Victoria House Neighbourhood Nursery

Victoria House Neighbourhood Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY276595 Inspection date 23/02/2011 Inspector Jacqueline Nation

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Setting address Corbett Street, Smethwick, West Midlands, B66 3PX

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Telephone number 0121 555 6361 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. 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

Victoria House Neighbourhood Nursery opened in 2004 and is situated in a large converted school building in Smethwick, West Midlands. There are four rooms in which children are based depending on their age: babies, toddlers, pre-school and class room. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am until 6.30pm, all year round. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The premises are easily accessible with ramp access at the front and rear of the building.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 73 children may attend the nursery at any one time and there are currently 92 on roll, of whom 90 are in the early years age range. The nursery serves children and families from the local community. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and has procedures in place to support children who speak English as an additional language. Children are able to receive funding for nursery education.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs 20 staff, all of whom hold recognised early years qualification, four staff are working towards Degree level qualifications, and thee are working towards Early Years Professional Status. A number of ancillary staff also support the setting. The nursery receives support from the local authority and has partnership arrangements in place with other Early Years Foundation Stage providers

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Description of the setting

The setting has been awarded the Sandwell High Flyers Award by the Local Authority, and a Gold Award for their food hygiene standards by the Environmental Health Officer.

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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 settle well in this very friendly and welcoming setting. Outcomes for all children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are good. All children receive good levels of care because the enthusiastic and well qualified staff team work closely with individual children and their families. Inclusion is given excellent priority and highly successful partnerships between parents and other agencies ensure that children's needs are very well met and their protection assured. The management team and practitioners are continually looking for ways of improving every aspect of the learning environment through discussions, monitoring of the educational programme and well-targeted plans for the future.

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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  develop further self-evaluation procedures to include the views of all service users, including children.

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the early years provision

Practitioners have a robust approach to keeping children safe and safeguarding children is given good consideration. The setting prioritises children's well-being and practitioners demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. Children's health and safety is enhanced by the consistent implementation of policies, procedures and practices that are individual to the setting. This includes effective recruitment and vetting procedures and comprehensive risk assessments which cover all aspects of the premises. Rigourous security measures are in place, with key pad locks on internal doors to protect each room or area. All visitors are required to produce identification before entering the nursery and sign a visitor's book. All the required documentation is in place and organised effectively to ensure confidentiality.

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the early years provision

The setting provides an ethos where children are warmly welcomed and it is evident that each child is valued and respected. The day is organised to meet children's needs and good attention is given to the individual routines and care needs of babies and younger children. As a result they develop a strong sense of security through close and caring contact with practitioners who know them well. Positive outcomes for children are attributed to the good use of space, access to resources and a balance between indoor and outdoor play. Practitioners know the children well and have a good knowledge of their individual needs and unique characteristics. Highly effective and well established multi-agency links provide access to specialist knowledge, skills and resources and enable the successful inclusion of children with specific needs. Practitioners liaise very closely with parents, other professionals and outside agencies to ensure each child gets the

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the early years provision

support they need at any early stage to achieve their full potential. There are effective systems in place to support children with English as an additional language, children learn to appreciate diversity and take into account others different needs and backgrounds. They take part in a wide range of activities and experiences and use resources which reflect positive images of culture, gender and disability.

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the early years provision

The setting has highly positive relationships with parents and carers. Parents are provided with a vast range of information, some of which is displayed in the entrance area and corridors, for example, a parents' comments board, focus on fathers information, the settings listening ethos and information about safeguarding children. Parents are kept very well informed about their child's progress, achievements and daily experiences. They are invited to parents evening and there are opportunities to talk to staff at arrival and collection times. From the outset practitioners learn as much as they can about the children in their care through their interactions with parents. The key person leads the assessment and planning in close liaison with parents to ensure children's welfare, learning and development needs are met. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their child's This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

learning at home and have opportunities to take activity packs home to further support their enjoyment and achievement.

