Fountain House Farm Day Nursery

Fountain House Farm Day Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 314630 Address: Fountain House Farm, Watton, Driffield, YO25 9HY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 24/02/1997 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Fountain Farm Children's Nursery Limited

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders and staff have established a calm and positive environment where children consistently behave very well. Behaviour expectations are reinforced by staff through routines, positive role modelling and clear explanations. For example, staff remind children of expectations at group times and during transitions, supporting them to regulate their behaviour independently. Relationships between staff and children are warm, respectful and built on trust. Children confidently seek reassurance and guidance and respond well to adult support. Leaders consistently promote good attendance and punctuality through regular, supportive communication with families.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff consistently support children to be kind, share and take turns with others. They guide children to resolve minor disagreements calmly and fairly, helping them to understand others' feelings. For example, staff encourage children to use words to express emotions. Praise and encouragement are used consistently to reinforce positive behaviour and help children manage their emotions. Staff consider children's age, stage of development and individual circumstances when applying expectations. This helps children develop self- control, resilience and positive social skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Behaviour policies are consistently understood and applied by all staff. This consistency promotes a strong culture of kindness, care and respect. As a result, children demonstrate confidence, cooperation and positive attitudes towards learning and others. Reasonable adjustments, such as the use of visual aids, ensure that all children are supported to succeed.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make good progress across all areas of learning, particularly in communication and language. They listen attentively during stories and group times, respond to questions and confidently share their ideas. Children develop a growing vocabulary through songs, stories and everyday conversations, supporting clear communication. They follow instructions, take turns in conversation and sustain attention for increasing periods. Children also develop early literacy skills as they enjoy books and recall familiar stories.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children build important skills that support future transitions and readiness for school. They develop independence through daily routines, such as managing personal care, tidying resources and serving food. Mathematical understanding is promoted as children count, recognise shapes and use mathematical language in play. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from adapted teaching and targeted strategies. As a result, children make the best possible progress from their starting points and participate confidently alongside their peers.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders and staff promote children's welfare and wellbeing effectively through warm, responsive care and well-established routines. Staff know all children well and tailor care practices to meet their individual needs. Children feel safe, settled and supported to thrive.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Secure relationships are evident between children and their key persons. Children confidently seek reassurance when needed and then return happily to play. When children need additional emotional support, key persons move with them as they transition between rooms. This provides continuity, reassurance and emotional security. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language benefit from tailored emotional and communication support, including consistent routines and targeted reassurance, which helps them feel secure and fully included. Staff support children to recognise, express and manage their emotions. As a result, children develop empathy and a secure sense of emotional wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are supported well to develop healthy lifestyles. Older children enjoy preparing snacks and peeling and chopping vegetables with close supervision. Staff help children understand risk and use tools safely. They extend learning through discussions about where vegetables grow and the countries they come from. Children confidently explain how vegetables help them grow strong. The nursery cook prepares nutritious, well-balanced home-cooked meals each day, packed with vegetables, and leaders carefully manage allergies and intolerances.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Daily routines support children's individual needs effectively. Sleep routines are well embedded, with children carefully monitored while sleeping outdoors in the fresh air. Children benefit from daily outdoor experiences in all weathers, including farm walks, woodland visits and soft-play and park activities, further supporting their health and wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, leaders have a secure understanding of the quality of curriculum and teaching. They evaluate practice and take action to secure improvement. For example, leaders have identified the need to strengthen monitoring of feedback to ensure consistently high-quality teaching across all rooms. The curriculum is ambitious and designed to meet children's needs across all areas for their learning. Assessment is used effectively to identify starting points and next steps, ensuring that children make sustained progress. Learning is well sequenced to help children build knowledge and skills over time. For instance, when children use trowels to dig in the mud and uncover a tree root, staff build on prior learning. They talk about roots, their purpose and how trees grow. However, staff do not yet plan the curriculum for babies precisely enough to ensure that they consistently receive the same high-quality support as older children.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff prioritise children's communication and language development. They introduce new vocabulary through daily routines and purposeful interactions, including songs and stories. Children communicate confidently and use an increasing range of language. Mathematical learning is a strength of the nursery. Staff embed mathematics across daily experiences. During group times, children explore shapes, numbers and colours, and confidently recognise 2D and 3D shapes.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children develop physical confidence, independence and emotional resilience. They wash their hands independently, serve food and persevere with challenging tasks, such as peeling carrots. Staff adapt teaching well to meet individual needs, including providing free-flow access for children who struggle to engage, helping them to feel valued and secure. This includes adapting routines, interactions and the learning environment to reduce barriers for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who require additional emotional or sensory support.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children's individual needs are identified through ongoing assessment and well-established partnerships with parents and external professionals. Staff have a secure understanding of how to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They use assessment information effectively to create personalised plans that support children's development. Teaching approaches, activities and the environment are adapted so children with SEND can participate fully. For example, one-to-one support is provided where appropriate, and targeted interventions are planned carefully for children who require additional help. This inclusive and responsive approach enables children with SEND to make steady and sustained progress from their starting points.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders regularly reflect on children's progress and review the impact of interventions to ensure that support remains effective. Staff are supported to implement a graduated approach that has strengthened their confidence and consistency in identifying needs early, planning targeted support and reviewing progress effectively. Staff work closely with a range of external professionals, including speech and language therapists and the local authority SEND team, to secure timely advice and guidance. Leaders explain how additional funding will be used strategically to enhance staffing, resources and the learning environment. This ensures that support is focused, consistent and well matched to children's needs. However, support for younger children who speak English as an additional language is not yet fully effective. For example, staff do not consistently provide opportunities for children to explore

