The Abingdon Kindergarten - Long Furlong

Abingdon Kindergarten (Long Furlong) Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY318514 Inspection date 13/10/2010 Inspector Melissa Cox

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Setting address Abingdon Kindergarten, 43 Loyd Close, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 1XR Telephone number 01235 528910 Email long-furlong@btconnect.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.

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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.

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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

Abingdon Kindergarten (Long Furlong) transferred ownership in 2005 and is one of four nurseries run by Abingdon Nurseries Ltd. It operates from four main rooms, in a purpose built two-storey, air conditioned building, situated on the Long Furlong estate in north Abingdon. A maximum of 47 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The kindergarten offers full day care with sessions running from 8.15am until 5.30pm for full days. Morning sessions run from 8.15am until 12.30pm, with afternoon sessions from 1.15pm until 5.30pm. It is open five days a week, all year round and extended hours are available on request. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 76 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. Children come from a wide catchment area. The kindergarten supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who learn English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are 13 members of staff employed to work at the nursery. Of these, 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications and two are working towards a qualification. The kindergarten receives support from the local authority.

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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

The nursery is managed by a hard working team who ensure high standards of care and education. Staff confidently carry out their duties, ensuring children take part in rewarding activities. The good partnership with parents ensures that children's welfare and individual needs are well met. Children with English as an additional language receive high levels of support. Staff have implemented procedures for self-evaluation, identifying realistic areas for development. They are fully committed to continually improving the provision for all children, giving the setting an outstanding capacity to maintain continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 use information provided by parents and ongoing observations, to further identify children's starting points in their learning to ensure their individual needs, interests and learning styles are fully planned and provided for and shared with parents.  improve risk assessment procedures to include appraisals of the environments and activities to which children are being exposed This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are cared for in a safe and secure environment, which helps to protect them from harm. The security of the children is a top priority at the nursery and staff monitor who is at the front door by CCTV, questioning visitors or those they don't recognise, protecting children from intruders. Staff have a clear understanding of their responsibilities in the area of child protection and the procedures to follow should there be any concerns. There is a robust safeguarding policy in place, which is clearly understood by all staff and shared with parents. Recruitment procedures are secure and all staff have undergone the necessary Criminal Record Bureau checks to ensure their suitability. A detailed daily risk assessment is carried out to ensure that all areas of the building and garden are safe before children arrive. However, some individual activities, for example sand play, are not included in this assessment. All policies and procedures, needed for

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the early years provision

the smooth running of the setting, are well organised and maintained to a very high standard.

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the early years provision

Children are cared for in age appropriate rooms that are bright, with attractive displays of children's creative work developing their self-esteem and sense of belonging. A good range of resources are accessible to all children, and this enables them to make good choices in their play. Children's awareness of the wider community is promoted because there is a good range of multicultural toys and resources reflecting positive images of disability. Staff know families well and celebrate important occasions with them; they value children's diverse lifestyles.

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the early years provision

There are clear systems in place to gather information from parents before children start, and their developmental records are freely accessible on shelving. During the admissions procedure, a detailed discussion with the child's key worker regarding children's individual needs takes place, and the information is used to help children to settle in when they first attend. Parents are kept informed of their child's day through verbal discussions, daily diary sheets and 'Ask me about' stickers. Parent's views are valued and regular newsletters keep them well informed about new staff, topics the children are interested in, and any changes to the nursery. Questionnaires are sent home and a comments box is available, so that parent's views can be shared. The nursery works with parents and outside agencies to meet the needs of children who have additional needs. Links have been established with local primary schools to support the transition for children

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the early years provision

who leave the nursery to start full-time education.

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the early years provision

Staff are led by a strong, enthusiastic and supportive management team, who strive to improve outcomes for children. Staff are asked to evaluate the provision and share their ideas for development within the nursery. The nursery have been proactive in addressing any previous recommendations and have recently refurbished their garden area, providing children with all year access for their play and learning. Staff's regular attendance at training events also promotes better outcomes for children. The nursery demonstrates a good commitment to sustainability because they teach the children about recycling, making good use of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 these materials in their creative work.

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and outcomes for children

Children are well supported as they learn through play, and they are making very good progress in their development. Planning is flexible and child centred, and staff make good use of children's interests and stages of development to promote their learning. Assessment systems are well established and staff make regular observations of children to help them plan for children's next steps of learning. However, while staff share children's progress in learning with parent's, they do not regularly share their next steps. Children are very settled and content in nursery. An effective key person system, and good staff deployment , ensure that children are fully supported so they have time to enjoy all the rewarding experiences, activities and resources provided. They enjoy warm relationships with adults, and babies relish staff's close contact as they play together with the toys or enjoy cuddles when tired. All children at the nursery are happy and busy as they

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and outcomes for children

explore their environment. Children grow in confidence through adults' reassuring words of praise and encouragement. They eagerly engage in their play and show plenty of curiosity when exploring different textures such as sand, water and glitter.

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and outcomes for children

All children at the nursery are happy and busy as they explore their environment. Children's early literacy skills are promoted particularly well. Labelling helps children learn that print carries meaning, and staff use phonics to teach them to link sounds to letters. There are lots of opportunities for mark making and many older children are becoming confident in recognising letters from their own names. Children throughout the nursery have access to age appropriate books and staff spend time sharing stories with them. Older children take part in action and counting rhymes, and develop their understanding of numeracy and simple calculation. Children consistently count to 10, problem solve and use reasoning with confidence, in both planned activities and daily routines. Staff plan activities, such as sand and water play, painting and play dough, at set times to allow children opportunities to explore their creative development. Children are sociable,

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and outcomes for children

behave well and many have formed friendship groups. They are good at helping to tidy up and are inquisitive learners. They chat over their lunch, having purposeful conversations that demonstrate their knowledge on a range of topics.

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and outcomes for children

Children progress well in learning about healthy lifestyles. Running in the fresh air, peddling wheeled toys and learning to pass balls and negotiate obstacle courses promote their coordination and physical skills. They have opportunities to take part in active play sessions, where they learn about the importance of keeping fit and healthy and the changes that happen to their body during and after exercise. All children have free access to drinking water to promote healthy habits for the future. Children develop useful skills for their future lives when they experiment with computer games. Children have opportunities to plant sunflowers in the garden, and enjoy measuring their progress over time. 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 2 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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