Clarence House Godmanchester Nursery

Clarence House Day Nursery & Pre- School Centre Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY260325 Inspection date 23/03/2011 Inspector Veronica Sharpe

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Setting address 19 The Causeway, Godmanchester, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 2HA Telephone number 01480 386241 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

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

Clarence House Day Nursery opened in 1997 and has been operating under the present owner since March 2003. The nursery operates from a converted two- storey detached house, located in Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register to care for a maximum of 50 children at any one time, of these, no more than 24 may be under two years. There are currently 69 children aged between birth and five years on roll. This includes 34 children eligible for early years funding. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports a small number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The group opens from 7.30am until 6.30pm each weekday all year round, except for bank holidays and the Christmas period. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are 12 staff who work with the children, of these eight have appropriate early years qualifications. One member of staff has a Foundation Degree. Two members of staff are working towards qualifications.

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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 setting offers children a welcoming and safe environment. Effective two-way partnerships with parents ensure children's individual needs are well met. Generally children benefit from varied and interesting activities that promote their independence. Consequently, they all make good progress in their learning and development. Managers and staff work together to develop the provision and ensure good outcomes for all children.

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further?

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

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further?

 increase opportunities for younger children to experience differing media on an everyday basis both indoors and outside, such as sand, water or food play develop further the use of observations in order to assess and plan for each child's learning and development needs; this refers particularly to the baby room  develop further staff knowledge of appropriate behaviour management techniques to ensure behaviour management policies are implemented consistently.

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the early years provision

Effective recruitment procedures are in place to ensure staff working with the children are safe and suitable to do so. Staff show a good understanding of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 safeguarding children procedures and they attend regular training to update their knowledge. Safeguarding information is readily available and reviewed at team meetings to ensure each staff member is aware of their responsibilities. Thorough risk assessments are implemented rigorously so children play in a safe and secure environment. Children are encouraged to keep themselves safe as they find out how to identify hazards for themselves, such as, why their nursery doors are kept locked. The management team has secure systems in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the provision, which takes into account the views of parents. The local authority quality framework assessment has been completed

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the early years provision

recently and this has helped to target areas for development as well as reflect on strengths. There is a clear commitment to professional development for staff and they meet regularly to share and develop their knowledge. All staff work well together as a team; they take collective responsibility for the successful running of the nursery, which has a positive effect on children's welfare and learning.

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the early years provision

The nursery is well-organised with a good range of age appropriate resources available in each area. Children make daily use of the outdoor areas, particularly the older children who benefit from free-flow access to the garden. Children learn about their own and other cultures and lifestyles by using diverse resources and doing practical activities, such as, making family books. There are sound strategies in place to support children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work well with parents to ensure children's individual needs are met. Home visits are offered, which gives parents and children an early opportunity to familiarise themselves with key staff. Parents receive good information about the policies and procedures as well as regular updates on events and changes. Flexible settling in procedures take account of children's individual needs and support them in their transition between home and the setting. Well-established partnerships

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the early years provision

with other providers, such as, the local schools and pre-schools helps to ensure children confidently move into their new settings.

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and outcomes for children

Children have good relationships with staff and each other and play harmoniously together. Generally staff set clear boundaries and have high expectations of good behaviour. They encourage children to take responsibility for themselves, such as, putting away resources or making sure they use scissors safely. However, in a very few instances inexperienced staff are not always clear about positive behaviour strategies, for example, when helping reluctant children to eat. Staff have a good understanding of the Early Years foundation Stage, which enables them to offer good experiences that support each child's learning and development. Independent play is well-established in most areas, particularly in pre-school, where children thrive and show high levels of confidence and self-reliance. Flexible planning is in place that is responsive to children's interests and abilities and staff enable children to explore and experiment with well-deployed resources. For

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and outcomes for children

example, children use scissors, pencils and glue freely. Planning for children as individuals is less well-supported in the baby room. Staff are warm and responsive to children's welfare needs, but are not yet fully effective in using their observations on each child's development to plan activities based on their This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 individual interests.

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and outcomes for children

Children are confident communicators and enjoy chattering with staff and each other; sharing their experiences and feelings. They enjoy stories very much, collecting together to listen and joining in with popular favourites, such as, a story about a rabbit. Children are introduced to mark making activities from an early age, babies play with chunky crayons and chalks and sometimes explore paints. Older children access their own resources and show they can begin to write their names and caption their pictures. Children learn about numbers in practical ways as they sing number rhymes or count how many children are at nursery today. The nursery takes part in local fund raising community events, which helps children develop their understanding of the wider world. They have lots of fun finding out about reptiles and insects and learn to keep themselves and others safe by learning basic first aid. Most children have frequent opportunities to explore varied

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and outcomes for children

media, such as, paint, water, sand, soil and dough. Younger children, however, have fewer chances, although, they readily access other natural materials using the treasure baskets.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy freshly cooked hot lunches each day that are varied, healthy and nutritious. Snacks are taken at regular intervals during the day to ensure children are properly nourished. Older children access their drinks independently, whilst younger children are encouraged to drink frequently to maintain their good health. Clear information is collected about any special dietary needs to ensure all food is safe and suitable. Older children have daily opportunities for active play in the outdoor areas, for example, they join in a fun game of 'What's the time Mr Wolf.' Younger children practise their physical skills as they crawl about, use their small climbing frame, or learn to scoot on sit and ride toys. 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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