Little Castle Nursery

Inspection of Little Castle Nursery Pevensey Memorial Hall, Church Lane, Pevensey, Sussex BN24 5LA

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Happy children settle quickly due to the staff who are kind, caring and supportive. There are some good-quality interactions. Behaviour is good because staff are respectful of the children and model that respect to each other. Children take turns and develop good social skills. Their attachments to the staff are strong. Staff encourage children to talk about their feelings using emotion spoons, cards and books. Upset children get warm and prompt attention. This helps children to become confident, display positive self-esteem and develop good attitudes to learning. The parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) speak very highly of the setting. They praise the swift way staff identify children's needs and engage outside agencies. This means that children receive the coordinated support that they need to make good progress.

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The provision is good

The knowledgeable staff plan an effective and ambitious curriculum. All children enjoy activities that staff plan from their interests. For example, they can self-select from a range of materials and activities. Outside, water play is an opportunity for exploring capacity and volume. This includes a water dispenser that children can use independently. The resources engage them in finding out about the natural world. For example, the children design and build their own 'bug hotel'. This ignites their curiosity when lifting logs to investigate the lives of mini-beasts. Exciting sensory play inspires all children. For example, they explore mark making in different coloured sand. Children use different parts of their body to do floor painting and express themselves.

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need to do better?

n The quality of teaching is good. The manager is passionate and has a clear vision for her setting. She trains her staff well. Their continuous professional development is a high priority. n Staff interact well with the children and continuously extend their language. They meet each morning to reflect on the activities of the previous day, and individual children's enjoyment and engagement. Staff use these discussions effectively to plan the day ahead. This, along with the good-quality teaching, successfully supports children to make good progress towards the next stage of their education. n Staff encourage children to be active. Children use a range of resources, including vehicles with wheels and a climbing frame, to support large-motor development. They engage in activities that support their fine-muscle control and hand-to-eye coordination, such as threading, pouring water through pipes and carefully filling pots with mud.

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need to do better?

n Staff understand the children's needs well and modify their interactions accordingly. The strong practice of staff supports younger children and those

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need to do better?

14 July 2022 with SEND to communicate. For example, at snack time, a member of staff put a child where she could make eye contact, then emphasised her words and asked for permission to help the child. She used sign language to aid communication. n Staff motivate children to take turns. Their clear instructions and praise help the children to develop their social skills. Behaviour and attitudes are good. Staff swiftly deal with minor issues of negative behaviour. This helps to ensure that disruptions are minimal and that children can get back to what they are doing. Consequently, children are learning to self-regulate and resolve conflicts. n Children receive good support to learn how to keep healthy. The school leavers prepare their own snack. Mealtimes are sociable occasions. Staff skilfully use these times to engage the children in conversations and offer a good level of praise and encouragement when children make healthy choices.

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need to do better?

n The staff work very well as a team. They speak highly of the care and support that the manager provides for their health and well-being. She provides robust supervision specifically targeted to the needs of each staff member. The manager has a clear vision for the future. She engages innovative training programmes and develops new policies. n Communication with parents is good and the manager employs several strategies suit the needs of different parents. Partnership working with parents of children with SEND is particularly impressive. n There are good arrangements to support children who are learning to speak English as an additional language. Children benefit from a range of activities that positively reflect diversity in the community. However, these activities are not consistently as meaningful as they could be. Staff do not fully consider the cultural heritage of children attending.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The staff have a confident awareness of the signs and symptoms of abuse. They know what to do and who to go to if they have a concern. Staff have a good understanding of reporting procedures. The manager ensures that everyone receives up-to-date training, which she monitors daily and at staff meetings. The manager and deputy manager share the designated safeguarding role and they have a full understanding of their responsibilities. The manager has a qualification in safer recruitment.

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should:

n develop further staff's knowledge and understanding of how to support the cultural heritage of children and build more opportunities to celebrate these within the nursery.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2569170 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 10239234 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 Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 46 Name of registered person Hellingly Preschool Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07713880255 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Little Castle Nursery registered in 2019. It operates from a village hall in Pevensey, East Sussex. The nursery is open from 8am to 1pm on Monday and Wednesday and from 8am to 4pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. It receives funding to provide early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are eight members of staff, four of whom hold relevant 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 took the inspector on a learning walk of the setting and explained the curriculum learning intentions. n Discussions were held with the staff during the inspection and meetings were held with the manager and her deputy. n The manager and the inspector jointly observed an activity and then evaluated the quality of teaching and the impact on children's learning. n The inspector spoke to some parents to gain their views and for them to feed back on their children's learning. n The inspector engaged with the children and talked to them during the inspection to find out what they like about the nursery. n The inspector looked at various documentation.

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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

14 July 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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