Cornhill Kindergarten Limited

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. Cornhill Kindergarten Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY295846 Inspection date 06/08/2009 Inspector Mary Kilroy

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Setting address 18 Cornhill Road, Urmston, Manchester, Lancashire, M41 5TJ Telephone number 0161 747 0509 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

Cornhill Kindergarten was registered in 2004. It is privately owned and the three directors own and run another nursery in the Bolton area. It operates from a detached property, formerly two large houses, close to Trafford General hospital in Davyhulme, South Manchester. The nursery serves families from a wide catchments area, as well as local families and is within walking distance of shops and parks. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday from 7am until 7pm for 51 weeks of the year. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

Children's rooms are all at ground floor level, with the pre-school room situated in an annex to the rear of the premises. They are cared for in four rooms, to meet their age and stage related needs. There are steps to gain admission, however a portable ramp is available and access for large wheelchairs is gained via the side entrance. The nursery is registered to provide care for a maximum of 46 children and there are currently 72 children on roll, all within the Early Years Foundation Stage age range, who attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are 16 staff who work with the children, 13 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least a level 3 National Vocational Qualification. The remaining staff are working towards this. Three staff hold B.A honours degrees in childhood studies and one has an early years foundation degree. One member of staff is working towards a foundation degree. The setting receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall, the effectiveness of the provision is good and working in partnership with parents and providing children with good tactile and first hand experiences are sound areas of the provision. Management identify clear goals which are understood by staff and demonstrate a strong commitment towards achieving continual improvement. Children are making good progress within the Early Years Foundation Stage and observation and assessment systems are developing well. Children's physical development is good and they are provided with an exciting and stimulating variety of ways to enjoy exercise and a healthy lifestyle. However, ensuring older children are sufficiently challenged in the outdoor area and providing good opportunities for them to learn that everyday print has meaning, are areas for development.

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further?

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

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further?

 provide opportunities for children to learn that everyday print has meaning  ensure outside play equipment provides sufficient challenges for older This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children

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provision

The nursery provides a stimulating and well organised environment, giving children choices and good opportunities to become independent. They are making good progress in all areas of learning and development. The daily routine promotes children’s welfare and meets their individual needs very effectively. All documentation is in place and there are written policies and procedures that positively promote children’s health, safety, achievement, enjoyment and ability to make a positive contribution. Staff have good understanding of the Safeguarding children procedures and children are learning good strategies to remain safe, such as when a young child cannot find a spoon to feed her baby doll with, she knows why it is not safe for baby to eat with a knife. Staff remind and prompt children about safety issues, for example 'Watch their toes,' or 'Let's clear the wet patch, so that you don't fall!'

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provision

The manager and staff are committed and enthusiastic and strive to improve the service they provide. They ensure children, parents and visitors enjoy an inclusive environment that makes everyone feel welcome. Parent's views are sought and are acted upon whenever possible. This helps staff to successfully monitor the service they provide. Records for the safe and efficient management of the Early Years Foundation Stage are maintained well and children's individual needs are fully met. Minuted staff meetings always have self-evaluation discussions on the agenda, all staff contribute to the self-evaluation process and it is used as a tool for future improvement. From this, action plans are put in place to address identified weaknesses and highlight training needs. All recommendations from the previous inspection have been met, to improve children's self-help skills and privacy in the bathroom, their safety in the outside area and ensure parents are involved in their

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provision

children's assessments. All children are making very good progress from their starting points, including those with English as an additional language and their individual needs are met very well.

