Oak House Nursery School Ltd

Inspection of Oak House Nursery School Ltd Oak House, Brampton Abbotts, Ross On Wye, Herefordshire HR9 7JD

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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 thrive at this exceptional setting, where they feel safe and secure. They confidently explore a range of activities and resources that stimulate their curiosity and love of learning. Children show high levels of enthusiasm and engagement when they interact with staff and their friends. For example, babies delight in sensory experiences while they play barefoot in an indoor sandpit and freely explore painting activities. Tiny tots enjoy mark making in shaving foam, pasta play and singing sessions. Toddlers create Christmas table decorations from foliage collected in the local environment, and pre-school children practise their nativity songs spontaneously outdoors while they play to the beat on drums.

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The provision is outstanding

Children enjoy exploring a variety of inspiring spaces and activities outdoors that promote their physical development and well-being. Toddlers search excitedly for Santa during frosty morning treasure hunts in the nursery field. They explore risk and challenge when they climb ladders to rescue Santa from a tree, closely supervised by staff. They squeal with delight when they pull Christmas crackers found along the way. Pre-school learn about the environment, as they collect eggs from the nursery chickens, help look after the nursery guinea pigs and have lambs and sheep come to visit. They grow seasonal fruit and vegetables which they nurture, harvest and eat. Furthermore, during summer months, they enjoy tractor and pony rides around the field. All children rapidly develop and progress extremely well in their learning.

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need to do better?

n Leadership and management ensure the curriculum is ambitious for all children. They monitor the provision and quality of teaching closely. Staff receive highly focused and successful training to continually improve outcomes for all children. n Staff get to know children extremely well from the outset, and gain a clear understanding of their starting points and past experiences. Enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff plan activities to extend children's learning. Children are prepared for their next stage of their educational journey by staff who communicate well together, with parents, between rooms and with feeder schools to ensure smooth transitions. n Communication, language and literacy are promoted in an exceptional way. Staff meticulously plan activities, that extend children's vocabulary and language skills. Staff use an initiative called 'Fab Vocab' to introduce and repeat new key words in activities and conversations in all rooms. Babies and tiny tots enjoy

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need to do better?

stories, songs and cuddles with their key persons. Toddlers join in with familiar phrases in stories, while pre-school children learn early phonics skills needed to support them when they move on to school. The nursery's book-loan scheme enables children to enjoy a greater range of books with parents at home, to

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need to do better?

9 December 2022 further build on their vocabulary and love of books. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully supported. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and the nursery's own inclusion team work collaboratively with parents and other specialists, which helps to ensure all children are provided with the right support to reach their potential. Management place great importance on providing all children and families with the best possible care and education, including funding extra staff to support children's individual needs. n Parents talk about feeling proud that they can send their children to this nursery. They describe their children's early years experiences here as "magical, fun and amazing". They talk about nurturing relationships, the fact their children love attending and they benefit from strong two-way partnerships with staff. Staff keep parents fully informed of children's routines and progress during daily key-

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need to do better?

person conversations and communications on an online application. Staff provide suggestions to support home learning and offer advice and support for care routines, communication and language and behaviour management at home. n Respect and tolerance are promoted at a very early age. Younger children learn about themselves, their families and their community. Links with a pre-school in Gambia enable older children to learn about other cultures and ways of life. Regular fundraising events that children and families enjoy at the nursery provide funds for food and education for children in the pre-school in Gambia. n Children's health and well-being is a key priority. Children are extremely well cared for by staff who know them well. Safe hygiene procedures, routines and care practices promote children's health and well-being. Nutrition is excellent, the in-house chef prepares salt and sugar-free meals that all children enjoy.

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need to do better?

Meals are adapted to accommodate children's dietary requirements. Following requests from parents these meals can now be purchased to enjoy at home, including family-sized portions for families with busy lifestyles. n Leadership and management are exemplary. They are passionate and highly reflective. For example, despite the already highly innovative and exciting outdoor spaces they have created, they have plans to develop an outdoor kindergarten in the future.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leadership and management place significant importance on safe recruitment and employing staff that share their ethos. They follow robust recruitment, induction and ongoing suitability processes, which helps to ensure all staff are suitable to work with children. Deployment of staff and high staff-to-children ratios ensure that children are always supervised. Managers and staff are extremely knowledgeable about managing child protection concerns. Regular updates of safeguarding training ensure staff knowledge is up to date. The setting is safe and secure. Management and staff conduct regular risk assessments, both within the setting and during off-site activities, to minimise risk and keep children safe.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY485338 Local authority Herefordshire Inspection number 10236601 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 100 Number of children on roll 146 Name of registered person Oak House Nursery School Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01989 562304 Date of previous inspection 8 March 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Oak House Nursery School Ltd registered as a limited company in 2015. The nursery employs 36 members of childcare staff. Of these, 22 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above, including five qualified teachers. The nursery operates all year around. Sessions are available Monday to Friday, from 7.45am until 5.45 pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two,- three and four-year-old children.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Sharon Wilcox Josephine Heath

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in the evaluations of the provider. n The inspectors viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The deputy head and inspectors completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspectors spoke to children to find out about their time at the setting. n The inspectors talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspectors spoke with the nursery owner and nominated individual about the leadership and management of the setting. n The SENCo spoke to the inspectors about how they support children with SEND. n The inspectors observed the quality of education being provided, both indoors

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Inspection activities

and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the owner. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspectors. n The inspectors looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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

9 December 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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