Hollins Wood Childcare

Hollins Wood Childcare Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY395123 Inspection date 29/01/2010 Inspector Christine Myerscough

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Setting address Hollins Lane, Marple Bridge, Stockport, Cheshire, SK6 5BB

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Telephone number 01614498800 Email admin@hollinswoodchildcare.co.uk 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

Hollins Wood Childcare opened in 2009 and is run by Hollins Wood Limited. It operates from a single storey building, that was previously occupied by St Catherine’s School. Children have access to six playrooms and there is a separate gym and dining area. There are two fully enclosed outdoor play areas for outside play. The setting is situated in a residential area, in the Marple Bridge district of Stockport. It is open each weekday from 7.45am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of Childcare Register. A maximum of 139 children may attend the setting at any one time. There are currently 135 children, aged from seven months to 10 years old on roll. There are 21 members of staff, 14 of whom hold early years qualifications and six members of staff are working towards a qualification. The setting also provides care during school holidays and a before and after school basis. Pre-school and after school collections are available from Ludworth, St Mary's and Mellor Primary Schools.

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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 are very happy, self-assured and confident, within a welcoming and child- friendly setting. They thrive because staff successfully support their learning and promote their health, safety and welfare effectively, which ensures they feel well cared for. Staff respect the uniqueness of each child and show a commitment to ensuring individual needs are met, by developing good working relationships with parents. Through self-evaluation, the setting is fully aware of its development needs. It is committed to practising regular evacuation drills, developing assessment systems, improving partnerships with others involved in children's care and inviting parents to contribute to the observations of their children's learning.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure steps are taken to further promote children's safety, by practising regular evacuation drills with children  undertake systematic assessments of each child's learning and use this information to fully plan for the next stages in their development  build on existing good practice, by inviting parents to contribute to the ongoing observations of their children's learning and continue to develop partnerships with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage, to promote the integration of care and education. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The setting is very well led and managed, therefore, runs smoothly. Rigorous vetting procedures are adhered to, ensuring the suitability of staff. Children's safety is further supported, as staff have a secure understanding of how to follow comprehensive safeguarding procedures, which enables them to protect children from harm. Record keeping is well-organised and an extensive range of policies and procedures underpins the safe care and management of children. All staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities and deploy themselves effectively, to ensure children are well supervised. Robust systems for carrying out risk assessments are in place and children feel at ease, in safe and secure surroundings. The play rooms and corridors are bright and inviting, with children's work and photographs on display. Children make good use of the space and the well-organised layout enables them to initiate and extend their own play. A wide

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the early years provision

range of good quality resources successfully meet children's developing needs and children gain pleasure from independently selecting their favourite toys.

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the early years provision

The leadership and management demonstrate a strong commitment towards continual improvement, to further enhance the quality of care and education. Staff are encouraged and supported to attend ongoing training, to extend their knowledge and skills. Good links are established with a local authority advisory teacher who offers regular advice and guidance to staff. Systems for self- evaluation and monitoring the practice are effective. As a result, the setting is able to clearly and accurately identify their strengths and areas for improvement, to support the continuous development of their service.

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the early years provision

An open and friendly approach with parents contributes to establishing a highly effective working partnership. Parents complete an 'introducing myself sheet', which provides staff with essential information about how to meet children's specific needs, such as, their individual dietary requirements. Newsletters and a daily diary about a child's well-being ensure effective communication is maintained, to promote consistency of care for children. Parents' evenings provide an opportunity to discuss children's achievements. Although, parents are not invited to contribute to the ongoing observations of their children's learning. Parents speak highly of the setting and their testimonials are available to view. Their feedback about the service is actively sought, using questionnaires and the management monitor responses carefully. The setting is beginning to develop links with other providers, who are also involved in children's learning. However, these

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the early years provision

links are not yet fully secure, to promote the integration of care and education.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy a warm and supportive relationship with staff, which promotes their emotional well-being. Staff create a harmonious atmosphere and their enthusiastic and cheerful manner encourages children to be good humoured. The sharing of experiences contributes strongly to children feeling secure and successfully builds This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 confidence and trust. Children thoroughly enjoy their play and develop a positive disposition to learning, because a good range of stimulating activities captures their interest and imagination. They become active, curious and inquisitive learners and make good progress in their overall development. Staff are developing new systems for observing and assessing children's achievements and learning styles. Although, assessment is not yet systematic, to fully plan for the next steps in each child's learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very well behaved and develop good levels of self-esteem, in response to frequent praise from staff. They co-operate well, as they complete a complex floor puzzle together and eagerly demonstrate their skills to others. Young children benefit from a wide range of sensory experiences. They develop a keen interest to explore and spend a considerable amount of time playing with sand in the sand tray. Babies listen intently to the sound of a triangle and show absolute delight as they look at their reflection in mirrors. They investigate everyday objects made of different textured materials in their treasure baskets and show surprise as they smell bags of cinnamon sticks. Staff play closely with children and good quality interactions effectively promote children's language and understanding. As a result, children become confident communicators and express their feelings and wishes. They eagerly recognise their name on their name card and are beginning to

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and outcomes for children

successfully link sounds to letters. Mathematical awareness is well-promoted. Through topic work, children learn the names of different shapes and enjoy counting activities and recognising numbers.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop a strong awareness of their local community, as they visit the shops, post office and many parks. Through taking part in activities to celebrate festivals, they learn about diversity and the wider world. Children have good access to electronic and programmable resources to support their learning, which helps them to develop skills for the future. They understand how to operate a camera and enjoy playing on the computer. Good emphasis is placed on promoting a healthy lifestyle and children enjoy plenty of exercise. They are taken out in all weather and wear Wellington boots and waterproof suits, to protect them from the elements. Organised games produce plenty of excitement. Children squeal with delight, as they enthusiastically run under a parachute and eagerly practise new skills using a bat and ball. An indoor gym is popular with children and they confidently balance on beams and scramble through a play tunnel. Children

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and outcomes for children

express their creativity, as they use recycled materials during craft activities and show fascination as they paint on cling film. They confidently dress up in a range of costumes and enjoy making cakes.

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and outcomes for children

Children are well-nourished and willingly try new tastes at meal times. They enjoy organic fresh fruit and help themselves to water from the water machines. A good range of practices prevent the risk of cross infection. Staff wear disposable gloves and aprons when nappy changing and good levels of cleanliness are maintained across the building. Children learn how to manage their own health and hygiene. They independently brush their teeth and use an electronic timer, to ensure they spend a sufficient amount of time washing germs from their hands. Children demonstrate a good awareness about how to keep themselves safe. They line up sensibly at the door before going out to play and a planned visit from community police officers helps them to learn about stranger danger. On outings, children This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 wear a high visibility vest, which enable them to be easily seen by motorists. Staff

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and outcomes for children

have undergone fire safety training and there are evacuation cots to transport babies out of the building safely. However, children do not take part in regular evacuation drills, to enable them to become familiar with emergency procedures. 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 3 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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