Skylarks Nursery School Ltd

Inspection of Skylarks Nursery School Ltd Coombe Road, Brighton BN2 4ED

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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 arrive at the nursery full of excitement and anticipation for the day ahead. Staff greet them with warmth and a smile. Children, including the very youngest, part from their parents with ease. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in the care of the staff, who know them so well. Children are highly motivated by both the inside and outside environment that staff provide. They show high engagement and enthusiasm for the learning opportunities on offer. For example, staff support children to place wooden planks and number discs to make an obstacle course. Children quickly become animated, and laughter fills the nursery as children try to balance and jump on and off the beams with their friends. Staff encourage children to keep on trying and praise them for not giving up.

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The provision is good

Staff are gentle, kind and loving. They are strong role models for children and set high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff make effective use of strategies, such as a visual timetable, to help children understand what is happening next. This helps support children's well-being and they move confidently between activities. Younger children who will be moving to a different room for the next stage in their learning have a bespoke settling-in period to help them. As a result, children re-settle confidently and quickly and have already formed a firm bond with another adult who will look after them.

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need to do better?

n A key strength of the nursery is the support given to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and to those children who speak English as an additional language. Staff make sure that any obstacles to learning are addressed and all children have access to a highly effective curriculum. Consequently, all children, including those children who are at risk of falling behind, make very good progress from their starting points. n Leaders act with integrity. They work tirelessly to ensure that they make timely referrals and engage specialists to provide support for children who need it most. The highly qualified leaders have a strong understanding of children's development and have specific aims and focus for the future of the nursery. Staff well-being is of the utmost priority for leaders. Parents provide extremely positive feedback about the leaders and staff in the setting. n The quality of teaching that staff provide for the children, particularly those who

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need to do better?

are younger, enables children to explore and find connections in their own learning. For example, staff follow the interests of children and encourage them to lead their own play. Staff offer gentle encouragement and new vocabulary as younger children engage in sensory play activities. n Children across the nursery enthusiastically join in a wide range of well-planned, adult-led activities. Generally, children engage well and contribute their own

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need to do better?

7 January 2025 ideas and opinions. However, the organisation of larger group activities that include children of mixed ages and abilities can result in children having different learning experiences. For example, at times the activities are too difficult for some. Consequently, some children occasionally become disinterested or distracted and do not fully benefit from the intended learning. Despite this, children's general engagement during group activities is high. n Staff support children to develop an understanding of healthy lifestyles. Children have access to outside areas, where they can run around with their friends. They have discussions about different types of foods that children bring in from home. Staff are aware of cultural food choices and weave this into discussions. They provide more variety in foods for children to try and enjoy at snack time. Children are competent in their own self-care needs, such as handwashing and

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need to do better?

going to the toilet. n Overall, staff are skilled in identifying what children should be learning next based on children's existing knowledge and current interests. They observe what children do and listen to what they have to say and respond with back-and-forth conversations. However, occasionally some staff ask questions which are not meaningful, or do not allow children enough time to respond. As a result, there are times when learning can be incidental rather than purposeful and children do not always get enough time to respond with their own ideas.

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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 improve the organisation of planned group activities to help all children remain focused and engaged in their learning n support staff to target their interactions to more effectively extend children's learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2711325 Local authority Brighton and Hove Inspection number 10372609 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 37 Name of registered person Skylarks Nursery School Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07542094192 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Skylarks Nursery School Ltd registered in 2022. It operates from Coombe Road School in Brighton, East Sussex. The nursery school is open from 8.45am to 3.15pm each weekday during term time only. There are eight staff who work at the nursery school, seven of whom hold relevant childcare qualifications. The manager is a qualified teacher. The nursery school provides government funded early education places for children aged from twelve months to four years.

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Inspection activities

n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the manager. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector held a meeting with the leaders of the nursery. n Children and staff spoke to the inspector throughout the inspection.

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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

7 January 2025 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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