Sandford St Martin's Nursery School CIC

Inspection of Sandford St Martin's Nursery School CIC Sandford, Wareham, Dorset BH20 7AJ

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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 arrive excited and like to get fully involved in the learning activities that staff prepare for them. They work well together to make tall towers out of sponge bricks. They use magnetic shapes to construct their own vehicle designs, and they roll out play dough to make 'pizzas' and have fun inventing their own pretend baking ideas, saying, 'Would you like this sausage cake?' Staff work alongside children to help them articulate and describe their ideas. They provide children with lots of new vocabulary by reading books and singing songs throughout the day.

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The provision is good

Staff have developed the curriculum to give children lots of physical activity and opportunities to learn mathematical vocabulary. Children love jumping on trampolines while counting and finding their number on displayed numerals. Once a week, children go on a woodland walk to experience different types of natural materials. Children talk fondly about their time in the woods and recall making mudcakes and stirring leaves with sticks.

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The provision is good

Children feel safe and secure. Staff enjoy children's company and develop a friendly rapport with them. They support children in recognising strong emotions that they sometimes feel and help them to manage these feelings by using excerpts from children's books, such as the 'Colour Monster'.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and staff have developed a clear and ambitious curriculum for children. They design learning activities that interest children and absorb their attention. Through their curriculum, they support children's preparation for school. Leaders liaise with the on-site school and ensure they support children in preparing for future learning. Staff design activities that support children's important preparatory skills, such as recognising their names, and they help children to develop good habits when learning to grip tools and pencils effectively. n Leaders and staff provide children with a wide range of planned experiences across all areas of learning. They focus on broadening children's understanding and interest in the wider world, including the natural world and cultural diversity. For instance, children enjoy searching for wildlife that visit the garden. They watch videos of badgers and look for footprints, and staff encourage children to

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need to do better?

develop empathy and care for animals. Staff provide children with activities that promote conversations about different countries and cultures. They discuss various languages and ways people speak, enhancing children's knowledge of diverse cultures. n Staff know children well. They know their strengths and interests and use them to develop the curriculum to engage them and help them learn. Staff also know children's developmental needs and accurately identify the next steps that will

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need to do better?

29 February 2024 help them to make good progress, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, occasionally, staff do not give some children enough support to practise the skills and knowledge they need to close gaps in their learning quickly. n Children in the nursery behave well. They follow staff's instructions and the setting's rules to ensure their safety. Staff talk to the children about the importance of staying safe and ask them to explain why rules are necessary. Children are confident answering questions. They explain that keeping their coats on hooks instead of the floor helps to keep them and others safe from tripping over. Children are proactive in identifying potential hazards and bringing them to the attention of staff, to make the environment safer. n Leaders and staff have developed good partnerships with parents. They give parents regular updates on their children's progress and inform them of any

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need to do better?

areas of concern. Leaders promote and provide books, encouraging parents to share stories with their children. Parents choose books alongside their children as they arrive in the morning, ready to read together when they get home later in the day. Staff also encourage parents to model writing to children by writing entries into a cuddly bear's diary, which children love reading to their peers during their time at nursery.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n ensure that staff provide children with enough support to practise their next steps in learning, which staff have identified, to help children quickly close gaps in their development.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY486962 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 10317425 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 35 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Sandford St. Martins Nursery School CIC

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reference number

Telephone number 01929 558122 Date of previous inspection 24 May 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Sandford St Martin's Nursery School CIC registered in 2015. It was registered previously at other premises and is now situated on the grounds of Sandford St Martin Primary School, in Sandford, Dorset. The nursery school is open Monday to Friday, from 8am until 3pm, during school term time and school holidays, depending upon demand. It receives funding to provide free early years education for children aged two, three and four. Five staff members are employed. The manager holds an early years master's degree and four staff members hold early years qualifications at level 3.

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Inspection activities

n This is 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 manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n Children told the inspector about their friends and what they like to do when they are at the nursery. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of a learning activity. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector 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

29 February 2024 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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