Summerfields Nursery

Summerfields Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2803440 Address: Summerheath Hall, Summerheath Road, Hailsham, BN27 3DR Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 16/09/2024 Registers: EYR Registered person: Packer, Samantha

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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

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, develop a range of skills and knowledge that helps them become ready for starting school. There is a particularly strong focus on building children's social skills and helping them to become confident communicators. Children demonstrate kindness and respect for others. They take turns during activities and share resources well. For instance, in the mud kitchen, children choose their favourite containers to fill and create their own recipes. They talk to each other about what they are doing and what they are making. Children play together happily. This contributes fully towards the happy and homely atmosphere that is evident in the nursery.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop good concentration skills. They show sustained interest in their favourite activities. They are curious to find out more and explore other ways of doing things. For instance, when children roll cars down drainpipe tubes, they recognise that changing the angle of the slope makes the cars go faster or slower. Children show fascination for this, and demonstrate a real interest in learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children build warm relationships with their friends. Staff model expected behaviour levels, and children are encouraged to be kind, respectful and caring towards others. Children talk about their friends happily and older children resolve minor differences easily.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children develop good levels of independence. They confidently find their name when they arrive, and understand they must self-register for snack time. They choose their own activities and are confident in asking for help from staff, if needed. Children wash their hands after toileting and understand why this is important. Children manage these simple tasks competently. Although they show increasing levels of independence, staff do not always use opportunities in the daily routine to help children practise these. For instance, at snack time, staff do things for children that they are capable of managing themselves. For example, this includes pouring drinks and preparing foods to eat.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Attendance is rigorously monitored. Leaders promote punctuality and regular attendance to help families establish good habits that support children's learning. Leaders know when parents may need some extra support, and offer useful advice to help.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff build trusting relationships with parents and carers. Any concerns about a child's welfare are quickly identified and addressed. Staff work sensitively with parents to refer them to relevant family support services, if needed. This means that any family facing crisis or disadvantage receives help promptly.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff know their key children well. They gather detailed information from parents and carers to learn about children's individual needs. This approach helps children to feel safe and emotionally secure. It also enables staff to reduce barriers to children's learning, such as by understanding any emotional challenges that children may be facing at home.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

There are opportunities for children to learn how to manage their emotions. Staff talk to children about how they are feeling, and how this impacts on their behaviour. Children learn from a young age how to explain their emotions so that staff can help them. These strategies quickly help children to regulate their feelings and help to modify their behaviour.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children learn about the importance of staying healthy. They benefit from regular physical activity in the garden, where they can climb, balance and move in a variety of ways. Although they are introduced to healthy eating initiatives, the lunch provision and some of the drinks children have do not reinforce these messages.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have created a curriculum that enables children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who face other barriers to their learning, to develop their interests and curiosity. Much time is spent outside, as leaders know that this is how many children prefer to learn.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff quickly identify any gaps in children's development and adapt their teaching to address these. For instance, they know that some children need extra help with their language skills. Many activities are carefully planned to introduce children to new words. Small-group activities enable children to hear new words clearly and use them in their conversations.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders prioritise children's mathematical skills. Staff encourage children to count and work out simple problems as part of their play. For instance, when playing with water, staff encourage children to consider whether items will float or sink. Children delight in predicting what will happen each time, reflecting their positive dispositions to learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Most aspects of the nursery routine are used well to support learning. However, the current arrangements for snack time mean that children are unable to be independent and practise skills they can manage easily. For instance, staff pour their drinks and prepare food for them. Leaders recognise this is an area that they can develop further.

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Inclusion Expected standard

When needed, leaders engage effectively with families, the local authority and external agencies, to monitor individual children. This means that personalised plans are put in place for individual children who need them. Staff are trained in using different strategies to communicate with children who are not yet able to communicate fluently by speaking. Pictures help children understand what is happening next, so that children who struggle with changes in the routine are prepared well.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders adapt the curriculum to make sure it is fully inclusive to every child. All children participate in outings and regular trips in the local area, such as to the supermarket and library. Staffing ratios are adapted to ensure that each child receives the level of support they need to benefit fully. Leaders use funding wisely to enhance staff training, and make sure that staff have the skills they need to support every child. Additional staff are employed so that children who require extra support benefit from plenty of individual attention.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The curriculum is regularly reviewed by leaders to make sure that it reflects the cohort of children attending and the local community. Parents who speak other languages are invited in to the nursery to read stories to the children in their home language. This helps children to learn about the needs and lifestyles of others, and broadens their understanding of the importance of inclusion.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders understand the positive difference they make to children and families who may be more disadvantaged than others. They recognise the issues affecting local families, and work hard to build trusting and supportive relationships with all parents and carers. This helps to create an inclusive community, and one where every child's needs are given high priority.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work with staff to continually review the quality of provision and identify further ways to improve. Recent investment has been made in the garden, which has significantly enhanced the provision for outdoor learning. Leaders accurately recognise where further developments can be made to the delivery of the curriculum, and how children's learning is planned for during routine activities.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders use funding particularly well. Each term, they carefully assess the needs of individual children and use funding to purchase new resources, provide new experiences for children, and offer an increased number of staffing. These measures support the positive levels of progress that children make; particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who face other barriers to their learning. Staff confirm that high priority is given towards ensuring their wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have made significant improvements in building positive relationships with parents and carers. Information is shared easily, and parents are invited to regular social events. Leaders recognise that this partnership can be developed further, particularly in helping parents become involved in children's learning at home.

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

Children benefit from the calm and well-organised routine in this homely nursery. They separate from their parents and carers with confidence when they arrive and are keen to greet the staff and share their news. Children know the routine well. Leaders make sure that the routine is consistent, to help children feel secure and know what is happening next. This helps to build children's emotional resilience, and means that the drop-off routine is a positive start for every child.

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

Staff encourage children to share their thoughts and ideas during small group-activities. Staff listen carefully and respond positively. They respect children's contributions and use the opportunities as valuable learning moments. This helps children develop confidence in speaking in front of others. For instance, younger children choose their favourite song to sing and excitedly join in with the actions. Older children talk to their key person about their move on to school, and share any concerns they may have, which are responded to sensitively.

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

The family atmosphere is evident in the nursery. Leaders and staff work together towards shared goals. Children approach any member of staff for comfort, conversation, play or help to resolve difficulties. Staff respond consistently and sensitively. This creates a calm, nurturing and inclusive environment where all children thrive.

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

Children enjoy playing and learning alongside their friends. They share resources and take turns willingly. Staff model kindness throughout the day, and they support children to manage small disagreements. This helps children to feel included and strengthens their social confidence.

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

Children who need additional help, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who are learning English as an additional language, receive effective support. Staff adapt their approach sensitively, ensuring that all children can participate fully. This contributes to the positive culture of inclusion that is embedded in the setting.

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Next steps

Staff should use their knowledge of what they know children can already do to help children practise skills within the daily routine, such as pouring drinks and preparing snacks. Leaders should make better use of mealtimes to strengthen the healthy eating policy and ensure children benefit from healthy, nourishing food and drink options at nursery. Leaders and staff should consider how parents and carers can become more closely involved in their children's learning and development at home.

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Address:

Summerheath Hall Summerheath Road Hailsham BN27 3DR

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday : 08:30 - 13:00,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:30 - 15:30

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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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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners 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.

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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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