Avon Valley Nursery and Preschool

Avon Valley Nursery and Preschool

Unique reference number (URN): 2748227 Address: Avon Valley Country Park, Pixash Lane, Keynsham, BRISTOL, BS31 1TP Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 23/08/2023 Registers: EYR Registered person: Nursery in a Yurt Ltd

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

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

p.1

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.

p.1

Achievement Strong standard

Babies develop confidence and build their stability and core strength as they climb up and over the small climbing apparatus. They babble, smile and use facial expressions as they communicate with staff. Younger children build on their communication skills when using actions, gestures and words during song times. Older children chat confidently with their peers while out on a forage hunt; they work together collaboratively to tick off what they find. Older children learn about fire safety during a forest-school session and confidently relay the boundaries and what they need to do to keep themselves safe. Younger children use language, such as 'big' and 'little', and older children work out how many things they must find on their foraging list. This helps develop their early maths and problem-solving skills.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning receive targeted support and interventions. This means that all children make sustained progress in their learning and development and develop secure foundations for future learning.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff and children demonstrate secure attachments throughout the setting. Staff respond sensitively to children's cues and are attentive to their needs. Older children call out staff's names excitedly as they enter the rooms, and staff respond happily by giving them a cuddle. Key-person relationships provide calm and nurturing support, particularly for babies and younger children. This helps new starters settle quickly.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders and staff ensure children have opportunities to develop their independence from an early age. Older babies begin to wash their hands and sit themselves at the snack table. Younger children relish in the responsibility of serving their own lunch and then washing their plates when they have finished. Older children confidently dress themselves ready for outside. Children develop excellent independence in preparation for school.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff weave in discussions about healthy eating, and children enjoy discussing what they have for snack and lunch. Leaders ensure they provide healthy and nutritious meals for children. Parents comment on the variety of food and how this encourages their children to try new foods. Children learn about the importance of oral hygiene through discussions and activities. This helps children to develop awareness of how to lead a healthy lifestyle.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders ensure children have daily access to the on-site farm. Older children run freely in the vast space after their forest-school session. Staff and children laugh together as they try and find each other. Children enjoy being active and staff understand the importance of this to support children's wellbeing.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff use books and discussions with children to help them begin to recognise and label their emotions. Staff validate babies' emotions when new starters become a little unsettled. Staff quickly offer reassurance and cuddles to settle them as they gently narrate that it is okay to be feeling sad. This helps children from an early age begin to understand how they feel. Staff are responsive and consistent in supporting children's individual routines, including sleep times, weaning and mealtimes. Staff promote respectful care when asking babies and young children to change their nappies. This creates a sense of trust and respect between staff and children.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders and staff demonstrate a clear understanding of the curriculum and teaching. They implement a well-rounded, sequenced and ambitious curriculum that meets all areas of children's learning and development. Staff create experiences for children that captivate their attention. Babies watch in awe during their weekly 'Boogie Mites', joining in with actions and exploring sounds the instruments make. Staff support babies' interest in books as they begin to point and babble at the pictures, developing their understanding of language. Staff use sign language confidently to accelerate their communication and language skills. Younger children practise representing numbers with their fingers, as they excitedly sing '5 Little Firemen', supporting children's mathematical skills from an early age.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff role model to younger children how to hold scissors, and they encourage them to keep trying, helping children to develop resilience and perseverance. Children engage well in group activities, and leaders have recently adapted group sizes, making them smaller to ensure children remain focused on the learning intent. Staff ensure they help children to consolidate their learning. For example, leaders have introduced the 'jar of awesomeness', and staff encourage children to discuss what they have learned or enjoyed and add it to the jar. Leaders use this to aid further planning.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders and staff know what they want children to learn next and prepare them well for their next stage of learning, as they move through the setting. Babies begin to drink from open-lid cups and sit independently at the table for mealtimes. Young children build their independence around their own self-care needs, and staff begin to extend children's focus for longer periods of time in preparation for the pre-school room. Older children begin to form letters from their names and use complex words when having two-way conversations with staff. Staff provide varied opportunities for children based on their individual needs and interests. They use their vast knowledge of child development and high-quality interactions to help extend and widen children's learning. This means all children feel supported to achieve their best.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders implement a clear and embedded graduated approach to inclusion. Staff ensure they meet children's individual needs using robust systems for assessing and monitoring learning. This supports staff to quickly identify any emerging gaps in children's learning and development from an early age. Staff ensure adaptations and reasonable adjustments are tailored to the needs of individual children. For example, they create purposeful sensory spaces, which support self-regulation, as well as visual timelines and choosing boards. Children feel a strong sense of belonging and feel valued.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders work proactively with external professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those that face barriers to their learning. Leaders consistently review focused targets and outcomes for children and share these with

p.3

Expected standard

parents and staff. These collaborative working partnerships help to maintain continuity when supporting children to reach their individual learning outcomes.