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provision

The nursery has in place good written policies and procedures, which are discussed with parents. This helps to develop excellent working relationships and a shared understanding from an early stage. Parents are provided with a wealth of information about their children’s care, learning and development and are fully consulted about children's interests and asked what they are doing at home. They are able to contribute at every stage of planning, assessment and reviewing of activities. The setting works well in partnership with parents and others. They liaise with a wide variety of people involved in the children's care, for example, the quality and inclusion officer, health visitors, speech and language therapists and teachers at local schools, to enable them to form good links with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

The owners, manager and staff have good knowledge and understanding of the underlying principles of effective early years practice. Effective assessment procedures are clearly established and monitored to record children's progress and individual learning. Children's starting points are discussed on admission to the nursery and staff adeptly build on their interests. Regular observations and photographs are used to inform planning sheets and focussed activities are evaluated and enhanced to continually improve practice.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children develop a strong sense of belonging within the nursery and access toys and join in conversation confidently. A balanced range of resources are available for children across the age ranges and are organised to promote children's active, independent learning, such as most plastic climbing frames have been replaced with natural materials, for example, felled tree trunks and half hoops of tyres, to enhance children's sensory and tactile experiences. A gently sloping hill has been created for interest and variety and push and pull toys kept to a minimum. A young child negotiated a pram around logs and the tree, up and down the hill and round the huge tyre planter, with skill and dexterity and toddlers enjoy carefully negotiating the sloping plank between the patio and the grass. In another area of the garden, under supervision, there is free access to water provided, including water butts, pipes, logs and barrows. A mud pit has been created, so that children

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

can enjoy mud pie making and open-ended activities there and can submerge themselves in a large sunken sandpit. All-weather suits protect clothing and children thoroughly enjoy a wide variety of large scale painting activities in them. A gardening area enables children to plant and grow food, which the chef then cooks to their taste. A large, well-established tree with a friendly face on the trunk provides lots of shade in summer months, as well as a gazebo and there are sensory and wild areas to encourage bees, butterflies and wildlife and colourful signs and windmills. The tree is hung with colourful objects to interest children, such as bugs, chimes and compact discs, which glint and create rainbows as they catch the sun. Treasure baskets and heuristic play materials are available daily, which enhance tactile experiences for babies and toddlers and inside the Cherubs room they enjoy exploring sand and body painting and mark-making in shaving

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Parents are provided with a comprehensive selection of leaflets on a wide variety of topics to help children at home and keep them well informed. Improvements and enhancements to the outside area have highlighted the different ways in which boys and girls learn and, as the older children are mainly boys, a leaflet was produced to support boy's achievements and encourage them to access all areas of the provision. The nursery is also developing ways to help children who are schema learners and those who learn best out of doors. Children's individual needs and preferences are met well, with children sleeping, or staying awake to their individual patterns and being provided with alternative fruit at teatime, when pineapple is not liked. Staff give children time to consolidate their learning or re- visit activities, asking 'Have you finished yet, or shall I leave you a bit longer?'

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Staff talk to children about how they are feeling and they access activities to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 explore feelings, such as the 'happy, sad faces activity.' Behaviour is good, children willingly help one another and are starting to take turns, sometimes by using a timer for instance, when timing turns on the exercise bike. Children are showing concern for other's feelings and playing co-operatively together. Staff have good relationships with parents and children, with babies holding out their arms to be picked up, sure of a good response. They wave bye to staff, when they go on breaks, or go outside. Staff relate well to one another. Children have positive male role models at the setting. Birthdays and occasions are celebrated, children discuss the balloons banners and decorations left over from a member of staff's 60th birthday celebration yesterday and excitedly recall the flowers and presents

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

presented to her, as they play with the remaining balloons. Behaviour goals are displayed on walls and staff use consistent, positive strategies for managing children's behaviour. Children say 'please' and 'thank you to chef,' and sing a 'dinner's coming' song before lunch.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children share warm, happy relationships with staff, with babies and toddlers enjoying lots of close contact from their carers. Parents who expressed an opinion praised the good settling in procedures, the family atmosphere, good exchanging of information in a variety of ways, lots of good experiences and a fantastic garden, caring staff and children benefiting and learning well through play and the good relationships built with parents. Children are achieving well in the Every Child Matters outcomes and those who have English as an additional language learn well due to the strong partnerships with parents, sound assessment of their starting points and the good understanding of meeting all children's individual needs. 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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