Blackberry House Day Nursery (Wisbech)

Blackberry House Day Nursery (Wisbech) Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY407372 Inspection date 05/10/2010 Inspector Anna Davies

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Setting address 255, Norwich Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE13 3UT

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Telephone number 01945428747 Email info@blackberrieskids.com 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

Blackberry House Day Nursery was registered in 2010 and is privately owned and managed. It operates from a converted building in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. Children have access to enclosed outdoor play areas. The nursery opens each weekday from 7am until 7pm for 51 weeks of the year.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early years Register. A maximum of 58 children may attend the nursery at any one time and there are currently 92 children on roll. Of these, 82 are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The provision is also registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates an out of school club between the hours of 7am and 8.30am and then between 3pm until 6pm each afternoon. A holiday club operates during school holidays between the hours of 9am and 3pm. The nursery supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are 18 members of staff including the proprietor, 16 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least National Vocational Qualification Level 2. Two of these staff members hold Early Years Degrees. Two staff are working towards recognised qualifications. A housekeeper and assistant housekeeper are also employed. The nursery provides funded early education for two, 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

Staff have established good systems and skills for observing and assessing children's progress towards the early learning goals and planning for their future learning. This together with the provision of stimulating indoor and outdoor learning environments, toys and resources, ensures that children make good progress in their learning overall. Good partnership working with parents and carers ensures that the staff know the children well and are able to effectively respect and meet their individual needs.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The nursery is very positively led by the proprietor who together with a committed staff team, constantly strive to develop the provision to benefit all families and children in the local area. There is a very positive approach to self-evaluation and effective procedures are in place to support the continuous review and evaluation of the provision. As a result, in the short space of time since registration, the nursery has been able to develop a very good standard of care and education.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the systems of planning, this relates to ensuring that children's next steps of learning are clearly illustrated so that activities provide highly individualised learning opportunities  implement an effective system that provides a two-way flow of information with other providers who deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage  consider ways to enable parents ongoing opportunities to contribute what they know about their children to assessment records.

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the early years provision

Staff are fully aware of their responsibilities to safeguard children. There is a robust safeguarding policy in place, which is clearly understood and shared with parents. Recruitment procedures are secure and all staff have undergone the necessary checks to ensure their suitability or are in the process of doing so. Staff are well qualified as a team and appropriately deployed within each age group of children. They share the proprietor's vision for the future of the nursery and their views are valued and respected in terms of evaluations of their practice and their contribution of ideas to continue to move the nursery forwards. Children play in a safe and secure environment, due to staff's thorough understanding of assessing risks in the children's surroundings, both inside and outside. For example, an intercom system operates on the front door enabling staff to verify visitor's identification before allowing entry to areas where children play. Also, internal

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the early years provision

doors to areas such as the kitchen or upstairs are kept locked so that children cannot access these areas unsupervised. Written risk assessments are well- maintained for all the rooms, outdoor environments and for outings such as the collection of school children in the new nursery vehicle. Children begin to learn about keeping themselves safe through taking supervised risks such as climbing on challenging apparatus and moving logs around in the garden to support their play ideas where staff remind them how to do so safely. Comprehensive policies and procedures underpin the good practice at the setting and these are implemented effectively by staff.

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the early years provision

The nursery is well resourced, bright, welcoming and well laid out with rooms for each age range as well as separate facilities for older children using the out of school club facilities. Stimulating outdoor environments are regularly used by all aged children, each age range having their own separate area. Resources are organised well both indoors and outdoors to support children's learning in all areas. There is easy access to toys and resources arranged at a low level to encourage independent play. Children's work and photographs adorn the walls which ensures that they feel valued and a strong sense of belonging. Children are well cared for in a fully inclusive setting where staff know the children well and fully respect their individual needs. For example, an international nursery nurse is employed who provides good support for children and parents who speak Polish.

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the early years provision

Staff have developed good relationships with parents. Notice boards, newsletters and a wealth of displays about activities children have enjoyed, help to keep This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 parents up- to-date. A good range of information is obtained from parents about their children's individual care needs, interests and development prior to starting, which helps children to settle. Regular communication, both verbally and through daily written information sheets and diaries, ensures parents receive a clear account of their child's day and of the progress they are making. The nursery has formed a partnership with the local school to ensure the smooth transition of children into school at the beginning of the academic year. The nursery cares for some children who attend more than one setting and some children who are in the Reception year of local schools. However, whilst the proprietor is aware of the

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the early years provision

need to build on-going partnerships with these settings to ensure consistent care and learning experiences between different settings, these have yet to be established.

