Outdoor-Fun Forest School Nursery

Inspection of Outdoor-Fun Forest School Nursery Sound & District Primary School, Whitchurch Road, Sound, NANTWICH, Cheshire CW5 8AE

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the setting has been presented with real challenges due to staff turnover. Leaders acknowledge that this has resulted in an impact on the quality of practice. Although highly motivated, a number of new staff are inexperienced and do not possess relevant childcare qualifications. This means that staff expectations and the quality of teaching is variable. Staff do not always support children to build on what they know and can do. This is because some staff are not skilled in recognising opportunities to extend children's learning as they arise. Therefore, children do not always make the progress that they are capable of.

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The provision requires improvement

Although there are areas that require improvement, there are also some positive aspects of practice. Outdoor learning is valued in the setting. Children bound through the gate and happily wave goodbye to their parents. They have an extensive space to run, climb and develop their physical strength in. Pre-school children play imaginatively and serve each other pretend food in the outdoor kitchen. Toddlers show caring attitudes as they feed dandelion leaves to the setting's chickens. Staff ensure that children are well supervised outdoors, this means children are happy and safe in their environment.

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need to do better?

n The provider ensures that there are always enough adults present to effectively supervise children and ensure their safety. However, recent challenges with recruitment have meant that there are not enough qualified staff to consistently support children's learning. As a result, children's experiences are variable. The provider is attempting to resolve this. n The staff team are positive and extremely committed to improving the setting. They support leaders completely and work extremely hard. This means staff work long hours and some staff have large amounts of work to complete at home. Staff do not routinely take a break away from the children. This approach does not support the well-being of staff members. n The manager describes a broad and balanced curriculum, intended to promote children's development. However, this is not delivered consistently. Leaders are aware that some staff need support to improve their skills. However,

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need to do better?

arrangements for more knowledgeable and experienced staff to mentor those who are less experienced are not yet implemented successfully. n On occasion, children receive inconsistent support for their learning and development. This is because interactions between staff and children are not always of a high quality. Some staff support children's learning well. For example, they model new vocabulary and talk to children as they play. However, support for children from less-experienced staff is not as strong.

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need to do better?

19 May 2022 n Staff ensure children learn about the immediate world around them. Children are skilled at identifying plants and animals. However, opportunities to learn about the local community are not as established. Children have limited opportunities to learn about different cultures that exist in the community. As a result, children are not well prepared to understand life in modern Britain. n The new manager has implemented changes to the key-person system. This means that every child has a positive relationship with at least one adult. Key persons support children to develop an understanding of routines and they help children feel confident to explore the environment. As a result, children happily engage with the opportunities on offer and display positive behaviour. n Overall, children develop various new skills. For example, they enhance the strength in their hands needed to write. They dig in sand, pour water between

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need to do better?

containers, and use scissors to cut up twigs. Children use magnifying glasses to investigate the different stages of a dandelion's growth. They enthusiastically discuss what they have noticed. Children are active explorers and, generally, acquire the skills needed for the next stage of their learning. n Parents speak highly of the setting. They appreciate the time their children spend outdoors, learning about nature. Staff use a private social media group to provide parents with daily updates and ideas to extend learning. As a result, parents know how they can help their children learn at home. This helps to establish a consistent approach to leaning between nursery and home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff have are committed to safeguarding children's welfare. They accurately identify the potential signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm. Staff ensure that children are able to play in a safe and secure environment as they complete regular in-depth risk assessments. Children have learned to keep themselves safe in their play. They know not to cross rope boundaries in an outdoor learning session. All members of staff have paediatric first-aid and outdoor first-aid qualifications, so any incidents or accidents can be confidently dealt with.

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Due date

ensure that there are enough qualified staff to ensure children's learning and development needs are met. 17/06/2022

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should:

n enhance arrangements for coaching and development of staff, so unqualified and less-experienced staff improve their teaching to a consistently high level n establish routines to support staff well-being and ensure workloads are not overwhelming n improve staff's knowledge to help children learn about and develop respect for different beliefs and cultures.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2534833 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 10215173 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 21 Number of children on roll 42 Name of registered person Outdoor Fun Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01270780270 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Outdoor-Fun Forest School Nursery registered in 2019 and is situated in Nantwich, Cheshire. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The centre employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 6 and two hold qualifications at level 3. One member of staff also has qualified teacher status. The nursery 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 provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the owner and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about the curriculum and what she intends for children to learn. n Children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the manager and the owner about the leadership and management of 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 manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of group activities. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability

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Inspection activities

of staff. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector.

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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

19 May 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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