Downe Primary School

Brightlands Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number 101614 Inspection date 02/11/2009 Inspector Angela Cole

p.1

Setting address 107 St. Georges Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 3ED Telephone number 01242 230938 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates 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 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

p.1

you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

p.2

T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.2

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.

p.3

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).

p.3

Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.3

Description of the setting

Brightlands Day Nursery opened in 1997 and is privately owned. It operates from the basement and ground floor of a detached Victorian house with a semi-circular drive for delivering and collecting children. The house is in a residential area close to Cheltenham town centre in Gloucestershire. The premises include seven activity rooms, a sleep room, a kitchen and facilities for children and staff. There is a terraced, outdoor area and an enclosed, outside play area with grassed, paved and safety surfaces for children's play. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm all year round, excluding Bank Holidays.

p.4

Description of the setting

The nursery is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 32 children in the early years age range may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 46 children aged from six months to under five years on roll, some in part-time places. The nursery provides funded early education for three and four-year-olds and currently supports a number of children learning English as an additional language.

p.4

Description of the setting

The owner-manager employs 10 members of staff to work with the children. Of these, eight hold an appropriate early years qualification and two member of staff are currently working towards a qualification. There is one member of staff with qualified teacher status and the owner is gaining Early Years Professional Status.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The nursery promotes an inclusive environment that is well organised to enable children to experience a variety of well resourced play areas to foster their involvement and enthusiasm. The children make good progress in their learning and development since the staff are well aware of their individual needs and interests. Good organisation, drive and motivation of the adults ensure children are happy, have positive experiences and are well cared for in a secure environment, where their safety and health care is of the highest standard. Children benefit as the staff are proactive in developing most links with their parents to support their progress. In-depth reflection ensures that plans for the future are well targeted, resulting in a service that is responsive to the needs of all families.

p.4

further?

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

p.4

further?

 continue to extend children's free access to outdoor play to maximise opportunities for their independent learning  enhance children's good progress towards the early learning goals by obtaining more information from new parents about the children's learning in all areas. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.4

the early years provision

The nursery is very well organised with committed staff who are well qualified. All required documentation is clear and detailed and individual records are informative, thereby promoting good quality care and inclusive practice. Highly relevant, frequently reviewed policies and procedures relating to all aspects of children's welfare are effectively implemented, including those promoting excellent support for their health and safety. Children are fully safeguarded and the management checks the on-going suitability of all adults working with the children. The staff are vigilant at all times and have a secure understanding about procedures for protecting children. Comprehensive risk assessment is regularly updated to minimise hazards for children regarding the premises and outings. The use of the safe, spacious setting is being increasingly effectively so that children play co-operatively, alongside others or alone as they choose. Quality resources

p.5

the early years provision

are scrupulously clean, while toys and books are visible to encourage children to select these for their play and to choose others from storage. For example, children make very good use of tools to paint with water and high quality, home- made picture cards and books that effectively support their concentration and learning.

p.5

the early years provision

The staff strive to establish good partnership with parents and carers so they may be fully informed about the provision, frequently consulted about children's welfare and effectively involved in their child's care and education. Children benefit from daily communication with parents, the detailed baby diaries, quarterly progress reports and shared learning journals with photographs of their activities. Parents appreciate that staff are always caring and interested in their children and that they ask for detailed information about the children to use as starting points, though not in the areas of learning. There are systems in place for liaison with other early years provisions that a small number of children have begun to attend; this is to share any concerns and consistently support their progress. The nursery adults are inspired by a shared vision and are highly committed to further improving their knowledge and practice. The management successfully includes

p.5

the early years provision

children, parents and staff in evaluating the nursery's strengths and areas for improvement. For example, opportunities for professional development are identified and implemented and the nursery plans to further develop indoor and outdoor spaces to extend support for children's individual learning and development.

p.5

and outcomes for children

The staff have a secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage so that children participate in varied activities that extend their thinking. From a young age, they regularly investigate natural materials, including sand, bark and mud, and explore the natural world, for example, on nature walks to collect leaves for their craft work. Children are well supported in their progress and become highly This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 competent in their communication and early literacy skills. They are fully engaged in challenging conversations and frequently respond to opportunities to express their own ideas, for example in role play at the 'beauty salon'. They enjoy favourite books, including those with rhymes and sounds, and tell their own stories while playing imaginatively, for example, with 'frog' umbrellas, small figures and jigsaws. Engaged in purposeful activities, such as gardening and cooking, they

p.5

and outcomes for children

have very good opportunities to gain new life-skills as they grow vegetables and notice changes to ingredients, for example, in pizzas and cookies.

p.6

and outcomes for children

The children gain highly effective skills to solve meaningful problems, for example, as they experiment to find the best way to arrange 'runs' for toy cars and describe the properties of shapes, such as ovals and rectangles. They initiate counting in a fun way to identify a number of pictures or record the how many are present. They experiment with pattern and gain a good understanding about sequencing. Children have a broad range of interesting, exciting activities as they play in and out of doors, though opportunities to move freely between inside and outside areas are not maximised. Over time they access a range of creative resources to freely draw and explore different textures, such as chalks, dough, paint and materials to collage; they sing and dance to favourite music and play with instruments, including an outdoor 'xylophone'. The key persons' planning and organisation ensure that children are consulted, engaged, challenged and enjoy

p.6

and outcomes for children

their learning experiences. These are based on regular observations of their free play that are linked to all areas of learning and aspects for individual children to work on. Regular monitoring shows that children make good, and sometimes very good, progress towards each of the early learning goals.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children's welfare is promoted effectively through the committed staff's in-depth understanding of related requirements to offer well explained procedures and routines. The children benefit from the staff's highly effective approach to managing children's behaviour. Adults focus on raising self-esteem through giving emphatic praise and encouragement and involving pre-schoolers in devising rules for their age group. As a result children are considerate towards others by being polite and sharing space and toys. Children gain good independence by caring for their own belongings and making decisions about activities, including suggestions for verses for songs. The staff promote many aspects of children's welfare with success and ensure excellent learning about feeling safe and healthy lifestyles. Children gain an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They frequently practice leaving in an emergency and take risks in controlled

p.6

and outcomes for children

circumstances, for example, playing with sticks, building with planks and negotiating rougher ground on trips out. They well understand the importance of physical exercise, a healthy diet and personal hygiene to 'get rid of the germs'. The nursery's close liaison with nearby schools and children’s increasing confidence in self-care, effectively support them to gain skills for the future. Their understanding of the wider world is demonstrated well through their play and communications as children eagerly paint from photographs of fireworks and learn about traditional customs, such as Halloween. Children receive close, individual attention from the staff so that they have a strong sense of security in order to succeed in a stimulating, welcoming environment. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.6

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.7

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

p.7

children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

p.7

and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

p.7

Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

p.7

Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

p.7

Stage

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

p.7