Ashcombe Children's Centre NurseryOfsted inspection, 18 Jan 2010

Ashcombe Children's Centre Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY336518 Inspection date 18/01/2010 Inspector Denise Franklin

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Setting address Ashcombe Childrens Centre, Stepping Stone Walk, Weston- super-Mare, Avon, BS23 3NA Telephone number 01934 426807 (Nursery) 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 .

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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: 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

Ashcombe Children's Centre Nursery was opened in 2006. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is based on the site of Ashcombe Primary School, with whom it has very close links. The purpose built premises provide care and education for children from birth to five years. The reception classes, Springboard Opportunity Group - Weston share the building. Nursery accommodation consists of three separate playrooms, kitchen and dining areas, accessible toilet facilities, offices, consultation and training rooms plus space for crèche activities. There are separate, fully enclosed outside play areas. All children have access to an internal 'outside' area, suitable for all weather play. The nursery has disabled access and facilities.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered to provide care for a maximum of 60 children from birth to eight years. Currently there are 82 children, in the early years age range, on roll, of these, 61 receive funded nursery education and some two-year-olds receive funding through the local authority. The centre is open from 8.00am to 6.00pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday throughout the year and from 8.00am to 5.00pm on Fridays. Children attend for a variety of full and part-time sessions, some of which are term-time only. Crèche sessions are arranged as needed to support the additional service provided for families in the area. The children’s centre also provides health, family support and information services. The nursery supports children with additional needs and those for whom English is their second language. More than half of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications to level 2, 3 or above. The setting receives

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Description of the setting

support from an advisory teacher through the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Ashcombe Children’s Centre Nursery makes outstanding provision for its children and as a result they are consistently making at least good progress in their learning and development. The manager has built an effective team, who are effectively empowered to ensure that the children receive high quality provision at all times. The partnership with families, local school and agencies based in the centre are a key strength and are significant in making sure that the needs of the children are met and that the setting is fully inclusive. As a result of rigorous monitoring and evaluating of practice and provision all recommendations from the last report have been fully addressed. Training programmes are very well targeted to meet the needs of the staff, therefore the setting has excellent capacity to continue to improve.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 should consider:

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further?

 further develop the outside area for imaginative play and to enhance opportunities for physical development.

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the early years provision

The manager has successfully built a strong team of staff who work extremely well together to provide high quality care and provision for the children. Safeguarding procedures, including risk assessments and vetting of staff, are excellent and rigorously implemented. The internal ‘outside area’, shared with other groups in the building, is very well-managed to ensure children are supervised at all times by suitable and responsible adults.

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the early years provision

There is a clear achievable plan for self-evaluation, which involves staff, families and children. The strategies for monitoring and evaluating practice and provision are excellent and the management team have a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for further development. The action plan clearly identifies the focus for further improving the outdoor provision for imaginative play and enhancing opportunities for physical development, which are also recommended by the inspector. The manager, ably supported by her room leaders and local authority advisory teacher, has high expectations and staff morale is high. Staff are consistently striving to improve provision for the children and as a result children are achieving very well. Staff training is very focussed on improving the quality of teaching and learning, through workshops, studying for professional qualifications and modelling good practice, and this has had a very positive impact on provision.

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the early years provision

All recommendations from the previous inspection have been very successfully addressed.

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the early years provision

Staff are extremely well deployed and flexible to cater for the needs of the children. They are highly effective at ensuring children are well integrated and are skilled at identifying children with additional needs so that intervention programmes are quickly in place and their impact carefully monitored. The nursery has excellent links with other agencies, several of whom are on site, so that the children and their families have access to all the support they need. The advisory teacher is successfully leading a number of projects involving children from year six at the local school, to enhance the outdoor and internal ‘outside’ facilities for the children in the nursery and other groups using the site. This has involved the year six children in observing the young children at play and working with them to choose the best equipment to support them with imaginative play and physical development. This is an on-going project, which is beginning to have a significant

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the early years provision

Partnership with parents is outstanding. Parents appreciate the opportunity to talk both formally and informally to their child’s key worker. They feel confident that staff are willing to work with the whole family wherever possible and to guide them so that they can receive at the support they need. Parents have regular detailed curriculum information and access to their child’s learning diaries and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 scrapbooks. They meet formally with their child’s key worker to discuss their child’s progress and what their child might be doing next. The key worker system has been developed very well so that parents have a regular point of contact. Parents and carers are encouraged to attend workshops and events organised by the children’s centre and Springboard Opportunity Group who have premises on the site.

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and outcomes for children

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at nursery and are keen to participate in a wide range of activities both indoors and outside. The environment is attractive and stimulating with a high emphasis on the use of natural materials, which children enjoy using. Children are confident to ask for support and to select their own resources. For example, outside two to three year olds asked for the stilts to be passed to them, choosing the colour themselves and others requested help to swing on the tyres. In the baby room, young children selected their books for stories to be read to them. Two older children were observed organising themselves to undertake a gluing activity. They were able to select their own resources and decide what they wanted to make. Staff are skilled at developing children’s skills and knowledge and promoting independent learning. They ask open-ended questions to engage children in sustained shared thinking and to help

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and outcomes for children

them make at least good progress in their learning and development. For example three and four-year-olds enjoyed investigating light and shadows using an overhead projector, coloured paper and shapes. They were delighted to see the images they made on the walls. Relationships are excellent and children, in each room, take turns and behave extremely well. This is because adults implement positive behaviour management strategies consistently as a result of comprehensive training.

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and outcomes for children

Planning is flexible and takes account of the children’s interests and fascinations. Staff use the information from observations of the children at play to plan interesting and stimulating activities that meet their individual needs and interests. Planning is carefully reviewed regularly to ensure coverage and that there are sufficient opportunities to engage and challenge children. Consequently they consistently achieve as well as they can. Children’s progress is effectively tracked through detailed observations, samples of work and photographs. The information is summarised three times a year so parents and carers are clear about what their child can do and what they might be able to do next.

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and outcomes for children

Children have many opportunities for fresh air and exercise. As well as being able to use the outdoor spaces and the large communal area children of all ages regularly visit the local park and other local areas. They visit the woods for Forest School activities, which they greatly enjoy. A café system is used in the green and orange rooms with two to four year olds to enable children to begin to make choices and enjoy a range of healthy snacks. The children are encouraged to eat meals cooked freshly on the premises, menus having been prepared with advice from a dietician. They help to lay tables for lunch and enjoy a family dining system at meal times. This effectively promotes meal- time as a social occasion. Other This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 responsibilities undertaken by children include taking care of their rooms and preparing snacks. There is also a very high emphasis on children being responsible

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and outcomes for children

for their own learning and children’ ideas and suggestions, for the smooth running of the nursery, are always valued. There are excellent systems in place to ensure the care and safety of the children so that they feel safe at all times. In the ‘internal outside’ area the babies have their own special area, which enables them to feel safe whilst having access to the larger areas with supervision. All welfare requirements are fully in place and the nursery meets the requirements of the Childcare Register. The outstanding provision and care provided is enabling all children, including those with additional needs, to be extremely well-prepared for their future learning. 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 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 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 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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