Grove Cottage

Grove Cottage 151 London Road, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 3JX

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 4 July 2018 22 October 2015

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

p.1

This provision is good

 Staff know the children very well, which helps children to settle quickly and be confident in their surroundings. Children's emotional well-being is supported effectively.  The key-person system is highly effective. Staff form strong bonds with the children, which helps them to feel safe and secure. There is a high staff ratio, which helps to provide children with tailored one-to-one or small group support.  The staff provide a wide range of rich and stimulating activities, including regular trips to a local swimming pool. Children visit a soft-play centre and have constant access to a well-resourced outside area. This helps children make good progress in their physical skills.  Staff plan well for children's move on to other settings and support the whole family in this process. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning.  Money from children's funding is spent carefully on resources that support specific

p.1

This provision is good

areas of their learning and development. For example, staff purchased soft floor tiles to encourage children to walk.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 The manager has yet to fully identify ways to extend the opportunities for staff to improve their teaching skills to raise outcomes for children.  The manager does not always take time to review the impact of individual staff training to raise their personal effectiveness.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 develop further the opportunities for staff to improve their teaching skills to help raise outcomes for children  consider additional ways to review the impact of individual staff training to raise their personal effectiveness.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities across the nursery, indoors and outdoors.  The inspector spoke with members of staff, including room leaders and children at appropriate times of the day.  The inspector carried out one joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector took account of views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector looked at children's records, planning documentation and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Staff feel well supported by leaders. Morale is high and staff say that they feel 'like a family'. Staff are actively encouraged to make suggestions to improve the setting, such as changing the way they plan together. The manager ensures that there are continuous partnerships with other health professionals and other settings, including the new schools that children are going to. This helps staff to regularly exchange information and use this to effectively support children. Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a good understanding of how to keep children safe and recognise the signs of abuse. They know what they should do in the event of any concerns about children's safety or welfare.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff know the children well and plan with help from other professionals involved in children's care and learning. This provides tailored learning activities, which provide clear, achievable next steps for children. Staff strongly focus on developing children's communication and language, and physical skills. They plan a good range of exciting and interesting activities. For example, staff provide targeted speech and language sessions, which help children to extend their attention and vocabulary. Children learn to sign simple words, which enables them to start to communicate their needs. Staff ensure that they provide a good balance of opportunities for children to engage in free play and to take part in adult-led activities. Staff encourage children to explore and learn in the well- resourced and stimulating environment. Children smile and laugh as they play on the trampoline and outdoors in the ball pit.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children form strong bonds with their key person. Parents praise the support they receive from the staff and the way that the staff work with other health professionals. Staff make effective use of a range of methods to help children cope with routine changes. For example, they provide visual timetables that help children to accept and prepare for different parts of the day, such as mealtimes. Staff take time to accompany children on visits to their new schools, which helps children to become familiar with new surroundings safe in the knowledge that their key-person is close by. Staff encourage children to develop their independence skills, relative to their age and individual stage of development. For example, staff gently help children to learn to use a cup alongside their feeding tube.

p.3

Outcomes for children are good

All children make good progress from their different starting points. Children develop a good range of key skills that helps to support them in their future learning. For example, some children learn to walk with the assistance of specialist equipment. Other non-verbal children become confident to use simple hand signs to share their needs, thoughts and feelings. Children demonstrate good levels of self-esteem and are happy, sociable and confident.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY372502 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 1130175 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 15 Name of registered person Bishops Stortford Mencap

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 22 October 2015 Telephone number 01279 656085

p.4

reference number

Grove Cottage re-registered in 2008. The nursery employs 11 members of childcare staff. Six of these hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including one who holds qualified teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Thursday, during term time only. Sessions are from 9.30am to 2.30pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

reference number

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

reference number

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

p.5

reference number

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

p.5