Abacus 2000 Nursery School

Abacus 2000 Nursery School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 223495 Inspection date 22/03/2011 Inspector Jane Laraman

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Setting address Upper Parsonage, Ashfield Park Road, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 5AS Telephone number 01989 566369 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

Abacus 2000 Nursery School and Out of School Club (Fabacus) was originally opened in 1990 and changed ownership in 2000. It is a private business run by a partnership of three people. It operates from five rooms in a detached bungalow and is located on the outskirts of the market town of Ross-on-Wye, in Herefordshire. The nursery serves the town and surrounding rural communities. Children have use of enclosed outdoor play areas. The building is accessed via some steps, with all indoor facilities used by the children on one level.

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Description of the setting

The setting is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm all year round. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. A maximum of 53 children may attend the setting at any one time, of whom no more than six may be under two years of age. There are currently 86 children under five years on roll in the nursery and 13 children aged over five years on roll in the out of school club.

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Description of the setting

The provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register and funded early years education is provided for three- and four-year-olds. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language are supported.

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Description of the setting

There are 14 members of staff employed. Of these, 13 staff hold appropriate early years or play work qualifications. Two members of staff have a Foundation Degree in Early Years. 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

Children are settled, happy and confident as they are welcomed into an inclusive setting, where they access a good variety of play opportunities under the warm, friendly supervision of the staff. Effective partnerships with parents are forged to ensure that activities are tailored to children's preferences and staff have a good understanding of how to meet children's individual needs. Consequently, children are developing their interests and skills competently and making good progress in their learning and development. The management and staff team regularly reflect on their practice to identify strengths and areas for development in their provision. Good use of their self-evaluation helps them to make continuous improvements with regard to children's welfare, learning and development, which has a positive impact on outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure that the health and hygiene policy is consistently implemented This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  review the risk assessment to ensure that it covers anything with which a child may come into contact to ensure children's safety and well-being  develop further the existing self-evaluation systems to ensure that identified priorities for development are implemented and monitored to continuously improve the quality of the provision.

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the early years provision

Children are safeguarded due to practitioners working together as a team to promote children's welfare, learning and development. Robust recruitment, vetting and induction procedures are in place to ensure the suitability of staff to work with children and all staff have an appropriate understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Children are further safeguarded because the staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of child protection issues. They are able to identify possible signs and symptoms of abuse or neglect, have accessed relevant training and know the procedures to follow in the event of a concern being raised. All policies and procedures to promote child protection are in line with guidance from the Local Safeguarding Children Board. Written risk assessments are in place and these are used to help ensure children's safety both in and out of the premises and whilst on outings. However, some potential hazards within the outdoor area have

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the early years provision

not been identified. Therefore some risks have not been fully assessed, which potentially compromises children's safety.

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the early years provision

A comprehensive range of written policies and procedures, required for the safe and efficient management of the setting are in place. Most of these are successfully implemented by staff, but the hygiene policy in relation to one of the toilet areas is not always consistently followed and this potentially compromises children's health. Documentation relating to children's individual needs is sufficiently detailed as the information required to meet their diverse needs is gathered prior to them starting at the nursery. Their records are reviewed periodically to ensure their care and learning needs continue to be met and their personal information is stored securely, reflecting the emphasis placed on confidentiality. Staff are suitably deployed and children with English as an additional language or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are able to fully participate in activities through the provision of additional adult

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the early years provision

Throughout the nursery a happy, relaxed atmosphere prevails and the friendly, caring staff are well qualified, experienced and keen to develop their professional childcare practice through ongoing training. The management team involve staff, children and parents in reviewing the provision on an ongoing basis. Actions subsequently taken and plans for future development are well targeted to improve outcomes for children, which demonstrates the nursery's capacity for continuous improvement. Recommendations made at the last inspection have been addressed, further demonstrating capacity for improvement.

