Downham Nursery School

Inspection of Downham Nursery School 168 Lynn Road, DOWNHAM MARKET, Norfolk PE38 9QG

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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 enjoy their time at this welcoming and homely nursery. Staff greet children and their families with a friendly smile and support their transitions into the building. They strive to ensure every child feels safe and secure within their care. Staff implement individualised settling-in sessions and gather a wealth of information from parents about their child. These are highly effective in helping staff get to know the children well from the start. As a result, children quickly develop strong bonds with staff, including those children who have only been at the setting for a very short amount of time.

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The provision is good

Staff plan a wide range of experiences that children are keen to take part in. Babies happily explore musical toys and dance excitedly as staff sing songs to them. Toddlers build on their understanding of vocabulary as staff introduce new words during role-play activities. Older children fully immerse themselves in storytelling sessions where they develop an understanding of early reading skills. They turn the pages of their own book and excitedly join in with the actions to match what is happening in the text. Children make good progress in their learning and development.

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The provision is good

Staff have high expectations of children. Well-implemented rules and routines help them to understand what is happening now and next. Staff are positive role models and are consistent with expected behaviours. They offer children lots of praise to boost their self-esteem. This has a positive impact on children's confidence, behaviour and attitudes towards learning. Subsequently, children behave well.

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need to do better?

n The leadership team has a clear drive to provide the best possible care for children and create a curriculum with children's interests and experiences at the centre. Staff use their knowledge of children's individual needs and development to plan activities which ignite children's curiosity. However, some staff's knowledge of the curriculum is not always clear. They sometimes focus on moving children on in their learning before fully building on the prime areas of learning. n Staff implement a range of opportunities and strategies to develop children's love of books. They promote reading by providing cosy book areas, sharing story sacks and encouraging children to bring in their favourite book from home. Staff provide a lending library to support parents to read with their children at home. During group activities, children join in with repeated phrases of their favourite text and discuss how characters might be feeling. This builds on children's

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need to do better?

growing vocabulary and develops their understanding of feelings and emotions. n Children engage in conversations with staff throughout the day. As they bake in

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need to do better?

5 September 2024 the mud kitchen, staff encourage them to think about why they need to wash their hands before and after any baking activities. Children confidently comment that they need to wash the 'germs' away. During snack time, children talk about the different foods on offer. They discuss where the foods may have come from, how they are grown and why they are good for you. Overall, staff use opportunities during discussions to enhance and extend children's knowledge. However, they do not consistently use these interactions to challenge children's understanding and skills. n Staff provide children with opportunities to support their independence and develop their sense of responsibility. Children help to set the table and prepare the snacks. They learn to wash their plates and put them away. Staff teach children about taking care of animals. After discovering a hedgehog in the nursery garden, children built a hedgehog home. Through discussion with a local

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need to do better?

hedgehog expert, they learned what hedgehogs need to survive. Activities such as these help children develop a good understanding of the world around them. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. Staff know the children well and successfully plan to meet their needs. They work with other agencies and parents to ensure consistency and sharing of information so that all children make good progress. n The leadership team is highly supportive of the staff and is committed to ensuring staff's well-being. Staff report feeling valued and well supported in their professional development. Parents also comment on the support and help they receive from the whole team. They value the regular updates they receive about their children's learning and appreciate the ideas staff share about ways to continue children's learning at home.

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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 build on staff's knowledge of the curriculum intent so that they are clear about the skills and knowledge they want children to acquire during their time at the nursery n help staff to develop their teaching skills so that they confidently embrace opportunities to strengthen children's knowledge and understanding even further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY398091 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 10344379 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 47 Name of registered person Laffeaty-Sharpe, Elizabeth-Jane

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reference number

Telephone number 01366388755 Date of previous inspection 19 September 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Downham Nursery School registered in 2009 and is one of two early years settings run by an individual owner. The nursery employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, one member of staff holds a qualification at level 4, four staff hold a qualification at level 3 and three staff hold a qualification at level 2. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am 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 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 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 a joint observation of a group activity with the manager. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector took account of the views of parents.

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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

5 September 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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