Meadowfield Nursery School

Inspection of Meadowfield Nursery School 4 Meadowfield, Amotherby, Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 6TS

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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 are happy and safe in this welcoming setting. Staff are friendly and professional. Children attend settling-in sessions before they start, and staff gather information from parents, including on what children like to do. As a result, children settle quickly. Children form good bonds with all staff and they are attentive to children's personal care needs. Staff have high expectations for each child. They plan a range of activities with children's individual interests in mind. This ensures that children make good progress.

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The provision is good

There is a strong focus on developing children's mathematical skills. Staff challenge children to think critically. They use a range of mathematical terms that are suitable for children's stage of development. For examples, staff discuss how tall towers of bricks are and when something might be heavy. They further support children's understanding of weight by using a set of weighing scales to weigh pine cones. This supports children's understanding of early mathematical concepts.

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The provision is good

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the management team went out of their way to keep in touch with children and families who were unable to attend the setting. They sent home activity suggestions, to support parents with ideas of what they could do at home to continue children's learning.

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need to do better?

n Staff support children's communication and language skills effectively. Within play, staff extend on what children are discussing. For example, when children are talking about fish, a member of staff extends on this by labelling parts, such as the 'dorsal fin'. In the sand pit, children discuss how dinosaurs have evolved into birds and how they need to 'excavate' fossils. n Overall, staff support children's learning and development well. They plan a range of activities to ensure there is a variety of child-led and adult-led activities. Staff skilfully adjust activities to consider the varying abilities of children taking part. Activities are planned to support children's varying interests which helps them to become deeply engaged. However, sometimes activities are not sufficiently focused on what children already know and can do to move their learning forward to the highest level. n Children behave well and staff have consistent expectations. On the odd

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need to do better?

occasion when children do something which is not in line with the high behavioural expectations, staff respond well. They carefully explain what they would like children to do. For instance, they clearly ask children to stop kicking bricks, and instead, explain to them what they can do with them, such as build a tower. n On the whole, children's independence skills are well supported. For example,

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need to do better?

20 February 2023 they wash their hands before meals and snacks and put on their own coats and shoes. Staff are on hand to support them where necessary. Children sit as a group at snack time and help themselves to fruit. However, this approach is inconsistent, as children do not have the same opportunities to help themselves at lunchtime. This means that opportunities to develop children's independence skills even further are missed. n Children are well supported when they are due to start school. During the summer term, teachers are invited into the nursery. They provide a school uniform and photos of the classrooms for children to look at. This supports children in the transition to school. n Parents are extremely happy with the quality of care and education provided. They particularly like the information they receive in the 'Yellow Book', which provides parents with ideas of what they can do at home to extend children's

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need to do better?

learning further. Parents are invited to share pictures from home with the nursery. The nursery uses these pictures to have discussions with children, which helps develop a real sense of belonging. n The nursery successfully works in partnership with a range of external agencies and professionals, to ensure that any additional support needed for children is in place. Additional funding is used effectively to ensure that all children are able to access the provision. As a result, all children make good progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff talk confidently about a range signs and symptoms which may suggests a child is at risk of harm or abuse. They answer a range of scenario-based questions relating to safeguarding issues such as female genital mutilation, 'Prevent' duty and domestic abuse. Staff complete regular safeguarding training and complete mini quizzes to check their understanding. Children are kept safe from harm within the setting and staff know what to do in an emergency. There are clear mobile phone policies in place for staff and older children. Staff have a clear understanding of how to keep children safe online and understand possible risks of children accessing inappropriate material online.

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should:

n strengthen the planning of activities to ensure they build more clearly on what children already know and can do n extend opportunities for children to practise their independence skills and make choices for themselves.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY289521 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 10276618 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 26 Number of children on roll 36 Name of registered person Sarah Harper and Neil Harper Partnership

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reference number

Telephone number 01653 694491 Date of previous inspection 25 July 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Meadowfield Nursery School registered in 2004. The nursery school and out-of- school club is privately owned and managed. It is situated in a converted detached bungalow adjacent to the Amotherby County Primary School in the village of Amotherby near Malton, North Yorkshire. The nursery employs 10 members of staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate qualifications from level 2 to 6. The manager holds early years professional status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round, except for the Christmas period, bank holidays and two weeks in August. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. 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 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 inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children communicated with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the

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Inspection activities

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

20 February 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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