Abbey School Nursery

Abbey School Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): EY234164 Address: Abbey School, Hampton Court, Fore Street, St. Marychurch, Torquay, Devon, TQ1 4PR Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 17/03/2004 Registers: EYR Registered person: Schools In 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

The nursery provides a happy environment where warm, respectful relationships help children feel secure. Leaders and staff are consistently effective role models and establish warm relationships with all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They establish routines from the start so that babies and children soon learn to feel confident and assured. Staff work closely with parents to reflect home routines, such as sleep times, to help babies and young children transition confidently into the life of the setting.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and actively promote sharing and turn- taking throughout the day. They model positive behaviour and clearly reinforce expectations through consistent routines and clear boundaries. This considered approach means children feel secure, and it helps them to learn self-regulation and conflict resolution in a supportive and age-appropriate way. For example, children in pre-school independently use a sand timer to organise turn-taking. When children do become distressed, staff respond swiftly and sensitively, using their strong knowledge of individual needs to help them re-engage in learning. This means that all children, including those who face barriers to their learning, develop positive attitudes, engage enthusiastically in learning and grow into confident, increasingly independent learners.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers to promote regular, punctual attendance. They take time to understand each family's context and put tailored plans in place to remove barriers. Their proactive approach ensures that children benefit fully from the curriculum and daily routines.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are prioritised at this setting. Leaders and staff demonstrate a strong commitment to ensuring that children and their families feel supported, valued and welcomed. Staff are highly attuned to their children and show professional curiosity when they observe changes in their behaviour. They hold timely discussions with parents and carers, gaining valuable insight into children's lives at home so that consistent strategies can be agreed and implemented. This responsive approach ensures that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive support that meets their individual needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff actively embrace children becoming independent from an early age. They work closely with parents and carers, recognising each small step children take as they learn new skills. For example, staff encourage and celebrate babies' efforts when they begin to walk unaided. They give them time to practise and consolidate what they have learned to improve their new skills. Outside, children enjoy plenty of space to explore and develop imaginative play alongside a designated area with equipment for climbing and balancing. Preschool children enjoy a range of physical activities, including swimming lessons, and children develop physical confidence they need to fully embrace a range of learning opportunities in the future. Leaders understand current nutritional guidance and recognise how a healthy diet

