Wheatley Hill Community Nursery Ltd

Inspection of Wheatley Hill Community Nursery Ltd The Family Centre, Jack Lawson Terrace, Wheatley Hill, Durham DH6 3RT

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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 thrive at this very friendly, warm and welcoming setting. They are settled and happy as they sing songs and play imaginatively with friends. Staff are respectful, patient, and kind. They build wonderful relationships with children in their care. Children are curious and engaged. They show high levels of concentration as they carefully cut with scissors and push straws through holes in metal containers. Children show they are willing to try and they persist when tasks become challenging, for example as they carefully unwrap baubles from silver foil.

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The provision is good

Staff provide strong support for children to express their feelings and manage their behaviour. Staff use books with children to explore different emotions and breathing techniques to help them remain calm. Staff provide plenty of praise and encouragement. This helps promote children's confidence and self-esteem. They are clear with their praise so children know precisely what they have done well and can celebrate their achievements.

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The provision is good

Children are becoming increasingly independent. They put on their coats and shoes before going outside to play. They safely chop their fruit and pour their drinks at mealtimes. Staff support children to make simple choices, such as what colour placemat to have and which piece of fruit to eat. Staff talk to children about how healthy foods give them energy and help to make them strong.

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need to do better?

n Support for children's learning is consistently good across the setting. Staff follow children's lead in play. They model new skills and provide clear instructions. n Staff are clear about where children are in their development and what they need to learn next. They weave support for this through exciting and challenging experiences that reflect children's interests. n Familiar daily routines help children feel settled and secure. Children sometimes become restless however, while waiting to move from one part of the daily routine to another. n There is a strong focus on support for children's developing communication and language skills. Staff use stories and singing to help embed and extend children's language. They repeat back children's words to them. This helps them to know their words are valued and understood. n Staff help to instil in children a love of books and storytelling. They support children to embed their learning through a 'book of the month'. Staff talk to

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need to do better?

children about how books are constructed and help them to label different parts and roles, such as 'cover, spine, illustrator and author'. Staff are skilled at storytelling. However, the way in which group times are structured means that

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need to do better?

12 December 2024 children sometimes become distracted. n Staff plan good support for children's developing physical skills. Children balance on beams and stepping stones. They navigate obstacle courses in the setting's spacious, enclosed garden. n Additional funding and fundraising helps to provide exciting experiences for children. For example, children benefit from new books to explore and digital cameras for them to capture their experiences at the setting. n Children learn about their local community and the lives of others through trips to a local care home and the library, where they take part in sensory play. They help to mark events such as Remembrance Day, by walking with staff to the local cenotaph. n Parents speak very highly of the setting and its staff team. They praise the dedication of staff and say they feel well informed about their child's day. Staff build strong partnerships with parents through events such as 'stay and play'

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need to do better?

and by sharing books and ideas for learning with parents to explore with their children at home. n There is strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work closely with other professionals in health and education, such as health visitors and local school staff, involved with children in their care. This helps create a consistent approach to support for children's learning. n Leaders provide strong support for their staff team, in terms of their professional development and well-being. They provide rich opportunities for staff to update their skills and knowledge. n Leaders are very reflective. They gather the views of parents and staff through questionnaires and use this information to plan continuous improvements. Staff work really well together as a team. All staff and those involved with the setting are committed, hard-working and passionate about the service they provide.

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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 consider ways to support better support children's focus as they move from one part of the daily routine to another n review the structure of group times to reduce distractions, in order to support children's already good listening and attention skills to an even higher level.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY330506 Local authority Durham Inspection number 10368014 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 26 Number of children on roll 54 Name of registered person Wheatley Hill Community Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01429 824411 Date of previous inspection 6 March 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Wheatley Hill Community Nursery Ltd registered in 2014. The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff, 10 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including one with teaching status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 5.30pm. The nursery offers government-funded places for childcare.

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Inspection activities

n Leaders discussed with the inspector how the setting organises and plans the curriculum and experiences for children. The inspector viewed the space used by the setting. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities and assessed the impact on children's learning. The inspector and manager evaluated an activity together. n The inspector discussed with leaders how they help to keep children safe. This included evidence about first-aid training and the suitability of those working on the premises. n The inspector held discussions with leaders and staff. She took into account 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

12 December 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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