Windmill Nursery School

Inspection of Windmill Nursery School 22-23 Overcliffe, GRAVESEND DA11 0EH

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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

Leaders and staff create a warm, friendly, home-from-home environment for children and their families. Staff make sure that settling-in sessions are tailored to the individual needs of the child and their family. This attention to detail continues as children progress through the nursery and eventually transition to school. Staff focus on prioritising children's well-being, helping to support children to gain a sense of belonging and feel safe and secure at nursery.

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The provision is good

Staff have established a focused curriculum that fosters children's confidence and curiosity. For instance, babies are eager to explore the textures of the balls as they climb in and out of the ball pit. Toddlers practise using the steps in the room before going down the slide. All children have opportunities to develop good physical skills from a young age. Outside, staff provide children with a wide range of experiences to explore and exercise. Older children learn how to move their bodies and develop positional awareness. For example, they balance on beams and join in running games with their peers as they build muscle strength.

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The provision is good

Children's behaviour is good and appropriate for their age and stage of development. Staff support children to understand their emotions and encourage them to talk about their feelings. Children are kind to their friends and are learning to share as they engage in social activities. For instance, in the garden, the children help each other to fill bags with leaves ready to decorate the bear cave they have made.

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need to do better?

n Staff are highly knowledgeable about their key children. They can discuss each child's current developmental levels and outline plans for their next steps in learning. The leaders have established secure procedures to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as those who speak English as an additional language. For example, staff use sign language and provide dual-language books to enhance children's communication skills. They liaise closely with other professionals and put in place targeted support for children who need additional assistance. As a result, all children make the progress they are capable of achieving. n Communication and language development is a high priority throughout the nursery. Staff use commentary effectively to ensure babies and children hear a rich vocabulary that strengthens their language skills. For example, staff describe the feel of the crunchy leaves as the babies investigate the natural

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need to do better?

objects in the sand tray. Toddlers are encouraged to explore textures as they participate in activities, such as looking to see what is in the box. Staff support the toddlers as they take turns to find the 'squidgy' sponge and 'spiky' dinosaur.

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need to do better?

16 January 2025 They skilfully introduce descriptive language into children's games and sensory play. n Leaders are devoted to their role and place a strong emphasis on maintaining staff's well-being. They offer a variety of training to help staff develop their practice. Staff are skilled in planning a well-sequenced curriculum throughout the nursery. They incorporate children's interests and focus on their next steps in learning. However, on occasion, some less confident staff are not consistent in supporting children to help extend their learning and gain the most from their activities. n The leaders and staff have a strong focus on providing babies and toddlers with an environment that engages and stimulates their curiosity. Pre-school children enjoy the challenge of bringing stories to life as they act in different movements while hunting for the bear. The pre-school rooms offer a variety of activities for

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need to do better?

children to interact with. However, there is a difference in quality between the resources and experiences for children in the different pre-school rooms. As a result, older children do not consistently receive equal opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills. n Mathematical exploration is evident throughout the nursery. There is a strong focus on counting and teaching children about shapes from an early age. For instance, staff working with toddlers discuss concepts like 'full' and 'empty' as the children fill various containers with water. Older children use a magnifying glass to find shapes and numbers in their environment. Staff actively identify opportunities to introduce mathematical language throughout the day. n Staff recognise the crucial part parents play in supporting their children. They work closely with parents to support learning at home. For instance, they offer a lending library for children and inform parents of activities they can do at home

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need to do better?

to help enhance children's learning. Parents enjoy visiting the nursery to share their skills. For example, they have conducted exercise classes and made bracelets with the children. Parents are extremely complimentary about the caring support they receive from the dedicated staff team.

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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 support less confident staff to help embed teaching securely and consistently across the nursery n review and improve the indoor learning environments to strengthen the

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should:

16 January 2025 opportunities older children have to engage in a breadth of experiences that cover all areas of learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2685385 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10363685 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 82 Number of children on roll 119 Name of registered person Storal Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01474 332255 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Windmill Nursery School registered in 2022. It is located in Gravesend, Kent. The nursery is owned by Storal Nurseries Limited. It operates for 51 weeks of the year from 7.30am until 6.30pm, from Monday to Friday. The provider employs 25 members of staff at this nursery. Of these, 17 hold a relevant early years qualification at level 2 or above. One member of staff has achieved a level 6 qualification. The nursery provides funded early years education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas used by the nursery and discussed how they implement the early years curriculum. 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 Children spoke with the inspector at various times throughout the inspection. n The inspector read letters of reference and spoke to several parents and carers during the inspection to take into account their views on the nursery. n The manager and inspector carried out a joint observation on an adult-directed activity in the toddler room. n The inspector 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

16 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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