Our Lady Star of the Sea Nursery

Inspection of Our Lady Star of the Sea Nursery Kenilworth Road, St Annes, Lancashire FY8 1LB

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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 exceptionally confident as they arrive at the nursery and settle quickly. They demonstrate a high sense of self-worth as staff listen to and value their thoughts and ideas. The highly effective key-person system ensures that staff are responsive to children's individual needs. Children develop independence over time. They look after their belongings and pour their own water or milk at snack time. Staff have high expectations and are excellent role models, calmly helping children to resolve any conflicts that may arise. Children are kind and respectful towards each other as they play cooperatively. Staff share how they make mistakes, and this helps children to understand the importance of trial and error.

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The provision is outstanding

Staff provide a stimulating variety of rich activities in the thoughtfully considered environment. This helps to promote children's love of learning. For example, children enthusiastically use a light table to explore the seashells they collected on a recent trip to the beach. Children talk animatedly about how the strawberries they are growing in the garden at nursery are turning red and will be ready to eat soon. Staff provide gentle guidance and plenty of opportunities for children to revisit learning experiences. This helps children to master their new skills and build secure foundations for learning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff provided a wide range of ideas and resources to support learning at home. They ensured regular contact with all children and their families. This helped to maintain the strong relationships between staff and children, and enabled children to settle quickly when they returned to nursery.

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need to do better?

n The nursery is led by a highly qualified and aspirational manager. The passionate staff team is extremely reflective and has a strong understanding of child development. This underpins the ambitious curriculum that builds on what children know and can do. Staff consistently provide challenge for all children in all areas of learning. Therefore, children make exceptional progress. n Communication and language form a key focus for the nursery, and staff support this area superbly. They introduce a wide range of vocabulary. For example, children use words such as 'germinate' and 'nocturnal' when talking about previous learning experiences. Staff use a range of strategies to swiftly address any gaps in learning. This helps to ensure that all children make the very best progress they are capable of. n Physical development is supported very well. Children develop their large-muscle skills as they climb, balance and run in the large outdoor space. Squeezing

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need to do better?

shaving foam and using paintbrushes to make marks with water help children to develop the smaller muscles in their hands. This supports children to develop strength in preparation for early mark making.

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need to do better?

17 June 2022 n Literacy is superbly supported in the setting. Children listen avidly as staff read stories. Staff talk about the characters and emphasise what happens at the beginning, middle and end. This helps children to understand the language and sequence of stories. Staff write down the stories that children tell, and encourage children to write their name on them. Children are proud of their creations. Staff support children's self-esteem at all times. As a result, children are resilient and confident. n Staff are highly skilled in supporting children's mathematical development. Opportunities to practise counting, numeral recognition and problem-solving are woven throughout the daily routine. Children explore symmetry and pattern as they learn about butterflies. They demonstrate excellent number knowledge as they talk about the number of tens and units in large numbers. n Staff provide many enticing opportunities for children to learn about the world

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need to do better?

around them. They sensitively support children to recognise similarities and differences between themselves and others. Strong links with the local school support transition. This helps to ensure that children are well prepared for the next phase of their education. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit greatly from the work staff do. The manager is highly proactive in seeking advice and guidance about children's specific needs. Funding is used to support identified needs, and staff work tirelessly to ensure that all children have the opportunity to fulfil their potential. n Parents are overwhelmingly complimentary about the nursery. They praise the staff's nurturing approach and say that this helps their children to settle and thrive. Parents speak favourably about the information they receive regarding their children's progress. They particularly appreciate the ideas that staff share

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need to do better?

to help them to support learning at home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff have an excellent knowledge of safeguarding. They fully understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff know what they must do if they are concerned about the manager or another member of staff. They know the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about a child's welfare. This includes the procedure to follow if they have concerns about children or parents displaying extreme views or behaviour. The manager follows rigorous procedures to ensure the suitability of adults working with children. Children learn how to keep themselves and others safe as staff help them to build challenging obstacle courses outside.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY262167 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 10109880 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 20 Number of children on roll 28 Name of registered person Our Lady Star of the Sea Nursery Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01253 720497 Date of previous inspection 18 September 2014

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Information about this early years setting

Our Lady Star of the Sea Nursery has been operating under a management committee since 1997. It operates from one main room in the Our Lady Star of the Sea Primary School, in St Annes, Lancashire. The children also have access to the school hall and other facilities. The nursery is open from 8.45am until 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, term time only. There are six members of staff, the majority of whom have a level 3 early years qualification. The nursery provides funded education for 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 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 carried out a joint observation of a small-group activity with the manager. n Children told the inspector about their friends and what they like to do when they are at nursery. n Parents shared their views on the nursery with the inspector. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection 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

17 June 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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