South Hills Nursery Calne

Inspection of South Hills Nursery Calne Marden Vale C Of E Academy, William Street, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 9BD

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children are welcomed into the nursery by kind and caring staff. They arrive happy and eager to access the range of activities on offer and enjoy spending time with their friends. Staff develop secure bonds with children from the outset. They provide children with an extremely safe and nurturing environment for them to learn and grow.

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The provision is good

The manager is very committed to engage parents in children's learning and development. She talks passionately about her plans to promote children's continuity of learning at home. For example, staff have created specialist home learning packs, filled with resources and activities to support parents to be involved in their child's learning. In addition, the manager has also planned a variety of focused workshops for parents to be involved in, to promote positive outcomes for all children. The manager and staff work extremely closely with a range of services and professionals to meet children's individual needs. This enables staff to ensure all children receive the support they need to make very good progress. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The manager uses additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, to effectively extend children's individual learning needs and

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The provision is good

interests. For example, staff have recently purchased a variety of craft resources to enhance children's creative skills.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff work hard to promote children's personal, social and emotional development. They teach children about the importance of sharing and being kind to one another. For example, staff plan small-group activities to support children to wait their turn and share resources. When children face challenges in their learning, staff are highly effective in supporting them to persevere. n Staff continuously give children praise for their individual achievements, which supports children to become confident learners. For example, children show determination as try out their ideas and use a range of tools to break the ice to free the plastic animals. They show pride as they successfully free each animal. n Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, parents are unable to enter the setting. Staff utilise the outside space to share detailed information with parents about their child's day. This means daily discussions can take place with

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need to do better?

appropriate social distancing. Staff make good use of electronic communications to ensure information about their child's learning and development is shared effectively with parents. Parents describe the setting as 'brilliant.' They state that 'staff are excellent and they will always go out of their way to offer advice and support.'

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need to do better?

12 October 2021 n The management team ensures staff well-being is a high priority. Staff report that they receive high levels of support from the appointed well-being officer and manager. All staff regularly meet with the management team to discuss their emotional well-being. Staff say that they are very happy in their roles. n Staff skilfully introduce new vocabulary into children's play. They provide children with new knowledge and information to extend their learning further. For example, during a bug hunt activity, staff support children to understand the difference between a magnifying glass and binoculars and how to use these during their play. Children show curiosity as they use the binoculars to look for different birds in the sky. n Managers and staff have high expectations for all children in their care. On the whole, teaching is good and children are motivated to learn. However, there are times during planned activities when staff do not extend children's learning as

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need to do better?

much as possible. n The management team are passionate in providing good quality experiences for the children who attend. They form strong relationships with the staff team. Managers provide staff with some professional development opportunities. However, these do not always target staff's understanding of how to adapt activities to support children's individual learning styles. As a result, staff working with the youngest children do not always provide them with the activities that sustain their interest and fully engage them in learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers and staff have an excellent understanding of all areas of safeguarding, including current legislation and guidance, such as the 'Prevent' duty. Children play in a secure, well-maintained environment, where staff are vigilant to any potential risks. Staff confidently describe the signs and symptoms that may indicate possible abuse to children. Staff know who to contact and where to obtain further advice to act upon any concerns they may have. The management team uses robust vetting and recruitment systems to help ensure staff are suitable for their roles and responsibilities.

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should:

n make better use of planned activities to further enhance children's learning n strengthen professional development for staff working with the youngest children to ensure that all children benefit from the very best learning experience.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2531854 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 10204006 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 45 Number of children on roll 29 Name of registered person South Hills School Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01722744871 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

South Hills Nursery Calne registered in 2019. It operates from the grounds of Marden Vale Academy in Calne, Wiltshire. The nursery is open each weekday from 9am until 3pm during school term times only. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The manager holds a qualification at level 6.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the nursery received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the nursery. n Discussions were held with the manager and staff at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector observed the quality of education and the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector spoke to children about their play and learning. n Consideration was given to parents' views. The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection. n The inspector checked evidence of the suitability of staff working with children. n The manager and inspector carried out a joint observation.

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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 October 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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