Castle Nursery and Preschool

Inspection of Castle Nursery and Preschool 14 South Hill, GUILDFORD, Surrey GU1 3SY

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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

Staff create a warm and welcoming nursery for children. Leaders place an emphasis on supporting all children's well-being and ensuring they feel safe and ready to learn. For example, they have created a holiday board where children can bring in magnets from their trips away. This helps children to feel excited, rather than anxious, to return to nursery after a break away, as they look forward to sharing a memento of their trip.

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The provision is good

Staff are enthusiastic in their interactions with children and plan exciting experiences to enhance their learning. For example, older children learn about the life cycle of butterflies by looking after caterpillars and show great excitement as they watch the butterflies being released from their net. Staff support children in the toddler room to develop a love of books and reading. Children share stories, and staff allow time for them to talk about what they can see. Babies enjoy a lot of sensory play and lovely attention from the staff who look after them. Staff take great care to settle in babies who are new to the setting and support their individual needs with genuine care and affection.

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The provision is good

Children across the nursery form strong connections with their key person, which enhances their well-being and sense of security. Their behaviour is good and they respond positively to staff and follow instructions.

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need to do better?

n Leaders are passionate about supporting children to experience the wider world and understand the community they live in. Staff take children to the farmers' market and the theatre. They offer many extra-curricular sessions with external teachers, such as dancing and music sessions. Older children experience weekly forest school sessions and staff get children involved in community events, such as the pancake race in town. n Leaders provide strong support to staff and regularly monitor their practice. Staff comment on their positive well-being and demonstrate a commitment to continuously improving their knowledge and understanding of how children learn. Leaders organise a good network of support from their sister settings to ensure children are continuously well cared for. n Staff implement respectful care routines that positively contribute to children's emotional well-being. For example, when changing nappies or wiping faces, staff

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need to do better?

get down to the children's level and talk to them about what they need to do and gain their permission. n Staff know the children well and plan learning experiences that are based around their interests. Children's next steps in learning are identified, but they are not always effectively considered when staff think about the intent of the

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need to do better?

8 May 2025 activities they plan. At times, the planned learning intention is too broad and focuses on too many new skills at one time. This means that children are not consistently provided with targeted support to really embed and practise the intended skills staff want them to learn. n The management team places a priority on supporting older children to become ready for school. In the summer, staff introduce 'Joyful July', where children take part in a number of activities, such as bringing in a packed lunch, learning to open packets, changing clothes and learning about road and internet safety. This supports children to be confident and ready for their next stage in education. n Overall, the quality of teaching is good and children are making progress in their learning. There are times, however, when activities are either too advanced or not challenging enough. For example, staff working with pre-school children

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need to do better?

engage them in complex conversations, which challenge the older children, but younger children do not understand and lose interest. n Children enjoy plenty of opportunities to play outside and develop their physical skills. Children benefit from healthy meals and snacks that are interesting and varied. For instance, children enjoy poppadoms and chutney for snack and at lunch. They sometimes have a starter instead of a dessert. n Children behave towards each other with kindness and enjoy playing together. Staff support children to become independent as they are encouraged to clean their own hands and faces and go to the bathroom on their own. Children are helpful as they help staff to clean the tables ready for the next activity. n Leaders and staff collaborate with parents to create strong partnerships. Staff regularly give parents ideas about how to further their child's learning at home. Parents comment positively on the sense of community, the nurturing and caring

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need to do better?

staff and the thought and attention that goes into each child.

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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 activity planning so that staff focus more precisely on the intent for individual children's next steps in learning, to offer all children more targeted support n provide further support for staff to develop their interactions with children, to help them recognise when to simplify their exchanges with younger children and when to provide more challenge for older and more able children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY305501 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 10392086 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 43 Number of children on roll 59 Name of registered person Castle Daycare and Preschool Ltd.

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reference number

Telephone number 01483 533 344 Date of previous inspection 1 August 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Castle Nursery and Preschool registered in 2005 and operates from a Victorian listed building in Guildford, Surrey. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm, for most of the year. It provides government funded early education places for children aged from nine months to four years. The nursery employs 13 staff who work directly with the children, 10 of whom hold appropriate childcare qualifications at level 2 and above.

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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 Children spoke with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. 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 The inspector and manager carried out joint observations of group activities. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector.

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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

8 May 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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