Greenfields Day Nursery

Greenfields Day Nursery Ltd Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 221635 Inspection date 10/02/2011 Inspector Jo Rowley

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Setting address The Sports Field, Caxton Road, Great Gransden, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 3BH Telephone number 01767 679118 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.

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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

Greenfields Day Nursery is privately owned and was registered in 2000. It operates from the sports pavilion in Great Gransden on the border of Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Huntingdon. The nursery serves the local area and has links with the local pre-school. The nursery is accessible to all children and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Description of the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm all year round. A maximum of 26 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 29 children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds and supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities as well as children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold an appropriate early years qualification, to Level 2 or above.

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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 create a warm and welcoming environment. They use comprehensive safeguarding procedures and ensure that they have an accurate knowledge of each child's needs to ensure that each child is effectively included. Planning for the Early Years Foundation Stage broadly covers the areas of learning and staff use a good range of resources to ensure that children receive experiences that promote good progress overall. Partnerships with parents, carers, other agencies and settings are developed and help to promote continuity of care and learning for the children attending. Effective procedures for self-evaluation are established and result in a provision that seeks to make continued improvement and therefore, enhance outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the planning of activities to ensure that children's next steps are incorporated and all areas of learning are promoted  develop further opportunities for more able children to be challenged throughout the six areas of learning. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Effective safeguarding procedures ensure that children are thoroughly protected. For example, designated staff complete advanced training with all other staff updating their basic skills in safeguarding to fully protect children. All staff are vigilant in ensuring that only vetted persons have access to children. Managers adhere to effective recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure that all staff working with children are suitable to do so and, that they hold the required clearances. Comprehensive risk assessments are in place to ensure that hazards are minimised and all staff take equal responsibility for the health and safety of children and the setting in general. The manager demonstrates clear expectations for continuing the nursery development and promoting enthusiasm within the established team of staff. This begins with a thorough induction and probationary period for new staff and continues with regular staff meetings and one-to-one

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the early years provision

appraisals. Training is given good emphasis to ensure that standards of care for children continue to develop. Self-evaluation processes have been developed to ensure that all staff have opportunities to share their ideas of the settings strengths and areas of improvement.

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the early years provision

Staff are well-deployed throughout the nursery and demonstrate a good awareness of the importance of this. The environment is conducive to learning, it is safe and well-cared for with areas being updated as an ongoing process. For example, the role play room is often changed to ensure that children can access all resources, therefore, promoting their learning and development. Resources are used well to achieve the planned goals for learning and development. For example, children of all ages are able to freely select from resources which are stored at their height with the word and picture of the resource displayed, promoting inclusion. However, because children of all ages are accessing the resources independently older children are sometimes seen playing with resources that are too young for their abilities. Therefore, more able children are not always effectively challenged.

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the early years provision

Managers and staff work well with parents to ensure that a forward thinking approach is maintained within the partnership. Effective methods of communication, such as, through questionnaires, newsletters and regular discussions, promote good relationships with parents and they speak highly of the managers and the whole staff team. Consequently, outcomes for children are good overall. The nursery places the promotion of equality of opportunity and children's personal, social and emotional development at the heart of all its work consistently promoting diversity and social awareness. Staff are aware of children's individual learning styles, ensuring that most children are able to achieve. Staff are developing relationships with other settings that children are, or will be, attending. For example, they invite school staff into the nursery, promoting consistency for children who are moving onto school. 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 offered a wide range of activities that help them make good progress overall in their learning and development. However, although the children's learning journeys refer to their next steps the planning does not incorporate these or all of the six areas of learning. Therefore, the planning does not effectively identify how next steps are incorporated for all children or how planned activities offer differentiation to challenge individual children. This means that children may not always be supported to achieve their full potential. Children of all ages show an avid interest in books and reading as they sit independently or with staff and listen to a story. They also show a great interest in joining in with action songs and rhymes. For example, children enjoy singing five currant buns in a baker shop. To make this more interesting one member of staff uses coins, a mixing bowl, a wooden spoon and some soft buns as well as some pictures of buns to encourage

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and outcomes for children

the children further. Children take turns as they happily select a bun of their choice and the member of staff skilfully uses this opportunity to develop children's counting skills. For example, all children are encouraged to count children and buns and by using the resources the children show a genuine excitement for this activity. More able children also have their counting skills promoted as for example the member of staff asks 'if I have five buns left but nine children who want to buy one, how many more do I need?'. One child quickly calls out four and is effectively praised by the member of staff.

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and outcomes for children

Babies and younger children show a genuine affection for staff as they happily and easily go to staff on arrival and enjoy regular hugs and cuddles from the caring staff. Older children are keen to independently explore technology using resources, such as, binoculars, calculators and magnifying glasses through everyday opportunities. Babies also have opportunities for exploring as they play with a range of home and man-made resources, such as, bottles of sand, bottles of water with beads inside and cardboard tubes as well as pine cones. Children of all ages have their physical skills promoted as, for example, younger children have access to soft play equipment which they climb over, roll on and jump on as they laugh happily. Older children enjoy opportunities to use the garden and all resources as well as going on to the large playing friend with staff. They explore the area around them and run jump and hop as they play with their friends.

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and outcomes for children

Children are beginning to learn about science and link this to the world around them, all children have opportunities to be creative as they explore, for example, water play. The water has bubbles and animals in and children use brushes to clean these happily. Another activity which children show a huge interest in is when staff put out shredded paper for them to find things in. For example, staff add shredded paper into a water tray with lots of wooden beads mixed in to form what is like a treasure hunt. Children excitedly find the treasure with staff supporting the younger children in finding some too. Once all the treasure is found children begin to throw the paper on each other and on staff. Within minutes all the children are involved and having a great deal of fun, they cover staff and children in the paper and laugh excitedly as they say 'boo'. So as to involve the youngest children in this fun activity staff put some shredded paper into the babies

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 ball pool for them to feel and explore, promoting inclusion. Children have some ownership of their health and hygiene within daily routines. For example, they discuss hand washing frequently and know why they do this 'to remove the germs'. They understand when they are thirsty and need a drink, for example after outside play. Staff encourage children's independence as they sneeze or cough because children are encouraged to use a tissue and place that into one of the many tissue bins around, then wash their hands. Children understand social behaviours and demonstrate a kindness to each other. An example of this is where one child shows an keen interest in the play dough activity. The child sits at the table for a few minutes and watches the other children as one child, who is sitting next to them, kindly offers the child some of their play dough. All children take

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and outcomes for children

turns easily and offer turns to others without being reminded, for example, when using the trains on the train track. Children are clearly learning the skills necessary for future learning and being part of the community. 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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