The Lighthouse Nursery School

The Lighthouse Nursery School The Lighthouse, Fairview, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 7AN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19 April 2018 Not applicable

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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

 Staff provide sensitive support to help children develop strong bonds with them. Children settle quickly and make friends. They are happy, confident and eager to learn.  Parents value the nursery and praise the warm and friendly environment. They are well informed about their children's care and learning needs. Staff regularly seek their views and provide ideas for them to continue children's learning at home.  The quality of teaching is good. Staff carefully monitor children's learning, make accurate assessments and use these to plan children's next steps. Staff plan interesting, purposeful activities that encourage children to explore and investigate.  All children, including those who require extra support and those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress. Staff work effectively with other early years providers and outside professionals to meet children's needs.  The management team continually evaluates the service it provides to improve

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This provision is good

children's learning, taking into account the views of parents, staff and children.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 At times, staff do not fully promote children's understanding of numbers and counting.  Sometimes, children do not have enough opportunities to develop their imaginations.

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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

 focus more closely on supporting children's understanding of numbers and counting  improve opportunities for children to develop their imaginations.

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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 completed a joint observation with the provider.  The inspector held meetings with the provider and spoke to staff and children  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including children's records, safeguarding procedures, written policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to during the inspection.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Managers use robust recruitment and induction systems to ensure that staff are suitable to care for children. Staff update their knowledge of safeguarding and fully understand their roles to keep children safe. Managers observe staff regularly and give them specific feedback to help them develop the quality of their practice. Staff attend training to strengthen their skills. For example, training has ensured that staff successfully implement new systems for tracking children's progress. Monitoring extends to different groups of children as well as individuals to determine if any area of teaching and learning needs further enhancement. For instance, the managers have recently improved technological learning opportunities for older children.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Skilled staff provide a broad range of stimulating activities for children of all ages. Older babies have plenty of space to practise walking. Staff stimulate children's emerging language and communication skills well. They repeat words and use gestures when babies begin to talk, for example, as they explore digging and making marks in damp sand. Staff encourage children to progressively build their physical skills. For instance, two-year-olds chose from a range of materials and carefully used glue spreaders to create colourful bird's nest pictures. Staff build children's interest in nature particularly well. For example, when older children became fascinated with small toy fish, staff encouraged them to suggest ideas why creatures, such as stingrays, look as they do.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children behave well and treat each other with respect and consideration. They learn to share resources fairly and take turns. Staff show children they value their ideas and opinions. Staff encourage children's independence from a very young age. Children of all ages enjoy a well-organised and resourced environment. They can easily access toys and equipment, which are carefully designed to support children's independent learning. Children take pride in caring for their environment, for example, by carefully tidying away their toys. They have ample opportunities to play outdoors and to be physically active.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are well prepared for the next stages of their learning and development, including starting school. Children are confident communicators and eager to learn and explore. They make good progress in developing their understanding of mathematical sizes. For example, younger children compare the length of their outdoor spades as they dig in the mud kitchen. From an early age, children develop a love of books and enjoy making marks with a range of items, such as brushes and pencils. Older children know some sounds that letters represent and can often read and write simple words.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY498891 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 1048241 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 1 - 5 Total number of places 70 Number of children on roll 64 Name of registered person The Lighthouse Nursery School Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01865 891712

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reference number

The Lighthouse Nursery School re-registered in 2016 as a limited company. The nursery operates from a single-storey purpose-built setting in the village of Newington, near Wallingford, Oxfordshire. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 5.30pm for the whole year, except for one week in the summer and one week at Christmas. The nursery employs 17 members of staff, 12 of whom have appropriate early years qualifications ranging from levels 2 to 5, while two have qualified teacher status. The nursery follows the Montessori educational philosophy.

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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

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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