Tigers at Theale Day Nursery

Brightstart Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 511193 Inspection date 18/02/2010 Inspector Margaret Davie

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Setting address 16-18 Church Street, Theale, Reading, Berkshire, RG7 5BZ

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Telephone number 0118 9303000 Email misterdcs@googlemail.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 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

Brightstart Day Nursery registered in 1994. It operates from a converted property with eight rooms in the village of Theale, near Reading, Berkshire. There are two fully enclosed outdoor play areas. The nursery is open from 7.30am until 6.00pm, five days a week for 51 weeks of the year. Children come from a wide catchment area and attend for a variety of sessions. The provision is situated on two floors, with disabled access to the ground floor only.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered to care for a maximum of 64 children at any one time, with all places available to children in the early years age group. It currently cares for 74 children aged from six months to four years. It is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as children who speak English as an additional language. It is in receipt of funding to provide early education for children aged three and four.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs 28 staff of whom five are on either maternity or paternity leave. Of these 22 hold an appropriate early years qualification; five of which are above level three. Additionally, 10 staff are working towards an initial or further qualification. Of these, one is currently undertaking a foundation degree and one is working towards early years professional status. All qualified staff hold a first aid qualification and there is a full time cook. The nursery provides placements for seven childcare students who are studying towards national vocational qualifications. The setting receives support from their local authority. The nursery has an Investors in People award and gained an excellent food safety rating from the local authority in 2007.

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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 good progress toward the early learning goals. Very well established partnerships with parents ensure children's needs are well known and there is consistency in their welfare and learning. All required policies are in place for the safe management of the setting and care is well organised to make the best use of most of the premises. Effective self-evaluation of the provision is conducted and considerable improvements have been implemented since the time of the last inspection.

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further?

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

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further?

 make better use of the outdoor play areas to promote all aspects of children's development  continue to develop the assessment arrangements to ensure children's This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 progress is tracked over time to identify any gaps in their learning.

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the early years provision

Effective procedures and policies are in place to safeguard children while at the nursery. A clear understanding of safeguarding issues amongst staff, along with regular training, ensures children are safe and secure. Rigorous recruitment procedures are implemented to ensure staff are suitable and that any who are awaiting background checks only work with children under supervision. Risk assessments are completed for all aspects of the premises as well as for outings to promote children's safety. The premises are secure, and well established routines are in place to monitor access and keep a record of any visitors. Sound hygiene practices are implemented and the nursery is clean and well maintained.

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the early years provision

The new management team is highly committed to providing high quality care for children. They have conducted an effective self-evaluation of the nursery provision. All recommendations made at the last inspection have been successfully addressed. For example, children's access to books and numbers has improved as has their access to hand-washing facilities. Robust evaluation of the provision is undertaken through the 'nursery focus' development plan with the aim of continually driving improvements forward. The nursery also works effectively in partnership with the local authority to improve provision. For example, they have recently been involved in a project to improve parents' engagement and involvement in their children's learning and development. This has resulted in staff having a fuller picture of children's individual needs and interests and has impacted positively on their learning and development.

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the early years provision

The manager and deputy are hands-on and visible members of the team. Children know them well and confidently approach and interact with them. There is a strong commitment to promoting equality and diversity within the nursery. Staff work with parents to gain information about children's starting points. Parents are encouraged to continually share information about children's home life and outside interests so that these can be taken account of when planning, however records indicate there is variation in how effectively this is done across the setting. Daily written and verbal feedback, freely accessible progress files and parents' evenings keep parents well informed. Policies and procedures are shared with all families to promote their full inclusion. In response to a suggestion from parents an email system has recently been set up to improve communications further. Parents are invited to a wide range of nursery events such as the 'stay and play' days which

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the early years provision

give them a real feel about what a day at the nursery is like for their child. Verbal and written feedback from parents indicates they are very pleased with the care provided.

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the early years provision

The nursery is well organised to make the best use of the available indoor space to ensure children have as much space as possible to play. For example, the office has recently been moved and this area is now used as a sensory room where children can relax and chill out. However, staff do not use the outdoor play areas as effectively as possible to promote children's development in all areas of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 learning. None of the children currently attend other early years settings, however, the staff have a clear understanding of the benefits to children of working in close partnership with other providers.

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and outcomes for children

Children throughout the nursery are happy and very well settled. They are well supported by the kind and caring staff. Each child is assigned a key person who is familiar with their individual needs and effectively provides emotional support. Children receive lots of praise and encouragement from staff and good adult ratios ensure that they are well supervised at all times. Children behave well, benefiting from the calm atmosphere and very good role models provided by all staff. They are polite and form firm friendships with their peers. For example, two older children playing on the computer amicably self-regulate turn taking, using the large timer. Children gain an understanding of the needs of others as they play with resources which depict diversity. They view many positive displays of people from different cultures around the setting and celebrate a variety of festivals to promote their understanding of the wider world.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop good communication skills as staff spend their time actively engaged in playing with them. For example, a baby is acknowledged and responded to as it babbles happily while playing with a toy. The child's learning is extended as staff hold up and name the colours of each of the rings before the baby stacks them. Children throughout the nursery enjoy exploring the books and listen carefully as staff read stories with a good deal of animation to capture their interest. Labelled resources help them develop their early reading skills and staff support their listening and speaking skills well, for example, as they encourage them to talk about the pictures they see in the books.

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and outcomes for children

Children show an interest in the world around them as they explore the various resources and activities. Young children gain an understanding of simple technology as they play with toys which make sounds or have buttons to press, while older children use the computer to enhance their skills. Children problem solve as they figure out how to make a big track for the train and explore textures imaginatively in their play. For example, children are encouraged to touch, smell and play with the tray of oats. Older children learn to predict outcomes as they are encouraged to think about what will happen as they add greater amounts of cornflour to a mixture. Children develop their creativity as they use a variety of materials such as paint and play dough to express their ideas. They happily sing nursery songs as they wait for their lunch to be served. Staff encourage children to develop their counting skills as they play, for example, by counting a number of

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and outcomes for children

toys or the number of rockets in a story. Staff support children well, extending their thinking through discussion. For example, as children proudly show off their drawings, they are encouraged to recognise and name various shapes to extend their learning. Experiences provided prepare children well for the future.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy regular access to the outdoor environment. They have regular access to two outdoor play areas and go on outings in the locality. For example, on This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the day of the inspection the babies were taken for a walk in the village. However, staff do not always make the best use of the two outdoor play spaces to ensure children access all areas of learning. On the day of the inspection, although a member of staff led a highly popular game of 'going on a bear hunt' there were few resources, other than those provided to promote physical development. Staff observe and assess children's progress toward the early learning goals regularly in order to plan for their next steps. Changes which have been introduced to the planning system ensure that staff take account of children's individual interests. All staff work well together to ensure children's individual needs are catered for. The

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and outcomes for children

tracking of children's progress over time is not yet firmly established throughout the nursery to ensure any gaps in their learning are identified.

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and outcomes for children

Children gain an understanding about healthy lifestyles such as washing their hands regularly to prevent the spread of germs. They enjoy freshly prepared, wholesome meals and snacks and have easy access to drinks at all times. Staff work closely with parents to ensure they are aware of each child's dietary and health needs. Babies' individual routines are met, ensuring they eat and rest when they need to and they enjoy being cuddled by staff as they wake up from a nap. Children learn about staying safe through discussion and visits from the emergency services such as the police and fire service. They regularly practise fire drills to make sure they know what to do in an emergency. A low handrail promotes children's safety as they climb the stairs to access the first floor rooms. 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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