St Mary's Church Nursery

St Mary's Church Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 203985 Address: St Mary's Church, Church Street, DUNMOW, Essex, CM6 2AD Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 11/11/1999 Registers: EYR Registered person: St Mary's Church Nursery Great Dunmow Committee

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

All children, including those who face barriers to their learning, achieve highly and make excellent progress across all areas of development. Children demonstrate strong communication and language skills. For example, they eagerly engage in rhyme-time sessions, confidently selecting songs and joining in with actions. They act out familiar songs, such as marching like soldiers and performing 'I'm a Little Teapot', showing growing vocabulary, coordination and self-assurance.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

Children are very well prepared for their transition to school. They begin to understand school routines through their play, confidently acting out familiar experiences within the role- play area. Children demonstrate increasing familiarity with their new school environments as they look through booklets with pictures of their local schools, enjoy stories read by teachers and visit their new school. Children are sensitively supported to manage their emotions about moving on through stories and open discussion with staff. Feedback from receiving schools highlight that children are extremely well prepared academically and emotionally for the next stage of their education.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff have extremely high expectations for children's behaviour. They act as positive role models, consistently promote positive manners and provide praise in abundance, helping children to understand what is expected of them. Children learn to be kind towards their friends. This supports children to develop positive relationships and play harmoniously together. Children behave exceptionally well.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children feel safe and secure with familiar routines throughout the day. Staff use effective visual cues to help children understand transitions. For example, staff wiggle their fingers to indicate transitions in the day. Children instinctively stop what they are doing and listen to staff to tidy up. They show excellent listening skills and positive attitudes towards their learning. Special helper roles, such as 'snack helpers', are allocated to children. They proudly help staff to prepare snack for their peers, providing them with a sense of independence, responsibility and belonging in the setting.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders understand the importance of attendance and the impact this has on children's development, particularly for disadvantaged children. They work closely with families to promote this and follow clear policies to ensure that every child makes the most out of their attendance at the setting.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders and staff deliver a highly inclusive and ambitious curriculum for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. They accurately assess what children know and plan precise next steps to secure sustained progress across all areas of learning. Staff create a rich, enabling environment that promotes choice and independence. In the creative art area, children design their own Valentine-themed pictures, use heart stickers and practise early writing, with some confidently writing their names. Staff extend learning effectively by teaching colour mixing, encouraging children to combine black and white to make grey.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teaching is highly effective. Staff prioritise literacy and adapt activities to reflect children's interests. In the storytelling area, children retell 'The Three Little Pigs' story using masks, character spoons and model houses. They recall key phrases, such as 'I'll huff and I'll puff', and learn to take turns, strengthening social skills. Staff skilfully adapt teaching when children bring resources to the area, such as a measuring tape. Staff instinctively build on this interest by supporting children to measure the houses, supporting children's interests and deepen learning.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff prioritise physical development through energetic movement sessions and teach children how exercise affects their bodies. Mathematics is deeply embedded throughout. Children order numbered shapes by size, explore weight using scales and measure ingredients in sensory activities, such as making pancakes.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders demonstrate a clear understanding of their responsibilities to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language (EAL), are fully included and well supported. They swiftly identify gaps in learning and implement robust monitoring systems to adapt and refine the curriculum to meet children's individual needs.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders work closely with external professionals, including SEND inclusion partners and speech and language therapists, to secure targeted support. Professionals visit the setting to observe children, and leaders compile detailed reports to inform next steps. They implement shared strategies to provide a consistent approach to care and learning. Leaders work highly effectively with families, helping them understand their child's needs and signposting them to relevant services. For example, they direct parents to autism courses to strengthen support at home.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders hold high expectations for every child. They adapt routines to promote engagement, such as offering shorter sessions to help children settle and succeed. Staff support children with EAL by using key words in their home language and visual cues to reinforce understanding. They prioritise language development through consistent, purposeful interactions. Leaders deploy additional staff to provide extra support and translate summary reports to ensure that all families remain fully involved. As a result, children make significant and sustained progress from their starting points.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders implement an effective key-person system based on children's natural attachments, helping them to form secure relationships and support their wellbeing. Staff provide thorough settling-in sessions and detailed welcome packs to ensure that families feel informed and supported from the outset. They make appropriate adjustments for children who face barriers to learning, including offering additional settling-in sessions where needed. Staff work closely with parents and professionals to understand and meet individual needs, carefully managing medical conditions and allergies, including epilepsy, to keep children safe.

