Dowry House Nursery School

Dowry House Nursery School St. Marys Road, Bamber Bridge, Preston, Lancashire, PR5 6TE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19 February 2018 5 August 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 leadership and management of the nursery are exceptionally strong. Managers are incredibly skilled and provide superb support and guidance for the staff team. For example, through rigorous performance management and supervisions. As a result, a wave of outstanding teaching and practice has been strongly embedded across the long-standing and highly qualified staff team.  The emotional well-being of the children is at the very heart of nursery practice. Staff give extraordinary value to children and their contributions, taking great care and time to listen to what children have to say. Children thrive in this caring and nurturing environment and develop highly impactful relationships with their key person.  Planning and interactions with children are sharply focussed and informed. Children become entirely absorbed in their learning and continuously demonstrate the abundance of knowledge and learning they have achieved. All children make excellent

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This provision is outstanding

progress.  Parents are highly valued as their children's first educators and are fully involved in their children's learning. Parents are widely encouraged to continue learning at home. For example, staff provide very specific information on activities parents can carry out at home. Partnership working with other professionals is equally outstanding.  Children demonstrate exceptional manners and develop high sensitivity towards others' needs and feelings. Staff shower children in praise, which is precise to children's actions, further promoting children's superb understanding and exemplary behaviour.

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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 broad opportunities for children to explore technology during their play outdoors to further develop their understanding and skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact this has on children's learning, during play inside and outside.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and held a meeting with the nursery manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken with on the day of the inspection and other written comments.  The inspector looked at children's records, evidence of the suitability of staff and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff have a comprehensive understanding of safeguarding and their individual responsibilities to protect children. They receive in-depth training and have a secure knowledge of wider safeguarding practices. Staff are exceptionally well deployed and supervise children very well, further ensuring their safety. Children's progress is closely scrutinised and additional support is implemented at the very earliest stage. A culture of evaluative practice is extremely well embedded. Staff routinely reflect upon practice and actively contribute to planned changes within the nursery. The manager is currently working on enhancing the opportunities for children to develop their technological skills during outdoor play.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff make detailed observations that capture children's learning exceptionally well. They accurately identify next steps for learning and fully understand the ways in which individual children learn best. All staff are immensely skilled at seizing opportunities for learning during child-led play and steering children's interests in different directions across many areas of learning. For example, children develop an interest in a pirate ship, staff suggest they draw a treasure map which leads on to detailed discussions about the ocean and ignites children's imagination. Staff skilfully maintain children's interest as they go outside to follow the map and find the treasure. Staff's infectious enthusiasm, exceptional questioning and outstanding facilitating of ideas and challenge, provide children with the highest quality learning opportunities.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff's sensitive and encouraging approach provide a particularly strong base for developing children's independence and significantly increases their confidence in their own abilities. Healthy lifestyles are firmly embedded into everyday practice. Staff use mealtime to engage in comprehensive discussions with children about the food we eat, where it comes from and the benefits to our bodies. Children take risks and manage their own safety extremely well. They climb the trees in the nursery garden and competently navigate over the wide range of large-play equipment. Children have wonderful opportunities to learn about people and communities beyond their own experiences, in context of their understanding. For example, children enjoy acting out stories with animals, while learning about the traditions of the Chinese zodiac calendar.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children are confident, motivated and active learners. They are skilful communicators and astute, critical thinkers. There is an abundance of opportunity for all children to make marks and write for purpose, in excellent support of their small-muscle movements and emerging literacy skills. This has been particularly beneficial for older boys, successfully engaging them in making marks outdoors, through careful planning by staff. Children are exceptionally well prepared for their future learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 309291 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 1103567 Type of provision Full-time 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 51 Name of registered person Irene Wilson

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 5 August 2014 Telephone number 01772 628 410

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reference number

Dowry House Nursery registered in 1990. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am until 5.30pm, for 51 weeks of the year. In total, six staff work at the nursery, all of whom hold relevant qualifications, including the manager who holds qualified teacher status. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for 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

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