Castle Nurseries at Willow Avenue

Castle Nurseries at Willow Avenue Greenway, Fenham, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 9TU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 June 2018 18 August 2015

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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

 Leadership is inspirational. The extremely passionate manager and her exceptionally motivated staff team strive to provide first-rate care for children. They have worked relentlessly to enhance the remarkable learning environment and to promote children's independence. Children have an excellent array of resources from which to choose.  Teaching is superb. The exceptionally highly qualified staff demonstrate a remarkable understanding of how children learn. They continually reshape their approach to children's learning and help to promote the best possible outcomes for them. Staff are inspirational, extremely dedicated and highly driven. They are superb role models.  Children are provided with innovative opportunities to be physically active in their play. For example, they take part in highly exciting yoga sessions and learn to move their bodies in various ways. Children have access to an exceptionally well-resourced garden

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This provision is outstanding

where they have opportunities to extend their large-muscle movements even further.  Staff provide tremendous levels of emotional support for children. They are extremely nurturing and provide a uniquely individualised approach to help children to settle quickly. Children demonstrate excellent levels of self-esteem and are highly confident.  Children demonstrate superb imaginative skills. They create their own exciting pretend play scenarios. For instance, children use blankets, props and dressing-up clothes to create their own exciting and detailed storytelling scenes.

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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

 evaluate the impact that the planned music and movement sessions have on children's already excellent engagement in learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities 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 manager.  The inspector spoke with the nursery manager at convenient times. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. The highly knowledgeable manager and her staff demonstrate an impeccable awareness of safeguarding procedures. These are meticulously woven throughout all aspects of practice. The manager diligently reviews the overall quality of the provision and has implemented impeccable systems to incorporate the views of others. For example, during extensive building work, children and families were consulted throughout. Children took immense delight in watching their ideas being transformed following completion of the new pre-school room. The manager completes extensive practice observations and supervision sessions. This helps to methodically identify precise gaps in practice and meticulously address any training needs. For instance, staff in the baby room have completed bespoke training regarding babies' brain development and the importance of attachment building. The manager and her deputy astutely monitor the

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

overall progress made by individual and groups of children. They analyse their findings to tailor specific action plans that help to refine children's learning needs. Parents are provided with excellent opportunities to contribute to their children's learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff complete extensive observations and assessments of children's learning. They work extremely closely with a very wide range of professionals. This helps them to incisively plan for what children need to learn next. Babies and young children explore a vast range of natural resources, including wooden and metal objects. They show extremely high levels of engagement as they bang these together to create various sounds. The manager intends to further extend opportunities for children to learn through music. She aims to provide even further specific music and movement sessions.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children behave remarkably well. They demonstrate excellent self-care skills and follow hygiene practices. Staff provide superb opportunities for children to understand where food comes from; children grow their own produce and visit local shops to collect their ingredients. This helps children to develop an understanding of their natural world.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make rapid progress. They use communication picture books and have superb opportunities to use their home language during play. This helps to extend their already excellent communication skills. Children have remarkable opportunities to learn about what happens when materials are combined. For example, they add various amounts of water to sand and talk about the change in consistency. Children are superbly equipped with the key skills needed for future learning and their eventual move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY224369 Local authority Newcastle Inspection number 1128518 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 90 Number of children on roll 118 Name of registered person Newcastle City Council

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 18 August 2015 Telephone number 0191 2744563

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reference number

Castle Nurseries at Willow Avenue registered in 2002. The nursery operates Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery employs 15 childcare staff. Of these, seven have appropriate qualifications at level 3, two have qualifications at level 4, three are qualified to level 6 and three hold early years professional status.

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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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