The Avenue Nursery School

Inspection of The Avenue Nursery School 2 Hyde Park Avenue, North Petherton, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 6SL

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), eagerly participate in the well-planned activities that engage them effectively. They listen and concentrate as staff give them clear instructions and children follow them accurately.

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The provision is good

Staff provide good-quality equipment and teaching to ensure children have many opportunities to learn through exploration and experimenting. For example, older children excitedly explained how they used yellow and blue water to make green. Children are active learners; they move around, indoors and outdoors, with control and coordination.

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The provision is good

Staff effectively demonstrate to children how to develop new skills and provide good opportunities for children to practise for themselves. For example, young children watched how to open and attach a peg and were soon achieving it successfully, and older children mastered the use of pipettes.

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The provision is good

Children arrive at the nursery happy and confidently separate from their parents and carers. Staff know the children well and have high expectations of what they can achieve.

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The provision is good

All children make good progress in preparation for school. Staff regularly enable children to revisit their learning so that they have plenty of time to remember and demonstrate their new knowledge. Staff ensure they include all children; each child has good opportunities to speak in group activities and participate fully.

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need to do better?

n Staff are good role models for children, so children speak clearly and ask and answer questions, extending their vocabulary. Children see that when staff are unsure of something, they ask each other, demonstrating that learning is for life. n Children of all ages enjoy books, and staff use them well to support children's learning. For example, young children clutched their picture of an animal, eagerly anticipating when it would appear in the book. As a result, they listened, concentrated and participated well. n Good leadership ensures that staff are supported well. The manager recognises the importance of her staffs' well-being and the impact this can have on the children. n Through staff implementing good ideas from training, boys in particular now enjoy practising their writing skills. For example, they chalk on the patio and use whiteboards in the garden. n Staff know what they want the children to learn and what they are already

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need to do better?

15 January 2020 capable of. However, they sometimes miss opportunities to help children to extend and follow their own ideas in adult-led activities, such as children's fascination with volume. n Children have secure relationships with their key person, which has a positive effect on children's emotional well-being. The manager and her deputy mentor new staff and wait until staff are secure in their knowledge before they become a key person for children. n There are strong partnerships with parents, which enables staff to meet children's care and learning needs effectively. Parents confirm staff share important daily written and verbal information. Successful partnerships with outside agencies ensure that children with SEND receive all the additional support they need. n The manager monitors children's assessments well to quickly identify and narrow any gaps in their development. She is implementing a new planning system and

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need to do better?

recently provided in-house training for staff. However, the system is in the very early stages, and staff are still gaining confidence using it. Sometimes, they miss opportunities to link children's next stages of learning to their teaching in the large-group activities. n Staff provide effective and consistent support for children's behaviour in a busy but calm environment. Children behave well and are polite and kind to each other, developing a positive awareness of each other's differences. They help take care of their environment and learn good practices, such as recycling. n Children make independent choices. They know the routines and even young children know where to find their own belongings. Staff support children's personal care effectively and ensure good hygiene practices. n Staff encourage children to make predictions and use trial and error to test their ideas. For example, children tried glue, tape and bands to find out which would

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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 their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children. They carry out risk assessments and take effective action to keep children safe on and off the premises. Staff provide good support to help children understand about keeping themselves safe. The manager follows good procedures to employ suitable staff and monitor their ongoing suitability. She regularly updates her safeguarding training and policies, which she disseminates to her staff. As a result, they all have a good awareness of signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm and the actions to take to protect them.

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should:

15 January 2020 n embed the new planning system to strengthen the links between children's identified next stages of development with teaching in large groups, for children to make more rapid progress n develop staff's awareness of enabling children to extend their own ideas in adult-led activities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 507870 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 10125948 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 2 to 4 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 25 Name of registered person Stevens, Christine Lloyd

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reference number

Telephone number 01278 663040 Date of previous inspection 21 May 2015

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Information about this early years setting

The Avenue Nursery School is a privately owned setting that registered in September 1992. It is situated close to the centre of North Petherton, near Bridgwater, Somerset. There is a large secure outdoor play area. The setting receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery opens from 8.30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday during term time only. There are five members of staff. The owner/manager is a qualified teacher, and three members of staff hold an early years qualification at level 3. The deputy is working towards a qualification at level 4.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector and manager carried out a learning walk of the premises to find out how the curriculum and early years provision are organised. n The inspector observed activities and the quality of the provision, indoors and outdoors. n The manager completed a joint observation with the inspector. n A meeting was held between the inspector and the manager. n Documentation was sampled. The inspector checked safeguarding information, including staff suitability and qualifications.

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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

15 January 2020 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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