St. Peter's Nursery

St Peters Nursery St. Peters C of E Primary School, School Road, Sible Hedingham, HALSTEAD, Essex, CO9 3NR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31 October 2017 Not applicable

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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 highly effective. The management team shows a strong focus and is passionate about providing a safe and high-quality service to children and their families.  Children have excellent opportunities for exercise and fresh air in all weathers, helping them to stay healthy. The wooded outdoor area offers children limitless opportunities to explore and understand the world around them. Children develop superb physical skills. For example, as they dig, climb, balance on apparatus and take part in activities to keep their heart healthy.  The nursery is exceptionally well organised. Safety is paramount. Staff carefully consider all aspects so that children can take manageable risks and challenge themselves while remaining safe and well supported.  Equality and inclusion is at the heart of the nursery. Staff work exceptionally well together to ensure that they meet children's individual care and learning needs. They

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This provision is outstanding

gather a wealth of information from parents when children first start at the nursery. Staff are highly effective in ensuring that all children are able to participate in all activities and routines of the day.  Partnerships with parents are excellent. Staff are exceptionally committed to maintaining a very effective flow of information with parents and family members. They keep them fully informed of their children's learning and progress. Staff provide library books to support parents to extend their children's learning at home.  Children's move on to school is significantly enhanced by the very close links staff have with the host primary 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

 build on the current robust systems for monitoring staff practice, sharing their excellent knowledge and high expectations of how children learn, in order to sustain the outstanding levels.

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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 owners. 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

Staff's assessment of what children know and can do are sharp, focused and precise. Highly effective monitoring of the progress of all children means that staff swiftly identify areas where children need more support. The management team effectively evaluates how to spend additional funding to directly benefit children. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff have a very secure knowledge of child protection procedures. They fully understand their role in protecting children and keeping them safe. Leaders undertake robust recruitment procedures to help to ensure that all staff are suitable for their role. They support staff to attend targeted training and obtain higher levels of qualification. The staff team regularly monitors and reflects on practice. Leaders plan to build on this further to continue to enhance the outstanding teaching.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff have an expert knowledge of how children learn best through play and first-hand experiences. They carefully organise the indoor and outdoor space to create an inspiring learning environment for children. The thoughtfully planned areas effectively promote children's independence as they engage in purposeful play. Children are active, highly motivated and inquisitive as they experience an exciting mix of adult-led activities and free play. Staff skilfully follow children's interests and ideas as they play. Children become deeply involved as they experiment with soil, water, paint and dough. Staff make meaningful contributions to support and extend children's learning superbly. For example, they use sign language with all children to support their communication and language skills. Staff foster children's curiosity as they use probing questions to encourage children's conversation and exploration.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery. They settle quickly and form very strong attachments to staff. Children rapidly become familiar with daily routines. They use community facilities, such as the library and have regular opportunities to become familiar with the primary school environment. Children develop their independence and self-care skills. For example, they attempt to put on their socks and shoes after a physical exercise activity in the school hall. Children learn how to share and take turns and value each other's differences. Staff embed healthy lifestyles into every aspect of practice.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children are extremely well prepared for their future learning and eventual move on to school. They recognise numbers and letters. Children's early writing skills are developing extremely well. They listen very well to adults and respond superbly to instructions. Children enthusiastically join in with group activities and listen animatedly to stories. The wonderful interaction and complete involvement clearly displays how much children are learning through the highly skilled interactions with the staff. All children make excellent progress in their learning, given their starting points and capabilities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY493461 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1026343 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 26 Number of children on roll 49 Name of registered person Castle Hedingham Nursery Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01787 460086

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reference number

St Peter's Nursery registered in 2015. The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday during term time. Sessions are from 8.45am until 3.30pm. 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

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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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