HowGill Centre Nursery

HowGill Centre Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2753823 Address: Howgill Nursery Kells, High Road, Whitehaven, Cumbria, CA28 9PQ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 19/09/2023 Registers: EYR Registered person: Howgill Family Centre

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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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Achievement Expected standard

Children demonstrate enthusiasm and curiosity as they grow more confident in their abilities. Over time, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who may face barriers to their learning or wellbeing, make secure progress in their learning and development from their unique starting points. They make choices in their play and develop independence and decision-making skills, such as pouring their own drinks, peeling fruit and putting on aprons for water play. Children form positive social relationships with their peers and engage in meaningful conversations with adults. They increasingly share resources, take turns, show kindness and develop empathy as they consider others' feelings. Children develop an understanding of healthy lifestyles. For example, they discuss healthy foods at snack time and enjoy daily outdoor play. This supports their physical development and awareness of exercise. Children practise counting, compare sizes and

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Achievement Expected standard

explore capacity, which builds secure mathematical foundations. Children use visual cues, gestures and objects of reference to support their participation, which enables them to engage fully in learning. All children access activities successfully and are developing the skills they need for school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff set clear expectations for children's behaviour, ensuring consistency, patience and sensitivity. They report that improvements to the daily routine, including adjusted session times and uninterrupted lunchtimes for full-day children, have had a positive impact on children's ability to manage transitions, regulate their emotions and develop social skills. All children feel secure and confident, which creates a calm, nurturing environment where they all thrive.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff are positive role models and engage enthusiastically with children during play and learning. They foster secure, trusting relationships with each child, ensuring they feel valued, respected and nurtured. All children display a love for learning. They are curious, motivated and ready to explore further. This is because children's wellbeing and emotional development are prioritised by all staff. Children are encouraged to develop key social and life skills and receive positive praise to reinforce desired behaviours. For example, they help to tidy up, share with friends and wait for their turn. Overall, practitioners successfully consider children's age and stage of development, alongside their individual needs and circumstances, adapting activities so all children can participate and meet the setting's expectations. Staff work closely with parents to promote regular attendance, which ensures consistent learning. Parents value the support they receive and are guided on ways to

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

extend learning at home. There is a genuine commitment to education through strong parent partnerships and effective communication, which supports children in making sustained progress.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The leaders and staff have developed a tailored settling-in process for each child, which helps children settle confidently. Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of each child's individual needs, home life, background and preferences, and they use this knowledge to plan next steps in learning. Children form strong bonds with their key person, seeking cuddles and reassurance when needed. Staff prioritise every child's wellbeing, recognising that children who feel safe, secure and valued are better prepared to engage in learning. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who are disadvantaged or who face barriers to learning, develop secure attachments. They benefit from this nurturing, inclusive environment and display a secure sense of belonging. All children are very happy and thrive.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff teach children words to express emotions, such as happy, sad and angry, with older children explaining why they feel this way. Children develop emotional awareness, manage their feelings and are excited and ready to engage fully in learning and build on what they already know and can do. Staff promote independence through toilet training and dressing skills, for example. They teach good hygiene routines, such as handwashing, which children carry out increasingly independently by rolling up sleeves, using taps and drying their hands. Staff support families in understanding the value of a healthy diet and support oral health. For instance, families have access to free toothbrushes and toothpaste. During rest and mealtimes, staff supervise children closely and remind them to eat safely. Practitioners support children well to develop an understanding of personal safety, while daily outdoor play provides plenty of fresh air, exercise and opportunities to develop their physical skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that supports children's development across all areas of learning. Staff use regular assessment to monitor progress, plan next steps and adapt activities to meet individual needs. They have clear learning intentions and help children build on what they already know. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, make secure progress. However, staff do not always identify quieter children quickly enough during group activities. For example, during water play and story time, staff do not consistently involve them in discussion. This can limit their access to the full curriculum and limit them in making even swifter progress.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Stories and songs are embedded in daily routines. Children sing confidently, practise vocabulary and remember actions to familiar songs. They choose books independently and enjoy sharing stories with staff. During group sessions, they listen attentively, recall events, anticipate what happens next and pronounce new words. Staff link stories to play. For example, children create dough alien models inspired by a story, developing understanding, imaginative thinking and fine motor skills. Mathematical learning is woven through daily activities. Children explore the concept of 'full' and 'empty' during water play, count skittles in group games and use shape language while building with construction resources. Staff purposefully plan and sequence experiences to help children learn about the wider world. They model language, ask questions and encourage discussion, for example during activities such as making pretend pancakes and talking about families, highlighting

