Ashdon Childrens Nursery

Ashdon Childrens Nursery Hill Farm, Radwinter Road, Saffron Walden CB10 2ET

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Inspection date 30 August 2018 Previous inspection date Not applicable

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Not applicable Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1 Outcomes for children Outstanding 1

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The provision is outstanding

n Children of all ages are very happy and confident in this vibrant environment. The strong skills of all key persons ensure that children form exceptionally warm and caring bonds with them. Children build very strong relationships with each other as they play together harmoniously in mixed-age groups several times throughout the day. n Teaching is consistently of very high quality throughout the nursery. The well-qualified and dedicated staff team are highly responsive to children's individual needs. Babies make excellent progress within a short period of time of attending. All children flourish and make exceptional progress from their starting points. n The dynamic management team is inspirational. They use self-evaluation extremely well to continually reflect on the service they provide using a variety of methods. n Staff make superb use of the extensive and well-planned environment. Children are

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The provision is outstanding

incredibly keen to explore their natural surroundings during regular forest sessions. Staff inspire children to be inquisitive and highly motivated at all times. For example, they help children to discover how the consistency of soil changes as they add water. n Staff form excellent partnerships with parents and involve them in every aspect of their children's learning. Parents actively play a pivotal role in sharing a wealth of information about children's achievements and experiences at home. Staff provide parents with superb opportunities to attend an extensive range of workshops and ideas to help support their children's progress at home.

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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

n enhance the excellent opportunities for children to expand their understanding of diversity even further.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection. n The inspector completed a joint observation with one of the joint managers. n The inspector held a meeting with the joint managers and accountant for the nursery. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection to seek their views and also took account of the written feedback provided.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have a very secure knowledge of the action to take if they have concerns about a child's welfare. The management team's sharp focus on monitoring children's progress identifies and addresses gaps as soon as they emerge. Robust supervision meetings have a positive impact on supporting staff's professional practice and their well-being. Staff receive excellent training opportunities. Superb partnerships with staff at other settings that children attend are embedded to support children's continuity of learning. Children gain an excellent understanding of diversity. The staff have innovative ideas about how to promote children's awareness of how different families are made up and are yet to implement these.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff's meticulous observations and assessments of children help them to precisely identify how children learn. They are highly skilled in helping children to acknowledge their achievements and reflect on their own learning. Babies thoroughly enjoy a wealth of sensory activities, such as searching for hidden toy animals within fresh herbs. Staff place a consistently high emphasis on promoting all children's language development. Young children respond exceptionally well to the staff's skilful use of questioning to help enhance their deep-thinking skills. Older children are incredibly imaginative. They work together to plan the design of a castle and make their ideas become a reality. Children learn about life cycles as they observe chicks and ducklings hatch from their eggs. They continue to care for them daily. Children who speak English as an additional language are exceptionally well supported and staff truly value their home language.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff are outstanding role models and children behave exceptionally well. Children grow an extensive range of fruit and vegetables which they help to care for. These are used within the very good range of healthy nutritious foods that are provided. Highly effective arrangements help children to swiftly settle when they first begin attending. Children learn how to assess their own risks from a young age as they balance on tree stumps. Yoga and music and movement sessions help to enhance children's physical skills.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Babies feed themselves from an early age. Young children naturally use mathematical language within their play, such as 'full' and 'empty'. Older children solve complex mathematical problems, such as addition and subtraction, and identify three-dimensional shapes. They are highly skilled in linking letters to the sounds that they represent. Children write simple words and understand how stories are structured. These key skills help prepare children exceptionally well for their eventual move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY500473 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10067360 Type of provision Full day care

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Childcare on non-domestic premises Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 79 Number of children on roll 142 Name of registered person Ashdon Childrens Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01799584848

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reference number

Ashdon Childrens Nursery re-registered in 2016. It employs 31 members of childcare staff. Of these, 17 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. One of the joint managers holds early years professional status and the other holds qualified teacher status. The nursery operates from 7.45am until 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round. It provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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.ofsted.gov.uk . 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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

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

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