The Albert Pye Community Primary School

Leapfrog Neighbourhood Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 143492 Inspection date 14/12/2010 Inspector Marilyn Joy

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Setting address 10 Yarborough Road, Southsea, Hampshire, PO5 3DZ

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Telephone number 02392 643776 Email leapfrognursery@yahoo.co.uk 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

Leapfrog Neighbourhood Nursery is privately owned and has been established since 1996. It operates from two Victorian houses in Southsea, Portsmouth which are situated opposite each other in the same road. Both sites have fully enclosed outdoor play areas and jointly cater for children aged from three months. The nursery offers full day and sessional care and is open Monday to Friday for 50 weeks of the year from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Description of the setting

This particular nursery building at No.10 is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 47 children may attend at any one time. The nursery is divided into two groups and operates on the ground and first floor. Children are aged from three months to approximately 15 months and three years to five years. The nursery provides funded early education for three and four-year-olds. There are currently 56 children on roll which includes a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who speak English is an additional language. Toddlers are catered for in the other nursery building.

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Description of the setting

The owner is a qualified teacher and endorsed trainer for High Scope. The owners of the nursery employ a qualified manager to be responsible for the day to day running of both nursery buildings and a nursery administrator, both form part of the management team. In addition, eight staff work directly with the children, all of whom are qualified. The nursery adopts the High Scope approach to teaching and all staff are trained in High Scope as well as early years.

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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 flourish in the happy and relaxed atmosphere where they become extremely well-motivated and independent learners who make excellent progress in their learning. Superb partnerships with parents contribute towards children feeling confident and secure in the extremely well-resourced and challenging environment offered. Strong management supports a dedicated team of staff who are keen to maintain high quality practice through monitoring and evaluation processes which are generally extremely rigorous. Most documentation and routine procedures are well-organised and extremely thorough. Children's individuality is highly valued and reflected in the inclusive and supportive environment offered.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure prior written consent is obtained from parents 21/12/2010 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 for the administration of all medication adminstered to children (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) (also applies to both parts of the Childcare Register).

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further?

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

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further?

 increase the frequency of the fire drill so that all staff and children have opportunities to participate and practise evacuating the premises.

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the early years provision

The safety and security of the premises, as well as robust recruitment and employment procedures, ensure children are safe and protected from harm. Staff and management have a secure understanding of child protection issues and know what to do if they have concerns about a child in their care. Generally policies and procedures are highly effective and underpin the smooth operation of the nursery. Comprehensive induction, training and management support ensures staff have a thorough understanding of their roles and responsibilities. For example, they fully understand the procedures to be followed should the building need to be evacuated in an emergency. However, drills are not practised frequently which means that not all staff and children have the opportunity to be involved to ensure it runs smoothly and they are familiar with what to do. Comprehensive risk assessments and daily safety checks help ensure that all potential hazards are

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the early years provision

minimised and the security of the premises is maintained. Most of the required documentation is in place and maintained to a high standard. However, written consent is not obtained from parents prior to the administration of non-prescription medication, which is a breach of the regulations. Children's health is not compromised because there are very clear procedures for the administration of such medication and notices are displayed throughout the nursery. It is only used in an emergency and with the prior verbal consent of parents. Children are then collected by parents so they can receive the most appropriate care and any possible spread of infection is minimised.

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the early years provision

Enthusiastic leadership inspires an extremely strong commitment towards meeting the high expectations set across all areas of the nursery. The views of parents are regularly sought and, where possible, incorporated into the service provided. This proactive approach enables positive partnerships to flourish and, as a result, children benefit. Self-evaluation processes are rigorous and extremely thorough in reviewing most areas of the provision. The professional development of staff is comprehensively supported and leads to a highly skilled and qualified staff team. They have an excellent knowledge of each child and ensure their individual health, welfare and cultural needs are met. Diversity is valued and positively reflected throughout the nursery. Extremely effective systems are in place to support children with English as an additional language and children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Effective partnerships with other agencies involved in

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the early years provision

children's care and parents ensure continuity in the support they receive. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Highly successful relationships are forged with parents. Communication is excellent at all levels. This ensures parents are well-informed about the operation of the nursery and all aspects of their child's care and learning. Information gathered when they first attend and excellent transitional arrangements between age groups contribute significantly towards children feeling confident and secure. Parental involvement in the nursery and children's learning is welcomed. Regular social events, parent workshops and open days are regularly organised and they receive an excellent newsletter which offers ideas for extension activities at home. Parents comment on how extremely satisfied they are and the excellent service provided. The nursery environment is exceptionally well-organised and offers a vibrant and

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the early years provision

stimulating atmosphere conducive to learning. Children clearly benefit from the extensive range and accessibility of resources and the effective deployment of staff.

