Thorncliffe Barn

Thorncliffe Barn Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 312316 Inspection date 08/10/2009 Inspector Kay Margaret Armstrong

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Setting address Thorncliffe, Hollingworth, Hyde, Cheshire, SK14 8JJ

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Telephone number 01457 763 412 and 01457 764 354 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

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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

Thorncliffe Barn is privately owned and has been registered since 1992. It operates form a converted barn in a rural setting in the Mottram area of Tameside. A maximum of 31 children under eight years may attend at any one time. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. All children have access to secure outdoor play areas. The nursery is open each weekday from 8.00am to 6.00pm all year round. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 51 children on roll in the early years age range. The nursery serves children from the local area and currently supports children with special educational needs and disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs nine staff, of whom eight hold appropriate early years qualifications. The provision is supported by a local authority early years consultant.

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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

Children make excellent progress in their learning as they experience a range of motivating and stimulating activities which capture their interests and meet their developmental needs. The setting is wholly inclusive and the uniqueness of each child is recognised and met. Staff have established extremely positive relationships with parents and are fostering good partnerships with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Management and staff are dedicate to providing good quality care and education. They have a clear vision for the future and demonstrate a strong capacity for continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 consider ways to increase children's independence and ability to make choices, for example, by creating opportunities for them to serve themselves with food at mealtimes  continue to develop the systems used to observe and assess children's progress and use information gained to inform the planning of relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child.

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the early years provision

Good safeguarding policies and procedures are in place and practised effectively to ensure that children are very well protected. Staff are diligent in child protection matters and fully understand their role in protecting the children in their care. Procedures for vetting and assessing the suitability of staff are effectively implemented. Risk assessments cover all areas to ensure that children are able to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 move freely and safely within the setting and when on outings. All relevant records and documentation required by the regulator are in place. This enhances the setting's good practice and ensures the safe and efficient management of the provision, providing positive outcomes for children.

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the early years provision

Partnership with parents is outstanding. Parents receive very good information about the nursery before the children start. They are asked to complete an initial child profile about their children to enable staff to plan activities based on the children's interests. A wealth of information is provided for parents in the form of policies and procedures, notices, newsletters and children's individual learning journeys. This strengthens the exemplary relationships with parents and helps them to feel valued and involved in their child's day. There is also an excellent two-way flow of information daily about individual children and their continually changing needs. Parents regularly meet with staff to discuss their children's progress; they are also invited to contribute to their children's learning journey records. Parents are happy with the provision and say that they find staff approachable, friendly and happy to discuss their child's development or any

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the early years provision

concerns they might have. As a result, parents are very complementary about the care their children receive. They state the nursery is 'brilliant with a lovely family feel to it', 'the children are relaxed and very sociable' and they are 'more than happy’ with the information they receive. The setting has also developed positive relationships with local schools and other agencies to ensure all children are fully supported.

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the early years provision

The staff team work together well. They are motivated and are totally committed to ensuring that children receive a high level of childcare and education. Annual appraisals are used to identify ongoing staff developmental needs with good systems in place to support their professional development. Children benefit as staff regularly attend training courses to extend their knowledge and expertise. For example, all staff have paediatric first aid qualification, two staff have attended special education needs training and one member of staff is working towards a level 4 childcare qualification. The owner strives to make continual improvements; for example, recommendations from the last inspection have been successfully addressed, which enhances children's health and well-being. The systems for monitoring and evaluating the provision clearly identify areas for improvement and development, such as improving children's access to imaginative play resources

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the early years provision

and enhancing the outdoor play area to enable children to have more choice.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop confidence and self-motivation in the stimulating, enabling environment which is extremely well resourced in all areas. Staff have a good understanding of the EYFS learning and development requirements. They monitor children's progress towards the early learning goals on a regular basis and generally identify the next stages in children's learning. However, staff do not consistently use this information to inform the planning of activities to ensure that they are matched to the individual children's needs. That said, children are becoming active learners and they make good progress towards the early learning This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 goals because staff provide an extensive range of exciting activities which captivate children's imagination and sustain their interest. For example, babies have wonderful sensory experiences as they explore treasure baskets and delight

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and outcomes for children

in running their hands over various sizes of bubble wrap displayed at their height. Older children enjoy using their imagination as they play enthusiastically in a large tent. They use real camping equipment to 'cook' paper sausages and pretend to sleep in the sleeping bags. The pre-school children play together in a cooperative manner; they listen intently to a member of staff and carefully follow instructions when playing parachute games. Staff are resourceful as they encourage and support children to develop high levels of concentration as they remember complex instructions; for example, 'When I say red, you march on the spot'. Children also take an active role in decision making as they add to the game by choosing what they will do when hear they 'green'. All children develop good physical skills as they are highly motivated to explore their surroundings both indoors and out. They climb, balance and crawl through tunnels, ride bikes and dig in the sand, gaining

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and outcomes for children

control of their bodies whilst having fun.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very settled, relaxed and happy throughout the nursery. They have clearly formed strong attachments to the staff team. Babies particularly show their delight when their key worker comes into the room. They smile, bounce up and down, and wave their arms excitedly. Babies snuggle in to staff for comfort and reassurance. They begin to feel a sense of belonging and recognise themselves as individuals as they enjoy looking at photographs of themselves in an album. Toddlers happily investigate different tactile materials, such as sand, water or weather cones, dried leaves and wood shavings. They begin to problem solve as they puzzle out how to attach wool to their cars and copy staff as they wind it round a post to form a washing line which they then peg socks on.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop and interest in the world around them through a range of stimulating activities and firsthand experiences, such as going for walks in the local countryside to see if they can see owls, which relates to the current theme. They enjoy watching squirrels and observing baby rabbits, chickens, cows and horses. Staff grasp every opportunity to develop children's learning. The pre-school children were elated as one of them found a spider, which they carefully captured, putting it in a cardboard box to show their friends. They are knowledgeable about how many legs the spider has and used mathematical language to describe how fast it runs and climbs. They enjoy using rhyming words when naming the spider and suggest names, such as 'spidery', 'spidery-widery' and 'Sidney'. The pre-school children have a good understanding of phonics and confidently link initial sounds of word to letters, one child clearly stating that they are a 'good speller'. Numbers

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and outcomes for children

and basic calculations are regularly explored and extended as children play. Children make good progress in developing information and communication technology skills as they have good access to a computer and programmable toys. Babies' communication skills are very well supported by the staff team, who respond positively to babies' babbling, ensuring they feel valued. Older children are competent and confident speakers; they express their needs and ideas to the staff and each other. As children learn to problem solve and to develop good communication skills and a knowledge and understanding of technology, they are developing skills for their future well-being. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 A healthy lifestyle is actively promoted throughout the setting. Daily use of the inviting outdoor environment ensures that children benefit from regular exercise

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and outcomes for children

and fresh air. Good hygiene practices are actively promoted and incorporated into the daily routines to encourage children to care for themselves. Appropriate action is taken when children are ill and to prevent the spread of infection. Snacks and meals consist of well balanced, nutritious food which is cooked on the premises each day. Mealtimes are relaxed, social occasions, where staff and children enjoy each other's company. Children’s independence is limited at mealtimes because their meal is plated up for them. Therefore, they are unable to make choices about what or how much food they would like to eat. 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 1 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 1 The extent to which children feel safe 2 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

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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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