St Mary's Nursery @ Wensley Fold

Inspection of St Mary's Nursery @ Wensley Fold Wensley Fold Childrens Centre, Carnarvon Road, Blackburn, Lancashire BB2 6NL

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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 ambitious staff have high aspirations for every child. They support children to gain life-long skills that enable them to become highly successful individuals in society. Children are curious, imaginative and motivated learners. Older children enjoy real-life experiences, such as taking a doll to the local baby clinic, to further advance their knowledge of weight and measure. They use their exceptional physical skills to build a water station using large construction materials and discover the various properties of water. Younger children maintain increased levels of concentration during favourite stories. They use language associated with position when looking through a pretend telescope and bring the story to life when using this outdoors. Children boldly rise to any new challenges. All children make exceptional progress in their learning and development.

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The provision is outstanding

The devoted staff place a sharp emphasis on ensuring that children are extremely happy, settled and safe in their care. The effective use of additional funding has helped to significantly enhance children's personal, social and emotional skills. Children's behaviour is impeccable. This is demonstrated through the acts of kindness that they show on a daily basis. For instance, older children select a chair for visitors to sit on and take time to ensure that they are comfortable before moving off. Children actively join in with their friends during daily exercise sessions that contribute towards their excellent health.

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need to do better?

n Managers and leaders are truly inspirational. They invite staff to read inspiring quotes each morning, to help to equip them with positive thoughts for their day ahead. This contributes towards staff's increased upbeat energy and enthusiasm within the nursery. n Staff aspire to continually improve. In response to recent training they have greatly enhanced their inspiring play areas with a wider range of natural and real-life resources. This is helping to 'fill children's hearts with awe and wonder'. Children are naturally curious and become deeply engaged in their play. n Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is outstanding. Staff meet regularly with parents and other professionals involved with each child. They swiftly implement personalised education plans that focus on what each child needs to learn next. This supports all children to achieve the best possible outcomes. External professionals positively comment that 'staff do

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need to do better?

whatever they can to support the needs of every child'. n The highly qualified staff plan 'in the moment' experiences for children to engage in that rapidly build on what they know and enjoy. For example, in response to children's interest in princesses, staff create opportunities for them to build and design their own castles. Outdoors, children use tools for a purpose

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need to do better?

5 March 2020 while constructing these in the sand. Staff skilfully extend on this learning indoors as they invite children to create castles using paint and other materials. Children use talk to connect their ideas and make accurate predictions when mixing colours. They collaborate with others when working on a larger scale and sustain high levels of involvement. n Partnerships with parents are superb. Innovative 'stay and play' sessions help parents to gain a sense of what nursery life is like. Staff provide ingenious home learning ideas, such as enjoyable mathematical challenges, to build on children's excellent skills at home. Parents are extremely complimentary. They express that 'staff go above and beyond' and that 'children make super progress'. n Children confidently take part in new activities that equip them with some of the practical skills that they will later use throughout life. For example, they

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need to do better?

challenge themselves when attempting to hammer nails into different-textured fruits and vegetables. Children listen carefully to safety instructions and follow these perfectly to gain a superb understanding of how to keep themselves safe. n The polite and courteous staff lead by example. They take swift action, such as encouraging children to stamp in puddles, to help children to overcome rare bouts of frustration. This supports children to become more aware of their emotions and contributes towards the high levels of self-control that they acquire. n Staff are highly skilled in providing a rich set of experiences that help to prepare children for their move on to school. For instance, children enjoy taking part in their weekly physical education sessions at the local school. They willingly engage in challenging schemes, such as 'goodbye nappies and hello pants'. This contributes towards their ability to manage their personal care needs with

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers, leaders and all staff adopt a coherent culture of vigilance and have a superb understanding of their role in keeping children safe. Extensive training and the sharing of informative safeguarding scenarios help to ensure that staff have an expert knowledge of child protection procedures. Staff work closely with other professionals to ensure that children with specific care, safety and welfare needs are successfully supported. Recruitment and induction procedures are tremendously thorough and ensure that staff are fully aware of their responsibilities. The effective deployment of staff is highly successful in meeting the needs of all children attending. Children are safely accounted for during changes, such as when moving between the indoor and outdoor environments.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY362904 Local authority Blackburn with Darwen Inspection number 10109756 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 89 Number of children on roll 82 Name of registered person St Mary's College Governing Body

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reference number

Telephone number 01254699823 Date of previous inspection 27 November 2012

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Information about this early years setting

St Mary's Nursery @ Wensley Fold registered in 2007. It operates from within Wensley Fold Children's Centre in Blackburn. The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate qualifications at levels 2, 3, 5 and 6, including one member of staff who holds early years professional status. The remaining two staff are currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The nursery is open all year round, from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year- old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector accompanied the provider and the manager on a tour of the nursery. She discussed with them their key aims and rationale for the early years curriculum. n A child-led activity was jointly observed by the inspector and the manager. n Conversations were held with the staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. A meeting was held with the provider and the manager. n A sample of documents was looked at by the inspector, including evidence of the suitability of staff, qualifications, policies, and health and safety records. n The inspector spoke to a number of parents, carers and other professionals during the inspection and took account of their views. Additionally, she took account of any written feedback provided.

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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 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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