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and outcomes for children

Children thrive in the nurturing and supportive environment of the nursery. Consistent staffing provides continuity for all ages and leads to extremely positive relationships being developed. Staff work closely with parents to help babies settle, establish daily routines and support their growth. Parental preferences, as well as dietary, cultural and health requirements are equally valued and accommodated within nursery routines and procedures. The quality of care children receive is reflected in the extremely happy and confident manner in which they play and respond to staff. Babies gleefully explore a treasure basket full of different textures and colours. They begin to make connections as they lift flaps and press buttons. They are encouraged to reach for toys themselves and attempts at speech are reinforced. Impromptu songs prompt older babies to wiggle and move to the music and clap their hands. The safe and comfortable layout means that babies can

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and outcomes for children

move around freely and safely as they explore an exciting range of challenging resources that are regularly rotated to maintain their interest. Babies flourish because of the excellent care they receive.

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and outcomes for children

Exceptionally good arrangements are in place for supporting children when they change units and move between the two nursery buildings. As a result, when children move into the pre-school unit they are already familiar with staff and the daily routines. This has a positive impact on how quickly they settle and come to understand what is expected. Children are highly motivated and independent learners who make choices about what they want to do. They develop their own storylines during enthusiastic and exuberant role-play and organise themselves. Some sit at the mark-making board and chatter together as they draw and attempt writing while others benefit from the staff support to play a game. Staff are extremely attentive to the needs of the all children. They are ready to join in activities to extend learning, but also give children space for independent exploration.

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and outcomes for children

Excellent organisation of the environment and an array of resources provide This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children with opportunities to excel in all areas of learning. Activities are varied, innovative and challenging. Children investigate, explore and experiment as they grow vegetables, observe the life cycle of butterflies and express themselves creatively. Skills for the future are easily incorporated and children have exemplary opportunities to develop their communication skills, solve problems and become independent thinkers. A consistent system of planning and assessment is followed throughout the nursery. Staff know children well and regularly record their achievements. They use this information to plan their next steps for learning and organise activities that follow their interests, particularly in the pre-school unit. Some activities are organised in small groups so that staff are able to provide

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and outcomes for children

focussed support for their key children as they begin to write their names or practise using scissors when creating a collage. Children then plan what they want to do next and at snack time staff help them to develop their thinking and review what they have been doing so far. Children benefit from excellent individual support and time spent with staff. Music, singing and stories are enjoyed at circle time and children gain confidence in speaking in a large group when they share home experiences and play games.

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and outcomes for children

A healthy lifestyle is promoted throughout the nursery. Children enjoy nutritious snacks, healthy lunch boxes are encouraged and, generally, good hygiene routines are promoted. Older children are adept at managing their own personal hygiene and staff ensure individual needs and privacy are maintained. Exercise and fresh air form part of the daily routines for all ages. Babies are often taken for walks around the local environment and explore the garden. Equipment to promote their physical skills for walking, climbing and crawling are available indoors and outdoors. The garden is highly innovative and extremely well designed to suit different ages. The large adventure play equipment is particularly challenging and popular with older children. Staff are extremely vigilant in supervising its use and children understand the rules they need to follow as they balance, climb and slide. A strong emphasis is given to helping children understand how to keep themselves

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and outcomes for children

safe, although as fire drills are not frequently organised there are few opportunities to introduce children to the procedures for evacuating the building should there be an emergency. The calm and skilful approach of staff helps children behave well, manage relationships with others and develop high levels of confidence and self-esteem. 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 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 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 1 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 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Records to be kept). 21/12/2010

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Records to be kept). 21/12/2010

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