Little Barn Owls Nursery and Farm School

Inspection of Little Barn Owls Nursery and Farm School Woodlands Framing Yard, Old Crawley Road, Faygate, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 4RU

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children are warmly greeted by enthusiastic staff as they arrive at the nursery. Staff gather and make good use of information from parents to help new children to settle. In addition, they support children to smoothly move to their next room. Children who need reassurance are sensitively supported by staff. This helps them feel secure.

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The provision is good

Leaders develop a well-structured curriculum that builds on children's knowledge, understanding and skills as they progress through the nursery. This is reflected in the organisation of the learning environments. The staff team ensures that children benefit from plenty of opportunities to be active in the fresh air. Children thoroughly enjoy climbing, jumping and pedalling on tricycles with increasing control. Children readily make independent choices and happily explore the wide range of exciting activities on offer. This helps to raise their confidence in their own abilities.

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The provision is good

Staff support children's good behaviour. They generously praise children who show an awareness of the rules and boundaries. Staff interact with children at their level, ensuring that children are actively listening. They sensitively remind children to share and take turns. This is proving highly successful, especially with older children, as they listen to each other's contributions and play cooperatively with their friends.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and staff plan an appealing environment that promotes children's natural curiosity and problem-solving skills. Children show immense enjoyment as they hold different objects in the low-lighting areas to create shadows. Staff skilfully follow children's preferences. For example, they recognise that some younger children do not like some sensory activities. Consequently, staff plan creative, multi-sensory opportunities to help build children's self-confidence in this area. n Staff help to expand children's knowledge of the wider world. For example, children remember and speak about the mushrooms they saw growing in the forest. They competently manipulate clay, rolling and flattening it into appropriate mushroom shapes. This also helps to strengthen the small muscles in children's hands in preparation for early writing. n In general, teaching is good. Staff have a clear understanding of the nursery

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need to do better?

curriculum. However, at times, staff's implementation of planned group activities does not promote or extend children's learning fully effectively. For example, on occasion, staff do not pay enough attention to helping children build on what they know and can do. This means that, at times, children are not fully

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need to do better?

21 October 2024 supported to extend their learning. n Staff place a high priority on supporting children to develop their independence. Babies learn to feed themselves, and pre-school children successfully use large spoons to independently serve their food and pour their own drinks of water from jugs. Furthermore, staff encourage toddlers to dress in their waterproof clothing before going outside. They give children plenty of time to succeed. This supports children's positive behaviours and resilience. n Staff include children in the daily routines to care for the nursery farm animals responsibly. They demonstrate a thorough subject knowledge about chickens and teach children the names of the different feathers. They challenge children's thinking as they encourage children to use water-filled pipettes to find out which feathers are waterproof. These real-life experiences help children to learn new and interesting facts about the farm animals.

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need to do better?

n Partnerships with parents are effective. Leaders regularly gather feedback from parents. This helps them organise workshops to support parents. Recently, the workshops have focused on children's sleep patterns. Staff regularly share information with parents about their children's learning and development. This helps to provide continuity in children's care and development. n Leaders show a commitment to continual improvement. For example, they create a team of experts to mentor new staff and further improve existing staff's knowledge and skills. However, some of these ideas are in their infancy. For example, leaders observe staff's practice and provide feedback to support their professional growth. Despite this, teaching is not of a consistently high standard across the provision, to raise children's learning to even higher levels.

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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 strengthen the coaching and mentoring for staff to further develop their skills and enhance the implementation of the curriculum.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2692081 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 10360180 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 130 Number of children on roll 197 Name of registered person Little Barn Owls Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01403 254413 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Little Barn Owls Nursery and Farm School registered in 2022 and is located in Horsham, West Sussex. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round. There are 40 members of staff who work at the setting, 22 of whom hold qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery accepts funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n Leaders and the inspectors completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspectors talked to staff, parents and children at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspectors observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspectors carried out two joint observations of activities with leaders. n The inspectors 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

21 October 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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