p.4

Expected standard

Leaders diligently apply for additional funding from the local authority and review the use of this to support children. For example, they provide one-to-one support for children to aid with school transitions. Leaders and staff demonstrate motivation and passion about enhancing their knowledge, targeting their training precisely to support children's individual needs. This enables staff to provide high-quality teaching that helps children with SEND and those who face barriers to their learning make notable progress from their starting points.

p.4

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders and those responsible for governance demonstrate consistently high expectations for the standards of care and education for children. The setting is currently waiting for a new manager to start; however, the leadership structure remains robust. Leaders regularly meet and reflect together on how they can further enhance practice across the setting. Although there is a weakness in the organisation of transitions to outside, leaders continuously and strategically prioritise improvements. For example, leaders have recently devised a new programme called the Attraction Growth Pathway. This aims to further support and identify the social, emotional and mental health needs of children who may not require specialist intervention at that time. This further contributes to supporting the wellbeing of children.

p.4

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders support the staff team to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, receive targeted support, enabling them to access appropriate learning opportunities. For example, staff have recently been learning sign language and confidently use this in practice to support children's communication and language skills.

p.4

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff report that they feel valued and morale is high. Leaders are extremely mindful of staff's wellbeing and have ensured staff have access to a wealth of resources to support this. Leaders and staff enjoy 'employee of the month', and parents also participate in voting. Parent partnerships are highly effective, and leaders involve parents consistently throughout their child's learning journey. Parents comment on the strong communication and deeply value the array of events they are invited to, including 'grab and go' breakfasts, forest-school sessions and 'stay and play' days. Staff ensure they support children's learning at home through the use of home learning bags, for example for potty training or biting. This benefits children's learning and development.

p.4

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff share their high expectations of behaviour with children through consistent, age-appropriate and meaningful approaches. Staff ensure they implement the same 'golden rules' throughout the setting. This helps children to understand what is expected of them. Children behave well and staff role model positive interactions, encouraging children to share from the start. For example, staff show babies how to take turns on the climbing frame. Children demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning and enjoy playing with their friends, supporting their personal and social development.

p.4

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders promote the importance of punctuality and attendance effectively with parents. Parents report that staff will contact them if their child is absent to check the reason for absence. Leaders monitor absence regularly, helping them to identify patterns early and offer support to families if needed.

p.5

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children respond well to the routines set by leaders and staff. Children have access to the outdoors daily, and this is embedded through the day-to-day routines. However, some transitions in the routines are not yet fully effective, in particular, going outside. This means that, during these times, children occasionally wait too long and become unsettled.

p.5

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

Children enjoy learning and develop positive relationships in this welcoming setting. Staff greet children warmly and children show they feel settled, as they happily separate from their parent or carer. These positive and caring relationships help to underpin children's sense of security and belonging. This means babies and children confidently explore the fun, stimulating activities with curiosity and independence. Children immerse themselves into learning, where they explore a wide range of activities, including bug hunts and walks, spotting the different animals. Children remain purposefully engaged and motivated, displaying positive attitudes towards their learning.

p.5

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

Leaders and staff are passionate about inclusion and provide robust support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning or wellbeing. Relationships among children, parents and staff reflect a positive and respectful culture. Staff gather key information from parents before children start at the setting. This information helps to provide high-quality care from the start.

p.5

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

Experienced staff know and understand the curriculum, including the intentions for individual children's learning. They know the children and their families well and are passionate about and dedicated to their roles and responsibilities. Staff monitor and reflect on attendance to ensure that all children have full access to broad and balanced experiences across all areas of learning.

p.5

Address:

Avon Valley Country Park Pixash Lane, Keynsham BRISTOL BS31 1TP

p.6

Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.6

Address:

Registered person: Nursery in a Yurt Ltd

p.6

Address:

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

p.6

Address:

Local authority: Bath and North East Somerset Council

p.6

Next steps

Leaders should continue to evaluate the organisation of daily transitions, particularly to outside, to limit the amount of time children are waiting.

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the provider, practitioners, parents, children, the special educational needs coordinator and those with designated safeguarding roles during the inspection.

p.6

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.

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

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

p.7

Exceptional

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

p.7

Strong standard

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

p.7

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.

p.7

Needs attention

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

p.7

Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

p.7

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8