Burngrave Middle School

The Oaks Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 127700 Inspection date 08/07/2010 Inspector Gillian Walley

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Setting address Hildenborough Primary School, Riding Lane, Hildenborough, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 9HY Telephone number 01732 834401 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

The Oaks Nursery opened in 1994. It operates from a mobile unit in the grounds of Hildenborough Primary School near Tonbridge, Kent. The nursery serves the local area. A maximum of 20 children aged between two and eight years may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 41 children in the early years age group on roll. This includes some children in receipt of funded nursery education. The nursery supports children who have special educational needs or disabilities and those who are learning English as an addition language. The nursery is open each weekday from 8.30am to 3.30pm during term time only. All children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. Six part-time members of staff work with the children. Four of the staff including the manager hold an appropriate early years qualification. Two members are working towards an early years qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority. It works closely

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Description of the setting

with the adjoining primary school. It is registered on the Early Years Register, and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare.

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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

All children who attend The Oaks Nursery make good progress because the club is inclusive and able to meet the needs of each child, including those who are at the early stages of learning to speak English and those who have additional learning needs. The supervisor and her team are very experienced, and they attend training courses frequently so that they can acquire further skills to help them improve the learning opportunities they provide for the children. Staff evaluate the provision frequently and identify how they can improve it further. They have a development plan with actions which will benefit the children and their families in many ways. As a result, the nursery has an outstanding capacity to improve.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure that children can never enter the kitchen area by keeping the gate closed at all times  be sure that adults know what skills they expect children to develop through specific activities so that their progress can be assessed  compare the progress of different groups of children in different areas of their learning so that the supervisor can be sure they all make consistently good progress. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

All policies and procedures are reviewed regularly and rigorous procedures ensure that the children are always safe. All staff are vetted appropriately. There are daily checks of the premises and more thorough risk assessments are carried out weekly so that any hazard which could cause an accident is identified. All staff have first aid qualifications and understand hygienic food handling. There are good procedures for times when children have accidents, need to be given medication or have allergies so that parents are always fully informed. The gate into the kitchen area is sometimes left open and a child could enter this area although adults supervise children well. The staff have excellent links with the adjoining primary school and also work closely with other local schools. For example, they use the school hall for PE lessons and the staff attend Reception induction meetings for parents. The staff work closely with the local community, making extremely good

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the early years provision

use of learning opportunities such as visiting the market and the library and hold popular family fundraising events. The supervisor and staff meet regularly to review their practice and plan improvements. They are a strong team and have attended a wide range of training to develop more expertise, for example in developing children's early literacy skills by starting to teach them phonics. The nursery has improved since the last inspection. For example, the children's snack time has been reviewed with regard to hygiene. The children spend much more time playing with the toys they choose, either in the classroom or outdoors. Adults now assess the children's learning more closely and use this information to plan the next steps in each child's learning so that all children make good progress.

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the early years provision

The nursery works exceptionally closely with parents, who feel that their children are safe, well cared for and make good progress. Parents have access to plenty of useful information, both about what is going on and the activities the children enjoy. They can see detailed records and photos of their children learning new skills and enjoying different experiences. These help parents to understand the progress their children are making. Parents' views and suggestions are valued, and parents tell the staff what their children have achieved at home so that they can extend those interests. Parents particularly like the weekly communication books for exchanging messages and sharing what the children have experienced at home. They also value informal discussions with staff and regular newsletters. The children are then encouraged to talk to their friends about their news helping them to develop their confidence and good speaking skills.

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the early years provision

The supervisor works very closely with the local authority when she needs additional support or advice about a child's needs so that these children are very well supported and make good progress. She also makes very good use of external validation to help with more effective self-evaluation. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children thoroughly enjoy the nursery. The staff encourage them to develop new skills and praise them for being polite and helpful. They ask questions and encourage the children to solve problems. Children play and share well together. The children are very well behaved because adults have high expectations of them and are good role models. Children are confident and concentrate on one activity for a long time. They choose what they want to do, and have a very wide selection of toys, including dolls, construction and puzzles. They develop their imagination by dressing up, using puppets and through role play. Good resources motivate boys such as materials for a building site. Children explore natural objects, and find out more about the world around them, for example by using magnifying glasses and binoculars. Outdoors, children learn about how plants grow by planting vegetables. They develop good physical skills by playing on climbing equipment

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and outcomes for children

and riding bikes. Children develop good creative skills through many activities painting self portraits, and seaside pictures. They develop a keen interest in music and singing because they have a weekly session led by a musician. The classroom and the garden are extremely well organised to provide a wide range of activities in a stimulating but rather limited space.

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and outcomes for children

When children start the pre-school, parents are asked for very detailed information so that the staff begin to know each child well and key workers can provide activities children will enjoy most. This helps the children to settle easily and is reassuring for their parents. Staff keep detailed records and the supervisor tracks each child's progress carefully. Staff observe them closely, although they do not always plan the specific skills each child will learn from an activity. They do not compare the progress of different groups of children in each area of learning to check they make consistently good progress. Older and more able children are challenged well, for example through learning their letters and sounds, writing and starting to read.

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and outcomes for children

The children learn to become independent by choosing when to have their snacks, putting toys away and hanging their coats on their pegs. They learn a great deal about the importance of a healthy lifestyle by talking about their healthy snacks, and they understand that they need to take regular exercise. The supervisor arranges talks for parents about healthy diets. Children learn about ways to keep themselves safe because a police officer makes frequent visits to talk to the children and every term there is a Safety Week. They understand why they need to wear sun hats in sunny weather. Children make good progress in understanding the diversity of the world around them because they talk about people of different cultures and they learn about celebrations and customs. For example, they talked about Hanukkah by looking at artefacts and pictures. 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 2 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 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 1 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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