The Nest in Laughton, part of Ripe Nursery School

School

Unique reference number (URN): 2786582 Address: Laughton Village Hall, Church Lane, Laughton, Lewes, BN8 6AH Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 22/04/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Ripe Nursery School 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

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or those with other barriers to their learning or wellbeing, make rapid progress from their starting points. Children make excellent progress with their communication and language. Children voice their needs, play and interact confidently with staff throughout the day. They enjoy joining in with regular songs and story times that further support their speech and language.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop independence through daily routines, such as learning to clean and wash their hands, using a fork at mealtimes and choosing where they would like to play. They move confidently around the setting, are curious about the world around them and show high levels of engagement. These positive learning behaviours prepare them well for the next stage in their learning and development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders and staff ensure that children experience a calm and predictable environment. Routines and transitions are planned carefully so children know what is happening next, remain settled and engaged in their play. For example, children join in eagerly with singing nursery rhymes and listening to stories before moving on to the next activity. They show focus and independence as they take turns to make bubbles with large bubble wands.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff build warm, trusting relationships with children, creating a sense of belonging, where children feel valued and well cared for. Their baby training gives them a secure understanding of developmental stages, enabling them to tailor their approach so expectations are age-appropriate.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff consistently model positive behaviour, such as interacting kindly, using please and thank you and supporting children to share and take turns. This strengthens children's social skills, and younger children often show these behaviours independently in their play. When children need help with social interactions, staff respond quickly with warmth and understanding, using effective strategies, such as gentle redirection. These inclusive approaches ensure all children, including those who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing, are well supported, feel secure and develop positive attitudes to learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders and staff promote the importance of attendance well with families, ensuring children attend regularly and benefit fully from the learning and routines in the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are a core priority, with leaders ensuring all staff understand how to support them effectively. For example, all staff complete training so they can recognise children's developmental needs and provide age-appropriate care.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff invest time in getting to know children and their families consistently well. They form nurturing, secure bonds with children, who enjoy comforting interactions throughout the day. Staff organise activities, such as home visits, flexible settling sessions and family centred days. Daily check ins at the door, weekly online journal updates and termly meetings help to create excellent partnerships between home and nursery. These approaches support children to settle quickly, feel safe and develop a deep sense of happiness and security in the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The environment is designed to promote belonging and calm. For example, children enjoy looking at photos of themselves displayed around the room or sharing their family books with staff. Soft lighting, natural materials and calming music help create a sense of safety and wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff help children develop healthy habits through activities, such as modelling and supporting handwashing. They share healthy food advice with families and talk about healthy choices with children during snack and mealtimes. As well as regular trips out to local parks, fields and the village shop, children benefit from a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities. This supports their physical development, enriches their experiences and deepens their understanding of the world around them.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have a clear, ambitious view of the curriculum and teaching in the setting. They maintain a visible presence, modelling high-quality practice, observing and supporting staff to teach the curriculum well. New staff complete baby training so they understand how babies develop and learn. With this expertise, staff work closely with parents and carefully observe babies and young children to assess what they know and can do. This ensures that activities and daily routines are carefully planned and sequenced to support children's different stages of learning and development.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

All 7 areas of learning are promoted, with a focus on the prime areas. Staff understand the importance of nurturing, trusting relationships to develop children's emotional security. They create a sense of belonging through photos displayed around the room and family photo books for children to share. Staff build on children's interests and provide sensory experiences that support physical development, collaboration and early communication. Children engage excitedly with activities, such as taking turns in the soft-play ball pit, moulding play dough in the outdoor kitchen or exploring herbs frozen in ice. These experiences develop children's social skills, imagination and understanding of the world.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Interactions are of a consistent high quality. For example, staff join children at their level, narrate play, label objects, introduce new vocabulary and recast words to support clear speech. They use signing to support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to understand and communicate. They weave songs and stories throughout the day, supporting routines, language and a love of books. Mathematical learning is supported in everyday play. For example, while lifting a log in the garden, staff support children to count the woodlice and worms they find.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have created highly effective systems to ensure children's needs are identified quickly. For example, all staff who join the setting complete training on how babies and young children develop, and how best to support them. This means they recognise when children may need additional help to make progress. Alongside settling sessions and careful observations, staff arrange supportive home visits, where they get to know children well and have in-depth discussions with families about routines, interests and individual needs.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Teamwork is prioritised. Staff regularly discuss observations and assessments, using their shared expertise to create tailored strategies that support children's development and wellbeing. They work closely with families to ensure these approaches are understood. For instance, staff use signing to support children's understanding and communication, and leaders ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive one- to-one support when needed.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff work with outside agencies, such as community nurses, speech and language professionals and occupational therapists, to gain further advice and strengthen the support they provide.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff are highly reflective in their approach, reviewing the impact of strategies and adapting them when needed. This ensures all children continue to make excellent progress and are well supported.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders show purpose and commitment to ensuring that all children achieve, thrive and belong. Their reflective and collaborative approach guide their decisions. They work closely with families, staff and external agencies to ensure every child receives the support they need.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The visible presence of leaders and culture of continuous improvement ensures staff feel guided and valued. Leaders support staff to develop the knowledge and expertise required to support all babies and young children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or barriers to their learning and wellbeing. Staff are encouraged to pursue further learning, such as baby sleep development and schemas training, which deepens their understanding of how young children learn.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Governors work incredibly well in partnership with leaders to reduce workload, promote staff wellbeing and strengthen staff expertise. They invest in high-quality resources that enhance children's learning and are committed to continually improving their offer for families and the local community, as well as ensuring that any new decisions place staff wellbeing with high importance.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Community engagement is key to the setting's vision. Strong links with the local school, village shop and wider community help to broaden children's understanding of the world around them. Leaders also contribute to a pre-school networking hub, leading meetings and sharing effective practice with other nurseries.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Partnerships with parents are extremely well established. For instance, they organise home visits, daily conversations, termly meetings and family events that help parents feel supported and a part of the nursery community. Families are very positive about the communication they receive and how well leaders and staff work with them.

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

Children and their families are warmly welcomed into the setting by familiar, friendly staff. From the very start, babies and young children benefit from the setting's thoughtful approach to building supportive relationships with families. For example, home visits, regular communication and special events for parents and carers help families feel valued and included in their child's early experiences. These meaningful partnerships help all children settle quickly and feel secure and confident in the setting. Children build trusting bonds with staff, who know them incredibly well and value their uniqueness. They happily cuddle into staff as they wave goodbye to their parents or carers, showing they feel safe and emotionally secure.

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

Children show independence and confidence as they move around the room, joining staff to explore the range of carefully planned activities. For example, they strengthen their fine motor skills as they mould play dough, excitedly mix paint with their hands and brushes, and make bubble print pictures using bubble wrap.

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

A range of physical play activities, such as regular field walks, climbing, balancing, sand and water play, help children build core strength and gross motor skills. Staff supervise and support all children extremely well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, so that all children are fully included in every experience.

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

Children delight in nurturing, high-quality interactions with staff. For instance, staff consistently model and narrate babies' play, label objects and introduce new vocabulary. This supports children's communication and language development incredibly well, helping them make rapid progress from their starting points and confidently express their needs and interests. Children learn to be kind, take turns and use simple manners as staff model positive language and behaviour. This strengthens their early social skills.

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

Families understand the importance of regular attendance because staff discuss its benefits from the start and offer flexible support so children can make the most of their time in the setting.

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Next steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

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

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Address:

Laughton Village Hall Church Lane, Laughton Lewes BN8 6AH

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Ripe Nursery School Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 16:30

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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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1 to 2

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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