Grimsthorpe Castle Day Nursery

Grimsthorpe Castle Day Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2751763 Address: Grimsthorpe & Drummond Castle Trust Ltd, Estate Office, Grimsthorpe, Bourne, PE10 0LY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 13/10/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: SDN (Sleaford) 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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Achievement Strong standard

Children make secure progress from their starting points across the 7 areas of learning, particularly in communication and language. They use and recall vocabulary in context and engage in conversations with increasing confidence, showing developing speaking and listening skills that support their ongoing learning.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, access learning through appropriate adaptations and targeted support. They engage in a range of experiences, including sensory and enrichment activities, which help them to build skills and maintain progress over time.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop positive attitudes to learning and show increasing independence. They explore their environment with confidence, make choices in their play and sustain their attention for longer periods. These experiences help them to build the skills needed for the next stage of learning. Children follow routines and take part in increasingly structured activities. While there are occasional disruptions to children's learning, for example when routines and activities change, this does not affect the progress they make. Children quickly re-engage alongside their peers and show enthusiasm for learning. They sustain concentration, persevere with challenges and use what they know with confidence. These secure learning behaviours mean children continue to develop the knowledge and skills they need, even where some aspects of teaching are still developing. As a result, children achieve extremely well and are well prepared for future learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and staff create a highly inclusive culture and identify children's individual needs swiftly and precisely, including through effective home visits and responsive engagement with families and external professionals. Leaders act decisively when concerns arise, working closely with parents and relevant agencies to secure appropriate referrals and put timely, well-targeted support in place. This ensures that children receive early, effective help and reflects a strong commitment to meeting need at the earliest opportunity. Staff consistently go above and beyond to ensure that all children receive high-quality care and support.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders remove barriers to learning through carefully considered adaptations and targeted interventions. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities access all aspects of provision, with staff adapting practice, so they can take part alongside their peers. Staff support children with communication and language needs through consistent modelling, purposeful interactions and well-planned strategies. Leaders use additional funding purposefully to enhance experiences, increase engagement and help close gaps in learning for disadvantaged children.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders monitor children's progress closely and regularly review the impact of support, adjusting strategies where needed to ensure that they remain effective. Staff receive relevant training and apply this well in practice to meet children's needs. Leaders build

