Apple Tree Montessori Nursery School

Gingerbread Day Nursery The Oval Park, Saltdean, BN2 8SJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 July 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 Outstanding 1

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This provision is good

 Staff use assessment systems effectively to monitor children's progress. They use their strong understanding of children's interests well to meet each child's needs.  Parents have great opportunities to extend children's learning at home. Staff work in close partnership with them to help children develop independence and to prepare them well for moves to other settings, such as school.  Children make good progress from their starting points. They achieve the expected outcomes for their ages. They develop confidence particularly well.  Staff show exceptional skills in teaching children to stay safe and healthy. For example, children have an extremely strong knowledge of how to stay safe in the sun and understand thoroughly the reasons why hygienic practices are important.  Managers carefully assess the rates of progress made by different groups of children and, as a result, make changes in their practice to benefit children. For example, they

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This provision is good

have improved the opportunities for boys to develop their hand control ready for them to become writers at a later stage.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not consistently use highly effective teaching strategies to encourage children to develop and extend their own thoughts and ideas.  Staff do not use all opportunities to encourage children to work things out in their play to develop their problem-solving skills.

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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

 enhance teaching skills to ensure consistently high standards in the way staff encourage children to develop their own thoughts to extend their learning  offer children more opportunities to develop problem-solving skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities inside and outdoors.  The inspector talked with staff, children and the manager at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records, staff planning documentation and checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of children's learning and staff practice, with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The manager ensures that staff are highly vigilant, and children's welfare is of central importance to everything they do. Staff provide high supervision levels to ensure children's safety and well-being. They clearly know how to notice if a child's welfare is at risk and what action to take to protect them. The manager ensures continual improvements are made to boost the outcomes for children. These result from effective performance management and careful evaluations of practice. For example, through working with the staff team, they improved the way plans are made to better meet children's individual needs. Staff have good opportunities to enhance their qualifications and to extend their skills through effective professional development. For example, recent training has helped staff to effectively support quieter children to improve their confidence and to be much more involved in all aspects of the daily routine.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff challenge children well to help them develop their skills. For example, toddlers eagerly attempt the challenge of spinning a hoop on their arms and succeed. Staff promote the development of language effectively using techniques such as modelling vocabulary and engaging in a range of songs and rhymes. Staff ensure children develop skills for their future learning, including by counting with them throughout the day and helping them to recognise numerals. They use children's play to teach them early writing skills. For instance, children make marks which represent names in appointment cards or doctor's notes on patients when engaging in hospital role play.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children quickly feel safe and secure when they start and rapidly develop strong attachments to staff. Staff take highly attentive steps to help children settle, which include personalising activities to engage the children and providing strong links between the setting and home. Staff provide children with excellent opportunities to learn about communities beyond their own. For example, children frequently visit people of different ages and with differing abilities. They also learn ways to communicate without using speech. Staff use highly effective methods to promote positive behaviour and important values. Children behave impeccably. For instance, older children show great patience as they help younger children master new skills.

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Outcomes for children are good

Overall, children engage attentively in play and confidently make independent choices. They demonstrate great social skills. Older children frequently engage together in turn- taking games, such as throwing and catching balls. Children care for living creatures well. They look after pet turtles carefully and make sure they are clean and fed. Babies and toddlers make good progress in their physical development. They develop control over their whole bodies and demonstrate this in activities, such as obstacle courses. Children develop skills essential for their future lives, including managing their personal hygiene.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY547518 Local authority Brighton & Hove Inspection number 1112906 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 25 Number of children on roll 46 Name of registered person Childcare 360 Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01273307330

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reference number

Gingerbread Day Nursery registered in 2017. It operates from a building within a park in Saltdean, East Sussex. The nursery is open from 8am to 6pm each weekday, for 50 weeks of the year. It receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are six staff at the nursery, including the co-owner who has early years professional status and four members of staff who hold childcare qualifications at level 2 or 3.

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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

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 .

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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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