The Clock House Nursery School

Inspection of The Clock House Nursery School 1 The Square, Pennington, Lymington SO41 8GN

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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

Parents are warmly welcomed into the nursery as they take their children to the playrooms. They benefit from shared handovers with the key persons at the beginning and end of the day. This helps to ensure children feel safe and secure.

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The provision is good

Staff provide a warm and nurturing approach that enables children to flourish in the nursery. They plan experiences based around topics they implement into each room. For example, babies have recently shown an interest in ducks. Staff follow this theme, singing 'Five Little Ducks' and use this opportunity to encourage the older babies to join in to support their language skills. They provide a variety of toy ducks for the younger babies to explore, helping them learn about shape and size.

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The provision is good

Staff ensure children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills. Older children ride on tricycles, navigating their way around the outdoor equipment. They mount the climbing frame with ease. Younger children explore the wooden activity centres in their playroom. They persevere and concentrate as they twist and turn the knobs. Staff promote children's fine motor skills well. They encourage the children to pat and roll the playdough and then to cut it with the shape cutters they make available.

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The provision is good

Children develop good social skills. Staff support them well to understand the behaviour that is expected. For example, children learn to share, take turns and collaborate as they play. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and English as an additional language, make good progress from their starting points.

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need to do better?

n The nursery has been open for a year and the directors have a clear vision for the future. They show a strong motivation to continually develop and improve the provision. For example, they are committed to making further improvements to the outdoor space and building on how they gather feedback from parents. n Staff report they feel valued in their work and supported in their roles. They comment there is an open-door policy where they can speak to the manager or directors. Newly introduced appraisals and supervisions help the staff develop their knowledge and skills. Staff attend training and bring ideas back to implement in the nursery. This helps them to provide new opportunities for the children. n Children thoroughly enjoy a range of activities inside and outside. They are keen to join in and they show excitement in their learning. Younger children play well together exploring the different-sized 'compare bears'. Staff promote

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need to do better?

mathematical language as they encourage the children to count the objects.

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need to do better?

25 February 2025 However, at times, group activities are not planned fully successfully to take all children's needs into account. For example, on occasion group activities are too large for all children to be involved, and they sometimes struggle to stay engaged. n Staff organise various outings for the children. This includes trips to the local library and nearby residential home for the elderly. This helps children to learn about the world around them and develops their knowledge and understanding of the community in which they live. n Children know the nursery routine and listen well to staff. They learn about keeping healthy and understand the importance of washing their hands before eating. Staff provide children with healthy home-cooked meals and freshly prepared snacks. However, although an aim of the curriculum is to encourage older children's independence skills, during mealtimes staff often complete tasks

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need to do better?

for children that they could try themselves. This does not consistently offer older children opportunities to develop their self-help skills. n Children enjoy listening to 'The Hungry Caterpillar' story. Staff impart new vocabulary such as 'cocoon' and encourage the children to predict what will happen when the caterpillar comes out of this. Children excitedly make the motions of the butterfly's wings. This activity encourages children's confidence and language as they discuss the life cycle of the butterfly and join in with the actions. n Staff promote and support children's behaviour well. They understand the importance of role modelling. This contributes positively to children's own behaviour. n Partnership with parents is very strong. Staff use an online platform to upload photographs to show the rooms set up ready for the next day, to ignite curiosity. They share information about next steps in the children's development. Parents

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need to do better?

talk highly of the staff team and how excited their children are to come to nursery. They comment staff have a drive to make their children excel. Staff provide ideas to support children's learning at home. This joined up approach enables children to thrive in their development.

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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 planning and organisation of adult-led activities to engage all children taking part more effectively

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should:

25 February 2025 n enhance staff's understanding of how to consistently support children to develop their independence and self-help skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2761638 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10375532 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 84 Number of children on roll 66 Name of registered person Simkap (Childcare) Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01590 638 090 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

The Clock House Nursery School registered in November 2023 and is located in Pennington, Lymington. The nursery employs 18 members of childcare staff. Of these, 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above. The nursery is open from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round. They provide government funded early education places for children aged from nine months to four years.

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Inspection activities

n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector spoke with the nominated individual about the leadership and management of the setting. n Staff spoke to the inspector during the inspection. 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 Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff. n The inspector and manager carried out a joint observation of a communication and language activity.

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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

25 February 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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