Meadows Mere Nursery School

Inspection of Meadows Mere Nursery School 1-2 Alfred Road, Kingsmere, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6TA

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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 display good manners and behaviour. They are happy, enjoy each other's company and play well together. Overall, they are learning to manage their own behaviour well and can successfully resolve some issues without adult support. Staff encourage children to talk about their emotions and help them to understand the impact of their behaviour on others. Furthermore, children enjoy doing things for themselves. For example, younger children wash their own plates and cups after snack and older children hang up their own coats. Staff support children's independence right from the outset, which helps to prepare them well for their next stage in learning.

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The provision is good

Children successfully develop their communication and language skills. Staff use a range of ways, such as picture cards and visual timetables, to help children understand what is coming next. This supports children who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) particularly well.

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The provision is good

Children are learning how to keep themselves healthy. For example, they learn how to clean their teeth when the dentist visits them at the nursery. Furthermore, they spend long periods of time learning outdoors, benefiting from fresh air and exercise.

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need to do better?

n Staff complete training that has a positive impact on children's learning. For instance, following training on enabling environments, staff have reduced the number of resources available at one time. This has helped to support children to independently choose what they want to play with. n Staff plan activities that encourage children to explore and investigate. For example, children enjoy using magnifying glasses to find bugs in the garden. However, during group activities, children sometimes wander off and staff do not try to re-engage them. This means children are not always fully developing their listening and attention skills. n Staff use observation and assessment well to monitor children's learning and development. They successfully identify any emerging gaps and swiftly refer to outside agencies. This helps children, including those with SEND, to get the extra support they need to progress.

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need to do better?

n Staff are good role models and give consistent messages to children about their behaviour. Children understand the rules and boundaries of the nursery which they have helped to develop. As a result, children behave well and show high levels of respect. For example, they readily share resources with their peers and patiently wait for their turn.

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need to do better?

9 May 2023 n Staff support children well through times of change, such as when starting at the nursery and moving on to school. Settling-in and transition plans are tailored to children's individual needs, which successfully supports their emotional well- being. However, some transition times, such as getting ready to go into the garden, take too long and children become bored and restless while waiting. n There is an effective key-person system in place. Staff form strong bonds with children and their families, which helps children to feel safe and secure. They give children lots of praise and encouragement, which builds children's confidence and self-esteem. n The dedicated and passionate manager has a good understanding of what she wants children to learn. The curriculum is sequenced well and builds on what children already know and can do. Children are developing good early mathematical skills. For example, they learn about space and measure, saying

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need to do better?

words such as 'big' and 'small' when they use tape to section off areas in the garden. n The manager and leadership team support staff very well. Staff attend regular supervision meetings with the manager, where they discuss workload, well-being and training needs. Furthermore, staff complete peer reviews of practice to help each other develop their knowledge and skills. n Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff fully involve parents in their child's learning. This includes sharing ideas and resources, such as books, to enable parents to extend children's learning at home. Parents are extremely pleased with the progress their child has made at the nursery.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and leadership team have robust recruitment processes in place to help ensure adults are suitable to work with children. Staff know the signs of potential abuse and neglect and the processes to follow if they have concerns about children's safety. Staff complete daily checks of the indoor and outdoor areas to identify and minimise any potential hazards for children. This helps to ensure the premises are safe and secure. Furthermore, staff plan visits from people in the community, such as the fire service, to help children understand how to keep themselves safe.

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should:

n improve group activities to ensure they meet the needs of all children and build on their listening and attention skills n review strategies for transition times to ensure children do not wait for too long between activities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 507796 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 10279971 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 60 Number of children on roll 54 Name of registered person Places For Children Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01323 461114 Date of previous inspection 14 September 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Meadows Mere Nursery School is owned by Places For Children Limited. It registered in 1998 and is located in Eastbourne, East Sussex. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm, all year round. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs five members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 2 to level 3.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the nursery received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the setting and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n A joint observation of staff practice was carried out by the inspector and the nursery manager. n The inspector observed interactions between staff and children during activities and assessed the impact of teaching on children's learning. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn.

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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 May 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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