Corner House Nursery Audley Road

Inspection of Townhouse Nursery Townhouse, Audley Road, Alsager, STOKE-ON-TRENT ST7 2UQ

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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 make exceptional progress at this warm and welcoming nursery. They are excited and eager to learn. Staff follow children's individual interests and seamlessly thread children's learning and next steps through everything children do. For example, children in the pre-school room are exploring a topic on pollution in the ocean. It is children's own questions in this area, such as 'what happens to all the rubbish?', that forms the starting point to exploring this topic. As such, children are highly motivated learners.

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The provision is outstanding

Children develop excellent communication and language skills while at the nursery, including those who speak English as an additional language. For example, children who have limited English when starting at the setting are supported to settle into the nursery through strategies, such as parents' voices being recorded reading core books in their home language.

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The provision is outstanding

The curriculum vision is linked to the metaphor of 'filling a child's bucket' with the experiences in learning they need for each stage in their journey. As an example, leaders identified that children needed support for their personal, social and emotional development following the COVID-19 pandemic. To support children's emotional literacy in a way that is meaningful to them, they implement the use of a familiar story, 'The Colour Monster'. This is weaved into all areas of practice within the nursery, and therefore children can confidently articulate and express their feelings.

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need to do better?

n Children's communication skills are a top priority and are excellently supported. As an example, babies are encouraged to create their own unique 'chatter box' with their families. This home-to-nursery communication tool is extended as children progress. Strategies such as these ensure each child has something they feel confident to talk about with their key person or peers. Staff expertly extend and model a range of vocabulary linked to children's interests. n Leaders place high value on a collaborative approach to supporting children's learning. Staff use children's home experiences to inform planning and include families throughout the curriculum implementation. This approach helps children to make excellent progress from their starting points. n Children and parents alike are highly motivated by the shared home-learning experiences on the topic of the 'ocean'. This has ignited a passion in children for

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need to do better?

caring for the ocean and recycling. Children and their parents are encouraged to create sea creatures from objects found at home, which continues children's learning about the sea. The importance of supporting learning at home helps to ensure children's learning is extremely well embedded. Furthermore, these

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need to do better?

17 August 2022 activities greatly support children's understanding of the world. n Mealtimes are a social occasion where children learn to serve themselves. The nursery chef provides children with freshly cooked, home-made meals. Talking points linked to food and health are added to the beautifully presented dinner table in the pre-school room. The nursery chef prompts discussions with children about the red food examples she has presented on the table. Children talk about the benefits of these foods for their hearts and other organs, therefore developing an excellent understanding of foods that keep them healthy. n Children with special educational need and/or disabilities (SEND) make excellent progress. The nursery implements highly effective early intervention strategies. For example, 'first concern' reports are recorded and shared with parents when staff notice emerging needs and strategies, to ensure these emerging needs are

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need to do better?

implemented rapidly. The nursery has excellent links with their local health visitor and two-year progress checks are coherently planned to be coordinated between parents, health visitors and the nursery. n Additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, is used in a bespoke way. This ensures that all children make the best possible progress. For example, cookery classes with a local chef that involved children and families supported reluctant eaters to regain a love of food and provided parents with healthy recipe ideas to try at home. n Partnerships with parents are tremendous. All parents talk about how invested and in tune leaders and staff are with them and their child. Information sharing is highly effective with regular updates being shared through an online learning journey for each child. Parents feel fully involved in their children's learning and welcome the fun and exciting home-learning opportunities the nursery provides.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Children's safety is of the highest standards. Staff are clear about the procedures to follow if they have concerns about the welfare of a child. Managers provide unique opportunities for staff to reflect on key aspects of safeguarding through innovative training approaches. Staff are encouraged to research their own topic relating to Safeguarding, such as 'honour-based violence.' As such, staff have a broad knowledge of safeguarding issues, such as radicalisation, online safety and female genital mutilation. Staff teach children the importance of keeping themselves safe. Children conduct their own health and safety inspections of the nursery garden to ensure there are no hazards. The manager and the staff team understand their role in safeguarding children, including how to refer allegations about members of staff or other adults working with children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY314264 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 10109727 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 67 Number of children on roll 127 Name of registered person Townhouse Childcare Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01270 884 477 Date of previous inspection 6 February 2014

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Information about this early years setting

Townhouse Private Day Nursery opened in 1991 and has recently joined a larger network of childcare providers under the umbrella of Thrive Childcare and Education. It is on the Early Years Register and childcare register. The nursery operates from three rooms across two floors in a grade 2 listed detached property on the outskirts of Alsager town centre. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery employs 25 members of childcare staff, ranging from apprentices to level 6 qualified teacher status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 127 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early years 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 provider and has taken this into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk and discussed the early years curriculum and the activities on offer for the children. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this was having on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager and discussed how the curriculum has been implemented and the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector reviewed a variety of documents, including evidence of the

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Inspection activities

suitability of staff, qualifications and first-aid certificates.

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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 August 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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