St Gregorys Child Care Trust

Inspection of St Gregorys Child Care Trust The Catholic School of St. Gregory the Great, St. James Square, CHELTENHAM, Gloucestershire GL50 3QG

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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 bound into this setting with eagerness and joy. They dance with excitement and revel in the happiness that permeates this lively, jolly nursery. Children are extremely enthusiastic learners. They eagerly crawl on their hands and knees to look for mini-beasts in the shrubs. They scramble up the hill, which becomes 'the slopes of the volcano' to roar like a dinosaur at the top. Practitioners delight children with their own exuberance and sense of fun. Children join them to march around the playground while going on a 'bear hunt'. They respond to direction to creep carefully and tread quietly so they do not wake the bear. Children behave exceptionally well. They are very happy, safe and secure at this setting. As they balance on large boulders, they support less able children by holding their hand and waiting for them to catch up. Purposeful play is visible in every area and the level of engagement is exemplary. Practitioners skilfully

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The provision is outstanding

encourage children to share experiences. For example, children race by on the bouncing hoppers, saying, We are at the races just like mummy and daddy, woo hoo, off we go, giddy up'.

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The provision is outstanding

Practitioners bring stories alive. They are skilful in creating a sense of wonder. They help children to sequence events through the art of storytelling. Stories are shared in a multi-sensory, communal manner. Each and every child maintains attention throughout. Plentiful opportunities to participate mean they retell stories through signing, language and a sense of drama. This means children are confident, able communicators.

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need to do better?

n Children are provided with exceptional opportunities to learn about the wider world. For example, they explore 'authors of colour'. This helps them to deepen their understanding of diversity and cultural difference. They learn Mandarin, Spanish, Polish and Italian from staff members. They giggle as they shout 'uno, dos, tres, quattro' and gleefully greet adults with a flourishing 'adios'. A deep respect towards diversity within the setting exists alongside its catholic faith. n Children make significant progress from their starting points. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language. Staff readily build on what children know. They use their exceptional knowledge of children's interests to challenge, plan and ignite children's desire to learn. n Leaders are inspirational in their commitment to ensure every child receives

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need to do better?

equal opportunities to flourish. Staff work extremely well together and feel very well supported by the manager. The manager shows great integrity for the professional development and well-being of her team. Leaders reflect on the environment, teaching and routines to ensure these match children's needs.

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need to do better?

13 March 2020 n Staff provide children with exceptional challenge to solve their own problems and make links in play. For example, children build towers using large foam bricks. They consider how to make it taller but cannot reach. Staff encourage children to think what would make them taller. Children are then able to solve the problem by standing on a brick themselves to reach the top. n Children are very well prepared for their next stage of learning. Excellent transition arrangements exist with the on-site school. Setting staff and school staff support each other exceptionally well. For example, cohort tracking is used to identify areas for improvement. Training is then matched to this and moderated to ensure training has impact. Children's understanding of numbers, shapes and measures is excellent. n Parents are very complimentary about the quality of care and education children receive. They feel very well listened to and comment on the exemplary support

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need to do better?

they are given. They make particular reference to the kindness, flexibility and respect they receive. n Younger children's prime areas of learning are very well supported in a variety of ways. For example, dough disco encourages the children to manipulate dough while dancing and responding to music. Children then call out as they 'squeeze, splat, roll and squish' the dough. They listen carefully to what comes next and follow the instructions of staff. Children receive constant praise for their efforts. This gives them the confidence and desire to try harder. n The behaviour of children at this nursery is outstanding. A positive attitude to learning is nurtured upon by the exemplary teaching of staff. This then encourages children to 'have a go'. Staff recently attended training on restorative practice. This has led to children being able to build relationships rather than repair them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff can describe indicators of abuse and know how to keep children safe from harm. They can talk about wider aspects of safeguarding in relation to radicalisation and how this can be found within extremist views. Staff also understand how to protect children online and the effect cyberbullying can have on children. Staff meet regularly and provision is made for safeguarding to be prioritised. The setting works extremely well with multi-agencies to ensure families have the appropriate support, when needed, which directly benefits the children. Documentation is well organised and implemented to ensure the safety of children on the premises.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY267801 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 10124365 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

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inspection

Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 221 Name of registered person St Gregory's Child Care Trust

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reference number

Telephone number 01242 515 387 Date of previous inspection 25 September 2015

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Information about this early years setting

St Gregorys Child Care Trust registered in 2003 and is located in Cheltenham. The setting offers care Monday to Friday, from 8am until 6pm, all year round. It receives funding for the provision of free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. The setting also supports children eligible for early years pupil premium. It employs 24 staff to care for the children. Of these, two hold qualified teacher status, one holds a childcare qualification at level 6, two hold level 4, 11 hold level 3, and one holds level 2.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector and the manager took part in a joint observation and observed children during a planned activity. n The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their comments about the setting and practice. n The manager took the inspector on a learning walk to discuss and explain how the early years provision is organised. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector met with trustees and discussed the vision and ethos of the setting and its impact on the children in their care.

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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

13 March 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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