Future Einsteins College Grove

College Grove Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY336523 Inspection date 05/01/2011 Inspector Tracey Outram

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Setting address 9 Eastmoor Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 3RZ

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Telephone number 01924 200120 Email marie@collegegrovenursery.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

College Grove Nursery was established in 1994 and re-registered under new management in August 2006. The setting is privately owned and managed. It operates from a converted property within the town of Wakefield. Pre-school children are cared for at ground level, while the toddlers are cared for on the first floor of the property, which is accessed by a staircase. The babies have access to a self-contained unit that is situated within the nursery grounds. Outdoor play is available in the secured gardens.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 74 children may attend the setting at any one time, of whom no more than 36 may be under two years. There are currently 85 children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The setting also offers care to children in the later years age range, who attend the after school club. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The children attend between the hours of 7.30am and 6pm. The setting operates five days a week with the exception of public holidays. The children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery receives funding to provide early education for three-and four-year-olds. There are procedures in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Description of the setting

The setting employs 19 members of childcare staff of whom 17 have over and above the required level 3 qualification, including; three members of staff working towards foundation degree and one other member of staff who has completed her level 4 qualification. In addition, the setting employs a full time cook who is also appropriately qualified to level 3. The setting is led and managed by a qualified teacher who holds Early Years Professional Status. The setting 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 children attending the nursery have a strong sense of belonging due to the high quality team work and effective daily organisation. Parents are included in most aspects of the provision, and the dedicated staff deliver some outstanding aspects of care and education, which have an extremely positive impact on the children. Although the process of self-evaluation does not provide an ongoing analysis of the nursery, the setting has a good capacity for improvement. This is because the manager is motivated and committed to improving outcomes for children and families.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  enhance the process of self-evaluation to provide an ongoing analysis of the strengths of the setting and areas for development  enhance partnerships with parents in order to ensure that they are involved in planning and the next steps in their children's learning and development  increase opportunities for the children to learn about and understand local and environmental issues, such as sustainable development.

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the early years provision

Children's safety is given a high priority within the nursery. Risk assessments for the premises are robust and there are rigorous vetting procedures in place to ensure that all adults working with the children are suitable to do so. The nursery manager has secure monitoring systems in place to ensure that any concerns about the children's welfare are recorded and reported to the Local Safeguarding Children Board without delay. In addition, the requirement for all staff to complete child protection training as part of their ongoing personal development helps to ensure that they recognise many of the different indicators of child abuse and neglect.

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the early years provision

The dedicated members of staff scaffold the children's learning and make exceedingly good use of the spacious building, which incorporates a sensory room and attractive outdoor play areas. The excellent use of equipment and resources successfully support the children's individual learning styles and personal developmental needs. This enables the children to make some excellent connections in their learning. However, there are fewer opportunities for the children to gain a broad knowledge of the environment and sustainable development.

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the early years provision

Strong partnerships with parents ensure that the staff have an exceptional knowledge of the children's backgrounds, personal needs and any challenges they face. Parents welcome the commitment from staff and demonstrate high levels of satisfaction knowing that children's emotional health and well-being is prioritised. The nursery achieves success in this area because they ensure that transitions between home and the setting are highly supportive of the children's personal routines and preferences. The setting promotes anti-discriminatory working practices and has suitable measures in place to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Partnerships with other professionals and providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage result in continuity for the children and appropriately address their personal requirements.

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the early years provision

The manager has high aspirations for the future development of the nursery. Since the last inspection she has made a number of well considered improvements, such as the outdoor play area, observations, and information and communication technology. This has resulted in children making some outstanding progress in their learning and developing excellent skills for the future. However, the process of self-evaluation is not consistent, such as using it to include parents in the planning for their children's learning. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The children thrive within the warm, friendly and welcoming nursery. They receive high levels of care and education from the devoted staff who make imaginative use of the resources to ensure that the early years provision is both interesting and challenging. Exceptionally detailed observational assessments are maintained, which are effectively monitored to spot any gaps in the children's learning and development. In addition, careful consideration is given to addressing the six areas of learning and the children are highly stimulated. They reap the benefit of activities that are inspiring and based on their interests and individual ways of learning. For example, on rainy days the children put on waterproof clothing and use 'musical instruments' outdoors in order to replicate the sounds of raindrops on their umbrellas. This type of imaginative activity effectively expands the children's knowledge of rhythms in speech, and supports the development of skills for the

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and outcomes for children

The children are extremely stimulated and engaged in a purposeful and worthwhile range of early years experiences. They have exceptional concentration skills. Babies are inquisitive and keen to explore. They investigate rattles, musical toys, mirrors and natural resources, which encourage movement and enhance their sensory development. Members of staff consistently talk to the babies, modelling language and using some innovative methods of helping them to make choices and decisions about their learning. This provides a strong platform for their future because they are confident that their contributions and achievements are valued. The toddlers excitedly examine a range of objects and natural materials that enhance their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. They show a keen interest in ICT and through play they are encouraged to discover mathematical concepts, such as size, weight and position. The toddlers thoroughly

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and outcomes for children

enjoy stories and joyfully engage in activities that encourage self-awareness and confidence. For example, music, movement and dance activities are planned in order to encourage self-expression. The older children are highly receptive to new challenges; they confidently reason, readily question and have a positive approach to learning through investigation and working cooperatively with others. The children complete puzzles, with vigour and enjoy paper folding, cutting and sticking to make themselves wings, binoculars and telescopes, which are subsequently used to extend their own play and learning. They have excellent concentration skills and exhibit highly tuned skills in communication, language and literacy. For example, the children show a keen interest in writing and they reveal a good knowledge of letters and sounds as they describe weather features, such as the slippy snow.

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and outcomes for children

The nursery is an exceedingly happy and nurturing environment in which the babies and children feel secure. Their understanding of safety issues and how they demonstrate this is very good; they carefully use a range of tools and equipment and show a confident understanding of how to maintain their own safety. For This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 example, they understand how to prevent accidents by picking up toys from the floor, taking care on the staircase and accessing the outdoor play areas. The children develop an outstanding perception of the importance of keeping healthy and active. They benefit from high quality food and drinks and are able to confidently identify a broad range of fruits and vegetables, some of which they grow themselves. Outdoor play opportunities are maximised and the children develop extremely good attitudes to exercise and physical challenge.

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and outcomes for children

Exceptionally good behaviour is in evidence throughout the nursery. This is because the children are treated respectfully by staff who place a strong focus on developing personal, social and emotional skills. This enables the children to care for each other, play together and build some very strong friendships. Overall, the children have a dynamic approach to their learning, which results in the development of excellent communication, literacy and numeracy skills. 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 1 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: 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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