Tots' Village Nursery

Tots Village Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY239159 Inspection date 18/03/2011 Inspector Gill Walley

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Setting address Burntwood Lane, Caterham, Surrey, CR3 5YX

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Telephone number 01883 340825 Email info@totsvillage.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

Tots Village Nursery operates on the same site as De Stafford College and leisure centre, in Caterham on-the-Hill. It was registered in 2002. There is a fully enclosed area for outdoor play. The nursery opens five days a week for 51 weeks of the year. The hours are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and children who are learning English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered to care for a maximum of 40 children at any one time. Currently there are 73 children on roll aged under five years, some of whom receive funding for nursery education. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are twelve members of staff working with the children including the manager. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications and two are on a training programme. The nursery works in partnership with the adjoining college and 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

All children who attend Tots Village Nursery make good progress because it is inclusive and meets the needs of each child, including those who are at the early stages of learning English and those who have special educational needs. The manager and her team are very experienced, and they acquire new skills through regular training to help them improve the learning opportunities they provide for the children. The manager and her team effectively evaluate the provision frequently to identify steps they can take to improve it further. For example, they have identified the need to monitor children's progress more accurately and have recently introduced a new tracking system. As a result the nursery shows a good capacity to continually improve their childcare practice.

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further?

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

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further?

 embed the use of the new tracking system so that the manager can be sure that the children make good progress in each area of learning  compare the progress of different groups of children so that the manager knows that all make consistently good progress across all 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

There are rigorous procedures to ensure that the children are safe. There is an effective recruitment system. Children are protected from the possibility of unknown people entering the premises as visitors sign in. Doors are closed and the children play in a secure area. The premises are checked daily and more thorough risk assessments are carried out annually, for example, on the toys and the walks in the college grounds, so that any hazard is identified and minimised. The children practise fire drills regularly. All staff have first aid qualifications and understand hygienic food handling. Babies are monitored closely when they are asleep, and play in a safe enclosed area.

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the early years provision

Staff evaluate the provision rigorously and the manager drives ambition well. The staff meet to discuss the children's progress, to review their practice and to plan improvements. They are a strong team and they have attended many training courses to develop more expertise, for example, in helping children to speak. They plan activities based on knowing what children have achieved through observations of their learning and beginning to use the new system for tracking each child's progress. Currently the staff do not compare the progress of different groups of children in all areas of learning to ensure that all make consistently good progress. The staff provide exciting activities for the children based on understanding their needs and interests well. The nursery has improved considerably since the last inspection. There are now better resources to develop the youngest children's sensory awareness. The older children take some responsibility, for example, by

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the early years provision

counting their cups at snack times to ensure there are sufficient. There is now a specific room for creative activities. Children can play outdoors in all weathers because the outdoor area is sheltered and very well equipped.

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the early years provision

The nursery works closely with parents who value the gradual induction process. Parents receive newsletters and information about the activities the children enjoy and other local services. Parents meet their children's key workers to talk about the progress they make and how they can help them further at home. The manager values parents' suggestions through regular surveys. She has responded to their suggestions, for example, about the information parents receive at the handover. Parents like to talk to the staff informally, for example, at collection time and they have a suggestions box. They often stay for sessions and while helping they can see how their children learn. Parents receive a daily report so that they can talk to their children about what they have enjoyed doing. They also look at their children's scrapbooks which include photographs and meaningful observations by adults of the children's development. Parents of the youngest children hear

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the early years provision

about their routines and what they have particularly enjoyed that day. The manager works closely with the local authority when she needs additional advice about individual children's needs so that these children and their families are very well supported and make particularly good progress. She has good links with the local primary schools and other nurseries, and she supports the children particularly well when they move on to school. 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 are happy and very well behaved because the staff have high expectations of them. They are good role models and they show such concern for each child's well-being. At lunch and snack times the children have very good table manners, and pass food and drinks to one another. The staff know all the children well. They encourage them to develop new skills and praise them for being polite and helpful. They ask children questions and motivate them to solve problems. The children play very well together and share toys. They are confident and feel that the adults take very good care of them. They concentrate on one activity for a long time. They choose what they want to do, and have a very wide selection of toys, including dolls, construction and puzzles. They develop their imagination by dressing up and through role play.

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and outcomes for children

Outdoors the children enjoy nature walks when they learn about plants, trees, creatures and habitats. Children learn to identify different birds when they watch them feeding. They learn about life cycles by watching chicks hatch. The children thoroughly enjoy nature walks to learn about trees, habitats and pond life. They make very good progress in their physical development when they play on the tyres and climbing equipment; they ride bikes and scooters. They also have specialist teachers for dance and ball skills. The children develop good creative skills through painting, making models and printing. They are proud of their work which is displayed on all the walls. They begin to write using many different resources. They learn to recognise letters and numbers because these are displayed in the classroom and they can identify them in puzzles. They learn to recognise shapes and colours through sorting and matching activities. The children

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and outcomes for children

develop good speaking and listening skills, for example, when they make sandwiches for tea or bake gingerbread. They gain wider experience through visits to the local stables and visits from parents who talk to them about their roles in the community. Parents write about their children have done at the weekend through their adventures with a teddy. The children can then talk about this with their friends.

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and outcomes for children

The children learn to become independent, for example, by pouring drinks and putting toys away. They learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle because they talk about their healthy snacks and lunches. The staff are scrupulous about hygiene, for example, they remove their shoes in the area where babies are crawling. Children make good progress in understanding about people of different cultures because they learn about celebrations and customs. For example, at Chinese New Year they made a dragon, tasted food and converted the home corner into a restaurant. Children also play with multicultural toys and musical instruments. The children begin to develop their understanding of being part of the community by raising money for charities. The attitudes and progress children make equip them very well for the next stage in their learning. education. 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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