Honeybear Nursery ltd

Honeybear Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY290120 Inspection date 08/06/2010 Inspector Christine Myerscough

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Setting address Honeybear Nursery (Hale), 160 Moss Lane, Hale, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA15 8AU Telephone number 0161 929 6989 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

Honeybear Nursery (Hale) opened in 2004 and is one of three privately owned nurseries. It operates from four rooms in a converted two-storey house and is situated in a residential area close to Altrincham town centre. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of Childcare Register. A maximum of 26 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 41 children aged from nine months to under five years on roll. The nursery also provides care during school holidays and on a before and after school basis to the siblings of children within the nursery, who attend Stamford Park Primary School. Children are taken to and collected from the school by nursery staff. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are nine members of staff, of whom eight hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery 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 good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are well cared for and develop a positive disposition to learning within an inclusive and friendly nursery. Staff respect the uniqueness of each child and show a strong commitment to ensuring individual needs are met, by developing good working relationships with parents. Through self-evaluation, the nursery is aware of its development needs and demonstrates a strong capacity to continuously improve. Areas for further development centre on continuing to develop partnerships with others involved in children's care in order to support children's ongoing learning and improving the accessibility of resources to extend the investigation skills of younger children.

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further?

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

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further?

 continue to promote and extend the investigation skills of babies by ensuring they have ready access to natural materials and everyday objects  continue to develop partnerships with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage by sharing information about children's ongoing learning to promote the integration of 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 nursery is well led and managed and, therefore, runs smoothly. Robust procedures for the vetting of staff ensure that children are cared for by suitable people. Record keeping is well organised and a comprehensive range of policies and procedures underpins the safe care and management of children. Effective systems are in place for safeguarding children's welfare. Staff are knowledgeable about the potential signs of abuse or neglect and have a clear understanding of the action to take. Therefore, children are protected from harm. Thorough risk assessments are undertaken to prevent potential hazards and staff complete daily safety checklists to ensure that children are cared for in a safe and secure environment. Children feel totally at ease in the nursery and move around in a confident manner. A variety of good quality toys and resources, which, in the main, are accessible to children, successfully meets their developing needs.

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the early years provision

Children are not stereotyped and boys and girls select their favourite resources and follow their particular interests.

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the early years provision

The management team works well together to motivate staff and drive improvement. Roles and responsibilities within the nursery are clearly defined and regular meetings enable staff to share good practice and review outcomes for children. There is a real sense of team spirit and staff are well supported to access training to support their ongoing professional development. Systems for self- evaluation are very effective and the nursery has an accurate view of its strengths and the areas for development. A clear action plan is in place to secure future improvement. Recommendations raised at the last inspection have been well met. For example, the nursery has now installed a ballet bar in the baby room, which enables babies to successfully pull themselves up into the standing position and practise their walking skills.

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the early years provision

An open and friendly approach with parents contributes to establishing a highly effective working partnership. The nursery actively seeks parents’ views about the service through the use of a questionnaire. Parents’ comments are very positive and they are particularly pleased with the progress their children are making. A good amount of information is shared with parents through newsletters, parents’ evenings and a daily record sheet about their child's day and welfare. Children's individual files with evidence of their work, photographs and achievements are also shared, and parents contribute their own comments. Staff liaise closely with parents to ensure that children's specific needs, such as their dietary requirements, are met. Links are established with the local school, which is also involved in the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage for children. A regular two-way flow of communication between the nursery and the school enables relevant

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the early years provision

information to be shared to ensure continuity of care. However, less emphasis is placed on sharing information about children's ongoing learning to promote the integration of education and further enhance children's progression in their development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and develop a trusting relationship with staff. Staff create a harmonious atmosphere and their cheerful manner encourages children to be good humoured and self-assured. The sharing of experiences contributes strongly to children feeling secure and successfully builds their confidence. Staff have a secure understanding of the learning and development requirements and plan a good range of activities which capture and sustain children's interest. This strongly motivates children to learn and they become active, curious and inquisitive learners and make good progress in their development. Staff divide their attention well and actively support children's learning by playing closely with them and using skilful questioning techniques to challenge their thinking. They act as good role models and know the children well because they undertake regular good quality observations of children's learning and assess their progress. Information from

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and outcomes for children

observational assessments is used to plan for the next steps in each child's learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Children express themselves freely, behave well and demonstrate good levels of concentration in everything they do. Regular praise and certificates from staff enable children to feel proud of themselves and their achievements. Children develop a strong sense of belonging in the nursery as staff respect their differing backgrounds and display a well-presented gallery of photographs of children's family members, which children enjoy gazing at. Linguistic diversity is valued through the nursery requesting that families who speak English as an additional language share some basic words in a child's home language. As a result, children quickly settle in and become confident in their language and communication skills. Children love to choose their favourite songs and eagerly take part in action rhymes, raising their arms and moving their fingers to 'Twinkle, twinkle little star'. They become excited at the arrival of the mobile library outside the nursery and

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and outcomes for children

develop an enjoyment of books through regular visits. A good range of resources is available to promote children's mathematical awareness. Children enjoy playing matching games and creating patterns, and eagerly recognise numbers on the number chart.

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and outcomes for children

Children gain a good awareness of nature through activities, such as planting seeds. Babies show absolute delight as they notice their reflections in a mirror and use their senses to explore different textures, such as pasta and custard. However, they do not always have access to natural materials and everyday objects to further extend their investigation skills. Children learn about diversity by taking part in a good range of activities linked to religious festivals. For example, during Chinese New Year, children have opportunities to try new tastes and make spring rolls. Children develop good habits and learn to act responsibly as they take their bag of paper to the local recycling centre. They confidently use electronic and programmable resources, such as a camera, calculator and computer, to support their learning, which helps them to develop skills for the future. Children exercise their bodies daily and look forward to playing in the outdoor area, where they

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and outcomes for children

balance on tyres and ride on wheeled vehicles. They particularly enjoy a fortnightly visit from a football coach and learn about the importance of keeping fit. Children This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 freely demonstrate their creativity. They spend a considerable amount of time drawing pictures and take great pride in their impressive drawings of their family. In the role play area, children use their imaginations well and boys eagerly choose their favourite outfits and dress up as superheroes.

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and outcomes for children

Children are well nourished and benefit from a balanced diet. Through topic work, they become very well informed about healthy foods and at snack time they eagerly tuck in to fresh fruit. A good range of effective practices minimises the risk of cross-infection. Children recognise their own drinking cups, which are labelled with their photographs, and they learn about the importance of good dental hygiene as they brush their teeth on a daily basis. Stories and good quality resource books help children to gain a good understanding about how to keep themselves safe. Children act sensibly, as they line up at the door before going out to play. They negotiate and climb down steps successfully and take part in regular evacuation drills to learn how to keep themselves free from harm. 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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