Highfield Lane Nursery School

Highfield Lane Nursery School 1 Puddingstone Drive, St. Albans, Hertfordshire AL4 0GX

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Inspection date 20 September 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 Leadership and management of the nursery are inspirational. Staff are committed to providing the best possible care and education for all children. The nursery has an exceptionally caring ethos that puts the child at the centre of everything they do. They ensure that all children have a happy and highly enjoyable nursery experience. n The quality of teaching is outstanding. Children are treated with courtesy and respect. Staff listen to their views and accommodate their ideas for activities. This results in children feeling valued and well motivated. n Children's behaviour is excellent. Staff are highly effective in helping them to understand behavioural expectations in the nursery. Children are supported extremely well to learn skills, such as turn taking, sharing and respecting each other. n Children are extremely settled, confident and happy within the nursery. The arrangements for supporting children as they move into the next room or on to school

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The provision is outstanding

are particularly well organised. This helps to promote continuity of care and learning exceptionally well. n Parents are very enthusiastic to share their highly positive feedback about the nursery. Staff ensure parents are fully involved in their children's learning. Information is continually shared to encourage and support children's learning at home. This partnership contributes greatly to children's success at the nursery. n All aspects of the nursery provision are closely monitored and evaluated to ensure continuous improvements are made. This has resulted in outstanding practice that is worthy of dissemination to other settings.

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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 continue to implement the planned improvements, to enhance the already excellent range of outdoor learning opportunities and evaluate the impact of this on children's learning and development.

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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, both inside and outside, 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 the nursery manager. n The inspector held a meeting with the nursery managers. 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 and took account of their views through the written feedback provided.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

The leaders and managers are highly ambitious for the nursery. They take great pride in the strong staff team they have developed. Their qualifications, training and experience significantly contribute to the outstanding progress that children make. The monitoring of staff practice is extremely rigorous to ensure that the quality of teaching is exceptional. Excellent self-evaluation means that staff are continually extending the service they provide. For example, they plan to offer even more exciting learning opportunities outdoors. Safeguarding is effective. Staff have excellent knowledge about their responsibility to safeguard children. They clearly demonstrate their understanding of what to do should they have any concerns about a child's welfare. The managers offer extremely robust recruitment, induction and training to maintain exceptional levels of practice and to ensure staff's suitability.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff plan exciting activities that motivate and inspire children to learn. They are highly responsive to children's needs. For example, they instantly follow children's fascination with travelling on an aeroplane. Children excitedly design their own maps and discuss where they are going. They develop their creativity by exploring the different painting techniques used by famous artists. Staff in the baby room skilfully engage them in playful experiences. They support their early communication by singing songs and gently repeating words back to them. The nursery's reading and writing programme promotes children's early literacy skills exceptionally well. Children's learning is further enhanced by a range of visitors to the nursery, including a doctor, a dentist and fire officers. This helps them to develop a sense of their local community and the people who help them.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children are extremely settled, confident and happy within the nursery. Staff in the baby room show kindness and warmth, enabling the youngest children to settle happily and form close attachments to their key person. All staff are excellent role models. They supervise children well and prioritise their understanding of how to identify risks and stay safe. Children proudly take turns to be 'safety detectives'. There are rigorous cleaning and hygiene procedures in place in the nursery. These high standards help to promote children's good health. Children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills, such as climbing, sliding, digging, building and taking part in exercise sessions.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children thoroughly enjoy learning. They eagerly join in activities and are confident in using the excellent range of resources. They are imaginative, creative and show a real thirst for learning. Children are keen to investigate number, shapes and measure through their play. Older children competently use technology-based resources. Children acquire exceptional skills and attitudes needed to continue their already successful learning and are very well prepared for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY537245 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10067411 Type of provision Full day care Registers Early Years Register Day care type Childcare on non-domestic premises Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 70 Number of children on roll 101 Name of registered person Seymour House Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01727232232

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Highfield Lane Nursery School registered in 2016. It is one of ten settings run and managed by Seymour House Limited. The nursery employs 22 members of childcare staff. Of these, 17 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. This includes three staff who hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 6 and two with qualified teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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

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