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the early years provision

The setting is effectively led and managed by a manager and deputy who are good role models and encourage a culture of reflective practice throughout the nursery. Practitioners work very well as a team; they are well qualified, motivated and committed to providing good support for children in their care. The process for managing practitioner's professional development is well established to support their future development. The setting constantly evaluates their practice and demonstrates a strong commitment to continuous improvement. This is done through the self-evaluation process, ongoing action plans and involvement with external bodies. However, there is scope for improving this aspect of the provision by involving all service users, including children in the self-evaluation process. The recommendations from the previous inspection have been implemented successfully to improve outcomes for children in relation to their welfare,

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the early years provision

understanding of diversity, learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Children are eager to attend this welcoming and friendly setting. The good organisation of the educational programme reflects varied and imaginative experiences that meet the needs of all children well. Practitioners work well together to promote children's learning in an atmosphere of infectious enthusiasm. As a result, children make good progress in all aspects of their learning and development in relation to their starting points and capabilities. When planning activities practitioners take cues from children and also use their observations to guide planning based on children's interests and play preferences. Planning documents are displayed and 'Learning Journey' records give an accurate overview of children progress and development.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy, motivated and interested in the broad range of activities and take responsibility for choosing what they want to do. Children learn to think and understand for themselves supported by practitioner's open questions, and a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Older children are very keen to share their ideas and knowledge with practitioners and their peers. All children, including babies and younger children show high levels of independence, curiosity, imagination and concentration.

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and outcomes for children

Good emphasis is placed on children's personal, emotional and social development. Children quickly develop good social skills and a positive disposition to learn. Children are self-assured and develop close bonds with practitioners who know them well. These consistent, positive interactions help children to feel secure. A strong emphasis is placed on developing children's communication, language and literacy skills. Practitioners use a range of structured activities and monitoring systems to ensure children make good progress in this aspect of their learning. All children including babies have good opportunities to practise their mark making skills using a wide range of media and older children like to demonstrate their This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 knowledge of letters and sounds. Children's understanding of numbers and problem solving skills are enhanced through a range of activities. Children take

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and outcomes for children

part in counting, matching and threading activities, complete puzzles and like to construct using a range of building bricks. Children learn about the wider society, different festivals and celebrations through planned activities, discussions and outings, for example, children enjoy trips to a local supermarket and observing features of the local area. Good emphasis is placed on play and learning in the outdoor areas. For example, children are able to access investigation and problem solving resources, use climbing and balancing equipment and enjoy riding bikes. All children thoroughly enjoy exploring the secure and appealing garden which makes a positive contribution to their all round enjoyment and achievement. Children also take part in music and movement activities indoors to help develop their coordination, flexibility and concentration skills. Children's creativity is fully supported and their lovely art work is displayed around the nursery. They enjoy

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and outcomes for children

manipulating dough, painting, cutting and sticking, and exploring the properties of sand and water. There are good resources for children to develop their knowledge and understanding of technology; for example, they confidently use the computer, programmable toys, microphones, camera and magnifying glasses. Babies and younger children in the nursery have excellent opportunities to explore a wide range of resources in their own way. They love to delve into treasure baskets and sensory boxes, work out how to use electronic resources, and sit in the sensory area examining natural resources, such as shells, leaves, feathers, fir cones and bark.

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and outcomes for children

Children's understanding of healthy lifestyles is good. They are confident when seeing to their personal hygiene and understand the importance of washing their hands before snack and meal times. All children enjoy a very sociable lunch time meal. Older children are very independent and help themselves to food and tidy away their plates after lunch, and younger children are encouraged to feed themselves. Children's dietary needs are well met, they enjoy healthy and nutritious snacks and freshly cooked meals. Practitioners are skilled and thoughtful in their management of children and their behaviour. Consequently, children demonstrate positive behaviour; they help tidy away toys, have good manners, are kind to each other and learn to share both space and resources. Children have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They practise the emergency evacuation procedures and in the outdoor play area children test their skills and

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and outcomes for children

make new discoveries within safe boundaries. 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 1 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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