Apple Tree Nursery

Appletree Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY311880 Inspection date 19/11/2010 Inspector Sarah Warboys

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Setting address Priestley CP School, Prince Charles Drive, Calne, Wiltshire, SN11 8TG Telephone number 01249 819082 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

Appletree Nursery has been registered since July 2005. It operates within Calne Children’s Centre in the grounds of Priestly School in Calne. The nursery is registered by Ofsted to care for 47 children from three months to 8 years and currently provides before and after school care. There are currently 126 children on roll, including 41 funded two to four-year-olds. The nursery opens between the hours of 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday, 51 weeks a year.

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Description of the setting

Twelve staff, including the owner, work with the children. All the staff are suitably qualified and all but one hold a minimum Level 3 childcare qualification. The owner (B.Ed. Hons) also has Early Years Professional Status. The setting supports children with special educational needs and disabilities and those for whom English is an additional language.

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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 enjoy coming to Appletree Nursery because they are fully included in an interesting variety of activities. They make good progress because the staff meet their individual needs exceptionally well. Partnerships with other agencies and engagement with parents and carers are outstanding and these help children to feel valued and extremely well cared for. The owner and staff work well together and have a good knowledge of the nursery's strengths and areas for development. They have a good capacity for continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 build on existing excellent relationships with parents/carers to engage them still further in being able to support their children's developing communication skills through the Government's 'Every Child a Talker' initiative  further develop opportunities for children to enhance their thinking skills.

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the early years provision

Staff have an excellent awareness of safeguarding and child protection. There are robust systems for site security, risk assessments and for ensuring staff receive up- to-date, relevant training. Rigorous staff recruitment and vetting procedures are in place to check the suitability of staff and adults working with children. Policies and procedures are comprehensive and this means that all adults who care for children clearly understand their roles and responsibilities with regard to keeping children safe. Children are well-supervised both indoors and outdoors to ensure their This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 safety. The Nursery is exceedingly responsive to safeguarding issues and acts swiftly to address any concerns raised. Fire drills are practised regularly so that children and staff become familiar with these routines. The Nursery is well-suited to its purpose, and has a fully enclosed outdoor area with the benefit of shade

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the early years provision

sails. The garden has both hard and grassed areas and is home to four chickens, two guinea pigs and a rabbit. Staff and children make effective use of a wide range of resources both indoors and outdoors, which are clearly labelled.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are excellent. The Nursery has a highly positive relationship with all groups of parents and carers, who highly value the efforts the staff are prepared to make to meet their child's needs. Parents and carers are welcomed into the Nursery and are appreciative of the exchange of information about their children's learning, development and well-being. They receive regular information through discussion, newsletters and displays, and are invited to view and contribute to their children's Learning Diaries. As a result, they feel highly involved in decision-making about their children's development. Parents and carers receive regular advice about ways in which they can help and support their children. However, staff have identified the need to extend their work with parents and carers still further to ultimately improve children's speech and language skills.

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the early years provision

The Nursery is extremely well-led and managed. Leaders have an accurate picture of what the Nursery does well and are clearly focused on the key priorities needed to improve outcomes for children. Their drive and ambition have successfully met the recommendations made in the previous inspection report. Currently, staff are evolving ways in which children can develop and apply their thinking skills across all areas of learning. Highly effective partnerships with other agencies make a significant contribution to meeting the needs of the children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities and those for whom English is an additional language. The promotion of equality and diversity is central to the work of the nursery. All children whatever their needs or backgrounds are equally valued, included and well-catered for.

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and outcomes for children

Adults' good knowledge of how children learn and develop, their attention to keeping children safe and their understanding of the early years age range positively promotes children's learning, development and well-being. They provide good role models in all aspects of their work. The children choose from a wide range of interesting activities which help them to develop their skills towards achieving the early learning goals. The indoor and outdoor areas provide children with good opportunities to enjoy books, complete puzzles, explore newly-acquired pop-up construction toys, and use a selection of wheeled toys and tricycles around obstacles to extend their physical skills. Children show that they feel extremely safe and secure in their surroundings. They develop their social skills whilst playing with their friends and observe with fascination the actions of the chickens outside. Very young children respond positively to words, songs, rhymes and actions and

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and outcomes for children

show great curiosity and interest in making rice crispy chocolate cakes. Children This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 are excited when they dress up for Children In Need day. Staff exploit this opportunity well to develop children's speech and language through role play.

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and outcomes for children

Children's learning and development are supported and extended because of the skilled questioning of staff and the good quality of their interactions. Positive relationships between adults and children of all ages are clearly evident and this contributes well to children's learning and well-being. Children's behaviour is good and this is acknowledged and rewarded by staff. Children from different backgrounds play and work together well. Similarly, they show that they are capable of working independently and with sustained concentration. They move freely between indoor and outdoor areas, are well supervised at all times and there is a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children have a good awareness of a healthy lifestyle because they are active in the outdoor areas, eat healthy snacks and can explain why they wash their hands. Water is freely available. They show that they feel extremely safe and secure because they are happy and confident in exploring their surroundings. Children benefit from a range of enrichment opportunities including visits from the Healthy Eating van, the fire service, a dentist and learning about road safety. Festivals such as Christmas, Diwali and the Chinese New Year enhance their experiences and give them a good understanding of equality and diversity.

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and outcomes for children

Activities are well planned, based on thorough observations and assessments of children's interests and well-matched to individual needs. Consequently, children make good progress across all areas of learning. Pre-school children take responsibility for their own learning in deciding at the beginning of each day what activities they would like to get involved in. Furthermore, at the end of a session, they are encouraged to reflect on their learning and celebrate it with others through a digital photograph viewer. Overall, children achieve well and are well prepared for their next stage of learning in this warm, welcoming and fully inclusive Nursery. 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 1 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 1 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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