Sandhurst Station Nursery

Inspection of Sandhurst Station Nursery RMA Sandhurst, Camberley GU15 4PQ

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

Children come into the nursery eager to start their day and are greeted enthusiastically by the attentive and caring staff. The majority of families come from military backgrounds, and staff clearly understand the community they serve. Several family members may be absent for some time due to deployments, so staff recognise the need to support the mental health and well-being of the children and their parents. Communication between the management team and parents is a key strength of this setting and it is clearly effective as children show that they feel secure, settled and confident.

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The provision is good

Every child is respected and considered of equal importance, regardless of the amount of time they spend at this setting. Staff help children to make good progress due to the timely interventions and targeted support they put in place to meet children's developmental needs. Children demonstrate good behaviour and are supported well to learn how to share and take turns. For example, children use a sand timer and wait patiently for their turn to ride on a bicycle outside. They respect the rules and willingly finish their turn, without reminders from staff. Children show care and concern for each other. They give each other hugs to say thank you when their friends share their toys.

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need to do better?

n The manager maintains very good links on the base between the nursery and military management. This benefits families in a number of ways, including the support for families who speak English as an additional language. The manager is proud of this relationship. For example, staff take children to the temple next door to celebrate Nepalese festivals; they dress in saris, sing songs and read stories in Nepali, which helps all children to gain a respect for different cultures and religions. n Children are confident learners. They are interested in the activities and resources on offer and, overall, remain busy and engaged in their play. However, staff do not always recognise and adapt the routine when some children become more boisterous and show through their play that they need to engage in more active play. n The manager and deputy work well as a team. They understand the importance of supporting their staff's well-being and, as a result, all staff have recently

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need to do better?

completed mental health training. Staff comment that they feel valued and respected. The positive relationships between staff reflect the atmosphere within the nursery, where children are well mannered, polite and confident to talk to visitors to the setting. n Staff recognise the importance of partnership working between all individuals and agencies involved in the care of children. Staff are quick to seek support for

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need to do better?

24 March 2022 children who may need additional help with their learning. Parents comment extremely positively on the care their children receive. They refer to the 'compassionate' staff and feel well-informed about their children's progress. n Staff know children well and plan activities to meet their needs and interests. They confidently explain why they have put different resources out and how these will benefit the children. On occasion, however, staff do not use their good knowledge to fully enhance children's learning during their interactions with them or ensure that the activities children have access to are consistently well resourced to fully support children's play. For example, staff did not provide additional resources or challenge children to consider how to collect mud for the mud kitchen when the soil was too hard to dig up. n Staff support children's communication and language development well. For

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need to do better?

instance, they use snack time as a lovely social occasion to talk about the healthy food the children have brought in to eat. Staff help children to challenge stereotypes as they read stories about 'people who help us' and talk about how teachers and people delivering the post can be any gender. n Children show care and concern for each other. Toddlers say 'ouch' when they are concerned their friend has hurt themselves. They learn to care for their environment and know to tidy up when staff ring the bell.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The management team seeks regular training opportunities to keep staff's safeguarding knowledge up to date. Staff know how to identify different signs of child abuse and the correct procedures to report any concerns. The manager works well with military personnel to put in place comprehensive recruitment systems. This, along with regular supervision meetings, helps to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. Staff create a safe and secure environment for children to play and learn in. Staff deploy themselves effectively and risk assess the premises to minimise hazards to children.

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should:

n review and improve the organisation of some aspects of the daily routine to maximise the support for children who like to spend time outdoors or engage in active play n support staff to further strengthen the delivery of the curriculum, so that staff consistently consider the interactions, activities and resources that they provide to make the most of children's learning opportunities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 119258 Local authority Bracknell Forest Inspection number 10229206 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 42 Number of children on roll 42 Name of registered person Sandhurst Station Nursery Group Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01276 412301 Date of previous inspection 17 May 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Sandhurst Station Nursery registered in 1982 and operates within the grounds of the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, Berkshire. The nursery is open each weekday during school term time from 9am to 3pm. A breakfast club is also offered from 8am to 9am and an after-school club from 3pm to 5.30pm. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years. A total of seven staff work at the setting, five of whom hold appropriate childcare qualifications at 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 joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The inspector spoke to children to find out about their time at the setting. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector spoke to staff and several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager, deputy manager and the inspector carried out joint observations.

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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

24 March 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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