The Aviary Nursery

Inspection of The Aviary Nursery Blackbird Road, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO50 9JW

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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 are safe and happy in this vibrant and exciting nursery. They blossom and show high levels of confidence in the warm, caring and consistent approach from staff. Children are fully involved in meaningful learning experiences from the moment they arrive. For example, older children demonstrate excellent curiosity skills. They negotiate extremely well with others. They find the natural resources they need, such as crates and tyres, and work together to design and build a car. Children learn to assess and manage risks as they transport objects across the garden. They also point out potential risks to their friends. Younger children show high levels of determination and absorb themselves in their play. For example, alongside staff, they learn to problem-solve as they lay planks of wood across the sandpit so they can reach the other side without stepping on the sand. Children develop the confidence to build on friendships with each other and are supported

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The provision is outstanding

by staff to make their own decisions right from the start.

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The provision is outstanding

Children benefit from passionate and dedicated managers and staff who put their emotional well-being at the heart of everything they do. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language, thrive at the nursery. Staff work extremely closely with parents, carers and all professionals involved in children's care. They focus on helping every child to achieve highly from whatever their starting point.

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need to do better?

n The curriculum is precisely planned and organised. Staff meticulously assess how children are developing. They decide when children are ready for their next steps or if they need to revisit learning. This means that children build on their knowledge securely. Staff are equally skilled at adapting their approaches to support children with SEND. Alongside the special educational needs coordinator, they create tailored plans to ensure that all children can achieve as highly as others. n Staff develop children's language and communication skills exceptionally well. For example, when a child asked for support, staff skilfully initiated discussions and said, 'I wonder what you could fix it with?' Staff adeptly introduce vocabulary, for example through children's interest in books and rhymes. This helps to build on children's confidence and ability to make up their own stories. For example, children use positional language in their play. They discuss how

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need to do better?

they can build a road so that 'Jack and Jill' can go up and over the hill to visit 'Humpty Dumpty'. n Staff have created an exceptionally nurturing and caring ethos. They are tuned into children's individual needs and promote children's understanding of

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need to do better?

11 April 2022 behavioural expectations exceptionally well. All children demonstrate high levels of confidence and self-esteem. Even the younger children demonstrate an understanding of how to manage their emotions, and they use phrases such as 'no thank you'. n Staff skilfully introduce children to mathematics as they engage in their play. For example, children independently find rulers and measure a variety of objects in the garden. They record their findings with genuine interest and enthusiastically discuss the differences in size. This helps them to recognise and build on their understanding of written number. n Staff have excellent partnerships with parents. Although parents do not enter the nursery, staff share extensive information, for example through daily discussions and digital media. Parents comment that they appreciate the highly stimulating and nurturing environment staff provide for their children. They say

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need to do better?

that staff work highly effectively alongside them and the other professionals involved in their children's care. They comment that their children are making excellent progress from their starting points. n Staff pay excellent attention to supporting children's healthy development. Children delight in the rich range of physical challenges and learning experiences available to them. For example, they enthusiastically select different resources, such as large tyres, hoops and trucks. They build on their stamina as they carry or push them carefully up the slope. Children discuss which objects will roll down the fastest. They excitedly count how many seconds it takes for them to reach the bottom and then eagerly retrieve them. n The management board supports the manager highly effectively. The manager never stops thinking about what she can do to make the nursery even better. She uses funding exceptionally well to benefit children. The manager keeps up

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need to do better?

to date with developments in early years education and combines this knowledge with her expertise to ensure that the nursery keeps improving. Staff have attended significant amounts of training to enhance all aspects of their practice. They say that they feel very well supported in all aspects of their work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have an exceptional knowledge of how to keep children safe. They fully understand, and implement, the comprehensive safeguarding policies and procedures. Staff have an excellent understanding of the signs that may indicate a child is being abused. This includes wider safeguarding issues, such as internet safety. The manager continually tests the staff's knowledge of safeguarding through scenarios and questions. Staff constantly supervise babies and children to minimise accidents and keep them safe. There are first-class recruitment and vetting procedures in place to ensure staff's suitability.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY321129 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10128602 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 56 Number of children on roll 58 Name of registered person Hampshire County Council

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reference number

Telephone number 02380 653390 Date of previous inspection 12 August 2015

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Information about this early years setting

The Aviary Nursery registered in 2006. It operates from the Aviary Hub, which is on the campus of Nightingale School, Eastleigh. The nursery provides full day care from Monday to Friday all year round, except for one week over Christmas and all public holidays. Sessions are from 8.30am to 5.30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On Wednesday, sessions are from 8am to 5.30pm. Sessional care is provided from 9am to midday and from 1pm to 4pm during term time only. The nursery is the local authority special educational needs hub for the Eastleigh area and 20 of the sessional places are provided for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and are funded by the local authority. The nursery employs 13 members of staff. Of these, one holds a relevant qualification at level 7, and two hold relevant qualifications at level 6. Of the remaining staff, nine hold recognised early years qualifications at level 3 or higher. The nursery

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Information about this early years setting

provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the nursery 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 her evaluation of the nursery. n A meeting was held between the inspector and the provider. n The inspector looked at a selection of documentation and checked evidence of the suitability of staff working with the children. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with manager. n The manager and the inspector had a learning walk together. They observed staff's teaching practice during activities and discussed the curriculum. n The inspector spoke to staff, parents and children at suitable times and took account of their views.

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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

11 April 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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