Greystone Nursery

Inspection of Greystone Nursery Greystone Community Centre, Close Street, CARLISLE CA1 2HA

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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 Good

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The provision is good

Children benefit from bespoke settling-in sessions. The key-person system successfully values the needs and preferences of every child. This contributes towards the special bonds that are formed between children and staff. Children's behaviour is good. Children learn from staff that 'team work makes the dream work'. They happily work together with others to complete tasks, such as tidying up. Children are happy, settled and safe at this calm and inviting nursery. They make many independent choices during play and show confidence to ask for help.

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The provision is good

Leaders and staff aim to ensure that 'every child gets the best possible start in life'. They create an ambitious curriculum that ignites children's natural curiosity and imagination. Children immerse themselves in their play and learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) reflect on their home life experiences when pretending to make a cup of tea using real-life crockery. Children who speak English as an additional language recall their learning from a trip to a health clinic at the community centre. During play with dolls, they display their excellent knowledge of different occupations and position a stethoscope accurately to listen for a heartbeat. Children investigate the properties of water when exploring the water wall. They watch as the water flows down a funnel and through a pipe and persevere when attempting to catch this at the bottom.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and staff work together seamlessly. They draw on each other's strengths to create a diverse team. Staff show a true commitment to continued improvement. They make good use of additional funding to close any gaps in children's learning. For instance, the new woodland creatures area boosts children's confidence to engage with others and contributes towards their heightened knowledge of living things and their habitats. n The well-qualified staff capture what children enjoy and need to learn next. Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, rise to the new challenges that staff present them with. For instance, they write with a purpose in mind when creating a recipe to make a fruit smoothie. Children respond well to staff. They count fruits, using one number for each item, and later recognise a group of three raspberries without having to count them. Children remain deeply engrossed in their learning and concentrate well.

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need to do better?

n Overall, staff support children's communication and language skills well. Children who speak English as an additional language enjoy singing songs in their home languages. They are starting to speak fluently and in full sentences. Staff are beginning to use a broader range of communication techniques, such as visual boards, choice cards and simple signing, to help children with SEND to communicate more easily. However, these personalised communication aids are

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need to do better?

31 January 2023 not consistently used in practice from the outset. This does not support all children to make the very best progress in their early language development. n Staff support children to develop a love for books and reading. Children thoroughly enjoy their time in the appealing reading den. They take interest in the print and illustrations in books and turn the pages, sometimes, from left to right. Staff read to children with enthusiasm. They encourage children to take books home to further inspire their early reading skills. n There is a generally good programme of support, coaching and training in place for staff. The manager spends vast amounts of time engaging in discussions with staff each day. She carries out some formal supervision meetings with staff to discuss their ongoing performance. However, at times, these meetings are infrequent and some ongoing targets do not precisely identify what staff need to

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need to do better?

do to enhance their good teaching further. n The caring staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff invent enchanting songs to gain the attention of all children. They are quick to provide calming activities to help children to regain focus. Children adopt kind and considerate attitudes. They willingly share toys with their friends without prompting and often give each other a friendly cuddle during play. n Parents are kept well informed of their children's learning and progress. Staff provide parents with access to resources, such as healthy recipe ideas, to further promote children's good health at home. They have plans in place to reintroduce events, such as stay-and-play sessions, to enable parents to feel even more involved in all aspects of nursery life.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Recruitment and induction procedures are robust. New staff are supported well by an experienced mentor and quickly become confident and competent in their role. Staff complete a broad range of safeguarding training and have access to regular updates. They are alert to the indicators of abuse and know the procedures that they need to follow to protect children's welfare. Staff share purposeful information with parents about the importance of monitoring and managing screen time. This helps to further promote children's health, safety and welfare at home. Children demonstrate a good knowledge of how to keep themselves and others safe. For instance, when playing outdoors they dry off any rainfall from the slide before using it and check that other children are out of the way before sliding down.

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should:

n expand the use of the new communication aids and support children with SEND to communicate more freely, to help them to make the highest rates of progress

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should:

31 January 2023 in their early language development from the very outset n strengthen the existing arrangements for staff supervision and provide more formal and frequent support and coaching to all staff that precisely focuses on helping them to extend their good teaching practice further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY462646 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 10262885 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 35 Number of children on roll 16 Name of registered person Greystone Community Association

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reference number

Telephone number 01228558602 Date of previous inspection 6 April 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Greystone Nursery registered in 2013 and is situated within the grounds of Greystone Community Centre, in Carlisle. The nursery employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate qualifications at level 3. The nursery operates Monday to Friday, from 9.15am to 3.15pm, during term time. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection that the provider received since the COVID- 19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the nursery. n The manager led the inspector on a learning walk to show how the nursery is organised and to share information about the intent for the early years curriculum. n A planned activity was jointly evaluated by the inspector and the manager. n The inspector held discussions with the staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. She held a separate meeting with the manager to discuss aspects of leadership and management. n A sample of documents were viewed by the inspector. These included evidence of the suitability of staff, a record of staff qualifications and training and some of the nursery's policies and procedures. n The inspector took account of the views from a small number of parents.

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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

31 January 2023 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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