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Expected standard

strengthens children's learning and wellbeing. They work closely with parents to identify practical changes that improve the quality of children's diets. This has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on the food children choose and enjoy eating at lunchtime and builds healthy habits for the future.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders create a fully inclusive culture where equity of opportunity underpins practice across the setting. Children's individual needs are identified swiftly through effective assessment, careful observation and strong partnership working with families and professionals.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders ensure that emerging concerns are acted upon promptly so that children access timely and targeted support. As a result, staff implement carefully designed interventions without delay, ensuring that every child receives the highest standard of care and the bespoke support they need to achieve and thrive. Staff skilfully implement a wide range of communication and interaction strategies tailored to each child's needs, weaving these seamlessly into daily routines. These responsive strategies help all children, but particularly those who face barriers to their learning. This means children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make progress that prepares them well for later learning as they build their skills in gradual, precise and measurable steps.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders sharply focus on ensuring that staff have the training and mentoring to provide targeted and systematic provision for children with SEND and other vulnerable learners. For example, all staff have recently benefited from training to support communication and language development and are currently learning sign language to further strengthen this.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Senior staff rigorously pursue all avenues to help children and their families acquire the support they need. Early years pupil premium funding is used strategically to address identified barriers and enhance children's experiences. Leaders also work proactively with schools and other settings to design well-informed, individualised transition plans. They share key information promptly and collaborate closely with receiving teachers, ensuring that every child moves confidently and smoothly into their next stage of education.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make steady progress from their starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children gain important skills in areas such as their personal, social and emotional development and their communication and language. They learn to take turns and develop early negotiation skills that are vital for collaborative learning. Children build confidence in their play and can use appropriate vocabulary that allows them to socially interact with each other and make friends.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children enjoy books and show interest in stories that are read to them. They use these familiar stories in their play, supported by well-planned resources. For example, children scoop oats into different-sized bowls and then plan where they can hide them so that Goldilocks does not eat them all. At times, children's learning does not consistently develop deeply or broadly. Recent curriculum improvements introduced by leaders have not had time to embed into staff's practice, which means the full impact of these initiatives is not yet evident.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children build on their physical development in a variety of ways. They develop gross motor strength outdoors, balancing, running and climbing. Younger children refine their fine motor skills while manipulating dough, and older children learn to write their names. Children's confidence and willingness to try new tasks is boosted by the praise and encouragement they receive at appropriate times. This means children are suitably prepared for their next stage of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the curriculum's quality and have improved planning and assessment systems since the last inspection. These changes, although not yet fully embedded, have had a positive impact on children's learning. Staff report that the new planning system is flexible enough for them to adapt the themes to take account of children's current interests and fascinations. The curriculum is well sequenced, and leaders ensure that it is typically taught well. They and staff use termly assessments to check progress and to prevent children from falling behind. The curriculum has a focus on children gaining skills for moving on to their next phase of learning. The recent introduction of 'Maths Champions' is having a positive impact, and staff report feeling more confident teaching mathematical concepts and skills to children.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children's communication and language development is prioritised by leaders. All staff have completed training in this area. This is having a positive impact on the quality of interactions between adults and children. Staff can skilfully adapt their language to meet the needs of different ages and stages. This helps children make good progress in understanding and using vocabulary. Leaders and staff successfully adapt the curriculum for children who face barriers to learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. This ensures that all children can play and learn alongside their peers.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders know their staff, children and families well. They have an excellent understanding of the setting context and recognise the challenges children and families face. Leaders adapt their setting to ensure that they can provide support to parents and carers who need it. They provide parents and carers with support and time. This helps parents and carers feel confident about their children's development and develops their sense of belonging at the nursery.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate assessment of the setting's strengths and areas for development. They recognise they are on a journey when they reflect on their provision and make changes in discussion with staff. For example, improvements made since the last inspection to strengthen staff's planning and sequencing of the curriculum are effective although are not yet fully embedded. Leaders have robust systems in place for staff's wellbeing, and staff comment positively about working in the setting. They actively encourage staff to engage in professional development opportunities that link to their interests and the needs of children. During supervision meetings, leaders guide staff to think about their own strengths and how they might use these to most benefit children in the nursery.

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

Children thrive in this nursery as they experience a warm, nurturing and highly supportive environment from the moment they start. Staff work closely with parents from the outset, gathering detailed information about each child's interests, routines and developmental starting points. This enables staff to plan meaningful learning for children that nurtures their curiosity and builds on what they already know and can do. Staff create a calm, well- organised environment where children are encouraged to explore, make choices and engage in purposeful learning opportunities.

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

Children benefit from well-established yet flexible routines that help them feel confident, eager to learn and secure in their sense of belonging. They learn how to keep themselves safe and are supported to develop an understanding of healthy lifestyle choices. All children, including those who face barriers to their learning, show that they feel safe, valued and emotionally secure. They confidently seek comfort and reassurance from warm, caring staff, who respond sensitively, soothe them and support them to settle. Children and their families feel welcomed into the nursery community. Staff work closely with parents, recognising the barriers families may face and adapting provision to meet the needs of each child. This flexible and supportive approach helps children to thrive and ensures that families feel understood, valued and well supported.

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

Children achieve well at this nursery. They build secure relationships and develop positive attitudes that equip them very well for later learning, including school. Staff are playful, and they engage with children consistently. Toddlers enjoy the 'tap-tap box' routine and giggle at the funny noises an elephant makes; staff share toddlers' enthusiasm and delight. Older children play cooperatively with their peers and respond well to techniques used by staff to encourage turn-taking, such as using timers to indicate when another child can have a turn. Staff are kind and warm in their interactions with other adults and children. Children show respect for others and their environment, with children being taught from a young age how to tidy up.

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Address:

Abbey School, Hampton Court Fore Street, St. Marychurch Torquay Devon TQ1 4PR

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:30

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Next steps

Leaders should build on the arrangements for staff reflecting on their practice so that individual areas of expertise are shared and disseminated through the nursery team in a systematic way, further raising the quality of provision for all children. Leaders should strengthen staff's teaching of mathematics skills to consistently broaden and deepen children's understanding of mathematical concepts.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with children, leaders, staff and parents and carers 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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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. 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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