Hedgehogs Nursery School

Inspection of Hedgehogs Nursery School Albemarle Centre, Appledore Gardens, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 2AQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is good

The manager and staff have a good understanding of how children learn. They use this knowledge well to provide activities that capture children's curiosity. Children settle in well at the nursery, they know the staff and are familiar with the routines. This helps to create an environment where they feel safe to explore and learn. Staff are sensitive to children's individual needs, particularly when they are settling in. They help children to understand the expectations of the nursery. As a result, children's behaviour and attitudes to learning are good.

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The provision is good

Children benefit from a large outside play space that enables them to develop their physical skills. They develop an understanding of other people in the community as they collect canned food to share with those who may need it. Children are kind and caring towards their friends. They share resources and take turns during their play. Staff work well with other professionals and parents to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, all children are making good progress in their learning and development. Parents speak highly of the staff team. They comment about how much their child has developed and learned since starting at the nursery.

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need to do better?

n Children delight in using their senses to explore a range of different cereals. They use their imaginations as they play with toy tractors to move and crush the cereals. Staff understand how to use this opportunity to develop children's language skills. They introduce new words such as 'bales', and ask children questions to encourage their thinking and communication skills. n Staff know when to give children time to try out their own ideas. For example, when children are unable to get an object to stick to their picture, staff ask if they think they have enough glue. They then allow time for children to experiment with different amounts of glue. Once the children are successful in sticking the objects, staff follow this up with appropriate questions and praise. This helps children to develop confidence and a positive self-esteem. n Children demonstrate good levels of independence. Even the youngest children

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need to do better?

know they need to find wellington boots and put them on before they play outside. They successfully find a matching pair of boots and put their coats on with little help from staff. However, at times, staff disturb children when they are engaged in their play by checking the younger children's nappies. n Children learn about numbers as they play addition and subtraction games that involve them ordering and counting bears. Staff provide appropriate challenge to extend children's understanding of these mathematical concepts. n Occasionally, staff do not make the best use of children's time. Children are sometimes sitting for long periods of time, such as before and after lunchtime,

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need to do better?

23 September 2019 and younger children become slightly restless. n Staff provide many opportunities for children to develop their language skills through meaningful conversations, sharing stories and singing songs. They use the information they have been given by other professionals, such as speech therapists, effectively. Children enjoy using an electronic tablet to record their voice and laugh with their friends as they listen to it. n The manager and staff ensure the premises are safe and secure. They have recently improved the security of the site by adding additional gates and alarms. Staff have a good understanding of how to assess potential hazards in the environment and know what to do to minimise them. They complete daily checks of the indoor and outdoor areas to ensure children's safety. The manager understands the importance of staff training and how this improves children's outcomes. They have been working with the local authority to provide training

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need to do better?

for the staff, who have responded well to the additional support and learning opportunities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff have a good understanding of how to identify any children who may be at risk of harm. This includes children who may be at risk of extreme views or behaviours. They know the local reporting procedures to follow should they have concerns. The manager ensures that staff are suitable at appointment and that they remain suitable to work with children.

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should:

n review children's personal care routines so they respect children's dignity and do not interrupt children's concentration and engagement in their play and learning n review daily routines so that children do not spend long periods of time sitting, particularly before and after lunchtime.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2522417 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 10122741 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care Age range of children 2 to 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 37 Name of registered person Mack, Selina Jane

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reference number

Telephone number 01444457307 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Hedgehogs Nursery School registered in 2019 and operates from a community centre in Haywards Heath, West Sussex. The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff, including the owner. Of these, eight hold early years qualifications. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector observed care routines and teaching, indoors and outdoors, to assess the impact of these on children's learning and development. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk to discuss the nursery's ethos and approach to early education. n A joint observation was conducted by the inspector and the manager to assess how well the manager monitors the quality of teaching. n The inspector spoke with staff, children and parents and took account of their views. n The inspector viewed a sample of documentation, including evidence of staff suitability.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

23 September 2019 regulates and inspects to 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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