Oak Valley Day Nursery

Inspection of Oak Valley Day Nursery Century Park, Station Road, Halfway, Sheffield S20 3GS

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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 are happy and busy in this caring and supportive nursery. They make good progress overall and are well prepared for the next stage of their learning, including starting school. Babies make a positive start to their learning from the individual starting points in development. They build strong bonds with the staff who care for them and smoothly settle into the well-considered routines.

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The provision is good

Leaders and staff systematically develop children's skills, knowledge and understanding as they move through nursery. For example, staff help babies to develop their self-awareness and sense of touch through peekaboo games with different coloured fabrics. Older children build on their movement control and awareness of shape and colour. For example, they learn to mix primary colours and paint large and small pictures.

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The provision is good

Children behave very well. They rise to staff's high expectations. For instance, children politely listen to each other as they remind each other of the golden rules and choose activities together. Children learn to assess their own risks. For instance, they develop their physical skills by designing and using increasingly challenging stepping stone and obstacle courses. Parents and carers appreciate that their children are positively helped to be happy, confident and independent.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and staff have high expectations overall for children's development at every stage of their learning. The curriculum is designed to progressively develop children's achievements as they advance through nursery. However, staff do not always deepen and extend children's learning fully. For example, sometimes the use of man-made resources rather than the real-life natural objects they represent limits children's development of sensory experiences and expressive language. n The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. They identify areas in children's learning and development that need attention at an early stage. Leaders make good use of staff's skills and collaborate with other professionals, such as psychological services and speech therapists, to focus on children's development to maximise their progress. n Staff promote and value children's communication skills strongly, and they value

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need to do better?

these as the key to effective learning. Staff help babies to listen to others and to begin to express their desires through physical actions, sounds and early speech. Staff engage children in conversations as they play to model and expand their language skills. They spark children's interest in letters and words through the 'word of the week', songs and games. n Staff positively promote children's engagement with books and songs to support

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need to do better?

11 June 2025 their development in many areas of learning. They offer children a carefully planned selection of fiction and non-fiction to introduce new vocabulary and experiences. Staff read stories regularly in engaging ways that enhance children's concentration and anticipation. They introduce children to memorable words and phrases that support their understanding of the world and communication skills. n Staff nurture children's personal development, independence and social skills from the start of their nursery experience. Staff support children's emotional well-being and encourage their self-awareness and increasing resilience in, for example, completing tasks and tidying away. Children learn about democratic decision-making by voting for stories and other activities they would like to do during the day. n Staff help children to behave well and understand how they can help others. Leaders and staff are positive role models. For example, children learn how to

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need to do better?

wait their turn, talk to each other politely and increasingly help each other to serve the nutritious meals the nursery provides. n Leaders are ambitious for children to leave the nursery happy, confident and eager to learn. They review and evaluate the quality of provision to guide developments, including working with other early years professionals from the management organisation and the local authority. Leaders support staff well to develop their professional skills, and morale is high. n Staff work closely with parents to support children's learning. Parents recommend the nursery. They warmly appreciate the regular information on children's activities through conversations, daily diaries and opportunities, such as workshops, to support their children's learning at home.

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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 staff to more consistently deepen and extend children's learning, including through real-life and natural experiences, and evaluate the impact on their progress.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY551208 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 10398923 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 100 Number of children on roll 126 Name of registered person Early Years Care & Education Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 0114 2477677 Date of previous inspection 14 November 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Oak Valley Day Nursery re-registered in 2017 and is located in Sheffield. The nursery employs 19 members of childcare staff. Of whom, 12 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7am until 7pm. The nursery provides government funded childcare.

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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 manager and the inspector completed a joint observation of children's learning experiences and evaluated the activities. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke to children about their experiences as they played. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and also took account of their views from written feedback. n The manager provided the inspector with relevant documentation, including evidence of the suitability of staff.

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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

11 June 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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