Chandlings Nursery Ofsted Inspection
  

 

 

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

 

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable.  The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

     

Please see our website (www.ofsted.gov.uk) for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration.

 

Description of the setting    

 

Chandlings nursery is located within Chandlings School. Chandlings is an independent, co-educational day school for children aged 2 to 11 years; the school is situated in the countryside on the outskirts of Oxford, a few miles north of Abingdon. Set within a sixty-acre site, with lakes, woods and extensive grounds, Chandlings provides a stimulating educational environment.

Chandlings has evolved from what was originally an Oxfordshire manor house into a property with modern classrooms and extensive facilities. There are two swimming pools, tennis and netball courts, football, rugby and cricket pitches, a nine-hole golf course, a riding school and a large hall for sport, music and drama. Sessions are from 8.00 am to 3.40 pm Children may attend on a full or part time basis.

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 12 children aged from two to three years may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 19 children from that age group on roll.

There are seven members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The school employs a chef manager with a catering team and maintenance staff.

 

 

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision.

 

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

 

 The setting works with an excellent insight into the individual characteristics of each child which enables it to meet the full range of their learning and welfare needs. Children thrive in a setting which is committed to being child-friendly and which provides children with maximum opportunities to be independent, challenged and make choices. All aspects of the setting's partnerships with parents and other settings are outstanding which impacts on the progress that children make. A highly reflective approach by all staff enables the setting to benefit from self-evaluation which enables it to understand its strengths and areas that may need to be developed. Senior staff in the setting show great skill and understanding as they set out priorities for improvements which are aimed to enhance its level of provision and outcomes for children.

 

      

  What steps need to be taken to improve provision further?

        

The effectiveness of leadership and management of the early years provision

 

The setting ensures that it is well managed and assures its safety and efficiency as it makes concise and well written policies and procedures available to all interested parties. Children are very well safeguarded as highly trained and dedicated staff work with an excellent understanding of all procedures. Great care is taken to ensure that all staff in the setting are vetted for suitability and the level of support that they offer to all children is exemplary. Children play enthusiastically in premises of the highest standard and with excellent resources that have been thoroughly risk assessed to minimise hazards to children. Children play safely and securely in an environment where they can explore, move freely and direct their own learning. This allows them to make decisions about being indoors or outdoors which contributes to their confidence and independence. Children's good health and well-being is consistently promoted by staff, for example, in cases of illness or minor injuries.

 

 

 

The provider uses highly effective self-evaluation to gain an accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and relative weaknesses. Senior staff ensure that information is obtained from a variety of sources to maximise the use of all processes of self-evaluation. This involves clear target setting and priorities for improvement which in many cases builds on practice which is already outstanding. All staff are dedicated to their work in the setting and talk knowledgably about its agenda for ongoing improvement. The setting has made significant progress since it was registered and offers children the highest standards of care and learning. The setting has very positive partnerships with parents who greatly value its work and contribution to their children's development. In addition the setting works with a great understanding of the importance of wider partnerships to support children's ongoing learning and development.

 

     

The play environment that children use is very well designed, spacious and attractive. Children are able to play in rooms according to their interests, moods and needs and access resources that promote their all round development. Children are supported by attentive staff who facilitate a child-led approach and who are always on hand to offer advice, guidance and enhance children's understanding. There is a great sense of fun in the setting as staff make timely and appropriate interventions to maximise children's learning opportunities. The setting promotes inclusive practice at all times and is dedicated to all children achieving their very best. Staff expertly allow children to have a good sense of their diverse world in an age appropriate and meaningful way. All children's needs are fully understood and their progress planned for, for example, those who use English as an additional language.

 

     

 

The quality and standards of the early years provision and outcomes for children

 

All children make very good progress as they develop with extended opportunities to direct their own play and learning. The setting uses very accurate processes to understand children's starting points, interests and learning styles. Careful observations enable key persons and other staff to have a complete understanding of the progress that children make. This information is shared with parents and used to plan future learning and play opportunities. The planning in use enables staff to respond flexibly to children's individual interests and also to spontaneous events. The support that staff give to children is a strength of the setting and allows children to be engaged in play which they enjoy and which supports their development. As staff support children's choices they enjoy using ICT equipment, experiment with construction sets and devise elaborate role play scenarios.

 

 

The relationships between the children and staff are very positive as children take part in conversations, share ideas and incorporate adults in their play. This receptiveness supports children's language development and their social skills. As a result, even the youngest children are communicative, active and willing to express their ideas and opinions. Where adults take a more direct lead, children share books, learn about letters and their sounds and begin to master basic French vocabulary. Staff make unobtrusive assessments as children play and are able to speak in great detail about individual children's learning and development. The sense of pride that both children and staff have in the setting is very real and underpins its excellent work. Children are able to deepen their understanding of numbers through practical opportunities and they enjoy messy play, mark making and finding out about different cultures and places. Their physical development is given outstanding attention as they access indoor play opportunities, regular organised events and can use outdoor facilities and equipment of a very high standard. The setting has an outstanding understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and of how young children learn through play and first hand experiences.

 

     

 

Children's welfare is promoted in an outstanding way by the setting. Children are always safeguarded and grow with a very good understanding of their own safety and that of other children. Children's behaviour is excellent and managed well by the staff who promote social interactions and show children the value of sharing, taking turns and listening to each other. Children are able to manage their own behaviour and organise their play cooperatively. Children's learning gives them a sense of the varying needs of other children, for example, that older children may have different skills to younger ones. In addition children are able to concentrate for long periods of time, build on what they can already do and understand that different activities require different responses, for example, when in messy play or when sharing books together.

 

Outcomes for children are promoted in an outstanding way by the setting. Children are fully engaged in all they do and enjoy making choices, using their imaginations and taking part in conversations with adults. Children are also very enthusiastic in their play and enjoy the freedom that they have to explore and decide what they want to do. Children feel very safe and secure in the setting and have very good relationships with adults. This allows children to develop important skills and equips them well for their later life. Children have a very good understanding of healthy life styles and choices as they think about what they eat and enjoy taking exercise. In addition children respond well to the challenges that they face and are motivated by expectations that are placed on them. Children acquire skills and abilities which are appropriate to their age and their excellent progress ensures that they are very well prepared for future learning needs.

 

 
Annex A: record of inspection judgements

 

 

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

 

The effectiveness of leadership and management of the early years provision

 

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage

 

Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage