Cranbrook Independent Nursery and Preschool

Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated. Cranbrook Independent Nursery and Pre-School: Buttercup Barn Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY330756 Inspection date 19/08/2009 Inspector Christine McInally

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Setting address Buttercup Barn, Haywards Heath Road, BALCOMBE, West Sussex, RH17 6NL Telephone number 01444 811 202 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

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.

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Introduction

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).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Buttercup Barn was registered to its current owners, Childcare and Learning Group Ltd in 2006. Buttercup Barn consists of two converted barns - Main Barn and Bumpkin Barn and is located near the village of Balcombe, West Sussex. The two barns are purpose-designed and both have toilet/nappy change facilities. Children have access to a fully enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery serves the local area. The nursery opens from 08:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday, throughout the year and provides full day care. Children are able to attend on either a full-time or part-time basis.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 109 children aged from under one year to five years on roll. Of these, 25 receive funding for nursery education. The provision is registered to care for a maximum of 50 children under eight years at any one time and is on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery supports children who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities, or who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs 13 staff; of these nine hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall, the quality of the provision is outstanding. All children receive excellent support from a staff group that enjoys their company and knows them extremely well, helping them feel secure and confident. Clear communication and guidance allows staff to provide a stimulating well-balanced programme. Children feel at home and are at ease in the well-organised, inclusive environment. The setting has a good capacity to maintain continuous improvement as they regularly evaluate and make positive improvements to the care that children receive.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 continue to develop the range of resources in role play that reflect a variety of cultures, such as clothes, cooking utensils and toys.

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provision

The management team is totally committed to the staff and children and has a very clear vision for the nursery. This is reflected in the effective and enthusiastic day-to-day management of the setting. A high priority is given to ongoing personal development and staff are well supported and given clear direction through regular team meetings and the open-door style of management used. As a result, staff are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 highly motivated and work extremely well together, sharing a common sense of purpose. Comprehensive policies and procedures are in place and followed vigilantly by the staff to ensure children's welfare is effectively safeguarded and promoted. Careful recruitment and induction procedures ensure that all adults working with the children are both suitable and well prepared for their role. The nursery has an effective evaluation system in place which enables them to develop

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provision

and enhance on their strengths and to improve on any weaknesses identified. The nursery has addressed the recommendations made at the last inspection by providing more opportunities for challenging physical play and encouraging children to develop good hand washing practices.

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provision

Children benefit greatly from the excellent relationships the nursery forms with their parents. Communication systems, such as daily diaries and newsletters, extend informal information sharing and strengthen partnerships. Systems to assess children's progress are extremely effective and the emphasis is on sharing these regularly with parents, positively impacting on children's care, welfare, development and learning. Parents have good opportunities to contribute to their child's record of achievement. The assessment and tracking of individual children's progress is very well established and the information gathered is used extremely effectively to plan for children's future learning.

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provision

Safeguarding responsibilities are well understood. Staff are clear about the signs and symptoms that indicate abuse and are fully aware of the procedures to be followed should concerns arise. This protects children from potential future harm. Safety in the setting is taken seriously and children are effectively protected by robust systems for arrival and collection. The building and grounds are secure to prevent uninvited visitors from entering and children are effectively supervised to ensure they play safely. Risk assessments, which are regularly reviewed, enable staff to identify and address potential dangers quickly.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children arrive happy and eager to participate, enjoying their time at the nursery. They are highly confident and enthusiastic learners because of the excellent relationships they enjoy with staff and their peers. Children readily involve themselves in the first-class range of stimulating and exciting activities which sustain their interest and concentration exceedingly well. Daily activities are very well planned taking into account children's individual interests and needs. Children are allocated a key person who skilfully observes and assesses their progress. Every child attending has their own individual learning plan where their next steps in learning and development are clearly identified and provided for. Their progress, interests and achievements are clearly recorded and shared with parents. These records show the very good progress children are making towards the early learning goals. They access a comprehensive range of well chosen resources which

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

support their progress across all areas of learning. Babies and toddlers enjoy lots of physical contact with the staff, which enables them to feel extremely secure and play contentedly. All staff are exceptionally attentive towards the babies; they quickly comfort and pacify them and have an extensive knowledge of their personal needs. There is an exceptional amount of toys and play materials for This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 babies to explore colour, shape and texture. Staff give very good support to young babies as they become more mobile. Staff and children laugh together and enjoy very good relationships, helping to support children's personal development. All children are eager to learn, self assured in their play and confident to try new experiences. Children are developing an awareness of their own and other cultures through a range of resources, planned activities and as they celebrate a variety of

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

festivals. However, the setting has identified that further improvements could be made by increasing the range of resources available in the role play areas that reflect diversity. Children develop a healthy interest in books. They enjoy sharing stories with adults and peers and delight in predictable endings. They are confident speakers, and understand they can use writing for a variety of purposes and are beginning to write for themselves. Children see numbers around the setting and explore mathematical language when playing. Topic work and practical activities arouse children's natural curiosity and develop their exploration and investigation skills. They learn about nature as they observe the cows in the field next to the nursery and as they grow their own vegetables. There are many resources freely available for children to make their own pictures and experiment with art and craft materials. This enables children to develop their own creativity and explore using a

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

range of textures, media and techniques.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children enjoy an extensive range of activities and experiences both indoors and out, which actively contribute to their good health and well-being. They enjoy playing outside in the excellent, exciting and well-resourced garden. All children have free access to the garden when they want regardless of the weather; even the youngest babies are able to crawl freely from indoors to their own garden area. This daily access to outdoor play ensures children develop physical skills and stay healthy. Children, including babies and toddlers, enjoy using the snack bar style system to help themselves to refreshment during the session at a time that suits them. They enjoy a wide range of delicious and highly nutritious snacks and meals that are planned and prepared on site, taking children's needs and preferences into consideration. This combined with activities about healthy eating, such as growing vegetables in the nursery garden, promotes the children's good

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

health overall. Low level sinks and accessible soap dispensers, along with photographs showing how to wash hands encourages children to develop independence in carrying out these tasks for themselves from a very early age. Children's safety is given a high priority with areas checked on a daily basis to identify potential hazards and risks. They are encouraged to consider and recognise potential risks and dangers through role play, topics, stories and visitors, such as police and fire officers. Staff encourage children to take turns, share equipment and appreciate the feelings of others. Children’s behaviour is excellent and they respond well to the high expectations and consistently good example of staff in saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ as appropriate. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

How well does the provision promote inclusive practice? 1 The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement.

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Foundation Stage led and managed?

How effective is the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement? How well does the setting work in partnership with parents and others? How well are children safeguarded? 2

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

How well are children helped to stay safe? 1 How well are children helped to be healthy? 1 How well are children helped to enjoy and achieve? 1 How well are children helped to make a positive contribution? How well are children helped develop skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being?

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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