Watermead Nursery

Inspection of Watermead Nursery 2 Watermead Lane, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TN

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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The provision is outstanding

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at this inclusive and very welcoming nursery. They benefit significantly from the calm and highly productive atmosphere where staff meet their needs exceptionally well. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in all activities and experiences with their friends. The nursery provides all children with an exceptional array of outdoor experiences. Children see adults sweeping up the leaves. They are very eager to help and delighted to get involved. Staff show them how to safely use the broom and rake. Later, staff talk with them as they watch more leaves falling from the trees.

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The provision is outstanding

Staff have very high expectations for all children. The planning of activities is highly effective. It takes full account of children's interests. This results in their experiences being very well supported and built on over time. Children receive consistently strong and positive interaction from staff.

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The provision is outstanding

Children are excited to take part in the excellent activities and become deeply engaged. Staff are highly successful in helping children be very confident to explore and be creative. When children squeeze play dough, put their hands in jelly and feel oat bran run through their fingers, staff smile and provide wholehearted reassurance for them. All children are excited to take part because their relationships with staff are so positive. Staff help children to learn about the expectations for behaviour. This is reflected clearly in children's exemplary behaviour.

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need to do better?

n The members of the management team work exceptionally well with the staff. They value staff as individuals, recognising and utilising their talents, such as art, music and crochet to build an exciting curriculum. This enables children to make rapid and sustained progress in their learning. Staff are encouraged to keep their knowledge up to date through in-house, online and external training. This ongoing professional development is identified for each member of staff through highly effective supervision and monitoring of practice. n Staff are highly skilled in their teaching. They know each child very well and understand when to get involved in children's play. They help children to be confident to speak and pronounce words correctly by including a voice recorder in singing activities so children can hear themselves. Children are fascinated when the recorder makes a noise, and staff talk to them about 'static' to widen

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need to do better?

their vocabulary. n Children with SEND receive sensitive, individualised support, including one-to- one care. Activities such as forest school are risk assessed and adapted for

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need to do better?

5 November 2019 children's specific needs to enable their full participation. The nursery has highly effective partnerships with parents and other professionals who are involved. Detailed action plans ensure children receive a consistent approach to their care and learning. n The highly successful planning of activities includes excellent opportunities for children to broaden their experiences. Staff have a highly positive relationship with a local care home. Children visit the residents with the staff. They support children to develop confidence to talk to the residents and play games with them. This involvement in the community helps children learn about people who are different to themselves. Staff make the best use of the nursery's location next to open countryside. They take babies on a walk and safely help them to pick up pebbles from a brook. Back at the nursery, the pebbles are cleaned. Babies show awe and wonder as they play with them, broadening their

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need to do better?

experience of the natural world. n All children clearly show the highly positive relationship they have with staff. Babies giggle when staff smile and sing to them. Toddlers are cuddled and comforted if they are tearful when they wake from sleep. Pre-school children are confident to engage in detailed conversations with staff. They listen intently to stories and enthusiastically join in with rhymes and dancing. n Staff are excellent role models for children and are highly effective in supporting them to develop confidence and independence. Babies feed themselves using their fingers and choose from an excellent range of interesting play materials. Older children choose their own play materials, lead their play, learn how to solve problems they encounter and are eager to help with tasks, including tidying toys away. n Children work cooperatively together very well and develop secure friendships. Older children help their friends to get up the steps in the playhouse, so they

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need to do better?

can look out over the veranda. Children make jokes and laugh with the staff as they play alongside them. Children persist at their chosen task, encouraged by the staff. They keep trying because staff are extremely supportive. Staff help children to be successful, for example, when using scissors to cut felt to make a poppy wreath for a community event the nursery is participating in.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a secure knowledge of child protection procedures. They are familiar with the policy and procedures for recording and reporting concerns. Staff are aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse and keep their knowledge up to date through training and discussions in staff meetings. Robust recruitment procedures are in place to ensure new staff are suitable. Thorough induction and ongoing support from management ensure staff remain alert to their responsibility to keep children safe. Staff are vigilant in their supervision of children. Continual risk assessment of the play areas, inside and outside, promotes children's safety.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY248193 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 10127886 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 0 to 8 Total number of places 110 Number of children on roll 216 Name of registered person Watermead Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01509 239205 Date of previous inspection 4 September 2013

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Information about this early years setting

Watermead Nursery registered in 2004. It is located in Loughborough, Leicestershire and is managed by a limited company. The nursery employs 50 members of childcare staff. Of these, 43 hold early years qualifications from level 2 to level 6, including two with qualified teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.45am until 6pm. The nursery provides care for children aged five to eight years, before and after school and during the school holidays. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector and the assistant manager completed a learning walk around the setting to help the inspector understand the organisation and structure of the nursery curriculum. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n Two joint observations were carried out by the inspector and the assistant manager. n The inspector held meetings with the management team and with three members of staff. She reviewed relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection. n The inspector spoke to a number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views. She also reviewed written feedback from parents.

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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

5 November 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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