p.4

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff fully promote children to make healthy choices. Regular visits to outdoor spaces and physical play opportunities help children to stay active. Children develop a secure understanding of healthy eating. Staff use snack time as opportunity to talk to children about healthy foods and how these impact on their bodies. Leaders promote healthy eating with families, encouraging ideas to put in children's lunchboxes. Children show good levels of independence with their self-care, confidently washing their hands and using tongs to self- serve their own fruit.

p.4

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff teach children how to keep themselves healthy and safe, with displays on oral health and regular discussions about stranger danger and road safety, while on trips out in the community.

p.4

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

While staff deployment is effective for most routines throughout the day, on occasions at the end of mealtimes, staff are not always deployed effectively to ensure that children are consistently supported, which results in them becoming distracted.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear and ambitious drive to provide the very best care for all children, including those that face barriers to their learning. They adopt a reflective approach to continually evaluate the effectiveness of the care and experiences children receive, for example developing plans to further enhance the outside area with an improved mud kitchen to increase opportunities for children to build their physical skills and imaginative play.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders follow safer recruitment procedures to ensure that suitable staff are employed. New staff are fully inducted and allocated a mentor to support them with their roles and wellbeing. Staff are well supported through regular monitoring and receive routine supervision and appraisal sessions where focused targets are identified to help them build on their professional development. Leaders ensure that all mandatory training is kept up to date and work closely with the local authority to enhance the environment to promote positive engagement for children. Occasionally, training is not always targeted sharply enough on supporting children's individual learning needs.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders establish strong partnerships with parents, actively involving them in children's learning. Initiatives, such as the 'Paddington Bear' project, encourage parents to share photos of the bear's adventures, which children discuss during carpet time. Staff share children's next steps and offer regular consultations to discuss progress. Annual parent surveys inform improvements. Families are invited to events, including Easter celebrations, sports days and leavers' graduations, and newsletters keep them well informed about activities and developments.

p.4

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

Children settle extremely well in this warm and nurturing setting. They transition well into the setting eagerly saying 'goodbye' to their parents and carers and become quickly engaged in a rich range of learning opportunities provided. This aids towards their high levels of achievement from their various starting points and prepares all children for the next stage in their education. Leaders expertly focus on children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who face barriers to their learning, skilfully adapting the environment and teaching to suit their unique needs.

p.5

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

Children are highly independent, confidently changing their shoes and taking their coats off when they arrive. Staff provide gentle support to younger children, helping them to learn these skills effectively. Children show perseverance to develop these skills to the best of their abilities. Staff provide an abundance of praise, helping children to build in confidence and develop positive self-esteem. Children thoroughly enjoy a rich curriculum, which is heavily embedded into the community. Regular trips to the library, Easter egg hunts in the town and strong links with the local church enable children to have meaningful learning experiences. Leaders organise people in the community to visit children, such as Morris dancers and local police officers, to give children a rich understanding of what is in their local community.

p.5

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

Families and children have a strong sense of belonging to the setting. Parents value the strong bonds that staff build with children, helping them to settle, and their contributions and feedback are valued by leaders. Children feel included as they find their name on arrival. This supports early letter recognition and helps them to identify which peers are present, encouraging the development of positive relationships. Leaders actively encourage parents to prioritise their children's attendance, resulting in consistently high levels of attendance.

p.5

Address:

St Mary's Church Church Street DUNMOW Essex CM6 2AD

p.6

Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.6

Address:

Registered person: St Mary's Church Nursery Great Dunmow Committee

p.6

Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:30 - 14:45

p.6

Next steps

Leaders should review and adjust routines for mealtimes to ensure that staff are effectively deployed effectively, enabling children to receive consistent support and remain focused throughout these times. Leaders to strengthen ongoing training for staff to align more closely with the individual needs of children.

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children 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