Building Blocks Christian Day Nursery

Building Blocks Christian Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY275126 Inspection date 22/02/2011 Inspector Anne Archer

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Setting address 15-17 Belvoir Drive, Barton Seagrave, Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN15 6QZ Telephone number 01536 721221 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

Building Blocks Christian Day Nursery was registered in 2003. It is run as a private company and operates from converted shop premises in Barton Seagrave in north Northamptonshire. The nursery has an open-plan, single storey layout. There are two designated play areas, one for children under two and a half years old and one for children over. There is also a quiet room, an outdoor play area and associated facilities.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is open from 8am to 6pm each weekday throughout the year except for statutory bank holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. Up to 40 children aged under eight years may attend the nursery at any one time, including no more than 12 children under two years. There are currently 72 children on roll including those who attend the out of school provision. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs thirteen staff to work with the children. Twelve of these hold a relevant early years qualification and one is working towards a qualification. In addition, the nursery employs a cook and an administrator.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association.

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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 at the nursery make good progress in their play and learning and their care and welfare is well promoted. Safeguarding systems are thorough and partnerships with parents are well established and effective. Staff know the children very well and as a consequence, manage their individual needs comprehensively. The directors are fully aware of the nursery's strengths and the areas which require development and are taking steps to bring about improvement. As a result, the nursery's capacity to maintain continuous improvement is good.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop the system for sharing information with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage to further support progression and continuity of care and learning for those children attending more than one setting  encourage staff involvement in the nursery's ongoing self-evaluation to ensure a shared understanding of the areas for development to further This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 improve the quality of the provision for all children.

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is effectively safeguarded because the adults working at the nursery at all levels have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to child protection and keeping children safe. Their knowledge and understanding of potential concerns and how to respond to them is good. Procedures for recruitment and induction of staff are robust and the vetting of visitors and adults other than parents collecting children is thorough.

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the early years provision

All required policies and procedures are in place and reviewed periodically to ensure they remain up to date. For example, the safeguarding policy and procedure was reviewed after a director attended a refresher course. Staff are kept informed of any procedural changes through staff briefings and memos, to ensure the welfare of the children.

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the early years provision

Risk assessments are conducted on all areas of the nursery and equipment that children may come into contact with. Action plans are devised and implemented to reduce the risk of any potential hazard and all staff have a responsibility to remain vigilant to make sure children remain safe. Children are taught to use tools and utensils properly and not to run, for instance, when holding scissors.

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the early years provision

Staff take very effective steps to promote children's good health and well-being and the procedures practised to prevent the spread of infection and care for children when they become unwell are strong. Nutritious meals and snacks are provided and dietary needs are catered for well.

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the early years provision

The effectiveness with which the nursery promotes equality and diversity is good. Staff are fully informed of children's individual welfare, learning and developmental needs through information from parents and from their own observations and assessments. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported by staff and other agencies. Children learn about the similarities and differences between themselves and their friends and about the beliefs and cultures of people in the wider world. They share their news at bell time and participate in a range of activities on offer throughout the nursery.

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the early years provision

Behaviour management and team working is good, ensuring that children behave well, are considerate to their young friends and develop useful social skills for the future.

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the early years provision

The effectiveness of the nursery's engagement with parents and carers is good. Parents are kept well informed about their child's progress and well-being through daily exchanges of information and through the sharing of children's records. A recent initiative to encourage parents to contribute more to their child's on-going assessment is proving popular and as a result is successfully providing staff with valuable information to consider when planning for individual children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Partnerships with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage are good overall. Links ensure welfare needs are supported, particularly for those children in the reception year at the local school who attend the out of school provision at the nursery. New initiatives are currently being considered to further encourage other early years settings to share information to better support the continuity of

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the early years provision

The nursery accommodation is suitable for purpose. The directors strive to maintain a stimulating environment both inside and outdoors. Resources are plentiful and added to regularly to support children's interests and learning.

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the early years provision

The nursery's capacity to maintain continuous improvement is good. Ongoing reflection and self-evaluation ensure that the directors accurately access the nursery's strengths and areas for development. These, however, are not shared with staff as a matter of course to enable them to understand that changes are made to improve outcomes for children.

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and outcomes for children

Children of all ages are settled and content and keen to take part in activities. They are able to make choices about the toys they play with or the activities they participate in and planned activities reflect their interests, learning styles and needs. Staff record their observations of children at play and the information is used to assess next steps across the six areas of learning. Planning is flexible to enable a child's newly identified interest or learning need to be supported quickly.

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and outcomes for children

Except for the very youngest, children know about safety and health routines within the nursery. They know how to operate the taps in the cloakroom when they wash their hands, where the clean flannels are stored and where to dispose of the used ones. They access and use tissues independently, sometimes after a gentle reminder from a member of staff. Babies and the younger toddlers experience having their hands and faces wiped before and after being given food and are corrected if they attempt to do anything which may be unsafe. Children enjoy the attention of adults and show by their behaviour and mannerisms that they feel safe in their care.

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and outcomes for children

Children show by their actions that they understand nursery rules. Older children show care and concern for the younger children, some of whom are their siblings. Children behave well because staff have a consistent approach to noticing and managing unwanted behaviour. Children develop skills for the future as they make good progress in communicating, reasoning and problem solving.

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and outcomes for children

Pre-school children participate enthusiastically in singing songs and rhymes such as 'Old McDonald' and patiently wait for their turn to choose. Younger children listen to staff singing songs, often joining in with sounds and smiles. Children of all ages enjoy selecting and listening to stories with older children joining in and excitedly anticipating what comes next. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children of all ages enjoy using the outdoor area. Children use the apparatus or play with a football to develop physical skills or maybe make a paper aeroplane in the play barn then take it outside to see if it will fly. They enjoy putting on coats and boots and splashing about in puddles and playing imaginary games in the wooden play house.

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and outcomes for children

Nursery directors encourage parents and other members of the local community to come in to talk about a skill or an interest they have which supports children's learning about the world in which they live. The very youngest children are developing early skills to support future learning and they show a keen interest in their surroundings. 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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