Early Years @ Highfield - Whitehouse

Inspection of Early Years @ Highfield - Whitehouse Early Years At Highfield Whitehouse, Waterford Road, Ipswich IP1 5NW

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is outstanding

Children are enthralled as they explore and investigate an exciting range of opportunities in the carefully organised indoor and outdoor environments. They develop extremely positive attitudes to their play and are eager to learn. They delight in leading other children to sing and copy actions as they pretend to be 'the teacher'. They imitate staff as they offer a choice of 'song spatulas' to their friends to select the next rhyme. Children enjoy being very independent. They pour their own drinks and clear away their plates and cups after snack time. Children tidy up their learning areas, using brushes to sweep up sand and put away toys in the correct places when they are finished.

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The provision is outstanding

Children are extremely well settled. They build wonderful, warm relationships with staff and show high levels of confidence in social situations, such as group activities. Children's behaviour is superb. They have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. From a young age, children learn to interact with their peers with respect and kindness. Staff are excellent role models. They praise children consistently for their positive behaviour, such as actively taking turns and negotiating how to share equipment.

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need to do better?

n The setting manager and two supporting managers from the Highfield Company monitor and coach staff superbly. For example, they use highly effective supervision and observations of teaching to set targets to continually develop staff practice. The setting regularly organises training with the Highfield Company. Staff report that this is a superb experience and enables them to share outstanding practice and exchange ideas. Consequently, staff are equipped with exemplary skills and have a remarkable understanding of how children learn and develop. n All children make rapid progress from their individual starting points and develop key skills for their future learning. For instance, parents comment that the setting has made their children 'mad about books' and that they have developed a love of reading and mark-making. Children demonstrate this as they help staff to create a storyboard of the week's focus book, The Gingerbread Man. They

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need to do better?

recall the key characters and events, as well as the sequence of the story. Children illustrate it on huge sheets of paper and older children begin to write their own labels. Children are proud of their knowledge and keen to add their own ideas to extend the story even further. n The setting manager regularly reviews the progress of individuals and groups of children with her curriculum leader. They use this information to focus staff teaching and identify new resources or training to purchase. Staff recently attended targeted training and now use specialist tools to assess children's

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need to do better?

3 December 2019 speech development. They use this information to provide targeted interventions which promote children's confidence and skill in speaking very effectively. n Mathematical learning opportunities are skilfully embedded throughout the nursery. For example, young children are supported to count through songs, recognise shapes and investigate how new colours are made as they mix with spray bottles of paint. Older children help to count the number of children present and write the number on the board. They begin to understand how dates work and work out which day comes next when identifying the days of the week. n Parents are invited into the nursery to share their home language and culture with children. The nursery has close links within the local area, which further enhance children's knowledge and experiences of people and the community that they live in. For example, local police officers visit to promote children's

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need to do better?

understanding of the work they do and how children can go to police for help. n Children play boisterously in the outdoor environment. They have ample opportunities to be physically active and show good control in both small and large movements. Children are keen problem-solvers. For instance, they try different ways of attaching a broom to a bike, to transport it across the outdoor area. Children also show a high level of curiosity in investigating the natural world. Together with staff, they examine ice and experiment with ways to make it melt and talk about how they could re-freeze it. n The setting works hard to achieve excellent partnerships with families. Parents speak highly of the setting. They comment on how incredibly impressed they are with the staff and variety of activities on offer. Parents talk about the wonderful progress their children make and how they have grown in confidence since

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need to do better?

attending. The setting manager regularly seeks feedback from parents to enhance her improvement plans for the setting.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have an excellent understanding of what constitutes a safeguarding concern. They understand the procedures to follow if they have a concern about the welfare of a child or the behaviour of an adult. The manager ensures staff keep their knowledge up to date through attending training courses, accessing online training and holding regular staff meetings. Several staff have attended additional, higher- level safeguarding training, which further promotes children's safety. When appointing new staff, the manager follows thorough recruitment processes. This ensures staff are suitable and have the necessary skills to effectively fulfil their roles in the setting.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY547833 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 10107185 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 2 to 4 Total number of places 28 Number of children on roll 53 Name of registered person Highfield Children's Centre

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reference number

Telephone number 01473742534 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Early Years@Highfield - Whitehouse registered in 2017. The setting employs 11 permanent childcare staff and four bank staff, including two supporting managers from the Highfield Company. Of these, 13 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including three at level 6 and two hold early years professional status. The setting opens Monday to Friday, from 8am until 5pm, during term time. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n A joint observation was carried out and evaluated by both supporting managers and the inspector. n The inspector spoke to children and staff at appropriate times during the inspection. She also took account of the views of parents spoken to during the inspection and through written feedback provided. n The manager and one of the supporting managers took the inspector on a 'learning walk' across the premises and outdoor area of the newly built setting to understand how the early years provision and curriculum is organised. n A meeting was held between the inspector, the nominated individual, both supporting managers and the setting leader. The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of all persons working on the premises.

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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

3 December 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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