Nature Garden Pre-School

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About Nature Garden Pre-School


Name Nature Garden Pre-School
Inspections
Ofsted Inspections
Address Belvedere Barn, Bristol Road, Whitminster, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL2 7LU
Phase Childcare on Non-Domestic Premises, Sessional day care
Gender Mixed
Local Authority Gloucestershire
Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children thrive in the outdoor environment, where they engage in a wide range of well-planned activities.

The owner/manager and staff successfully implement a curriculum that makes the most of the natural environment. Children are motivated to learn and make good progress in all areas of learning.Staff relate well to the children in their care.

They know each child's needs, abilities and interests and provide good support to encourage them to gain independence and help to prepare them for the move on to school.Children are familiar with the routines. They arrive happily, store their lunch boxes and head for the log cir...cle, where they sing the welcome song, delighted when they hear their name.

Staff introduce the schedule for the day and the activities set out around the garden area.Dressed in their all-weather clothing, children move between activities of their choosing. For example, they link up with others to construct bamboo chutes to roll different-sized balls down at speed, straddling the chute to create a bridge, giggling and having fun as they challenge one another.

They learn about seasonal changes, monitor the growth of spring plants, look out for birds and go in search of minibeasts. They paint the reflection of a vase of daffodils on a mirror. Encouraged by staff, they look closely at the flower features and select or mix colours to use.

Staff help children to learn to stay safe. Children recall the rhyme 'No picky, no licky' and know that touching things outdoors can cause 'sick tummies'. They follow instructions well and know the importance of washing their hands before meals.

Children are well behaved and receive praise and encouragement from staff, fostering self-esteem.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff encourage children to develop a love of books. Children listen intently to the story of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'.

They readily talk about aspects of the story and the size of each bear, their bowls, spoons and beds. Staff provide props to enable children to re-enact the story. Children spend time in the tepee tent, looking at books on their own, and they relax on cushions to share books with their friends and staff.

Children look forward to 'Granny Pixie's' storytelling.Staff share books with the children that help them to learn about, and to value, diversity. They pretend to sail to different places around the world in the wooden boat and are taught about cultural differences.

Staff instinctively foster children's language development, mathematical awareness and understanding of the world, making the most of opportunities that arise during the course of children's play and planned activities. For example, they introduce mathematical language as children compare sizes and shapes of containers they select to make shakers, and they explore natural objects they find to fit inside. Children learn about capacity as they fill different-sized pots with sand.

The owner has a good overview of the effectiveness of the planned curriculum and seeks support from outside professionals to gain further ideas to improve the provision. She is developing a visual tool to assist staff in tracking children's progress more effectively. She also plans to explore ways to enhance children's understanding of the world, using the tablet computer she has recently purchased, for instance.

Partnership with parents is good. Parents spoken to praise the staff and provision highly. They report that their children are very happy and that the outdoor learning environment suits them.

They state that children are making good progress and report that staff have helped their children to develop their listening skills and positive behaviour. They value how well staff share information about children's progress and ideas for things they can do with children at home. However, on occasion, parents do not receive sufficient information about their children's well-being during the session.

Staff provide creative workshops and celebrations for parents, which are well attended and enjoyed.Through conversation with parents, staff receive some information about children's learning and experiences at other settings. However, staff are not proactive in developing positive partnerships with all settings children attend.

Staff relate well to the children and ensure children receive extra support to enable them to make good progress. They work in partnership with the parents of children who may need greater support in their personal, social and emotional development, and to improve their language skills.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a good understanding of their responsibility to safeguard children's welfare. They regularly complete child protection training and know the appropriate action to take in the event of any safeguarding concerns. They are vigilant in their supervision of the children, enabling them to take risks while learning to keep themselves safe.

The provider maintains high adult-to-child ratios and ensures all staff, volunteers, and maintenance staff are suitably vetted. Staff implement effective security and safety measures to keep children safe, and they model good hygiene practice.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide more detailed information about how children have been while at the pre-school, to build on the good partnership with parents take a more proactive approach in developing strong partnerships with other settings children attend, to ensure that the provision complements the experiences children have elsewhere.


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