Pennington Nursery

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. Pennington Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 317571 Inspection date 22/07/2009 Inspector Sandra Elizabeth Williams

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Setting address Pennington Memorial Hall, Pennington, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 0RT Telephone number 01229 582 212 Email psegger@aol.com 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

Pennington Nursery is run by a committee and is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register. It has been registered since 2001 and operates from a single-storey building situated in Pennington Memorial Hall grounds, close to Pennington Primary School. A maximum of 61 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open from 07.30 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 101 children on roll. Of these, 43 children receive funding for early education. The after school club also cares for children aged over eight years. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. There are 14 members of staff employed to work with the children. All but two hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is working towards a qualification.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall, the quality of the provision is good. The children's welfare is promoted well and they are making good progress in their learning and development, due to the support provided by the dedicated staff team. Staff work closely with parents to ensure children's individual needs are well met and that all children are included in the activities. They also work closely with other settings that deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which ensures the children receive consistency and continuity of care and education. The staff team has begun to evaluate their practice and they have a satisfactory awareness of their strengths and areas for development. However, the self-evaluation process is not yet completed.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 develop the use of self-evaluation to reflect on practice in order to maintain continuous improvement  further develop systems for obtaining detailed information from parents about the children's starting points in order to inform the initial assessments.

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provision

The nursery is well led and managed, and the staff work very effectively as a team to ensure the children receive a good standard of care and education. Children are well supervised which enables them to move freely and to choose from the different activities provided for them. The children have daily access to the well equipped outdoor play area where staff closely supervise them to ensure their safety at all times. All required documentation is in place and the policies and procedures are up to date and well organised. Children are kept safe and secure This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 due to the vigilance of the staff and the thorough risk assessments undertaken. Emergency evacuation drills take place frequently to ensure children are familiar with the drill. Staff make these drills as authentic as possible by putting pictures of fire at some of the exits, to encourage the children to find alternative exits from

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provision

the building. Staff have a good understanding of the safeguarding children procedures and are clear about the action required to protect children should the need arise.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff work hard to make sure parents feel included and are kept well informed about their children's progress and welfare. The parents noticeboard is very informative, as are the regular newsletters. Parents complete an 'All about me' document when their children first start to attend. This has not yet been fully developed to include information about the children's staring points with regard to their learning and development. Parents are encouraged to take part in their children's learning as they are invited to come into the nursery and undertake activities with them. For example, one parent is a lifeguard, so he came to talk to the children about safety near water; another teaches the children how to knit. The staff have also developed strong links with other professionals, such as staff at local schools, which promotes continuity of care and education for the children.

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provision

Staff are committed to continuous improvement as they attend relevant training and have a satisfactory understanding of what is being done well and the areas for further development. The staff consider and evaluate their practice but have not yet fully completed a self-evaluation process.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

The nursery is a stimulating and lively place for children to learn and have fun. The staff have a good understanding of the EYFS and they skilfully and imaginatively engage the children in activities that extend their learning. By using a key worker system, the staff get to know the individual children very well and know their interests and favourite activities, which they use when planning for their individual learning and development. Staff use regular observations to track children's progress and to plan for their next steps in their learning. Activities are adapted according to children's individual needs, so that everyone is valued and included. The staff work well together to ensure that children are supported in their transition between rooms as they progress through the nursery and eventually to school.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children have good opportunities to learn about healthy living. They really enjoy the freedom of accessing the outdoor play area where they enjoy the fresh air and exercise. They learn about living things as they enjoy planting and growing their own vegetables, such as carrots and peas. They enjoy tasting the peas and they use the carrots to feed the pet guinea pigs. They learn about caring for animals as they help to look after the guinea pigs. They are also very aware of the need to wash their hands after handling the pets so that they get rid of any germs. The children learn to keep safe by not running in the setting and by tidying up their toys. They also learn about safety issues from the many visitors to the nursery, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 such as the lifeguards, firemen and paramedics.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

The children develop their fine motor skills as they utilise the mark-making area. They draw around their hands and use scissors to carefully cut out the shapes. They enjoy making jewellery boxes and decorating them with sequins. The children develop their creativity as they make a stage, musical instruments and microphones, and deliver their own performance of Mama Mia and ballet. Children also enjoy role playing, for example, the hairdressers. During such role play, staff extend the children's learning by providing notepads and asking them to write down the times and dates of their appointments. Children are making good progress in their numeracy skills, again, because the staff skilfully utilise everyday situations to get the children to think. For example, at snack time, the children are encouraged to count out how many cups they need for everyone. The staff stack the cups and ask the children which is the tallest and the smallest and whether

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

they need more or less cups for their groups.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

The children have wonderful opportunities to learn about everyday technology as they have access to a number of computers in the nursery. They learn about different cultures as they celebrate festivals, such as Chinese New Year, when they choose Chinese food from their menus. They develop their fine motor skills as they use chopsticks to eat their food. They also enjoy learning words in different languages, such as Spanish and French. Most importantly, the children learn to behave appropriately, make friends, share the toys and respect each other, thus developing good skills for the future. 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? 2 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? 2 How well are children helped to be healthy? 2 How well are children helped to enjoy and achieve? 2 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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