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the early years provision

There is a good commitment from all staff to attend training on a regular basis in order to consistently update their learning and skills. The proprietor has a clear vision which is shared by her staff team and whilst realistic, they have a good understanding of the settings strengths and areas for improvement. Together they are highly committed to providing the best quality provision and outcomes for children and their families. This nursery already offers a good standard of care and education and continually evaluates and looks to further improve practice, procedures and systems. All staff are involved in this process which gives them a sense of ownership as the setting continues to move forwards.

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and outcomes for children

Staff are attentive to children's needs. They demonstrate that they have a good understanding of how children learn. For example, they ask open ended questions, such as,'Where is Thomas going?'to make children think and to develop their communication skills. They encourage active participation as they allow children to hold the book and turn the pages as they read together. This promotes their enjoyment and encourages active learning. Staff use spontaneous learning opportunities effectively such as sweeping the leaves in the outdoor area where children look at the leaves, discuss the changing seasons and gaze up at the large trees in the garden, watching the leaves as they fall off. This develops their knowledge and understanding of the world.

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and outcomes for children

Established planning and assessment systems are in place. Staff gather a variety of evidence to demonstrate the good progress children are making. However, there are few on-going opportunities for parents to contribute what they know about their child in order to further enhance assessment procedures. Staff regularly observe children and identify their next steps of learning as well as complete summative assessments of children's progress. Planning and evidence displayed around the setting shows that all groups of children, including the youngest children in the out of school club, are offered a wide range of activities and experiences across all of the areas of learning. However, the planning for activities does not detail children's next steps which leads to some missed opportunities during activities to promote individual learning. Children with learning difficulties This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

and/or disabilities are well supported and the staff work with outside agencies as necessary in order to support children's needs effectively.

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and outcomes for children

Children's independence is growing as they serve themselves food, use the bathroom facilities independently and make choices about what they wish to play with. They are encouraged to work together as they spontaneously sing, 'This is the way we tidy up', as they help each other to clear away. Older children initiate conversation with adults, for example, telling them how they use their feet to steer and move their tricycle. Staff working with babies speak clearly to them and talk to them about what they are doing. Staff have learnt key words in Polish and use these, for example, to greet children so that they begin to learn and hear different languages in the diverse society in which they live. The nursery is participating in the, 'Every Child A Talker' scheme and staff are beginning to assess children's speech and language and provide key activities to further promote this development. Children are beginning to confidently use size language, for

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and outcomes for children

example, as they describe the 'very big tree' and talk about the 'big crash' their toy train has just had. Babies develop problem solving skills as they use pop-up toys. All children benefit from the stimulating outdoor environment. Toddlers collect leaves, one commenting, 'the leaves wobble in the wind' and a visiting frog to the garden provides the starting point for activities such as leaping like a frog and looking at their life cycle. Children enjoy growing and taking care of their beans as they try to grow a beanstalk similar to the Jack and the Beanstalk story they have read. Babies develop their curiosity and exploration skills as they investigate the different materials and items in treasure baskets. All of these simple activities lay the foundations to support the children's future economic well-being.

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and outcomes for children

Children s physical skills are well promoted. Toddlers enjoy movement sessions, ably touching their toes and wiggling their bodies. Older children enjoy weekly physical education sessions with an outside visitor and this is extended to children using the out of school club too. Babies are given opportunities to develop their creativity and sensory skills. For example, they sit in a tray with paper and paint, using their fingers and whole bodies to explore. Role play resources are good and children enjoy developing their ideas. For example, they create a wig-wam in the garden.

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and outcomes for children

Children's welfare is supported well. Nine staff have current first aid qualifications which ensures that they are able to deal with injuries effectively. Accident records are accurately maintained to ensure that relevant information can be shared with parents. These are evaluated to ensure that any reoccurring injuries on particular pieces of equipment or in particular areas are identified. Meal and snack times enable children to share a social experience with each other and staff, with a choice of packed lunches brought from home or nutritious well-balanced home cooked meals prepared by the house keeper. There is a clear healthy eating policy in place and children and parents are supported in making healthy choices. There are clear systems in place to ensure that those children with specific dietary requirements are well supported. Drinks are available at all times to ensure children remain hydrated. Children are cared for in a clean and hygienic

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and outcomes for children

environment. For example, the use of shoe covers are encouraged in the baby room to ensure that areas where the youngest children crawl and lie, remain clean. Behaviour across the nursery is good. Staff encourage the children to work This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 together towards common goals such as tidying up or building towers and are given praise for achieving this. Some behaviour management strategies are being piloted in the pre-school room such as a sticker reward chart and a bell to encourage children to listen to the next instruction. 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 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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