The Oxford Nursery Eynsham

The Oxford Nursery Eynsham Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 403347 Inspection date 07/10/2010 Inspector Gill Little

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Setting address 49 Witney Road, Eynsham, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX29 4PL

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Telephone number 01865 884468 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 assesses 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.

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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

Acacia Care and Education Day Nursery opened in November 2001 and is managed by a private limited company. It is one of four nurseries operating as The Oxford Nursery. The nursery is located in the village of Eynsham in rural Oxfordshire and the intake of children is from a wide area. The nursery operates from several rooms in a house located over two floors and there is an enclosed garden for outdoor play.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered to care for a maximum of 40 children under eight at any one time, all of whom may be in the early years age range. The nursery currently cares for 20 children in the early years age range. The nursery is registered on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register to care for children over five years. There are currently no children on roll in this age range. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery opens on weekdays, from 7.30 am to 6 pm, all year round. It is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs eight staff to work with the children and also utilises supply staff from its sister nurseries. Of the eight staff, seven hold relevant qualifications. Senior staff within the company hold Early Years Professional Status and support staff within the nursery. One member of staff is working towards a qualification.

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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 able to make good progress in their learning and development in this safe, supportive and very friendly environment. Staff recognise the uniqueness of each child and support their individual needs effectively. They develop good partnerships with parents and have some systems in place to link with other settings which children attend. There is a strong commitment to continuous improvement. Good progress has been made since the last inspection and self- evaluation procedures are rigorous. Staff correctly identify the development of the outdoor play area as the most significant aspect for improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve outdoor play opportunities to reflect all six areas of learning  develop procedures to share relevant information with other settings which children attend. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding children procedures and all have attended recent training. They have easy access to published guidance and the nursery's policy if they have concerns. Almost all staff have appropriate background checks and those with checks in progress are appropriately supervised. Effective recruitment and induction procedures ensure that staff are suitable to care for children and have good support from senior colleagues. There is a high ratio of qualified staff which has a positive impact on children. In addition, all staff hold first aid and food hygiene certificates which contribute to effective health and safety procedures. The premises is safe and secure. Staff carry out daily risk assessments and supervise children well to keep them safe at all times. Clear procedures are in place regarding food storage and nappy changing and this helps to keep the nursery clean and hygienic. A wide range of effective policies and procedures,

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the early years provision

together with well maintained records, ensure the safe and efficient management of the nursery. The indoor environment is welcoming with a range of easily accessible resources to support the six areas of learning for each age group. Children learn to care for their environment by helping to tidy up and learning about recycling. They have frequent access to the outdoor play area but this is less welcoming as it is heavily shaded and muddy. Outdoor activities focus mainly on physical development. Staff are very aware of the limitations of the outdoor space and have secured a grant to make significant improvements. Staff actively promote equality and diversity. They meet children's individual needs well and develop positive partnerships with parents. They ensure they have good information about children's individual needs and routines when they first start in the nursery. They keep parents well informed about their children's progress

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the early years provision

through ongoing written records, daily discussions and parent evenings. They are respectful of parents' expectations and work well together, for example, to effectively support children who speak English as an additional language. They encourage parents to feel part of the nursery by providing social events, such as barbecues and coffee mornings, and through weekly updates and monthly newsletters. They actively encourage parents to contribute to the self-evaluation process through annual questionnaires and ongoing feedback. Staff develop some partnerships with other settings, such as welcoming school teachers into the nursery and sharing children's records to support the transition to school process. They are developing good links with the local community but are not yet effectively sharing information with other settings which children currently attend. This has some limitations in ensuring continuity in children's learning and

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the early years provision

development. Self-evaluation processes are rigorous, accurate and realistic, and effectively help staff to continuously improve outcomes for children. All staff, together with parents and children, have good opportunities to offer their ideas and suggestions for further development. Staff effectively build on the strengths of the nursery and tackle areas of weakness systematically. There is good support from management, including managers with Early Years Professional Status, and this contributes to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 high staff morale.

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and outcomes for children

Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in the nursery. There is a welcoming, family atmosphere as staff bring all age groups together when there are small numbers of children attending. Children receive lots of praise and encouragement from staff for their small efforts on a day-to-day basis and this helps to achieve good levels of self-esteem. Children behave well and show respect for each other. They have good opportunities to learn about people from different backgrounds. For example, they celebrate different festivals, listen to music from around the world and to a story in a different language read by a parent. Children have good opportunities to make choices and to develop skills for independence. For example, they help to pour drinks and cut fruit at snack time, and they are able to choose to play indoors or in the garden. Children have good opportunities to learn how to keep themselves safe. Older

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and outcomes for children

children help to shut stair gates, mop up spills and clear away toys. Younger children learn to go down the stairs on their bottoms and staff ensure that resources are age-appropriate when they are playing in mixed age groups. Children also show a good awareness about a healthy lifestyle. They enjoy frequent access to the outdoor play area and adjacent public playground in all weather's and throughout the year. Additional classes, such as yoga, toddler salsa and specialist physical education classes, extend opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. There is a strong emphasis on healthy eating and the nursery provides nutritious meals, such as lasagne and vegetables, together with healthy snacks, such as fruit and breadsticks. Children learn about nutrition through discussion during mealtimes and referring to the 'Eat Well' display in the dining area. They adopt good hygiene procedures and staff supervise them well

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and outcomes for children

while they are washing their hands, encouraging them to use soap, rub their hands together and dry them carefully. Children enjoy learning about the world around them. They show excitement when playing with a water tray and boats, and learn about new concepts and vocabulary with staff support. For example, they explore which is the fastest boat and how to make waves. They benefit from staff's attention to their individual needs, such as providing the water tray on the floor for younger children so that it is easily accessible, or reading a story to an older child. Younger children enjoy playing with the play kitchen and accessories and engage in this activity for a sustained period of time. They learn that resources can be used in different ways, such as rolling a tin or banging it to make a noise. All children join in with an enthusiastic singing session which staff extend effectively to include musical instruments. Children have

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and outcomes for children

routine opportunities to learn about number and problem solving through everyday experiences. For example, they learn to count, balance bricks and compare different sizes. Children enjoy exploring the garden, making mud pies and looking for ladybirds and spiders. They show excitement when they see pigeons on the roof and helicopters flying overhead, and staff encourage their discussions to extend their learning. However, the play equipment in the garden focuses mainly on physical This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 development and therefore limits opportunities for children to develop other skills outdoors. Staff make regular observations of individual children's progress in all six areas of learning. They keep a fortnightly record of these together with ideas for next steps. This provides a very useful, ongoing overview of children's development which staff share with parents. Staff are developing confidence in using this

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and outcomes for children

information to plan further activities in order to build on what children know and can do. 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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Early Years Foundation Stage

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 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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