Bolland Hall Day Nursery

Bolland Hall Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 301758 Inspection date 30/09/2009 Inspector Janet Fairhurst

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Setting address Bolland Hall, Pottery Bank, Bullers Green, MORPETH, Northumberland, NE61 1DF Telephone number 01670 511977 Email bollandnursery@sky.com 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 .

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as 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

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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

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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.

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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

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Description of the setting

Bolland Hall Day Nursery is privately owned and managed has been registered since 1992. The building is located close to the centre of the town of Morpeth and close to local amenities. Childcare is provided in one large playroom, which is divided into play areas including a sleep room, office, fully equipped kitchen and toilet facilities for children and staff. The nursery provision is accommodated on the first floor of a two storey building which is in its own grounds and is accessed via a flight of stairs. An enclosed outdoor play area is adjacent to the premises.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered to care for a maximum of 30 children aged under eight years old at any one time. There are currently 35 children on roll. The provision is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery serves the immediate and wider communities. It is open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm, all year round, except for bank holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year.

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Description of the setting

Overall responsibility for the nursery lies with the proprietor who is also the care manager. There is a deputy manager and five other regular members of staff who work with the children. The staff team are suitably qualified and experienced. The nursery receives support from an early years adviser and is a member of the National Day Nursery Association.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The learning environment is inclusive, fun and challenging and supports children well in becoming independent, motivated and enthusiastic learners. The staff's good understanding of how children learn and develop is translated into their positive practice. As a consequence, children are making good progress in meeting their early learning goals. Staff work closely with parents and others to make sure they have a detailed knowledge of each child's needs. Most of the requirements are met. Staff and management are highly motivated in their effort to make continuous improvements in the setting and outcomes for children.

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further?

To fully meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 obtain from parents who has legal contact with the child; and who has parental responsibility (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 16/10/2009

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  continue to develop ways to improve parent's access to their children's developmental records.

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the early years provision

The setting's arrangements for safeguarding children are good. Staff have attended training and accessed all relevant child protection legislation to ensure that they understand their responsibilities in protecting children from harm. Robust recruitment procedures ensures appropriate checks are carried out on all staff to confirm they are suitable to work with children, which helps to safeguard children's welfare. Staff are appropriately qualified and appropriate induction procedures ensures they are familiar with the setting's policies and procedures and can implement them in practice. Good practical safety precautions are taken in the setting and children are learning to play safely in the well organised space. All required safety equipment is in place. Written risk assessments are regularly updated. All staff take responsibility and use vigilance and the risk assessments to ensure that children's health and safety are assured, both inside and outside and

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the early years provision

on outings. In case of emergency, children are familiar with evacuating the premises, as fire drills are regularly practised with them. As a consequence, children are learning about the benefits of keeping themselves safe.

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the early years provision

The manager is committed and supports the staff team very well, encouraging their personal development and training to improve their knowledge of childcare so that children's welfare, learning and development is continuously supported. For example, the manager has recently completed the foundation degree and she is now a mentor for another member of staff who has recently commenced her training. This active commitment to investing in the staff's continued development has a positive impact on the children's experiences in the nursery. They all have a shared vision and ambition because the manager and staff take into account the views of children and parents and welcomes the advice that the local authority early years support and development team provide. Recommendations raised at the previous inspection have been very well addressed in terms of improved outcomes for children. The environment and resources are of a good standard and

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the early years provision

are set out accessibly, to promote active participation and child-initiated play and discovery.