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Expected standard

strong partnerships with families and external agencies, ensuring children known to social care receive sensitive and effective support.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders and those responsible for governance demonstrate a clear commitment to meeting the requirements of the early years foundation stage and improving outcomes for all children. Since taking over the setting, they have taken prompt and decisive action to strengthen the environment, significantly improving safety and accessibility, so children can move confidently and develop independence. Leaders understand where practice still needs to develop and have clear, well-considered plans in place to secure further improvement. They have already begun work to deepen children's understanding of keeping safe, improve consistency in transition routines and promote children's autonomy in personal care. These developments are in the early stages of implementation, and leaders are monitoring their impact closely to ensure that, with more time, they become fully embedded in practice.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders understand their cohort well and use this knowledge to shape an ambitious and inclusive provision. They maintain high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and ensure that staff adapt practice to support engagement and progress. Leaders prioritise staff's development and wellbeing through effective supervision systems that support reflection and identify training needs. Staff access a wide range of professional development opportunities, including communication and language training and a structured apprenticeship programme with mentoring and peer observations. These approaches strengthen practice and improve the quality of education.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders build strong partnerships with parents and external agencies to support children's development and transitions.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff act as positive role models and use warm, respectful language to reinforce expectations for behaviour. Children develop secure relationships with staff and each other, contributing to a culture of care, kindness and respect across the setting. They build strong, trusting relationships and collaborate effectively. They show empathy towards others, for example checking on peers if they fall, demonstrating developing social and emotional skills. Staff support children to interact positively, helping them to understand expectations and engage in group activities.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff establish routines to support children's understanding of expectations. During some transitions, particularly in the toddler room, staff do not organise routines consistently. Children become unsure of expectations, with some continuing to play while others prepare for the next activity. This leads to some children becoming unsettled and less engaged. Leaders monitor attendance closely and identify patterns or concerns. Staff work with families and external agencies to support children's routines, behaviour and engagement. Children develop positive attitudes to learning and engage well in activities, supported by a caring and consistent environment.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing and create a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment where children feel secure and supported. Staff build warm, responsive relationships with children, helping them to feel emotionally safe and confident. Children seek comfort when needed and receive reassurance from familiar adults, supporting their emotional wellbeing. Care practices meet children's individual needs effectively. Staff adapt routines and provide targeted support, so children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children and those facing barriers to wellbeing access care and learning consistently. Children known to social care receive sensitive support that promotes their security and engagement.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff support children to develop an understanding of health and safety through daily routines. They guide children during activities, such as outdoor play, and encourage safe behaviours. Staff promote hygiene routines and encourage children to wash their hands and begin to manage aspects of self-care, supporting independence. They do not always explain clearly why some actions are unsafe or involve children fully in personal care routines. This limits children's understanding of how to keep themselves safe and reduces opportunities to develop independence.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff promote healthy lifestyles through regular outdoor play and physical activity. At times, delays in routines, such as mealtimes, lead to some children becoming unsettled. Staff respond by providing comfort and reassurance, helping children to regulate their emotions.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of curriculum intent and implementation and ensure that it is broad, balanced and well sequenced across all areas of learning. The curriculum meets the requirements of the early years foundation stage and builds children's knowledge and skills over time, supporting readiness for the next stage and promoting wellbeing. Leaders regularly review and refine the curriculum, so it meets children's needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Practitioners use their knowledge of child development to deliver purposeful interactions and planned experiences. They prioritise communication and language, model vocabulary consistently and engage children in meaningful conversations. For example, during Forest School, children use language such as 'longer' and 'shorter', while staff introduce and reinforce vocabulary such as 'flame'. Children recall and use language from familiar stories, strengthening their communication skills. Practitioners observe children closely and use assessment to identify what they know and can do. They adapt teaching to match children's starting points, needs and stages of development. They make appropriate adjustments, so children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children and those facing barriers to learning can access the curriculum and take part fully. The curriculum promotes physical, personal, social and emotional development effectively.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children develop physical skills through climbing, balancing, swinging and riding bikes. In the baby room, children practise early skills, such as standing and pulling themselves up. Children engage in cooperative and imaginative play, supporting their social development. Practitioners follow children's interests, extend learning and build on prior knowledge through a range of engaging experiences.

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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 experience a welcoming, caring environment where they feel safe, valued and supported to thrive. Warm, trusting relationships with staff are evident, with practitioners acting as positive role models, using calm and kind language and responding sensitively to children's needs. Children develop a strong sense of belonging and are confident to approach adults for support, including seeking comfort when needed, demonstrating secure attachments.

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

Children enjoy a wide range of engaging experiences that spark curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, including spending extensive time outdoors. They explore freely through sensory play, outdoor activities, such as water and mud play, and imaginative role play, which is adapted to reflect their interests. Children show increasing independence, for example, in pouring drinks and managing their self-care routines, and are supported to build confidence and resilience. Communication and language are well supported, with children using and understanding new vocabulary in context and recalling language from familiar stories.

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

Children develop positive social skills and strong relationships with their peers. They collaborate during play, show care for one another and demonstrate kindness, for example checking on a friend who has fallen. Routines are well established, helping children to feel secure and to manage their behaviour and emotions effectively.

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

Children are supported to make progress from their starting points, including those with special educational and/or disabilities and those receiving additional funding, through carefully considered adaptations and targeted support. Staff know children well and use this understanding to ensure that experiences are suitably challenging, supporting good progress across the early years foundation stage and preparing children well for their next stage of learning.

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Next steps

Leaders should support staff to help children to gain a deeper understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Leaders should support staff to improve the organisation of transition times so that children do not have to wait for long periods and their learning is not disrupted. Leaders should support staff to involve children more in personal care routines, for example, by encouraging them to try themselves, supporting independence and respect for children's autonomy.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator, parents and carers and children during the inspection.

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Address:

Grimsthorpe & Drummond Castle Trust Ltd Estate Office, Grimsthorpe Bourne PE10 0LY

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: SDN (Sleaford) Limited

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Address:

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

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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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0 to 4

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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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

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 .

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

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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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