Bramley St Peter's Church of England Primary School

Woodlands Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Woodlands Nursery

Unique Reference Number 108003 Inspection date 03 July 2006 Inspector Ann Hilary Guy / Jan Leo

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Woodlands Nursery

Setting Address 105 Chestnut Lane, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, HP6 6EF

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Woodlands Nursery

Telephone number 01494 729 054 or 07733 316669 (m)

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E-mail

Registered person Angela Aprcovic Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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E-mail

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Woodlands Nursery is a privately owned provision. It registered in November 2000 and operates from a classroom in Chestnut Lane School, Amersham, Buckinghamshire. A maximum of 18 children may attend the nursery at any one time. It is open each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 for 50 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play garden. There are currently 36 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these 20

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 children receive funding for early education. Strategies are in place to support children with learning difficulties or disabilities and also children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs six staff. Most of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications and experience.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children stay healthy because staff vigilantly follow current and appropriate environmental health and hygiene guidelines, policies and procedures. Children wash their hands at various times throughout the day, including before all meals and after using the toilet. Staff use gloves when preparing and serving food at both snack and lunchtime. This minimises any possibility of cross infection. Clear procedures underpin the process followed if a child is unwell, has an accident or needs medication. Children requiring a rest during the day are made comfortable on mats with a blanket to cover them. Children have the choice of either a hot meal or bringing a packed lunch from home. Hot meals are brought to the nursery from an external catering company and parents can view the menu in advance. They happily cater for all special diets. Clear guidance given to parents, helps them to know the best foods to put in their child's

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Helping children to be healthy

lunch box. The nursery aims to ensure children have a nutritious, healthy diet, including plenty of fruit and vegetables. Healthy snacks are available morning and afternoon and children are reminded throughout the day, especially when the weather is hot, to have a long drink from their water bottle. Staff ensure all children's bottles are kept full of fresh water and in an easily accessible location. Children have the choice of milk or water at snack time.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The warm, secure and child-friendly environment ensures children remain safe and well looked after at all times. The premises, both indoors and outdoors, are well organised to enable plenty of space for children to play safely. The nursery offers a wide range of toys and equipment, suitable for children of all ages. Much of the equipment is stored at an easily accessible level and in clearly labelled boxes and drawers. Children's safety is paramount and staff take steps to ensure all risks are minimised and equipment is safe for use. A clear procedure is in place for evacuation in case of fire and the nursery hold fire practices with the school, once a term. However, this does not ensure all children, some of whom are part-time, experience regular fire practices. The registration system clearly shows who is present in the building and is monitored by staff when greeting parents at either end of the day. Staff protect

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 children very well. All have a sound understanding of the policy and procedure to follow regarding child protection.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children of all ages have their needs well met through the activities provided. Staff ensure children experience a wide range of varied activities that offer both interest and challenge. They are encouraged to develop independence throughout the daily routine, taking themselves to the toilet and dealing with their own needs or dressing themselves in appropriate clothing to go outside. The children are confident, happy, settled and secure in the staff's care. They enjoy playing together in a mixed age group and are well motivated and interested in the activities available for them. They confidently play with or alongside others and have a very good relationship with all staff members, who are skilled at developing their potential. Children not in receipt of nursery funding enjoy a rich broad curriculum, enabling many varied opportunities to develop their imagination, manipulative and physical skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are confident and actively involved learners, able to work independently in small groups or in a large group. Staff offer a very high standard of support and encouragement to the children, developing their knowledge and understanding in all areas of the curriculum. Children's progress is clearly plotted against the stepping-stones, with good observational records to support. Planning is closely linked to the foundation stage and stepping-stones, with focus activities having a clear aim linked directly to the stepping-stones and offering sufficient challenge for all children. Plans clearly reflect the integrated approach to learning, which includes some times for specific group teaching. This ensures all children receive a rich and varied curriculum appropriate to their developmental needs, further extended by the skill of the staff and the individual

