Newcastle Children's Centre

Inspection of Newcastle Children's Centre Mill Road, Newcastle on Clun, Craven Arms, Shropshire SY7 8QN

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is outstanding

The strong bonds that children have with staff, their confidence in the environment, and how settled they are show that children are happy, content and enjoy coming to this outstanding nursery. Staff provide nurturing and sensitive care that is tailored to children's individual needs. This helps children to feel safe and secure, as they become confident in their surroundings and have warm relationships with staff.

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The provision is outstanding

The manager has adapted the curriculum and staff practice to meet the needs of the increasing number of younger children who now attend the nursery. The ambitious curriculum helps to further promote children's good behaviour. Negative behaviour incidents are extremely rare. When they do happen, staff offer solutions to children to help them to resolve these minor conflicts themselves. Children's behaviour at nursery is excellent. Staff carefully consider their teaching in how to build on children's levels of engagement and motivation. They encourage younger children to stay at activities for longer periods of time to help to gradually increase their concentration.

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The provision is outstanding

Leaders have carefully crafted a curriculum to help children to broaden their experiences through meaningful activities. Children share their own customs and beliefs with others. This helps children to learn about similarities and differences.

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need to do better?

n This is a very well-led nursery. The manager, since coming into post at the time of the last inspection, has worked to raise the quality of practice at the nursery to an outstanding level. The rigorous staff supervision process in place has helped to raise the quality of teaching and promote continuous development. This includes improving the quality of staff's interactions with children. Staff deliver high-quality communication intervention activities to children, including children who speak English as an additional language. This helps children with lower than expected communication and language development to rapidly learn and say single words within two months of them starting to attend the nursery. These targeted interventions help to close gaps in children's learning. n Leaders have taken effective steps to help to reduce staff workload over time. This includes reducing the number of written assessments staff complete on

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need to do better?

children. Staff report that there is effective support for their well-being, which they describe as positive. n Over time, the manager, with the support of the committee, has implemented a strong vision for high-quality teaching and enabling environments for children. The manager has ensured that the curriculum and staff practice have evolved to meet the needs of the younger children. Most children start without the skills to

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need to do better?

25 June 2024 play alongside or with other children. Through evaluation, staff have adapted their approach to delivering activities. They now invite children to engage with the interesting activities on offer. This helps children, over time, to join in with group games and develop play together, such as taking it in turns to jump over the 'river'. n Physical development is a key focus in the curriculum. The approach to helping children to develop their physical skills is effective. Children can practise skills repeatedly in different contexts, such as pinching tweezers indoors to pick up 'shells' from the 'beach', and carefully placing insects into the magnifying pot outdoors. This helps to prepare them for their future learning through the development of their small hand muscles. Teaching also helps children to develop an understanding of healthy habits, such as limited screen time. n The manager has ensured that the curriculum is known and understood by all

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need to do better?

staff. As a result, they understand their roles and responsibilities and their teaching is consistently excellent. This helps all children to make superb progress from their starting points. n The identification of children's additional needs is swift by staff. This is because of their robust assessment of children's starting points. Staff build close and trusting relationships with parents to help to work together to support children's progress and obtain the support children need. Staff advocate proactively for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to help them to access learning and achieve their targets. Parents are extremely positive in their feedback about the positive difference that staff make to children's lives.

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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 interest firsts.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 224148 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 10343097 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 Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 22 Name of registered person Newcastle Children's Centre Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01588 640108 Date of previous inspection 13 September 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Newcastle Children's Centre registered in 1999. It is located in Newcastle on Clun, Shropshire and is run by a committee. The provider employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, all staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Thursday, 8.30am until 3.30pm, during school term times. The provider receives funding to provide 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 manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children told the inspector about their friends and what they like to do when they are at nursery. The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. Parents shared their views of the nursery with the inspector. 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 carried out joint observations of group activities and evaluated these with the manager. 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

25 June 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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