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

similarities and differences. Staff prioritise children's physical, personal, social and emotional development through routines, active play and supported interactions.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff and leaders are committed to identifying, assessing and addressing the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged or face barriers to learning or wellbeing. They build positive partnerships with parents through digital learning journeys and session discussions to ensure that home and nursery routines align. Staff use detailed information from assessment to create effective individualised learning plans. All children make secure progress, strengthen key skills and are confident to build on what they already know and do swiftly. Staff share children's progress with parents and carers and make timely referrals to external agencies to ensure that all children achieve and thrive in their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Overall, targeted interventions are purposeful and tailored to each child, starting with strategies and increasing support as required. All children, including those with SEND, are disadvantaged and/or face barriers to their learning, achieve well. Early years pupil premium is used strategically to fund additional resources and small-group activities. The setting has introduced a lending library to help families foster children's love of reading and to support their literacy development and overall learning progression. Leaders collaborate effectively with specialists and external agencies to extend learning opportunities. Staff access a range of professional development to strengthen inclusive practice, which is largely effective but not yet consistent. However, specialist expertise is not sufficiently developed to ensure that staff consistently refine strategies and align teaching precisely, particularly for children

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Inclusion Expected standard

requiring targeted or specialist support.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The nursery benefits from a committed management team that sustains the setting's ethos and drives continuous improvement. Leaders have a clear understanding of the provision's strengths and areas for development, building on high-quality practice. In their endeavour to enrich children's experiences, plans to extend outings and enhance the outdoor environment will support sustained progress. Effective partnerships with parents ensure continuity of care, with clear communication and signposting to family support. The nursery also engages with local schools to ease transitions. All children benefit from a rich, balanced and ambitious curriculum and make sustained progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and staff work effectively with external agencies to secure appropriate and timely support for children who face additional challenges, including those with social care involvement. Overall, ongoing monitoring ensures that targeted support is in place, enabling children to access the inclusive curriculum and make ongoing progress from their starting points. Recruitment procedures are thorough, with appropriate checks, induction and ongoing mentoring to maintain high standards of care and education. Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing, which supports positive morale, effective teamwork and a shared commitment to improvement. Professional development is purposeful and strengthens practice, including training to enhance the mathematics curriculum. Leaders recognise that more precisely targeted training, particularly to support the specific individual needs of children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who require additional

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

interventions, would further enhance staff expertise and support even better outcomes.

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

Children thrive in this inclusive and nurturing setting. They are greeted by warm, caring staff who take a genuine interest in their wellbeing, helping them feel secure and develop a secure sense of belonging. For example, children smile and wave as others enter and quickly engage in the wide range of purposeful activities available. Leaders promote regular attendance, work closely with parents to overcome barriers and provide bespoke settling-in processes tailored to each child's needs. This supports children's overall wellbeing. Parents speak very highly of staff and appreciate the support they receive.

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

Staff know the children very well. They understand each child's unique interests and needs and provide consistently inclusive care. Children demonstrate secure attachments with all staff and their key person. All children feel safe, confident and ready to learn. Children confidently express their needs and seek reassurance when required. They are developing awareness of their feelings and are increasingly able to regulate their emotions. Staff model respectful behaviour and support children to resolve conflicts. For example, children are encouraged to find alternative resources rather than take them from others. They learn to share, take turns and use good manners.

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

Throughout the day, children show high levels of independence, remain highly engaged and sustain concentration. They develop physical coordination as they roll and shape dough into imaginary pancakes, and they deepen mathematical understanding as they count and compare sizes and shapes. Staff support communication and language development effectively. For instance, children learn to 'flip' their pancakes and use new words confidently. Staff model and repeat vocabulary to support accurate pronunciation and use visual cues, gestures and choices for those developing early speech.

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

Staff maintain high expectations for all children. They monitor their progress closely, swiftly identify gaps and implement targeted interventions or professional support when needed. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing make steady progress from their starting points. Leaders review and refine the curriculum to provide meaningful learning experiences for each unique child. Children are confident, motivated learners who show curiosity and a clear desire to extend their learning. They enjoy their play and are developing well.

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Address:

Howgill Nursery Kells High Road Whitehaven Cumbria CA28 9PQ

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Howgill Family Centre

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Next steps

Leaders should provide staff with targeted professional learning to develop specialist knowledge, enabling them to precisely adapt teaching to meet the developmental needs of individual children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or barriers to learning. Leaders should strengthen staff practice even further through monitoring and coaching to ensure that teaching consistently enriches children's learning and development at every opportunity.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, children and parents 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. Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:30 - 03:30

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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

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

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