Little Darwins Nursery

Little Darwins Nursery Rettendon School, Main Road, Rettendon Common, CHELMSFORD, CM3 8DW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19 December 2017 8 November 2012

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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

 Staff have an excellent understanding of where children are in their development and what they need to do next. They swiftly identify children who are slower to learn key skills and implement effective programmes to help them catch up.  Children successfully develop their early literacy skills. Staff provide many different opportunities for children to make marks. They skilfully teach children the sounds of the letters of their names and encourage their participation in storytelling.  The environment indoors and outdoors is exceptionally well resourced and organised to stimulate children's curiosity and motivate them to learn. Children demonstrate excellent attitudes towards their play and learning.  The dedicated and skilful staff work remarkably well together. They approach their teaching with infectious enthusiasm. They provide children with excellent role models for respect, tolerance and kind behaviour.

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This provision is outstanding

 The management team has very high expectations for all aspects of the nursery. They take into account the views of children, parents and staff to evaluate the quality of the provision. Ambitious targets are set to build on continuous improvement.  Close links with the host school help children to move into Reception classes with confidence. An effective and ongoing exchange of information provides continuity of care and learning for children who attend the out-of-school club.

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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 support all staff to extend their skills even further, to maintain consistent and high teaching practices.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children and staff during their activities and assessed the quality of teaching. She spoke with children and staff at convenient times.  The inspector had a meeting with the manager and one of the directors. She looked at the nursery's self-evaluation.  The inspector and the manager completed two joint observations.  The inspector looked a range of documents, including evidence of staff suitability checks and qualifications, some policies and procedures, and children's records.  The inspector took into account the views of parents through discussion, written testimonials and the result of the nursery's surveys.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. Managers and staff have a thorough understanding of the signs of abuse and the procedures that help them to protect children. Staff have excellent opportunities for professional development. Training focuses on the children's needs. For example, staff learn sign language to help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities communicate more effectively. Managers strive to maintain the high-quality teaching practice. They continue to support the less experienced staff, to extend their skills and confidence to a consistently high level at all times. The manager has efficient systems to monitor children's progress, and highlight those who are achieving well and those who need extra help. Staff work very closely with parents and other settings the children attend to achieve a high level of continuity in children's care and learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff meticulously observe and assess children's achievements. They have an instinctive understanding of when to support children's play and when to stand back and watch. Children busy themselves in self-chosen tasks. They swirl patterns onto the white board with pens and carefully squeeze paint into trays. Staff expertly promote children's curiosity. For example, they encourage children to run an electronic toy about in a paint tray to see the patterns it makes. Staff very confidently introduce children to mathematical concepts. Younger children handle objects of different sizes and shapes. They sing number songs and staff count their fingers and toes. Older children play matching games and have a good understanding of how old they and their friends are.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children spend a good deal of the day outdoors. They eagerly and competently dress themselves for example, pulling on their coats and wellington boots. Staff very skilfully question children and stimulate their thinking skills. For example, they ask children to speculate on the angle of guttering needed to run the balls down. Children play very energetically. They join in ring games and race each other across the field. Children have a very strong sense of staying safe. They know they must use their 'walking feet' indoors and remind others to do the same. Staff carefully nurture babies and follow their home routines. Relationships between children and staff are exceptionally warm and positive.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children, including those receiving additional funding, make very good progress given their starting points. They are able talkers and communicate their ideas very confidently with adults and each other. Children concentrate extremely well as, for example, they watch a guitar being strummed and try to recreate the sound for themselves. Younger children develop very good independence skills and are highly competent in preparing themselves to play outdoors. Children demonstrate exceptional teamwork especially during group games, such as parachute play. Children gain excellent skills for future learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY416623 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1059882 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 - 10 Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 149 Name of registered person The Rettendon Community Acadamy Community Interest Company

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 8 November 2012 Telephone number 01268 769599

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reference number

Little Darwins Nursery registered in 2011. The nursery employs 20 staff to work directly with the children, including the manager. Of these, 14 hold relevant qualifications between level 2 and level 6. Additionally, the nursery employs two administrative staff, two housekeepers and retain the services of a consultant early years teacher. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round with the exception of one week at Christmas and public holidays. Sessions are from 7am until 7pm. 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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