Ridgemount Cottage Nursery School

Ridgemount Cottage Nursery School 73 Ermin Street, Gloucester, GL3 4EH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 8 June 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

 Managers and leaders monitor staff well and encourage them to enhance their skills through appropriate continuing professional development opportunities. For example, recent training on using signs and words has supported children's communication.  Staff have worked hard to build strong partnerships with all those involved in the care of the children. They quickly identify when children need extra support and act on advice and guidance well to make sure outcomes for children are successful. This supports children's move to school effectively.  Managers and leaders use feedback well from parents, children and staff to make positive changes. For example, they reorganised and extended outdoor environments to make them more engaging, with readily accessible resources. Children are confident to make choices about how they learn and play.  Staff make accurate assessments of children's development. Any gaps in learning and

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This provision is good

development close quickly. All children, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress from their starting points.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always provide clear messages for older children about what they expect at group times, to help the children learn better from the outset.  Staff miss opportunities to extend children's mathematical understanding.

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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

 provide older children with clear messages about what is expected of them at group times, to help them learn effectively from the outset  support staff to make the most of opportunities to enhance children's mathematical knowledge and skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching indoors and outdoors, and talked with staff and children at appropriate times.  The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection and through written testimonials.  The inspector conducted three joint observations with the manager: one in the pre- school room, one in the toddler room and one in the transitions room.  The inspector had a leadership and management meeting with the manager, special educational needs coordinator and nominated individual.  The inspector looked at samples of paperwork, including in relation to complaints, safeguarding, staff qualifications, accidents, medication, policies and procedures, and children's records, both online and in paper format.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Leaders and managers have an infectious ambition to improve and enhance the quality of the provision. Leaders and managers monitor staff well and provide opportunities for their professional development, to enhance their skills and knowledge effectively. For instance, recent courses about the importance of caring for the environment have helped staff to teach children and parents about recycling waste, caring for the oceans and the importance of maintaining healthy environments. Safeguarding is effective. Staff have attended training to make sure they know what to do if they have concerns about the welfare of a child. They have a good knowledge about how to help keep children safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff support all children's communication skills well. They ask questions, use signs as well as words, and encourage children to think and solve problems. For example, staff share books with babies and ask them to find or name pictures; toddlers guess what they think is hidden in wrapped boxes, and older children use computer programs to discover the names of dinosaurs and what they liked to eat. Staff provide varied activities for children to explore, experiment and be creative. For instance, babies experiment with paint, and use their hands and brushes to make marks on paper, and toddlers mould dough into shapes, adding natural materials, such as twigs, to their models. Older children make 'chocolate cakes' with the sticky mud outdoors in the mud kitchen.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff offer superb support to help children understand the wider world and how to care for their environments. For example, children help to recycle paper and food waste. Children show their understanding about the importance of caring and considering other living things well. For instance, they share with parents and staff why plastic should not be thrown into the oceans as it could harm the sea animals. Staff remind children to be kind to each other. For example, they encourage them to use words rather than actions if they would like something, and help them include everyone as they play.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children have fun and are keen to learn. Babies develop good physical skills as they discover different ways of moving over, around and through equipment in the soft-play area. Toddlers eagerly look for bugs in the bug hotel they have made, exclaiming excitedly as they find spiders and snails. Older children act out favourite rhymes and songs, laughing as they splash each other when they make toy frogs 'jump' off a log into the 'pond' water tray. Children show good independence skills. For instance, they change their clothes when they get wet from playing in the water and use cutlery well to eat their meals. Staff prepare children well for the transition to school. For example, they encourage teachers to come and see the children in the nursery and organise visits to schools for the children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY545310 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 1137277 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 66 Number of children on roll 60 Name of registered person Ridgemount Cottage Nursery Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01452 864107

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reference number

Ridgemount Cottage Nursery School re-registered in 2017 and is located in Brockworth, Gloucestershire. The setting operates all year round from 7.30am until 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and a week at Christmas. There are 17 members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds early years professional status and four hold qualified teacher status. A further seven hold appropriate childcare qualifications between levels 5 and 3. The nursery receives funding for free early years education for children aged two, three and four years.

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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

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

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