Skylarks Nursery School

Skylark Nursery School Lower Mead Farm, Alston Cross, Newton Abbot TQ13 7LJ

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Inspection date 12 December 2018 Previous inspection date 15 March 2018

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires improvement Effectiveness of leadership and management Good 2 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2 Outcomes for children Good 2

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This provision is good

n The manager and staff have made improvements to their practice since the last inspection. They have reviewed their procedures and made effective changes that have improved the outcomes for children's safety and well-being. n The staff skilfully interact with the children. Children develop good communication, mathematical and language skills. n Children form strong attachments to the staff and behave well. They are confident, happy, and know how to share. They are respectful and kind to each other. Staff meet children's emotional needs well. n The manager and staff provide a welcoming, stimulating, well-resourced and nurturing environment, which successfully supports children's learning. Children enjoy their time at the nursery, are motivated to learn and demonstrate good levels of independence and confidence in their surroundings. n The manager and staff work well in partnerships with parents to meet children's

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This provision is good

individual needs and to provide continuity of care. Parents spoken to during the inspection commented on their children's progress, the fun they have, and the good levels of support, care and attention that they receive. n At times, staff's observations and planning for children's future learning are not as precise as they could be, to build on their next steps more concisely. n Staff do not gain and share information consistently about children's progress with other settings they attend.

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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 make better use of observations and assessments to focus more precisely on children's next steps in learning, to help them make the best possible progress n improve arrangements to gain and share information with other settings that children attend, to ensure a joined-up approach to children's learning.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed activities and the impact of teaching on children's learning. n The inspector held discussions with the provider and staff, and talked with the children. n The inspector looked at a sample of documentation. n The inspector discussed self-evaluation, and observations of the children's play, learning and progress, and jointly evaluated an activity with the manager.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The manager's clear vision and accurate self-evaluation of the nursery's practice have helped to improve children's safety and well-being. For example, she has worked well with the local authority to review the nursery's safety procedures. As a result, staff ensure children are well supervised and they use effective risk assessments to ensure that the environment is safe and secure. The manager monitors and reviews children's progress to identify gaps in their learning. Staff thoughtfully plan activities and resources to provide good challenges for most children. The manager has increased the focus on staff's development and their understanding of safeguarding concerns. For instance, training and support have enhanced staff's awareness of how to report concerns quickly. The good levels of support have also enhanced the quality of teaching and staff's knowledge of how to meet children's individual needs. Strong

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

teamwork successfully promotes good outcomes for children's learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff skilfully and sensitively engage with the children. For example, older and younger children explore the outdoors looking for reindeer shapes and confidently count and match these well. Staff provide a good balance of activities and support children's learning and interests well. For instance, they help children to understand which side of the shape cutter is sharper and how to roll the clay to a thickness that is easier for them to cut. Children confidently build using bricks. They compare the height of their tower to their own height before laying the tower horizontally along the floor. Staff encourage the children to use their imagination and this becomes a track where they make sounds that replicate a train moving. Staff model language well. They ask questions and children listen well to a sound game associating the noises they hear to pictures on a board. Children confidently use language and demonstrate good social skills by helping others

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff promote children's health and physical well-being well. Children follow instructions, enjoy action rhymes and yoga, and eagerly explore the equipment outdoors. They demonstrate good independence and self-care skills. They competently wash their hands, pour their own drink, and put the hose pipe in the watering can to fill it up. They eagerly explore the outdoors and manoeuvre the wheeled toys with control. Children behave well. Staff are positive role models and praise children's achievements. For instance, children cheer and raise their arms as they successfully complete the game. They have good levels of self-esteem.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are confident and independent learners. They enthusiastically engage and establish good friendships. They eagerly participate in games, and enjoy matching, and recognising numbers and patterns. Children gain strong skills in preparation for writing and they confidently manipulate tools to make marks, showing increasing levels of concentration. Children are animated. For instance, they have fun, engage in music and movement and listen well. Children gain good skills ready for future learning and school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY494722 Local authority Devon Inspection number 10084821 Type of provision Sessional day care

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Childcare on non-domestic premises Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 44 Number of children on roll 65 Name of registered person Marshall, Felicity Jane

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 15 March 2018 Telephone number 01364 72020

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reference number

Skylark Nursery School registered in 2015. It is located in Ashburton, Devon. The nursery is open from 8.30am to 4pm on Monday to Thursday and from 9am to 1.30pm on Friday, during school terms. The nursery follows the Montessori approach to learning. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education places for children aged three and four years. There are nine staff who work with the children, including the manager. Of these, five hold a childcare qualification at level 2 and above.

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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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