Oakengates Nursery School

Inspection of Oakengates Nursery School and Children's Centre The Place Limes Walk, Telford TF2 6EP

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children enjoy their time at the nursery. They are safe, happy and form close bonds with staff, who are nurturing and attentive to children's needs. Many children continued to attend the nursery throughout the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. This helped to provide them with familiar routines and learning experiences during the lockdown. Children enjoy learning and are well motivated to make new discoveries. Babies are very settled and eagerly explore the well-planned learning environment. Two-year-old children have good levels of self-confidence and independence. They persevere as they remove waterproof trousers and shoes. They enjoy helping with lunchtime routines, such as scraping their plates. Children enjoy nutritious meals and snacks. They learn about the importance of washing their hands regularly and thoroughly. Children make good progress and are prepared well for their future learning. This includes their eventual move on to

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The provision is good

school. Babies and two-year-old children enjoy handling books. They listen attentively as staff read to them. Parents do not currently enter the nursery due to a COVID-19 risk assessment. Staff make every effort to keep parents informed about their children's progress and activities through regular discussions. Staff help children to gain confidence in a range of situations. For example, when children returned to nursery after lockdown they could choose to relax in quieter areas as they adjusted to the busy environment.

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need to do better?

n Leaders have a strong vision for the nursery's future and continully look for ways to improve. For instance, to keep children engaged, they change resources that children use in the creative area, such as paint, collage materials and mark- making tools. As the children progress from babies' rooms to rooms for two- year-olds, staff find ways to make tasks more challenging. n Leaders have taken effective steps in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the provider did not notify Ofsted of a confirmed case of COVID-19 (coronavirus) and the temporary closure at the setting on 18 January 2021 until 29 January 2021. This is a requirement of their registration. n Leaders check the quality of teaching and children's learning. In the main, staff receive targeted training that helps them to extend their knowledge and skills. Most staff have a strong understanding of the stages of child development. They

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need to do better?

know how to use this knowledge to assess, plan and shape children's targeted learning, to help them make good progress. However, leaders do not always consider personalising training for those staff who are less knowledgeable. n Staff know about children's individual needs and interests. However, current arrangements for key persons to exchange information about children when they move rooms are not as thorough as possible. This means that some information about children's prior learning is not shared fully.

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need to do better?

12 May 2021 n Staff identify any gaps in children's learning and development and, when necessary, contact specialist support teams to identify how to best support the child. Leaders work with other agencies and ensure they use the funding to enrich children's lives. n Teaching is good. Staff in the baby room respond very well to children's interests. They skilfully adjust their teaching to extend and make full use of learning opportunities. Babies eagerly solve problems. They keep trying to remove an object stuck inside a container. Staff offer timely guidance to help them to explore different ways to remove the object and achieve success. n Staff support children's communication and language development well. For example, they know how to adjust how they speak to children who are at different stages in their language development. Parents of children who speak English as an additional language say how well their children have progressed

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need to do better?

with their speaking. Babies relish the opportunity to use new words. They talk about what they can see in a moving underwater scene and use adventurous words, such as 'tentacles' and 'enormous' to describe what they see. Younger two-year-olds listen attentively to staff and show they understand a range of words by linking them to their actions as they make marks in paint. Older two- year-olds clearly explain how to mix paint to make a new colour. n Children behave well. Staff help them learn how to be friendly to others, such as asking for a toy rather than taking it.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff have a good understanding of how to protect children and understand the procedures to follow if they identify any concerns about a child's welfare. They follow robust recruitment procedures to ensure staff suitability. Leaders keep up to date with their knowledge of local safeguarding concerns and train their staff on a regular basis. Staff know what to do should they have concerns about the conduct of a colleague. They are vigilant about children's safety and supervise them well as they play and sleep. For example, they check sleeping babies more frequently depending on their sleeping position.

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should:

n focus staff professional development more precisely, to help raise the quality of teaching to the highest level across the nursery n review the key-person system to identify how to fully exchange information about children when they move rooms.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY554028 Local authority Telford & Wrekin Inspection number 10174095 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 33

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Name of registered person

Wrockwardine Wood Infant School And Oakengates Nursery Federation

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reference number

Telephone number 01952 387910 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Oakengates Nursery School and Children's Centre was registered in 2017. The nursery school employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 5, two at level 3 and twelve at level 2. The nursery school opens from Monday to Friday all year round except for public holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery receives funding to provide free early years education.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the setting and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the setting. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together. The inspector observed teaching practices and considered the impact these have on children's learning n The inspector held discussions with the leaders, staff, children and parents. n The inspector sampled some of the setting's documentation, including the safeguarding policy and procedures.

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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

12 May 2021 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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