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Inclusion Expected standard

their home languages, traditions or cultural experiences. As a result, children are not always supported well enough to develop a strong sense of belonging or to understand what makes them unique within the setting.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are reflective and have a clear understanding of the nursery's strengths and areas for development. They use this knowledge well to secure ongoing improvement. For example, leaders identified the need to enhance babies' outdoor learning experiences in colder months. In response, they have invested in all-weather suits. This ensures that all children benefit from regular fresh air, exploration and physical development opportunities.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff are well supported in their roles. They receive regular supervision and attend staff meetings to discuss important topics, such as key children and safeguarding. All staff complete ongoing training to keep their skills and knowledge up to date. Staff share how recent training has strengthened the curriculum, particularly in supporting children's physical development. Leaders prioritise staff's wellbeing, using regular check-ins and thoughtful initiatives to support morale. Staff report high levels of job satisfaction and describe the team as supportive.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and staff work closely with parents and a range of external professionals. Leaders welcome advice from specialists, such as speech and language therapists, when making decisions in the best interests of all children. They also work in close partnership with their local authority. This collaborative approach ensures that support is well targeted and responsive to children's needs. Parents are fully involved in their children's learning and are offered practical ideas to continue learning at home. Parents speak highly of the nursery and the support staff provide.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children are cared for in this safe and secure nursery, where their emotional and physical wellbeing is promoted effectively. The nursery's location on a working farm enriches children's experiences and strengthens their understanding of nature, animals and the wider world. Staff know children well and respond sensitively to their individual needs through consistent routines, close supervision and nurturing interactions. Leaders actively promote the importance of regular attendance and punctuality with families, helping children benefit from continuity in care and learning and supporting progress over time.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children form warm and positive relationships with staff and their peers and feel included in all aspects of nursery life. The welcoming and calm atmosphere helps children develop a secure sense of belonging and growing confidence. Staff model respectful behaviour and consistently support children to share, take turns and show kindness to others. Families are welcomed as partners in their children's learning, and their views are valued through effective two-way communication. For example, staff provide daily updates, regular newsletters and termly parents' evenings to keep families informed and involved.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children show interest and enjoyment in their learning throughout the day. Leaders and staff plan a broad and balanced curriculum that builds on children's interests and prior experiences. The farm environment is used well to enrich learning through meaningful, real- life experiences. For instance, children enjoy mucking out and caring for ponies and other animals, developing responsibility and confidence. Staff use purposeful interactions and appropriate new ideas to extend children's thinking, language and early problem-solving skills. For example, children explore the nursery's woodland area, digging and searching for worms, which supports curiosity and scientific understanding.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children make positive progress from their starting points, including those who face barriers to learning. Leaders track children's development carefully and identify next steps accurately. Targeted support is provided for disadvantaged children and those with special

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Inspector:

Jennifer Cowton educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently, children develop independence, confidence and age-appropriate knowledge and skills, preparing them well for their next stages of learning.

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Next steps

Leaders should strengthen strategies to help children who speak English as an additional language develop a sense of belonging and understand their individuality within the setting. Leaders should further develop the curriculum for babies to consistently engage them in purposeful and meaningful play and learning.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, parents and the special educational needs coordinator during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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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Address:

Fountain House Farm Watton Driffield YO25 9HY

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Fountain Farm Children's Nursery Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

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Address:

Local authority: East Riding of Yorkshire

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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