Activ8 Nursery Henfield

Inspection of Activ8 Nursery Henfield Henfield Youth Centre, Deer Park, Henfield, Sussex BN5 9JQ

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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 Inadequate

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The provision is good

Children show confidence as they arrive at the setting. They know where to hang their belongings and put their coats in a basket, ready to go outside. Children have positive relationships and play cooperatively with their friends. Furthermore, babies and very young children have secure attachments with the adults that care for them. This gives babies confidence to join in with exploring textures using paint and other sensory play experiences.

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The provision is good

The areas accessible to children are well-organised. This supports them to make their own choices and explore the activities on offer. Experiences are thoughtfully set up with open-ended resources that capture children's curiosity. They relish challenge, which contributes towards their developing problem-solving skills. For example, children show a keen interest in comparing their heights with one another. They work together to determine between friends who is taller and who is shorter. They proceed to negotiate lining up according to size, starting from the smallest to the tallest. This exposes children to mathematical concepts of sequencing and using size language.

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The provision is good

On the whole, children behave well. At times, they experience minor altercations with their friends. However, staff support them to overcome any upset between themselves and remind them about the 'golden rules'. This helps children start to understand the impact of their behaviour.

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The provision is good

Children delight in engaging in group games, such as 'Simon says'. They concentrate and listen well to instructions given by a friend to reconstruct a variety of movements. Children all participate and learn how to move their bodies in different ways to develop their gross motor skills.

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need to do better?

n Leaders work hard to improve the provision and address the weaknesses raised at the last inspection. Staff receive support and guidance to help them understand and plan for what children need to learn. Furthermore, leaders model practice to less-experienced staff to help them develop teaching skills. This enables them to implement an effective curriculum to help all children make good progress in their learning and development. n Children who need extra help to catch up receive support through setting-based plans and referrals to outside agencies. Targeted planning identifies strategies that staff refer to and share with families. This ensures that children have interventions in place to help prepare them for their next stage in education. n Children of all ages have experiences that support their language skills and extend their vocabulary. This includes babies snuggling up with a member of

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need to do better?

23 March 2023 staff while having a board book read to them. Older children engage in back- and-forth conversations during their play, sharing stories and singing songs. Children are keen to talk to friends and staff about their personal experiences from home, as well as to share their views. However, there are some occasions when staff ask children questions but do not always give them enough time to think in order to respond. At times, not all staff use children's responses to consider how they can extend their learning to the highest level. Despite this, children show they have a good command of language and continue to make sound progress. n Staff support children to consider how they need to stay safe when they go out to the larger field beyond their garden area. Children have positive attitudes to learning and listen to the rules. Once outside, they concentrate while filling jugs, ready to water the vegetables growing in the garden planters. Children use

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need to do better?

recall to talk about what they know. They explain to adults that they cannot see the seeds as they are underground, but they know the seeds need water and sun to grow. Children continue to show fascination in exploring the outdoors. They use magnifying glasses to look at features of items they have collected, including acorns, twigs and leaves. This supports children to learn about the natural world and changes over time. n Children show confidence in developing their independence skills. They wash their hands and pour their own drinks from small jugs at snack time. Occasionally, staff take the lead when helping children with self-help tasks. However, with support, children could practise doing these by themselves. n Staff support children, through storytelling and discussion, to talk about how they feel. Children use an emotions board and puppet toys to express how they are feeling to others. This contributes to children learning how to cope when

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need to do better?

faced with minor setbacks and builds on their emotional resilience skills. n Parents speak highly about the support they receive from the nursery. They explain that communication is effective, providing them information about the progress their children are making. Parents comment on using the lending library, which further supports and embeds a love of reading at home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have taken steps through training, staff meetings and visual notices to ensure that all staff have a robust understanding of how to keep children safe. Staff recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect. They have a secure understanding of a variety of safeguarding issues, including county lines, domestic violence and extremism. Staff are aware of protocols about bruising on non-mobile babies and follow safe sleep guidelines to ensure that very young babies are safe and secure. All staff are clear about how to make a referral in line with local procedures. Leaders ensure that new staff do not commence employment until vetting checks confirm their suitability to have access to children and families. Staff understand the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a colleague's conduct and how to report concerns to agencies with statutory responsibilities.

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should:

n strengthen staff's teaching skills in questioning techniques to allow children time to think and respond n provide extension opportunities that offer even more challenge to support children's learning so they can reach their highest potential n consistently encourage children to do things for themselves and develop their independence skills and sense of responsibility to the highest level.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2522379 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 10261046 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 42 Number of children on roll 31 Name of registered person Activ8 Nursery Henfield Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07711387740 Date of previous inspection 13 October 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Activ8 Nursery Henfield registered in 2019. It operates in Henfield, West Sussex. The nursery opens all year round, from 7.45am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except on Tuesday when it closes at 5.30pm. There are eight members of staff, six of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with the provider and has taken this into account in their evaluation of the nursery. n The inspector observed the interactions between children and staff and assessed the impact of teaching on children's learning. n The manager and inspector had a learning walk to explain the nursery's curriculum and carried out a joint observation to assess the quality of teaching. n Staff spoke to the inspector about their roles, their knowledge of their key children, the training opportunities they have and the procedures they follow to keep children safe. n Parents were invited to share their views about the nursery with the inspector.

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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

23 March 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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