St Thomas's Nursery School

St Thomas's Nursery School St Thomas's Church Hall Complex, Prince George Avenue, Oakwood, London, N14 4TL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20 March 2018 10 November 2015

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 The manager is passionate and hard-working. She has high expectations and is committed to getting the best possible outcomes for children and their families. She is supported well by an enthusiastic, well-established staff team.  The provider is a very good teaching role model for her staff team. The qualified staff team has a clear overview of what children can do and what they need to learn next.  Staff are extremely warm, caring and affectionate with the children, this helps them make very secure attachments.  The provider actively encourages opportunities for ongoing training. This enables staff to build on their current knowledge and further develop their areas of expertise or interest, overall.  Staff provide a well-resourced environment with a good range of resources and experiences that reflects the educational programme. This helps children to lead their own learning. Furthermore, staff interact positively and enthusiastically with children,

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always make the best use of their systems for exchanging information with parents or fully encourage them to continue to support their child's learning at home.  Staff performance management does not always focus fully on raising staff's teaching skills so that children receive even higher levels of challenge in their play and learning.

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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

 make better use of the systems for exchanging information with parents and help them to continue to guide their child's learning at home  strengthen staff performance management and focus on raising their knowledge of expert teaching to help them provide children with further challenge in their play.

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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 provider.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery provider. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The provider and her staff are aware of child protection issues and the reporting procedures to follow in the event of any such concerns. Staff carry out extremely thorough daily checks to minimise hazards and to maintain a safe environment for children. The provider follows a thorough recruitment and induction process for new staff. This helps to ensure that staff are suitable to care for children. The provider offers staff an open-door policy and regular ongoing opportunities to receive one-to-one meetings to discuss their job role. The provider monitors the progress made by individual and groups of children. This helps her to identify where support is needed to maintain children's good progress. For example, strategies have been put in place to promote children's understanding of the world. Self-evaluation is used to good effect with ideas in place to support continual improvement. The provider includes

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

the views of those who use the nursery in her evaluation.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Children's language development is very good. Staff skilfully question children, they encourage them to tell them what they are doing and introduce new vocabulary during their play. Children engage visitors in conversation, asking profound questions, such as 'who made you?' Staff subtly weave numbers and physical development into children's play. They encourage children to recognise numbers during a game of hopscotch. The children count as they hop and jump to the relevant number. Children enjoy opportunities to develop their imagination, such as when constructing intricate spaceships and aeroplanes from bricks.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff help children to move from home into their care with ease. Children who are new to the nursery confidently explore the toys and engage with others. Children benefit from healthy snacks, such as fruit and salad vegetables. Staff ensure that the snacks and drinks reflect children's specific dietary requirements. This helps to promote children's health and well-being. Staff promote positive behaviour. They give children lots of praise for their achievements that help to raise their self-esteem. Staff take time to explain to children what is expected of them. Children behave well. The provider has developed successful links with the local schools to help support children to make smooth transitions from nursery to school when the time comes.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children work within the expected levels of development for their age and they make good progress relative to their starting points. Toddlers develop good physical skills, they confidently balance, climb and slide on the indoor equipment. Children gain valuable skills for their future learning. Pre-school children write their own name and form recognisable letters. This contributes to their early writing skills. Children recognise their name when they arrive at the nursery. This helps to promote early reading skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 135398 Local authority Enfield Inspection number 1127005 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 44 Number of children on roll 38 Name of registered person Stella Roberts

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 10 November 2015 Telephone number 020 8886 5369

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reference number

St Thomas's Nursery School registered in 1992. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above, including the provider with early years professional status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm. 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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