Churchfield Nursery

Inspection of Churchfield Nursery Highbridge Childrens Centre, 7 Coronation Road, HIGHBRIDGE, Somerset TA9 3JD

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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 arrive full of enthusiasm to start exploring. The excellent environment ignites their curiosity and motivates their eagerness to want to become independent learners. Staff skilfully inspire, nurture and guide children during activities, expertly extending and challenging their development. Children are keen to join the whole-group activities, where they engage fully and concentrate extremely well. For example, they listen intently to the story of the week and excitedly join in with familiar words and phrases.

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The provision is outstanding

Children have excellent opportunities to make links across their learning, enabling them to embed and consolidate new skills and language. For example, staff use resources to give context to the meaning of 'chilly'. Then young children use this as they play with ice and warm water, discovering how it feels and the impact they have on each other, later using the word again in their role play.

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The provision is outstanding

Parents no longer enter the nursery as they did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they confirm the high-quality support they receive and the extensive information they share, to help promote their children's learning at home and nursery. Parents particularly mention the approachable, knowledgeable staff knowing their children extremely well.

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need to do better?

n The managers' ambitious curriculum intent is implemented extremely well by staff and embedded securely. All interactions with children are of a high quality. The staff have an excellent awareness of how children learn and provide exciting activities, motivating children's thirst for knowledge. For example, after having a story about a bear hunt, they revisit this in their play. Older toddlers recall and use the vocabulary, and staff skilfully help them to extend their ideas, discuss emotions and learn about prepositions. Even babies have the appropriate vocabulary reinforced as they climb under, over and through an obstacle. n Staff have an excellent understanding of how to sequence children's learning. They know the skills children need from being babies to prepare them extremely well for their next stages of learning and school. For example, older toddlers confidently hold up the correct number of fingers as they sing number songs.

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need to do better?

The younger children copy and soon understand the concept of one, two, three. Staff are excellent role models for thinking, listening and problem-solving. They use their meticulous observations to quickly pick up on where children may need additional help, ensuring they receive the expert support available. n Children's behaviour is exemplary. They are given consistent boundaries, while having excellent choices, with a very strong emphasis on respecting all living things. Through new initiatives and training, staff provide expert support for

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need to do better?

17 February 2022 children to learn to manage their emotions. For example, staff acknowledge children's feelings and ask how they can help. Children use visual aids to help them explain what they need and to help others to understand how they may be feeling. Staff show children high levels of respect, treat them with kindness and value their opinions. n Children receive rich experiences. They have healthy meals, care for their teeth, and have opportunities to rest or be active indoors and outdoors. Staff recognise each child as an individual, and staff caring for babies seek extensive information on their care needs and routines, so babies feel extremely secure. When the time comes for them to move to the two-year-old room, this is carried out very sensitively, led by the children. This enables them to become extremely confident and ensures transitions are seamless. n Members of the strong senior management team value and empower their

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need to do better?

enthusiastic staff. For example, having seen the amazing impact of their training to support children's emotional development, they have had them disseminate their expertise to the school teaching staff. There is now a whole-school approach, providing children with highly consistent support. Leaders are excellent role models. They monitor and evaluate the provision very successfully and have a clear vision of the high-quality planning and teaching they want to provide. n Members of the senior management team focus strongly on staff well-being, recognising the positive impact this has on children. They understand the importance of early years education to build firm foundations for life-long learning. They very effectively engage with their community and understand families' needs to ensure every child has the same outstanding opportunities. For example, they put on behaviour management workshops and invite parents

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need to do better?

to share forest school activities with their children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school now has a safeguarding team, led by the headteacher, which regularly trains staff and oversees all procedures. This ensures that all staff, including apprentices, have a very secure knowledge of what to be aware of and what to do if they have concerns that a child may be at risk of harm. Staff provide outstanding support for children to become highly independent, while enabling them to manage age-appropriate risks. For example, toddlers know not to go near the open fire at forest school and learn to use a range of tools. The new vigilant procedures ensure children cannot leave the setting unsupervised.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY492439 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 10126051 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 85 Number of children on roll 29

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Name of registered person

The Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust

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reference number

Telephone number 01278 782743 Date of previous inspection 12 May 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Churchfield Nursery registered in 2015 and is operated by The Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust from Churchfield Primary School, in Highbridge, Somerset. The nursery provides care for children aged from birth to three years but is part of the school's early years foundation stage. It is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm for 48 weeks a year. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two years. It employs 12 staff; of these, one holds early years professional status, one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 6, and six hold level 3.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager led the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the provision and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching indoors and outdoors, and carried out a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector spoke to several parents and children during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke to staff at convenient times and assessed their safeguarding knowledge. n A meeting was held between the inspector and the senior management team to discuss leadership. n The manager provided the inspector with key documents on request.

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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

17 February 2022 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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