School House Private Day Nursery Limited / Four Seasons Out Of School Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are very happy and settled at this inspiring nursery.

Their emotional well-being is nurtured extremely well as they form strong and affectionate bonds with staff. Children are confident, highly motivated and have a positive attitude to learning. For example, they delight in exploring cinnamon-scented, homemade play dough and notice shadows made with torches in the elaborate dens they have made.

Pre-school children independently and expertly count out how many desert bowls are need for each table at lunch time.Children enjoy a sequenced, clearly defined and ambitious curriculum which fully supports all a...reas of learning and staff carefully plan to extend children's current interests. Children are fully engaged in exciting sensory activities, and can retell stories with confidence.

For example, babies explore the wide variety of textures offered in the tough tray on the floor. Older children are enthralled as they observe changes to caterpillars, learn about symmetry and retell a favourite story.Children across every age group enjoy age-appropriate and familiar stories, rhymes and songs.

The provision for young babies through to those children who are about to start school offers a clear progression in experiences, skills and knowledge. Highly skilled staff support all children's progress, using their deep understanding of child development and excellent teaching skills. They provide frequent opportunities for children to practise and apply what they have learnt.

Children build on their previous learning extremely well.

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

Children's learning and development needs are supported in a thoughtful, caring and empathetic way by highly skilled staff and an inspirational leadership team.Staff have a deep knowledge and understanding of child development and know all the children extremely well.

They notice what children are interested in and use this knowledge very effectively to provide exciting, language-rich and tactile experiences that fully engage all children. Staff are skilful at reviewing and adapting activities in the moment, and this helps children remain interested and enthused.Children benefit from an exemplary and consistently applied key-person system.

Staff form secure relationships with individual children and their families. Children are allocated a key person based on who they form a secure and strong bond with over a period of time. This emphasis on attachments and relationships is thoroughly embedded in practice and helps all children to settle into nursery very well.

The support staff provide for children's personal, social and emotional development is excellent. For example, plenty of time is taken to support children and families to ensure transitions to the next area in nursery are well thought out, fluid and sensitively meet children's needs.The quality of education is exceptional.

The curriculum is consistent and offers challenge across all areas of learning so that children build knowledge and skills over time. For example, favourite stories are used as a basis for a wide range of focused activities for all children, helping to enhance their communication and language skills.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those with English as an additional language make excellent progress.

Staff work closely with other professionals to ensure a prompt, reliable and consistent approach. Staff devise and implement plans that are carefully thought through and reviewed regularly to monitor progress. They comment on what children are doing, model simple sentences and introduce new words as children play.

This has helped children who were once using single words to make rapid progress, able to join two or more words together in a sentence.Partnership with parents is exceptional. This is seen as a priority in this nursery.

Children and their families benefit from the focus placed on forging strong relationships, as well as providing excellent communication and flexible support whenever needed. For example, support for the whole family around the 'Ditching the dummy' initiative and around toothbrushing has been thoughtfully implemented into nursery activities. This consistent support has enabled some children to confidently move on from using a dummy and begin brushing their teeth.

Leadership and management is extremely strong. Leaders show that they are committed to supporting staff within the nursery and in the wider company. For example, staff benefit from extensive development opportunities as they access a coherent induction process.

In addition, they frequently take part in company-organised online training or short, focused training sessions in team meetings. This helps staff develop their roles and deepen their understanding of how they can help children to learn.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Senior leaders create an environment where safeguarding is integrated into daily practice and children's well-being is of utmost priority. Older children are given responsibility alongside staff to risk assess the outdoor area prior to playing outdoors. This helps to enhance children's awareness of their own and others' safety and how they can promote this effectively.

Safeguarding training is updated regularly, and staff understanding is tested through scenario-based discussions at team meetings and individual staff supervisions. All staff demonstrate an excellent knowledge of how to identify if a child may be at risk of harm from abuse or extreme views and beliefs. Staff also have in-depth knowledge of the actions they would take if they have a concern about a child or colleague, and how to liaise with other agencies in a timely manner to keep children safe.