. Children concentrate and are confident to try out their

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children arrive confidently and settle quickly. Staff create a welcoming and warm learning environment where children are nurtured and respected. They sensitively support children through change, such as when they start at the nursery and move to the next room. This helps children develop very good levels of confidence and resilience to support their emotional well-being when they move to pre-school. Children thoroughly enjoy playing outside and help staff to complete risk assessments to ensure the environment is safe. They enjoy a wide and varied menu of freshly prepared foods and learn how to keep themselves healthy.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children make rapid progress given their starting points and capabilities. They are confident talkers who enjoy sharing their ideas with others. Older children are beginning to give meaning to the marks they make and enthusiastically create pictures which retell favourite stories they share with staff. Children make exceptional progress in their personal hygiene needs and show high levels of independence from a young age.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY352812 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 1064984 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 - 3 Total number of places 47 Number of children on roll 73 Name of registered person Sunhill Daycare (Europe) Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 21 March 2013 Telephone number 01480 471 857

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reference number

Apricot Day Nursery registered in 1991 and is one of 11 settings privately owned and operated by Sunhill Daycare (Europe) Limited. The nursery employs 20 members of childcare staff. Of these, 15 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round, except for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery provides support for children who speak English as an additional language and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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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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