The Strawberry Patch Nursery & Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children thrive at this excellent nursery. They have extensive, varied opportunities to learn and develop in a welcoming, interesting environment.

The management team and staff carefully plan, implement and review a high-quality curriculum. From an early age, children are highly motivated and active learners. They are eager to join in with activities and excitedly show visitors, such as the inspector, their work and favourite resources or toys.

Children are sometimes reluctant to go home because they have become so engrossed in what they are doing. Staff are superb role models and pay careful attention to childr...en's emotional development and well-being. They talk to children about feelings and provide practical activities to help children express their emotions.

For instance, children make sensory 'emotion' bottles and listen to staff read stories about different feelings and emotional situations. Babies and toddlers exercise their curiosity as they explore their surroundings and select resources with confidence. They hold out light-up toys to staff to switch on and clap their hands delightedly as staff sing to them.

Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education, such as school. This is due to the high quality of teaching across the nursery. Staff reflect on their own practice regularly and are well supported by the passionate management team.

Children's learning is monitored exceptionally well. This helps staff to swiftly identify and address any gaps in learning. The management team continually reviews and evaluates the children's progress and the quality of their learning.

The manager seeks feedback from staff and families. This helps to create precisely targeted plans for improvement, across the nursery as a whole and for individual rooms and staff.

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

Self-evaluation is sharply focused on the needs of families and improving the experiences of children and staff.

As a result, the nursery has held community events, developed the garden spaces and created a new staff rest area and meeting space. The nursery team is successful in its commitment to providing children with the best possible start to their learning journey.Children benefit from an extremely effective key-person system that helps them to build strong relationships with staff.

New children settle quickly because staff work closely with parents to understand their routines and unique personalities. Staff are warm and responsive in their interactions with children and make them feel valued. Children demonstrate that they feel exceptionally safe and secure.

Children show high levels of independence. For example, they serve themselves lunch, put their own shoes and aprons on, wash their hands well and make choices about what to play with. Staff give 'star of the day' helpers responsibility for particular tasks, such as handing out cutlery and wipes to their friends.

Children take pride in this and show the inspector their name on the written list of helpers.Staff are highly attentive to children's individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in receipt of additional funding. They ensure every child receives extremely effective, tailored learning support.

Parents speak highly of the 'wonderful' nursery. They praise how hard the management team and staff work to develop excellent relationships with families, hosting events and making sure they are 'always available' to speak to. Parents state how impressed they are with the quality of service provided and how their children have 'blossomed' during their time here.

They feel very involved in their children's learning and know how they can contribute to staff planning and assessments.Staff are extremely skilled in promoting the development of children's speech. For example, they frequently use songs and rhymes in their everyday interactions, using these as prime opportunities to promote new, interesting vocabulary.

Children manage their own behaviour as they follow established rules for outdoor play. They hold large sticks with care and know the rules for climbing trees and using the nature swing. Children use the 'talking stick' to take turns telling each other about their morning spent in the orchard.

They share the most interesting thing they saw and the activity they enjoyed most. Children demonstrate that they know how to keep themselves safe as they navigate through the farm site and help staff to check for risks, such as vehicles on the track.Staff teach children to use mathematical skills in a practical way.

For example, children count then write down how many children are present when taking the register and learn how to mix a particular colour with the paints available.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff have a robust knowledge of the signs that may indicate a child is at risk of harm.

They have an excellent understanding of the procedures to follow to protect children from harm. Staff know the whistleblowing policy and procedure for reporting allegations. The management team ensures staff keep their knowledge up to date.

Staff regularly attend training, have briefings during staff meetings and access online refresher courses. When appointing new staff, the management team follows thorough recruitment processes. This ensures staff are suitable and have the necessary skills to fulfil their roles in the nursery.