Almond House Nursery

Almond House Nursery 9 Forest Road, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD5 8EU

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Inspection date 29 March 2019 Previous inspection date 21 August 2018

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 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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This provision is outstanding

n Leaders and managers are excellent role models. Their professionalism and superior expectations are reflected in staff's outstanding commitment, knowledge, proficiency and high-quality teaching. Staff question children exceptionally well to assess and build on their learning and ignite their natural curiosity as learners. n Children develop high levels of confidence and emotional well-being. They build extremely secure attachments to staff who are loving and nurturing. Wonderful settling-in programmes include first-rate information sharing with parents. This continues, subsequently, resulting in staff meeting children's individual care and learning needs magnificently. n Staff undertake second-to-none observation and assessment. They meticulously plan for children, all of whom make substantial and sustained progress. Staff promptly identify children working below expectations through in-depth analysis of data. This

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This provision is outstanding

superbly informs impressive comprehensive early intervention action plans. n Staff give excellent consideration to children's physical well-being. For example, the nursery has gained a healthy lifestyle award. The well-qualified nursery chef undertakes cookery school sessions with children. They follow recipe cards and talk about nutrition and the origins of food. Children take what they have cooked home and recipes are distributed to parents. n Children take part in a wealth of meticulously planned activities within highly accessible, safe, rich and captivating learning environments. These engage and challenge children superbly. Staff also help children to develop excellent behaviour and friendships, independence and extensive knowledge and skills in readiness for school. n Staff's qualifications, rigorous monitoring of their practice and continued professional development contributes to the outstanding provision. This is strengthened by

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This provision is outstanding

exhaustive self-reflection tools and precisely targeted improvements. Parents actively share their views through extensive feedback systems, such as the 'question of the moment' initiative and comprehensive questionnaires.

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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 enhance the already excellent systems for reducing any differences between particular groups of children's learning, such as the older, most-able boys.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed the quality of teaching indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact of this on children's learning. n The inspector spoke with staff, children and parents during the inspection. n The inspector completed a joint observation with one of the nursery managers. n The inspector held a meeting with the nursery managers and nursery owner. She looked at various documents, including those related to the suitability and qualifications of staff and sampled children's records of learning. n The inspector viewed written feedback from parents.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. Staff are subject to an impressive induction, following rigorous recruitment and vetting procedures. This ensures they have an excellent knowledge of their roles and responsibilities, including those related to child protection. For example, staff complete a comprehensive skills audit and pertinent training. The highly qualified practitioner development coordinator plays a key role in monitoring staff's practice and mentoring them. She disseminates new ideas and information and utilises many training resources for staff. The management team continually review and add to ever evolving development plans. These are informed, for instance, by various meetings, learning walks, room tracking and quality improvement visits. Managers are now exploring how they can build on older boys' literacy skills, where they prefer outdoor learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff's own enthusiasm and motivating approach sustains children's focus exceptionally well. They skilfully intervene at opportune moments to extend children's knowledge. For example, staff encourage children to count shells and study their pattern, size and shape They teach children about the elements of weather, as foil flower windmills whirl around in the wind. Children blow on these, discovering with excitement that they can create the same effect. Parents access children's records of learning and support focused activities and next steps for learning at home. They receive regular progress summaries, attend progress meetings and borrow home-learning resources.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Stay and play sessions, alongside home visits, are highly effective in helping to secure firm foundations for children's future emotional well-being, prior to settling-in visits. Staff gather comprehensive information about each child on entry. This includes essential details of babies' home care routines, which staff closely mirror. Excellent relationships are clearly evident amongst children and staff and not just their key person but all staff. Staff reflect and celebrate the diversity of families in extensive ways, challenging any form of bias. Children thoroughly enjoy hearty, freshly prepared meals, reflected in an excellent menu. This extends to sauces which the chef makes from scratch to help reduce any added salt or sugar intake. Staff invite visitors to the nursery, such as the police, to help children to learn about dangers and staying safe.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children are keen and eager learners. They show great excitement at the opportunities to learn indoors and outdoors. Children in the pre-school room have free access to play outside. Older children show great imagination. They use excellent language and amusing narrative as they mix and transport lentils into different utensils in the outdoor kitchen. Children use large wooden scales, a spirit level and tape measure in the exciting construction area. The use of such equipment helps children to develop impressive mathematical skills. Younger children practise their hand and eye coordination in the weaving station. They use sweeping movements with interesting tools to make marks on large pieces of paper. Babies and toddlers delight in observing print, such as a family photograph booklet, and investigate unusual sensory objects with curiousity.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY536104 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 10078264 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 65 Name of registered person Hazelden, Karen

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 21 August 2018 Telephone number 01484 426002

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reference number

Almond House Nursery registered in 2016. The nursery employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, nine staff hold early years qualifications; one is at level 2, seven are at level three and one is at level 6. The nursery opens from 7am until 6pm from Monday to Friday all year round, except for Christmas and bank holidays. 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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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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