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the early years provision

Children are positively valued and their backgrounds and abilities highly respected. The settling in period for children is handled very sensitively with reassuring support given to parents, who may be leaving their child in the care of another for the first time. This contributes towards helping children feel safe and secure in the new setting. Relevant information is gathered and recorded at the beginning of each placement to help staff form a view of children's home routines and starting points. However, not all required information from parents is obtained, such as who has legal contact and parental responsibility, which is a requirement of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Regular summaries of children's progress clearly show where children are up to in their learning and development, so that children's progress is maximised and the child's next steps in their learning are planned. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff engage well with parents and work hard to build strong relationships. As a result, parents are highly complimentary about their children's experiences at the nursery. They report that the staff are always friendly and approachable and that they receive verbal feedback about their child's progress on a daily basis. However, some parents commented on how they would like to have greater access to their child's developmental file. The manager is not complacent and has already identified this as an area for improvement, already considering reintroducing parents evenings or open days. Alongside this she is also inviting parents to become more familiar with a local initiative which allows parents to access information about their child's learning journey on line. Notice boards and displays around the nursery informs parents about general childhood information, forthcoming events and the topics and activities their children will be offered.

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and outcomes for children

All children are secure and safe in this setting and feel a sense of belonging, fostered by consistent care from their key workers and other staff. The use of very appropriate resources that are interesting and that engages children's interests, helps children to develop their curiosity. The leaves, fir cones and wool are examples of the different types of natural materials that children can explore in their play. The wide range of well resourced mark making areas encourages children to develop their ability to control tools like pencils, felt pens and paint brushes in both the indoor and outside play environments. For example, during outdoor play, some children use chunky chalks to draw tracks to the bear cave and describe some of their lines as water. Children get on very well together and begin to develop friendships with their peers. There is a strong ethos within the group about working together and helping each other. This in turn helps to encourage

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and outcomes for children

children to work together to solve problems. For instance, a group of children think about the best way to get a toy from inside a long, thin cardboard box. Together they realise that if they tip the box high enough the toy will come out.

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and outcomes for children

Staff provide well-planned, purposeful play and exploration, both in and out of doors, with a good balance of adult-led and child-led activities that fosters children's active learning. This means that children have good opportunities to take on responsibilities and play a part in the setting and wider community. Older children make sensible choices of toys for the tables and the helpers for the day take their responsibilities seriously when sharing out the fruit and cups at snack time. Children express themselves freely, secure in the knowledge that they will receive a consistent, warm response. Their confidence and self-esteem are increasing as they respond to praise and encouragement from the staff, which impacts positively on their behaviour. Toddlers are starting to cooperate as the key worker encourages them to share and take turns, praising them for their efforts. Children enjoy their learning and achieve well. This is because the environment

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and outcomes for children

and routines provides children with good opportunities to choose play materials and follow their individual learning styles. The staff support children's play well and weave in teaching about each of the areas of learning. They explore a wide range of different materials through their senses, such as sand, water, jelly and eagerly This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 join in music and songs. Children benefit from visitors to the nursery as they engage in activities, such as music and movement sessions and yoga designed for children.

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and outcomes for children

Staff show good knowledge of the five outcomes for children and the areas of learning and display these to remind and inspire them, as they support children in learning through purposeful play and activity. The nursery is currently in the process of updating the way the staff plan activities and the assessment of the children's progression. The planning is linked very much to the interests of children and includes a range of activities to cover the six areas of learning. The staff record spontaneous observations as the children play, with the key worker making a more formal observation every few weeks. The information gained from the observations is then used effectively to identify individual children's next steps for learning. Children's achievements are also recorded through samples of their work and photographs presented in their learning journey file and a tracking document.

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and outcomes for children

Children feel safe and effectively develop their understanding of issues relating to safety. All children benefit from many cuddles from staff, which offers physical reassurance for their emotional well-being. Children effectively behave in ways that are safe for themselves and others, as they learn to clear play spaces when they hear the tidy up song. They have good understanding of dangers and how to stay safe when taking small risks, including when negotiating stairs and using large cardboard boxes. Children benefit as staff effectively promote their good health to prevent the spread of infection and when they are ill and learn to understand and adopt healthy habits, such as good hygiene practices. Children enjoy a varied menu of nutritious, home cooked meals whilst sat in small groups with their friends. They develop and enjoy a love of food, as they help to prepare their lunch of pizza and fresh fruit salad.

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and outcomes for children

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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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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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 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

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

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Stage

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

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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

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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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