Whitehall Nursery School

Whitehall Nursery School 15 Elphinstone Road, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 2EE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23 May 2018 2 March 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

 Staff establish secure and trusting relationships with children and get to know their individual personalities well. Children have positive levels of well-being and self-esteem.  Staff build and maintain positive relationships with parents and keep them fully involved in their children's learning. For example, they regularly share children's achievements.  The manager and staff establish good links with other early years professionals. For instance, they regularly share children's progress with other settings that children also attend. This helps to provide children with a good, consistent approach to their shared care and learning experiences.  All children have good opportunities to challenge their physical skills. For example, they learn to move safely in interesting ways, such as confidently climbing up cargo nets.  Staff encourage children to develop skills that help prepare them for their eventual

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This provision is good

move to school. Children are independent and confidently choose their own play.  Children have good opportunities to develop their imagination. They enjoy a wide range of role-play opportunities, such as becoming 'nurses' at the 'hospital'.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not consistently organise larger group activities well to ensure that all children remain fully engaged in their learning opportunities.  Staff miss some opportunities to encourage children to extend their early writing skills even further.

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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

 review and improve the organisation of larger group activities to help ensure that all children remain fully engaged in their learning experiences  provide more challenging opportunities for children to develop their early writing skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the staff interacting with children and assessed the impact on children's learning.  The inspector viewed the indoor and outdoor learning environments.  The inspector looked at written documentation, including evidence of the suitability of all those working at the nursery school.  The inspector spoke to children, parents and staff and considered their views.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager and staff effectively review and make positive improvements to their practice together. For example, they evaluate how well activities interest children and use the feedback to support their future activity plans. This helps staff to keep children motived to learn. The manager closely monitors the quality of care and learning that staff provide children. For instance, she holds regular individual meetings with staff to discuss their performance and to highlight any training needs. Staff attend a good range of beneficial training to help keep their skills and knowledge up to date and build on them further. For example, they have learned different ways to help children develop their communication and language skills, such as simple signing. Staff use additional funding effectively to meet children's individual needs. For instance, they have purchased additional resources to interest children in exploring nature. Safeguarding is effective. The

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

manager and staff have a good knowledge of the safeguarding procedures to follow to help protect children's safety and welfare. This includes completing thorough risk assessments of the setting and equipment to ensure that they remain safe and secure.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The manager and staff effectively monitor the progress of individual and specific groups of children. This enables them to identify any gaps in their development quickly. Staff provide children with good support to help close these gaps promptly. Staff build on children's interests well. For example, children who enjoy a book about insects are encouraged to carry out regular bug hunts using magnifying glasses. Staff support children to develop good communication skills. For instance, they ask children thought- provoking questions and give them time to think and then respond.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are polite and behave well. For example, they respect the rules and boundaries. Children develop good social skills. They are happy to play together and take turns and share resources. Children develop a good understanding of healthy eating. For example, they enjoy harvesting their own healthy snacks, such as raspberries. All children have good opportunities to learn about the wider world around them. For instance, they learn about traditional events such as Diwali, the festival of light.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress. Children gain good mathematical skills to support their future learning. For example, they confidently count as they play. Children learn about more complicated concepts. For example, they hold a tarantula and snake and learn about why and how they shed their skin. They are keen to investigate the old skin up close.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 109333 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 1089034 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 18 Number of children on roll 21 Name of registered person Rosemary White

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 2 March 2015 Telephone number 01424 436642

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reference number

Whitehall Nursery School registered in 1982. It is located in Hastings, East Sussex. It is open Monday to Friday from 9am until 3pm, term time only. The setting receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The setting employs five members of staff, all of whom hold relevant early years qualifications at level 2 or above. This includes one member of staff who has a relevant early years qualification at level 4.

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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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