Pilgrim Oak Infant School

Chatterbox Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 122660 Inspection date 10/02/2011 Inspector Rosemary Musgrove

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Setting address The Ashcombe School, Ashcombe Road, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1LY Telephone number 01306 742050 Email School no: 01306 886312 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

Chatterbox Nursery was registered in 1990. It is run by the governing body of Ashcombe Secondary School and operates from a building within the grounds of Ashcombe Secondary School in Dorking, Surrey. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery operates during term times from 8.30 am to 17.30 pm Monday to Wednesday and 8.30 am to 16.30 pm on Thursday and Friday.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register to care for 15 children in the early years age group. There are currently 22 children in this age group on roll. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. There are six members of staff, of whom; four hold appropriate early years 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

Staff have a good understanding of each child's needs and effectively support the welfare and learning requirements. The environment is stimulating, well organised and exciting for a young child. This means children eagerly select good quality resources and enjoy fun, stimulating activities. Because children are motivated to play, they make good progress in their learning and development. Effective arrangements ensure that children are safe and secure in the nursery. Partnerships with parents and carers are well established and support the continuity of the children's care and learning. The management have a clear vision for the nursery and have made improvements since their last inspection. Self-evaluation involves staff and clearly identifies strengths and areas for further development.

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further?

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

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further?

 consider ways of ensuring that children frequently choose and browse books  develop links with the local community in order to help children gain an appreciation of their local environment.

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the early years provision

Staff attend regular child protection training and have a good knowledge of safeguarding; this means that children are well protected. Effective systems are in place for identifying a child at risk of harm and liaising with the appropriate child This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 agencies. Safe recruitment and vetting procedures mean that suitable staff work with the children. Supervision is good and adults are vigilant as children play in different locations. The nursery has the required procedures and documentation for the safe and efficient running of the early years provision and these are well maintained, for example, the accident records. Risk assessments are thorough and include a daily check list. This means that children are protected from harm during their time at the nursery.

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the early years provision

The colourful learning environment inspires children to explore and learn through discovery, for example, a stimulating indoor role play area. Good quality play materials are suitable for the developmental stage of the children and they independently select their favourite resources. These positive factors mean that children enjoy their explorations and find out about the six areas of learning. They are encouraged to treat resources with respect and help to tidy up at the end of the morning. They learn about recycling as they watch the refuse and recycling trucks within the school grounds.

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the early years provision

The nursery strives to provide a service that is inclusive to all children. If children with special educational needs and/or disabilities require additional support, the staff work alongside parents and interagency teams to ensure their needs are met. Children have a rich learning environment and this helps them to develop an awareness of other cultures. During Chinese New Year, the role play kitchen is an attractive Chinese restaurant adorned with Chinese menus, food and artefacts. Children see posters in different languages and if they speak English as an additional language the nursery work closely with their parents. Staff and children enjoy music from different cultures and learn some key words from the language.

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the early years provision

The nursery has a positive relationship with parents and carers. In particular, they work hard to ensure that children have a seamless transition in their daily routines. When a child starts, parents give the nursery many details, such as, how their child communicates and important family members. This gives a valuable insight into the child's home life and current achievements. Parents receive good quality information about their children and this includes regular newsletters and a daily information sheet for very young children. Learning journeys are always available and this means parents know about their child's progress. Written questionnaires indicate that parents are happy with the nursery. In particular, they comment on the caring, fun and stimulating environment and feel that staff listen to them and keep them informed about their children. The nursery knows about the importance of working with other settings. Reception teachers visit the nursery and staff liaise

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the early years provision

with a local pre-school to ensure the continuity of care and learning for children who attend more than one setting.

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the early years provision

The managers and staff are a strong, enthusiastic and cohesive team. They have a clear vision and are motivated to develop and improve the nursery. They have some good evaluation systems and continually make improvements that enhance the quality of learning for the children, for example, their new purpose built nursery. Staff attend regular training courses and take part in a planned induction and appraisal programme. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are enthusiastic, happy and confident during their time at the nursery. They show good levels of independence and really enjoy choosing their resources and activities. Staff have a good knowledge of the learning and development and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and key carers have a clear understanding of individual needs. Planning is well developed and includes a good balance of spontaneous play, themes to guide the children and the celebration of key events and festivals. Each child's learning journey contains observations, photographs and evaluations. These help staff to plan the next steps and clearly show that children make good progress in the areas of learning. Children have a delightful time as they engage in role play activities; this is because the attractive resources entice a young child to explore. This means they have plenty of opportunities to extend their language and vocabulary. Children's

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and outcomes for children

early writing skills are developing well. They are motivated to use the mark making area and try different writing implements. Children are enthusiastic as they listen to the 'Gruffalo' story; however, they do not readily select books to browse by themselves or to share with others. Babies indicate they are happy, they gurgle with delight as they explore the colourful mobiles above the play mat. Staff interaction helps children to learn about the language of number in daily activities, such as, they count five eggs and the number of candles on the birthday cake. Children enjoy creative activities, for example, they explore different colours as they paint a picture. They find out about the environment through gardening activities, for example, they grow potatoes.

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and outcomes for children

Children show they feel safe and secure in the nursery. They happily choose their preferred activity, such as, the trains, malleable play or cutting activities. Staff are well deployed and children happily approach for help if needed. Children behave well in the nursery and are developing good learning attitudes, for example, young children eagerly help each other. Staff are positive and this means children begin to develop a good self-esteem. The nursery helps children to learn about diversity, for example, during Diwali, they try different types of Indian food.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their play in a safe and secure environment. The nursery has a number of safety precautions and procedures in place. These include guidance to follow if a child is missing or uncollected and fire evacuation procedures. The nursery has a number of staff with a suitable first aid qualification, have requested written parental permission to seek emergency advice or medical treatment and keep appropriate medication records. These factors mean that children are well cared for in the event of illness or an emergency. The good organisation of the learning areas, for example, making marks and role play, means that children make their own decisions, such as; they choose their favourite dolls and take them for a walk. Staff help children to learn about keeping safe and give gentle reminders about pushing the chair under the table to avoid someone falling over.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about a healthy lifestyle and show good levels of independence as they wash their hands before eating their snack. The nursery knows about dietary needs and children choose their favourite food, for example, bread sticks or fresh This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 fruit. Children enjoy a nutritious hot meal, such as, roast chicken and fresh vegetables. An attractive, covered outside play area is a strong feature of the provision and children enjoy physical activities and plenty of fresh air. They choose from a good range of quality equipment and this includes wheeled vehicles, tunnels, slides and a sand tray. They develop their coordination skills as they practise balancing activities. Children really have fun as they develop their small motor skills on the malleable play table. They confidently use the rolling pins and cutters as they make their cup cakes.

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and outcomes for children

Children's progress in communicating, literacy and information technology is developing well. They use interactive equipment to find out how things work and enjoy investigating the cogs and wheels. They use a computer to practise their technology skills and operate the mouse pad to explore the sounds of the musical instruments. Although links with the local community are limited, children find out about the wider world through activities within the school grounds. These include taking the post to the school office and watching the building of the new 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 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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