Elmdon Nursery School

Inspection of Elmdon Nursery School Elmcroft, Woodfield, Ashtead, Surrey KT21 2RL

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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

The manager and staff are passionate about providing high-quality care and education to all. They strive to constantly enhance all areas of practice to the highest possible level. Staff ensure they understand the unique needs of each child. As a result, children are extremely happy, safe and and secure in the setting. They excitedly talk about what they are doing. For example, children happily show and write the number of penguins they have counted.

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The provision is outstanding

Staff have extremely high expectations for all children. The planning of activities is highly effective. Children experience the awe and wonder of the world they live in. They eagerly identify whether animals live in a 'hot' or 'cold' country. They have an extensive range of vocabulary which they use with great confidence. Staff encourage children during activities to learn and use new words. For example, they talk about the different animals, such as 'Arctic fox' and 'snow leopard'. These conversations support children to gain high levels of knowledge and vocabulary for their age.

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The provision is outstanding

The manager uses additional funding successfully to meet the individual needs of children. All children, including those in receipt of additional funding and children who speak English as an additional language, make good progress from their starting points.

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need to do better?

n Staff understand the intention of the curriculum and implement a rich programme of activities. They use their knowledge of children's individual progress to plan precisely for their next stage of learning. The high-quality levels of teaching are based on what children know and can do, and what they could usefully learn next. Children learn through a highly effective balance of child- initiated and adult-led learning experiences. Children demonstrate exemplary levels of behaviour and active learning. n Experienced and knowledgeable staff take 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. For instance, children are curious as they look at the difference of flowers that are being used for a science experiment. n Children's literacy skills are developing extremely well. Practitioners nurture a

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need to do better?

love of reading in children. Children independently access books and are keen for practitioners to read to them. Staff use routines in the day for children to share stories with each other. Children join in enthusiastically and recall repeated phrases from their favourite books. n Staff have high expectations for all children. Staff plan an exciting curriculum

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need to do better?

15 January 2020 that promotes a learning environment in which children flourish. Staff closely monitor children's progress. They use this information to expertly plan and provide stimulating and interesting experiences. For example, children persevere when using scissors to cut patterns in their snowflakes. n Children benefit from an impressive range of exciting sensory experiences. For instance, they explore the texture of different sensory play materials, including shaving foam, glitter paint and ice. Staff extend children's language as they describe the different textures. n Children excel in their mathematical development. Staff skilfully introduce children to a wealth of mathematical concepts. For example, children learn about quantity as they use a graph to measure the different weathers. n Staff help children to develop their independence and self-care skills, such as helping very young children to fasten their shoes. Older children take pride in

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need to do better?

being the helper at snack time, carefully pouring their friends' drinks. n Parents speak in the highest terms about this setting and its 'natural warmth'. Parents are extremely complimentary about the nursery. They say that staff go above and beyond to support them and their children. n The manager works meticulously hard to ensure that children receive any available funding that supports their development. Funding is used exceptionally well to help children to reach their full potential. The manager creates a culture of highly reflective practice and self-evaluation, which is extremely well embedded throughout the nursery. Children blossom and surpass in this nurturing and inclusive nursery.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff receive training in safeguarding and child protection, which is regularly updated. As a result, they have a secure knowledge of the signs and symptoms of abuse and the procedure to follow if they have a concern about a child. Staff are highly aware of the indicators of when children and families may be in need and know how to act quickly to ensure they receive the support they require. They have excellent knowledge of wider safeguarding concerns, including being drawn into extreme situations. The provider ensures that she follows robust safer recruitment procedures to ensure that staff caring for children are, and remain, suitable to do so.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 122556 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 10128672 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 22 Number of children on roll 35 Name of registered person Wilkinson, Hilary Madeleine

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reference number

Telephone number 01372 273854 Date of previous inspection 12 April 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Elmdon Nursery School is privately run and registered in 1987. The nursery school is situated in Ashtead, Surrey. It is open from 9.30am to 3.30pm on Monday to Thursday, and from 9.30am to 12.30pm on Friday, during term times. There are six members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least level 3. This includes one member of staff with qualified teacher status. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector and the manager completed a learning walk in the nursery to gain an understanding of how the early year provision and the curriculum are organised. n Some documents were looked at by the inspector. This included evidence of staff suitability and training. n The inspector observed activities, indoors and outdoors, and conducted a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector spoke with parents, staff and children during the inspection to take their views into consideration.

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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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