The Cedars Nursery Sunderland

Cedars Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 318589 Inspection date 13/04/2010 Inspector Cathryn Parry

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Setting address 6 The Cedars, Ashbrooke, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR2 7TW Telephone number 0191 5652549 Email sunderland@cedarsnursery.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 .

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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

The Cedars Nursery is one of two privately owned provisions, run by Cedars Nursery Company. It was registered in 1996 and operates from a large three storey semi-detached Victorian house, situated in a residential area of Ashbrooke in Sunderland. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered to care for a maximum of 81 children under eight years at any one time, all of whom may be in the early years age range. There are currently 73 children attending in this age group. The nursery is also registered to care for children aged over five to 11 years. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

There are nine permanent members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The setting has successfully completed a quality assurance scheme and provides funded early education for three- and four- year-olds.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The staff offer a warm and friendly welcome to all children and their parents. They demonstrate a positive attitude to providing an inclusive environment. The range of activities available ensure there are opportunities for children to make progress, with most areas of learning being well-resourced. Systems for planning these experiences and monitoring the children's progress are being developed, as are links with other practitioners. Resources in some of the playrooms are better organised than in others. The setting links with early years professionals from the local authority to ensure continuous improvement is satisfactorily maintained.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the planning of activities and systems for monitoring children's progress  develop an environment that is rich in print, particularly with regard to labelling, and ensure it is organised appropriately to encourage children's independence in selecting and carrying out activities  develop further systems to ensure continuity and coherence by sharing relevant information with other practitioners where a child receives education and care in more than one setting  further develop opportunities for all children to use information and communication technology to support their learning. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff have attended relevant safeguarding training and demonstrate a sound understanding of the associated issues. Consequently, the children are well protected. Effective risk assessments take place on a daily basis for the premises and any outings undertaken. This significantly reduces the chance of accidental injury. A robust recruitment procedure ensures staff who are suitably vetted are employed, in order to safeguard the children. The management team ensure staff have ample opportunities to attend training to further their professional development. Low-level storage units are in place; however, in some of the play rooms the resources within them are not well-organised or effectively labelled. This impacts negatively on encouraging the children's independence and enabling them to make informed choices.

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the early years provision

Parents are spoken to on a daily basis to ensure they are informed of the activities their children have enjoyed. This is complemented with written diary sheets and regular coffee mornings. Consequently, parents can continue their children's learning at home through highlighted activities. Staff have liaised with other professionals to meet children's individual needs in the past, for example with a speech therapist. Strong links with other practitioners where children receive care and education in more than one setting have not been clearly established. This impacts negatively on continuity and cohesion.

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the early years provision

Systems for evaluating the learning and development opportunities provided are evolving. Regular management and team meetings take place to discuss different aspects within the nursery and cascade information gained at different training sessions. The recommendations raised at the previous inspection have started to be addressed, which has a positive impact on the quality of the care and education provided.

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and outcomes for children

Some staff demonstrate a better understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage than others. The children behave well and are beginning to understand the consequences of unacceptable behaviour to others. The staff have suitable strategies in place for managing behaviour, which are appropriate to the children's ages and stages of development. The children benefit from a flexible routine, including a balance of child-centred and adult-led activities. The staff’s appropriate approach to equal opportunities contributes to the children’s positive attitudes to the wider community. This is complemented with access to a selection of related resources. A lovely range of books are available for children to enjoy independently and with others. They show an awareness of shape as they complete puzzles and use various shape sorting resources. Older children have daily opportunities to use information and communication technology to support their learning, including

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and outcomes for children

accessing a computer; however, younger children do not have a range of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 resources to encourage their skills in this area. The children enjoy using their imagination as they make a large cardboard box into a cave and pretend to feed the teddy. A variety of creative activities, including dancing, manipulating play dough and clay, and exploring paint with their hands, promote the children's self- expression while having fun. Staff plan activities on a daily basis for their individual rooms. They have started to create developmental files for the children. However, these are not consistently completed, which makes it difficult to monitor their progress towards the early learning goals, to effectively inform future planning.

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and outcomes for children

The children are welcomed into a clean and well-kept premises where they have ample space to play. They are safeguarded well as the premises are secure at all times. This is supplemented with effective procedures for adults to collect children. All safety equipment is in place reducing the risk of accidents. The children are able to explore safely using well-maintained resources. These are bought from reputable suppliers and are suitable for the ages and stages of development of the children attending. They are able to rest and sleep according to their individual needs and have regular opportunities to take part in large physical play activities. The outdoor play area is currently being refurbished; both the management team and the staff have tried hard to make alternative arrangements for the children to enjoy time in the fresh air while the work is undertaken. Examples of this are include arranging visits to the park and purchasing extra double buggies for the

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and outcomes for children

babies to be able to go on walks in the local area. Children do not attend if they are sick, which enables staff to protect others from illness. The children are learning about the importance of good personal hygiene and are becoming increasingly independent in their personal care. They brush their teeth after lunch and are usually encouraged to wash their hands before eating. The children enjoy healthy snacks and meals, including fresh fruit, pasta dishes, vegetarian chilli and yogurts. All relevant documentation with regard to health, including specific dietary needs and consent forms are in place and up-to-date. These positively safeguard the children’s well-being. 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 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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