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

challenges they set. Children learn through mainly free-play activities that enable them to explore all curriculum areas. The room is arranged to enable some self-selection of additional equipment, but effective use is not always made of this. Children make good relationships with the staff and their peers, with some developing the ability to concentrate for an extended period of time. Children really enjoyed the car wash activity, with some staying there for an extended period of time and imaginatively developing their play. Those playing with the shop were learning negotiation skills as they developed their individual imaginative play, buying foods and creating meals. Children are extremely happy, confident and settled and benefit from the mixture of large group activities, individual play and small group activities offered. They are all developing good communication skills, with their language being suitably extended

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

by the staff team, and they have a great many opportunities to develop mark making in various ways. Most children are able to write a least one clear letter of their name, with many able to clearly write it with no assistance; some have a good command of phonics and are beginning to word build within their group time. Children have many

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 opportunities to count and recognise numerals. They learn the concept of number and simple calculation through practical problem solving and counting songs. Children discover about the culture and peoples of other countries through their themes and interest table. They were able to try and play some African percussion instruments. Very good use is made of the outdoor garden, enabling it to be an extension to the classroom. A very wide range of activities covering most areas of the curriculum are available. These range from drawing and writing on a large black board to the play house and book area; the children's garden, where there are nurture plants, including strawberries, and the wide variety of bikes, tent, tunnels, trikes, ball, pond and parachute that promote children's physical skills. Effective use

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

is made of small world play and dressing up clothes to further promote imaginative play. Children enjoy the opportunity to develop computing skills, listen to stories and singing songs. They greatly benefit from the peripatetic teaching in music, dance and French, they receive.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children feel a strong sense of belonging and involvement in the life of the nursery, and staff work closely with the parents to ensure their individual needs are met. Their themes and topic work, together with some toys and equipment, enable the children to effectively learn of other countries, traditions and cultures. Those with learning difficulties are fully integrated and included in all activities, with additional support if required. Children behave very well and have a sound understanding of right from wrong, adhering to the basic rules of the nursery. Staff are effective and consistent when managing any form of adverse behaviour. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. The partnership with parents is outstanding. Children are looked after according to the parents' wishes and they greatly benefit from the extremely positive relationship staff have with the parents. Excellent communication links ensure children receive

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Helping children make a positive contribution

consistent and supportive care at all times. Parents have a very clear and informative message system, together with a post box to communicate any ideas or concerns with staff in writing. Regular opportunities to view their child's progress, together with an informative welcome pack for new parents, ensures they are fully involved and their support and contributions greatly valued by the staff and owner.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Staff have a very high regard for the children's welfare and create a welcoming atmosphere for the children. The owner and manager oversee all aspects of the nursery, ensuring consistency throughout. Leadership and management is outstanding. The owner and manager both carefully monitor the planning to ensure it meets the needs of all the children and covers all aspects of learning within the foundation stage curriculum, giving the children rich, varied and interesting experiences. They also work closely with the staff ensuring their personal

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 developmental needs are well met, offering very appropriate support when necessary. Staff are all involved and consulted, ensuring excellent continuity of care throughout the nursery. The nursery works with additional staff present enabling children free flow between the inside and outside areas, whilst still maintaining ratios. The clear registration system is monitored closely by staff and backed up by the children having a self-registration system. Children greatly benefit from the number of staff who either hold or are working towards early years qualifications, some of whom have an enormous amount of experience and skill to offer, and their care is underpinned by a comprehensive set of policies and procedures. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the nursery had two recommendations, one relating to the registers and the other to the child protection procedure. Both have been addressed and systems put in place that fully meet the requirements. At the last funded nursery provision inspection, no recommendations were made but the nursery received one point of consideration, relating to evaluating the quality of teaching. This too has been addressed and a system to enable the nursery to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching, as well as looking at the individual training needs of staff via a regular appraisal, has been adopted.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure all children experience fire practices during their time at the nursery.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • further develop opportunities for children to self-select toys and equipment, in order to develop their ideas and ability to set challenges

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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