Thorpe Nursery Preschool Ltd

Thorpe Nursery Preschool Ltd Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY409031 Inspection date 11/01/2011 Inspector Hazel Farrant

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Setting address Manor Farm House, Coldharbour Lane, Egham, Surrey, TW20 8TE Telephone number 01932 564834 Email lindagillham@yahoo.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

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

Thorpe Nursery Pre-School first opened in 1969 and re-registered in 2010. It is a committee run nursery in Egham, Surrey and access to the provision is at ground level. The nursery operates from the Manor Farm House and children use a variety of rooms on the ground and first floor. There are suitable toilet facilities on site and a fully enclosed outside play area. The nursery serves families from the surrounding areas. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and cares for a maximum of 38 children at any one time. It accepts children from the age of two-years-old. There are currently 53 children on roll. Of these, 35 are in receipt of nursery education funding. There are procedures in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities as well as those who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is open term time only from 8.30am until 2.30pm. Children may attend all day or on a sessional basis, with or without lunch. Those children who stay for lunch bring a packed lunch from home. The nursery employs ten members of staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications. There are staff members who hold first aid qualifications. The nursery 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 an enthusiastic, hard working team who ensure high standards of care and education. Beneficial partnerships with parents help to ensure consistency and continuity for all children's welfare, learning and development. A strong emphasis is placed on valuing each child as an individual. Clear processes are mostly in place to monitor and evaluate the setting and to target specific areas for improvement, which are continuous and ongoing.

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further?

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

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further?

 secure existing risk assessments with particular reference to low electric sockets, and staff awareness of children's departure times  develop systems and documentation in order to promote an effective two- way flow of information and knowledge with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage, to help support and extend children's developmental progress, learning experiences and current interests  develop the use of systematic observations and assessments of children's achievements, interests and learning styles to plan relevant and motivating This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 play experiences for each child.

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the early years provision

Staff take children's safety seriously and are familiar with the potential indicators of abuse or neglect. They know how, and to whom, they should report any concerns. Recruitment procedures ensure the suitability of staff effectively and all staff have undergone the necessary Criminal Record Bureau checks. Risk assessments are completed for the premises and outside areas with daily checks also being completed to further ensure children's safety. However on the day of inspection, not all low electric sockets were made safe or inaccessible. Children demonstrate feeling safe as they happily explore their surroundings with confidence and snuggle into familiar adults. Fire safety is carefully considered and staff encourage children to become involved in learning about keeping themselves safe, through practising drills regularly. Children also learn through sensitive discussion that they must not touch matches. Nearly all the staff have up-to-date first aid training, ensuring they

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the early years provision

can offer appropriate responses to minor accidents. Attendance is recorded correctly, however systems are not sufficiently robust to ensure that all staff are aware of which children stay for lunch or go home at midday. and which lunch belongs to which child. This is a potential hazard with regard to dietary requirements. Realistic self-evaluation procedures have been implemented to identify targeted areas for improvement in order to continually enhance the quality of care, learning and development for all children. The nursery has many exciting plans to make full use of the extensive outside area. For example, a 'living willow' construction and a herb garden are planned for the near future. The nursery is also researching how to provide a covered outdoor space to further promote opportunities for children's outdoor play. The entire premises have been refurbished to a high standard before the nursery transferred to their new premises. A recent addition is an inside soft

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the early years provision

play area, where children are able to explore a variety of tactile resources. These examples demonstrate the nursery's capacity for continuous improvement. Staff utilise training opportunities to broaden their knowledge and improve outcomes for children. The manager and two members of staff have completed a Foundation degree and are keen to complete further qualifications. The setting is bright, welcoming and hygienic. Space and resources are organised well to support children's learning in all areas. There is easy access to toys and resources are arranged at a low level to encourage independent play. Staff are deployed effectively around the rooms and in the outside play area to support children at their self-chosen activity. Parents receive good information about the setting and Early Years Foundation Stage. Notice areas display detailed information for them and parents have daily opportunities to talk to their child's key person. Information is sought on children's

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the early years provision

initial starting points and individual needs at the start of the placement. Parent meetings keep them up-to-date with their child's learning and achievements. There are good opportunities for parents and children to put forward their ideas through questionnaires and by discussion. Parents express high levels of satisfaction with the service provided. Some partnerships with other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage have been forged, however not all links have been This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 initiated to date. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are welcomed into the setting and staff work closely with parents and others involved to support them. Staff have just begun to use a different method of observation and assessment, to monitor the children's progress. These changes are in their infancy and links to future planning, to fully ensure the children are being

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the early years provision

stretched and their individual requirement met, are not clear.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very settled, confident and content in the nursery. Their self-esteem and their sense of belonging are nurtured through the displays of artwork and pictures of their families. They enjoy warm relationships with adults who they confidently approach for help or comfort. Children grow in confidence through adults' reassuring words of praise and encouragement. They eagerly engage in their chosen play and show plenty of curiosity when exploring different textures such as when they are making their own dough. They carefully measure and pour ingredients and understand simple adding and subtracting concepts. Pretend play, such as dressing up and play figures, help children to make sense of the world. Young children begin to make connections when they push buttons to operate toys. Children build on their awareness of technology as staff teach them how to use the digital camera and develop skills on the computer.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy plenty of opportunities for exploration and discovery. They use scales and measuring tapes to determine size and weight. Children make observations of the changing seasons in regard to the trees in the garden. They notice the leaves changing colour and falling to the ground. Children become aware of their local community and the people that help them, such as the fire brigade. Respect for others is fostered, for example, a welcome poster is displayed in different languages, and children play with different ethnic dolls and play figures. Children adopt healthy lifestyles, engaging in physical activities, both indoors and outside, and enjoy nutritious snacks, such as fresh and dried fruit. Children serve their own snacks independently and have opportunities to pour their own drinks from the water jug. Children are kind to one another and play cooperatively together; they are polite and use 'please' and 'thank you at appropriate times.

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and outcomes for children

Staff act as good role models which also helps children to learn how to conduct themselves. Children learn about personal hygiene through group discussion. Children are currently learning about the 'catch it, bin it, kill it' campaign in order to minimise the risk of cross infection. Children enjoy playing in the well resourced outdoor environment which promotes children's physical skills and also enriches their awareness of a healthy lifestyle. Children's early literacy skills are promoted well as they have good opportunities to mark make and listen to well loved stories such as 'the Tale of Peter Rabbit'. Labelling helps children learn that print carries meaning and staff use phonics to teach them to link sounds to letters. There is a good balance of child initiated and adult led activities with a focus on engaging the children's interests. Therefore, children thoroughly enjoy their play and make good

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and outcomes for children

progress in their learning and achieving. 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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