Birdwood Nursery

Inspection of Birdwood Nursery St. Mark's Crescent Methodist Church, Allenby Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 5BQ

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is outstanding

Children access a setting that truly excites and encourages their thirst for learning. They are provided with a wealth of inviting and challenging experiences, which build upon their understanding of their community and the world in which they live. Children take part in a daily hunt around the setting to find the colour, letter, number and shape of the week. These are hiding somewhere amongst the wide range of indoor and outdoor activities. Children are proud to go and find their picture or name and place it on the board next to the item they have found. They share this with the group at show and tell at the end of the session. They talk about where they found the item, who they were playing with, and what they were doing.

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The provision is outstanding

Children are supported by highly skilled, attentive and nurturing staff. They demonstrate impeccable attitudes towards learning and their behaviour is exemplary. They are clear about the rules and boundaries within the setting and understand ways to keep themselves safe. For instance, not only do children instinctively clean their hands before entering the setting, but they also remind adults to do the same, to keep their friends with health conditions safe. Staff work incredibly well with parents and professionals, to ensure that they identify children's needs promptly. All children, but specifically those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive an education and care package, that celebrates and values all that makes them unique. Therefore, children and their parents feel that they are safe, secure and extremely well cared for.

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need to do better?

n The manager and deputy have a clear vision and ethos of what they want children to learn and why, especially post Covid-19. There is a real sense of team spirit within the setting, and a sharp focus on continually evolving the outstanding strategies in place, to support the quality of the provision. n Staff know children incredibly well. They gather information before they start, which helps them tailor the curriculum to meet their individual needs. All children, including those most disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make rapid progress from their starting points. n Staff provide a language-rich environment and are consistent in ensuring that all children hear and develop a rich vocabulary. They fluently and naturally use pictorial aids and signing to ensure that no child feels excluded from the experiences. For instance, when children made hedgehogs in the garden, they

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need to do better?

had picture prompt cards for reference, and the teacher used signs throughout the activity, for action words such as rolling, more and finished. This meant children could see and/or hear what to do next. n Staff provide fantastic learning experiences and ensure that all children's

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need to do better?

11 October 2022 personal development is enhanced. Snack time is a truly enriching social event. Staff utilise their in-depth knowledge of what makes each child unique, to engage in meaningful conversations. They encourage children to recall what they learned today and skilfully build on their vocabulary, introducing words such as 'nocturnal'. n The setting values parents as active partners in their children's early learning, and fully informs them of next steps and future learning goals. For example, children's key workers share strategies, latest developments and research with parents, to jointly support and improve children's communication and language. As a result, parents hold the setting in high regard. n Children thrive by having clear boundaries and high expectations of their learning and behaviour. They respond by being confident, independent learners that take the lead in the nursery for managing their own safety and behaviour.

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need to do better?

Children's behaviour is exceptional, they wait patiently for their turn during games and put their hand up to speak at show and tell. n Children demonstrate care, compassion and kindness to one another. The setting celebrates what makes children unique and prepares children incredibly well for life in modern Britain. Children help one another to put on high visibility waistcoats and hard hats, before playing in the construction area. They bring their friends coats outside for them when they notice they have run outside without it, to avoid them being cold. n The setting is exemplary in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, staff set up small intervention groups to support children's speech and language development and use additional funding to access specialist assessments for those children on long waiting lists. n Managers have thorough oversight of staff workload, well-being and assessment

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need to do better?

abilities. Staff say they feel extremely well supported and love working at the setting. n The provider is proactive in sourcing professional development opportunities to improve practice. For example, the whole staff team are trained in simple sign language, and they have developed safeguarding systems within the setting using sign, to support staff and promote children's emotional well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff safeguarding knowledge is robust. All staff are confident about how to keep children safe from harm and promote their well-being. They know how to raise concerns about any adults that may present a risk to children within the setting. There are very clear and innovative procedures in place for identifying, managing and reporting any concerns that a child may be at risk of potential harm. These are regularly reviewed and updated following training and any changes to guidance. Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities such as the Prevent duty and with regards to female genital mutilation. There are robust procedures in place for the monitoring and reporting of children's absence and a named lead for this area.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2593758 Local authority Windsor and Maidenhead Inspection number 10251324 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 21 Name of registered person Berger, Joanne

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reference number

Telephone number 07985285477 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Birdwood Nursery re-registered under new management in July 2020. It is located in Maidenhead, Berkshire. It is open from 9am to midday, Monday to Friday, during term time only. The setting employs seven members of staff and is led by the manager who holds a recognised level three qualification. Three other staff are qualified at level 3 and above. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting has received since the COVID-19 pandemic. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the setting. n The inspector spoke to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and also spoke to the children. n The inspector and manager conducted a learning walk. The manager told the inspector what they want children to learn and how they would do this. n The manager and inspector carried out a joint inspection. They observed how well staff teach children and what they want them to learn. n The inspector spoke to parents and took into account their views. n The inspector looked at a range of relevant documentation including qualifications and vetting arrangements for staff.

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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 October 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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