Inspection of Wood St Nursery

St. Gabriels Church & Family Centre, Havant Road, London, Essex E17 3JF

Inspection date:	5 September 2022
Overall effectiveness	Outstanding
The quality of education	Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes	Outstanding
Personal development	Outstanding
Leadership and management	Outstanding
Overall effectiveness at previous inspection	Not applicable

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children thrive in this outstanding nursery. The nurturing and highly skilled staff spend an abundance of time getting to know children and their families. Children feel valued, safe and secure. They confidently leave their parents and immediately engage in activities. The inspirational environment offers countless opportunities, indoors and outdoors, to promote children's learning. Children are focused and engaged throughout, working together with their peers in a harmonious manner to work challenges out. For example, older children skilfully balance some long guttering in the garden, using foam blocks to make sure that it is straight.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They know and understand the boundaries and rules in place to keep them safe. For example, younger children demonstrate excellent road safety rules on their walk around their local community. They stop to check 'both ways' and make sure that they are safe. This excellent behaviour means that children can make the very most of the fascinating and enchanting learning environment. Children show a great deal of kindness to their friends, staff and visitors. For example, younger children offer the inspector dough and musical instruments when she arrives. Older children confidently come and introduce themselves with a big smile.

Children make exceptional progress and start school with an abundance of knowledge and skills. All children, including those with special educational needs/and or disabilities (SEND), make excellent progress from their starting points in learning.

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

n Leadership is exemplary. Leaders have consistently high expectations for all. They provide exceptional support and training to each member of staff. Staff receive frequent and relevant training, which aids each individual's practice. For example, recent training in behaviour management has built up staff's confidence in communicating their expectations to the children. Leaders and staff all use exceptional communication, which creates a highly reflective setting. n Staff provide amazing opportunities for all children to participate in the rich, varied and imaginative learning experiences throughout the nursery. Children with SEND thrive at the nursery. Resources purchased from additional funding has an extremely positive impact on children's learning. For example, staff have recently purchased headphones and weighted cushions to support children's emotional resilience during routine activities, such as lunchtime. n Children have unlimited opportunities to access fresh air and exercise. Staff place a strong emphasis on children's well-being. Children learn how to respect the environment which they are playing in, by recycling and taking care of the many plants located around the

Inspection report:

5 September 2022

setting. Children learn the importance of healthy eating, and they enjoy nutritious and balanced lunches. This allows children to

make healthier choices. n Children's literacy skills are skilfully and consistently promoted throughout the setting. Children listen intently to stories shared by highly engaging staff. Staff use a wide range of props to support children who speak English as an additional language, so that all children can be fully involved in these activities. When they are ready, children learn the sounds of letters and how to write simple words. For example, while children are exploring and investigating outside, they decide to write a letter, using the resources available. They show huge pride when they independently write their own names on the envelopes. n Staff provide extensive opportunities for children to learn about cultures different to their own. Staff make excellent use of activities, to give children the opportunity to learn about similarities and differences. For example, during a group activity, children were given clues by staff about something that was in the box, and they would attempt to guess what it was.

n Partnerships with parents are outstanding. Leaders prioritise parents' involvement in children's learning from the very beginning. Parents comment on how independent their children have become since starting at the setting. They appreciate being kept involved and up to date about what their child is learning. Parents mention how 'nurturing' and 'loving' the staff are and how welcomed their children are when they arrive each morning. n Children are incredibly strong communicators. While visiting the local fruit and vegetable shop, younger children enthusiastically call out the different fruits they see, such as 'banana' and 'apple'. Staff extend this further by asking them to describe the colours and shapes of the fruit. Staff use signs for children who are still developing their language, which helps to support children's understanding of the expectations in the setting.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Children's well-being and safety are paramount. The manager and her team are very aware that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Staff receive a thorough safeguarding induction and regular training that keeps safeguarding at the forefront of everybody's mind. All staff have very good knowledge and understanding of the types of abuse and signs to look out for, including the dangers posed to families from radicalisation. Leaders carry out recruitment effectively, which helps to ensure that staff are suitable to carry out their role. Children play in a very safe and secure environment that is routinely risk assessed. They learn how to keep themselves safe and well through meaningful activities, such as learning to stay safe while on walks in the local community.

Setting details

Unique reference number 2502024

Local authority London Borough of Waltham Forest

Inspection report:

5 September 2022

Inspection number	10191616
Type of provision	Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registers	Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Day care type Age range of children at time of	Full day care
inspection	0 to 5
Total number of places	56
Number of children on roll	51
Name of registered person Registered person unique	Elizabeth Early Years Ltd
reference number	2502023
Telephone number	07721008995
Date of previous inspection	Not applicable

Information about this early years setting

Wood Street Nursery registered in 2019. It is located in Walthamstow, in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The nursery is open 48 weeks of the year, from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery employs 28 members of staff of whom three are qualified at level 6, three have qualified teacher status, nine at level 3 and two at level 2. The nursery receives funding to provide education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

Information about this inspection

Inspector

Laura Rathbone

Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider.

n The inspector carried out a learning walk with the managers and discussed how the curriculum is delivered. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. She spoke with staff and children during the inspection.

n The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector held a meeting with the nursery managers. n She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector spoke with parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

Inspection report:

5 September 2022

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.

If you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open -government -licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email:

psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/.

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

Piccadilly Gate

Store Street

Manchester M1 2WD

T: 0300 123 1231

Textphone: 0161 618 8524

E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

Inspection report:

5 September 2022