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the early years provision

Parents are provided with good information about the setting through access to a prospectus, policies and procedures, newsletters and display boards. Effective This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 settling-in procedures promote confidence and emotional security in the children, which enables parents to feel reassured. Through being made very welcome, parents and carers develop a good rapport with staff and they regularly exchange verbal and written information about the children. The nursery has very good procedures in place to liaise with local schools, additional settings that the children may attend and other professional agencies. This helps to promote continuity of care for the children and fosters a consistent approach to their learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their time at this setting very much, as they access stimulating indoor and outdoor play opportunities in an attractive learning environment. They are relaxed and confident in their familiar surroundings and interact positively with the staff, who are very kind and mindful of the children's needs. Consequently, children are helped to build good, close relationships and this enables them to develop a strong sense of security, trust and self-esteem. Children are well supported in their learning and development as the staff have a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements and they have a sound understanding of how children learn effectively. All six areas of learning and development are covered through play-based activities. Toys, equipment and resources are stored accessibly so that the children can exercise independent choice and decision-making throughout the day. This encourages their self-initiated

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and outcomes for children

play and promotes their active learning. Adult-led activities ensure that the children are appropriately challenged as they progress towards their early learning goals. After establishing the starting points of each child, the staff make sensitive observations of them as they learn through their play. They maintain very detailed records of progress for each child, which include written observations, photographic evidence and examples of the child's work. This personalised information is used to identify and plan for the next steps in a child's learning based on their unique abilities, interests and skills.

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and outcomes for children

Spontaneous and everyday activities are used well to help the children develop good mathematical thinking, counting and problem-solving skills. Mathematical resources are in place and children complete number jigsaws, use weighing scales when baking and develop their number recognition ability as they see numbers in the nursery environment. When playing soldier skittles they count how many they have knocked over and some of the older children like to write numbers down to help keep a tally of their scores. Many other opportunities to develop early writing skills, through the use of mark-making materials, are available throughout the nursery and in various role play activities. The children love dressing up, acting out the roles of princesses, knights in shining armour or the court jester, who must endeavour to make the king laugh. They take turns to inhabit a large play castle and create various individual castles out of recycled materials or sand. Budding car

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and outcomes for children

mechanics enjoy taking charge of the role play garage and offer some brilliant car servicing deals to their friends. Information technology skills are being acquired by the children through using the garage till, CD players, various programmable toys or the nursery computer. Skills with simple tools and equipment are practised as This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children experiment with a range of items, such as, scissors, writing implements, miniature trowels and rakes. Children are often able to work alongside a professional gardening coach in the nursery garden and they learn how to grow and take care of seeds, plants and vegetables. They are delighted when they are able to prepare and eat their produce. Children's language and communication skills are appropriately nurtured throughout their various play activities and during 'circle time.' They love to join in with cheerful songs and rhymes and they have

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and outcomes for children

opportunities to listen to stories and to look at books independently. Resources that promote diversity are used well to extend their understanding of different cultures and beliefs in the wider world. Children enjoy celebrating a range of world festivals and access the good quality resources, which include wall posters, small world items and jigsaws. These depict positive images of disability and gender, for example, and help children to value and respect difference. There is a strong emphasis on caring and sharing, with staff using a positive approach to managing behaviour, taking into account children's understanding and maturity. As they learn to cooperate and play together harmoniously, children are developing social and personal skills to support their future economic well-being.

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and outcomes for children

Suitable measures are in place to promote children's health. They understand that they must wash their hands after messy play, before eating food and after toileting. Older children often do this independently and follow visual prompts as they access the washing facilities. Outdoor play is a firm favourite as children are lively, energetic and able to develop good physical balance and control in activities such as kicking balls, running and riding scooters or trikes. Children are encouraged to develop an awareness of how to stay safe. For example, they are taught how to use play equipment safely and to pick up toys when they have finished playing with them. They devise safety rules, help staff carry out risk assessments and they practise how to evacuate the building sensibly, should an emergency arise. 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 3 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 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 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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