St Stephen's County Infant School

Lime Grove Day Nursery Park Road, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP1 1JT

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Inspection date 8 November 2018 Previous inspection date 10 December 2015

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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 Staff know children exceptionally well. They make very effective use of information to plan precisely for what each child needs to learn next. Children are extremely curious and motivated as they explore activities. They make good and often outstanding progress. n Staff very quickly identify children whose achievements are below those expected for their age. By working extremely closely with parents and other professionals, staff ensure that the correct intervention is taken. As a result, all groups of children make optimum progress given their particular needs, starting points and capabilities. n Children develop extremely good communication and language skills. Staff effectively encourage older children to engage in conversations, ask questions and suggest ideas. Babies babble with excitement when interacting with others and staff provide excellent commentary as children play. n Children build very strong emotional bonds with their key person and other members of

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The provision is outstanding

staff. They enjoy plenty of effective reassurance and cuddles to help them settle into nursery life in their own time. n The management team and staff are highly qualified and have a wealth of experience. Ratios are met well and thorough risk assessments promote children's safety. All staff complete statutory training, such as paediatric first aid, to provide reassurance to children and effective care in the event of an accident.

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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 even further the already accurate assessment processes to encourage, where appropriate, older most-able children to share their ideas and help promote their own ongoing progress.

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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 and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector discussed an evaluation of an activity with the deputy area manager. n The inspector held a number of discussions with members of the management team, staff and children. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including evidence of the suitability of persons working with children. The inspector discussed with members of the management team how they reflect on practice. n The inspector took account of the views of parents through information shared with nursery staff and managers.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. All staff complete child protection training. Regular meetings enable them to review their knowledge and procedures to ensure that all children remain protected from harm. Staff invite parents and children to share their views and opinions in a wide variety of ways, including using the parent forum or children's council. This helps the management team and staff to make informed decisions about future improvements. Parents say that the integration of their children into nursery life is excellent. They describe staff as knowledgeable, experienced and exceptionally caring.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff provide an exceptional range of activities that values the diversity of children's experiences. Children enjoy sharing customs that they celebrate with their families. For example, children learn about Diwali, make Rangoli patterns, use spices and explore cultural dress. This helps to bring learning to life with the beautiful colours of traditional costume, different aromas and the opportunity to discover symmetrical motifs taken from nature, such as peacocks, swans and flowers. Children are challenged and motivated to think critically. Older children enjoy using tally sheets with pictorial clues to help them research how many snails, ants or spiders they can find in the nursery garden. Babies ably develop physical skills. Staff provide an extremely conducive environment for them to reach, stretch and pull themselves to standing. Teaching is inspirational, highly responsive to children's needs and worthy of dissemination to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

others. The management team agrees that there is an opportunity to enrich the current assessment processes further, to heighten older, most-able children's experiences by encouraging them to share their ideas about how they can promote their own progress.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff are deployed extremely well. They develop very strong and trusting relationships with parents. Daily conversations between them provide a very consistent approach that supports children's care and learning to exceptionally high levels. Extremely effective explanations from staff help children to behave outstandingly well. They quickly learn to understand the needs of others and the reasons for boundaries. Excellent attention to meeting individual dietary needs helps every child to grow and thrive. Children enjoy very well-planned seasonal menus. These include adaptations that reflect the different ethnicities of all families.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children are developing the skills they need for school, especially around forming friendships, positive behaviour and being independent. They thoroughly enjoy playing outdoors everyday. This has a very positive impact on children's health and well-being. Children are physically independent and enjoy high levels of self-esteem.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 129362 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10083958 Type of provision Full day care

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register

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Day care type

Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 102 Number of children on roll 138 Name of registered person Childbase Partnership Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 10 December 2015 Telephone number 01442 236506

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reference number

Lime Grove Day Nursery registered in 1991. The nursery employs 49 members of childcare staff. Of these, 42 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above, including six staff who are qualified to degree level. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6.30pm. The nursery 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

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