The Peartree Kindergarten

Maidenhall Neighbourhood Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY285889 Inspection date 19/03/2010 Inspector Deborah Kerry

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Setting address Conway Close, Maidenhall, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP2 8PR

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Telephone number 01473 601178 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 0300 123 1231, 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: 0300 123 1231 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

Maidenhall Neighbourhood Nursery opened in 2004 and is privately owned and managed. It operates from purpose-built premises situated in Ipswich, Suffolk. Children have access to three secure outdoor areas for physical play. The nursery has a ramp leading to the entrance door and there are accessible toilets available.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 51 children aged under eight years may attend the nursery at any one time. It is open five days a week from 7:30am to 6:00pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 102 children on roll, 86 of whom are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. Most children live in the local area and some children attending the nursery are also cared for by registered childminders. The setting is in receipt of funding for early education. The staff are currently supporting a number of children with special educational needs and children where English is a second language. Care is also offered to children aged over five years to 11 years, before and after school, and during holidays. Staff escort these children to and from Hillside Primary School and Halifax Primary School. The setting has close operational links with the local children's centre.

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Description of the setting

There are 16 members of staff employed at the nursery, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. Of these, seven members of staff are currently working towards further qualifications.

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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's welfare, learning and development in the Early Years Foundation Stage is effectively supported by the experienced and well-qualified staff. The staff know children's individual needs well and through regular observations, the next step in their learning is clearly identified and included in the weekly plans. The setting has good relationships with parents and seeks support and advice from other professionals to ensure that each child's needs are fully understood and can be met. The setting has established excellent procedures for evaluating and monitoring their good practice and have identified areas for improvement to benefit children's continued learning and development.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further opportunities for children to use, hear and see their home language in their play and learning  develop further the partnerships and exchange of information with other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure children's learning and development is fully supported. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is fully supported as the staff have a good knowledge on safeguarding children procedures and all are fully aware of the steps to take should they have any concerns. The group's policies show clear procedures for staff to follow and include local contact numbers which are displayed so they can be accessed easily. There are clear written risk assessments that have been undertaken for all areas, equipment and activities within the setting to ensure that children are effectively protected from any potential dangers. Staff undertake risk assessments before all outings to ensure that children remain safe when away from the setting. Fire evacuation procedures are practised on a regular basis. This helps children to develop an understanding on how to keep themselves safe in an emergency.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents are good, they are kept fully informed about their child's learning and development through daily verbal feedback. Children's progress records are available for parents to view at any time. Parents provide feedback about their children's interests and learning at home through using the 'WOW' board and by adding comments to their learning journey records. This helps to inform staff and supports children's learning and development. Parents are kept informed about the provision through the notice board in the entrance which displays the setting's prospectus, policies and through regular newsletters. The weekly plans are displayed in each room and help to inform parents of the range of activities children participate in during the day. There are regular open days for parents to come in to view their child's progress records and talk to staff about their child's progress and learning. Staff ensure that information about children’s

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the early years provision

home language and key words are obtained from parents. However, children have few opportunities to use, hear and see their home language in the setting to help them confidently use their own language outside the home and build strong bilingual foundations when learning English.

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the early years provision

All of the staff hold appropriate qualifications which effectively supports children's learning and development. All staff have undertaken Early Years Foundation Stage training and have input with planning activities each week around the individual needs of their key children. The staff are supported in further training for their development to ensure that outcomes for children continue to remain positive and to consolidate their experience and knowledge. All staff members helped to review and evaluate the group's practice and have identified clear improvements to benefit children's learning and development and to further improve their good practice. The setting has in place a comprehensive range of policies and procedures to support their good practice which are regularly reviewed. Feedback from parents is obtained through questionnaires and the knowledge is used to meet their needs and to develop and improve practice further. The nursery is fully

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the early years provision

committed to maintaining continuous improvements to benefit children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children take part in outside play to develop strong, healthy bodies at each session. This helps them to learn about developing a healthy lifestyle and keeps them fit. Children can run, and push/pull wheeled toys around to promote their physical skills well. The older children's independence is effectively promoted as they pour their own drinks, clear away their own plates and cups after eating snack. All children are encouraged to wash their hands before eating and younger children are supported by staff to accomplish this task. This helps children to develop an understanding good hygiene procedures to promote their own health. Children are provided with a variety of different foods for snack which effectively promotes their healthy development. Snack time for older children is on a rolling plan so that children can eat according to their own needs and fresh drinking water is freely available. Younger children eat snack at times to fit in with their home

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and outcomes for children

routines and to meet their individual needs.

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and outcomes for children

Staff undertake regular observations on children's individual interests, they have clearly identified the next steps in their learning. Children's learning journey records are updated regularly and children's individual interests and needs are incorporated into the weekly plans to ensure that they make progress in their learning. Plans show both adult and child-initiated activities; these are evaluated each week to ensure that the learning outcomes are achieved and include any areas identified for future learning to support children's continued progress. Children learn about the wider world and other cultures and beliefs through a range of activities throughout the year. Children develop their understanding of their environment and of living things as they observe a frog they have found in the garden. Staff extend children's knowledge effectively by providing reference books so they can help children learn more about frogs and their lifecycle.

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and outcomes for children

Staff are good role models for children and promote positive behaviour through teaching children to share and take turns. Children are encouraged to help with tidying away resources at the end of a session. Older children in the out of school club have devised their own rules and sanctions to promote positive behaviour. Children are provided with a range of tools and resources to make marks, to help develop their dexterity and pencil control. More able children are encouraged to write their own names, staff provide support depending on individual children's abilities if needed. Each room has appropriate size equipment to promote children's physical development according to the ages of the children; babies can pull themselves up and have baby walkers to develop their balance and muscle control. More mobile babies have a low-level climbing frame and slide to further extend and support their movement. Older children have bikes, cars and tunnels to use

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and outcomes for children

The nursery is in the process of establishing relationships with other settings children attend that deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage to develop ways to exchange information on children's individual learning and developing needs. Children enjoy looking at books and listening to stories read to them by staff. This develops their interest in literacy and early reading skills. Children enjoy This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 experimenting with sound as they play different musical instruments; they confidently sing songs and rhymes from memory. This helps with their language development and promotes their thinking skills. Children confidently count to 10 with support from staff; they develop their knowledge on problem solving as staff ask children how many places are at the snack table so children can calculate how many cups and plates are needed.

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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 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

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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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