Spring Gate Nursery School

Inspection of Spring Gate Nursery School Brampton Abbotts C of E Primary School, Brampton Road, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire HR9 7DE

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision requires improvement

Staff are friendly as they welcome children to the setting. They chat to parents and find out pertinent information that may affect the child's day. Children who are new to the setting are provided with support to help them settle quickly. Children and staff forge relationships, and children happily chat to staff and involve them in their play.

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The provision requires improvement

The quality of learning that children receive is variable. Staff do not always provide a wide enough range of activities to support all children's learning fully. In addition, the environment is not organised well enough to enable children to make choices or become immersed in their play. Consequently, children do not consistently make the progress they are capable of. That said, children are happy. Most children enjoy the activities available to them and are keen to show staff and visitors what they are doing.

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The provision requires improvement

Children's behaviour is managed well. Some staff have attended specialised training to help support children who struggle to manage their emotions. They use personalised strategies and implement them effectively, ensuring behaviour is managed in a clear and consistent way.

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need to do better?

n Leaders recognise that there are some weaknesses in the quality of the provision. They are working hard to build the staff team and to make the necessary improvements to raise the overall quality. Staff well-being is given high priority. Leaders make adjustments for staff who may need additional support. Staff benefit from regular supervision meetings. Leaders have introduced team-building days that enable the new team to forge positive relationships with each other. n The curriculum is not yet embedded into practice to ensure that all children make the very best progress. Some staff are unaware of the purpose of activities and what children can learn from them. In addition, staff do not plan a variety of age-appropriate experiences for children that incorporate their individual next steps for learning. Consequently, there are times when some children are not as involved as they could be. n Children enjoy the messy play, exploring different textures such as gloop mixed

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need to do better?

with chai seeds, quinoa and oat flour prepared for them by the staff. However, the activity is cleared away while children are still playing with it. This leads to some children losing interest and wandering around with nothing to do. n The environment is not always organised well enough. Younger children and babies are in the same room as the older children. This results in babies being confined to one space and unable to explore their surroundings. Furthermore,

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need to do better?

16 July 2025 when children are outside, babies are carried around by staff as there is little for them to play with. This does not support their ongoing learning and development experiences. n Older children have fun outdoors. They eagerly hunt for bugs using magnifying glasses and are excited when they find a spider and wood louse. Other children develop their imagination in the mud area. They pretend to cook as they scoop stones into a frying pan, stir them and pretend they are noodles. They happily chat to each other as they play and begin to share and take turns as they wait for the equipment they want to play with. Staff engage children in conversation and narrate their play. They encourage children to recall the ingredients they need to make a pancake. This helps to support children's emerging language and vocabulary. n The premises are safe and secure, and staff are vigilant in ensuring children's

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need to do better?

safety. They implement safer sleeping procedures, and check all foods thoroughly to ensure they are safe for children with allergies. Routines such as nappy changing are carried out in a respectful manner, which maintains children's dignity and privacy at all times. However, some general routines are disorganised. Children wander around during snack times while others are still eating. In addition, they wait for long periods before going outside while staff apply sun cream. This leads to the environment becoming chaotic and impacts valuable learning time. n There is good support in place for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Some staff have attended specialised training, and leaders work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that children receive the support and early intervention that they need. However, weaknesses in the overall quality of the curriculum also impact children with SEND.

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need to do better?

n Parents are happy with the support and care their children receive. They say that children enjoy coming, and staff share information at the end of the day about what children have been doing. However, staff do not consistently share children's next steps with parents to help them fully support children's ongoing 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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Due date

16 July 2025 provide children with a range of stimulating activities that support their individual learning needs and age and stage of development 05/09/2025

p.3

Due date

improve staff's knowledge of the purpose of activities and how next steps are incorporated into these and monitor the impact that this has on children's learning. 05/09/2025

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should:

n organise the environment and daily routines more effectively to meet the individual needs of all children n provide parents with information about their children's next steps for learning and how they can support these at home.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY414286 Local authority Herefordshire Inspection number 10411253 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 40 Number of children on roll 29 Name of registered person Jones, Kerry-Ann

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reference number

Telephone number 01989 762 862 Date of previous inspection 13 July 2023

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Information about this early years setting

Spring Gate Nursery School registered in 2010. The nursery is based in a designated area within Brampton Abbotts C of E Primary School in the Brampton Abbotts area of Ross-on-Wye. The nursery employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above, including one who holds level 5. The nursery opens all year round, Monday to Friday, from 7.45am until 4.30pm. The nursery provides funded early education for all eligible children.

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Inspection activities

n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the setting and discussed 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 The inspector observed the interactions between staff and the children. n The inspector spoke with the registered individual about the leadership and management of the setting. n The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n Staff spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting.

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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 July 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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