Tilford Meadow Nursery School

Tilford Meadow Nursery School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY421334 Inspection date 06/04/2011 Inspector Debbie Newbury

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Setting address The Tilford Institute, Tilford Road, Tilford, Surrey, GU10 2BU Telephone number 07768 515866 Email carolyn.stidston@btinternet.com 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

Tilford Meadow Nursery School was originally registered in 1985, and re-registered in 2007 under the present ownership. It re-registered again in 2010 as a limited company. It is a privately owned provision. The nursery school operates from three halls in Tilford Institute, a community building in the village of Tilford on the outskirts of Farnham in Surrey. Children have use of a secure area adjacent to the hall for outdoor play.

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Description of the setting

The nursery school is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 48 children may attend at any one time. There are currently 57 children aged from two years six months to four years on roll. The nursery school is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and/or children who speak or hear English as an additional language. Sessions operate term-time only from 9.15am to 12.15pm for children aged two and a half to three years and 1.15pm for children who are aged three years. These children bring a packed lunch from home, Depending upon carer demand, the nursery also offers an extended session on a Monday and Thursday until 2.45pm.

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Description of the setting

There are 11 members of staff, seven of whom hold appropriate childcare qualifications at Levels 2 and 3. The nursery receives support from an advisor from the local authority Early Years and Childcare Service.

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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 thrive in the warm, friendly atmosphere of this very good nursery school. Practitioners recognise the individuality of each child who attends and they promote most aspects of inclusion and children's understanding of difference with success. Children are supported in making very positive strides in their learning and they have their welfare needs met well. They benefit from the outstanding arrangements the nursery school has put in place to work in partnership with parents and carers although these arrangements are not so well developed in respect of other settings children may attend. There is a keen desire to move forward, coupled with effective measures to bring this about. Consequently, the nursery school is well placed to sustain continuous improvement.

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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  update the record of risk assessment to include any assessments of risks for outings and trips  develop further links with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage to promote a more cohesive approach to supporting children's learning and development  develop further children's awareness of diversity, for example by use of labelling in children's home languages and improving the range of and access to resources that challenge children's thinking and help them embrace difference in special educational needs and/or disability.

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the early years provision

Children stay safe because practitioners have a secure understanding of their role and responsibility in respect of safeguarding and child protection issues. They attend relevant training and have easy access to referral procedures to guide them in the action they must take if they have any concerns about a child. Systems for recruitment, vetting and ensuring the ongoing suitability of practitioners are robust and, following recent training, the registered person has identified, ways of enhancing these still further. Practitioners are very safety conscious and supervise children carefully. Risk assessments are conducted; both of the indoor and outdoor environments, with recorded daily checks. However, the record of risk assessment for the outings and trips children go on lacks some detail about identification of hazards and assessment of risks. Nevertheless, children do remain safe at such times because practitioners implement sensible precautions. All regulatory

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the early years provision

documentation is in place and comprehensive policies and procedures underpin the safe and efficient management of the nursery school and help to ensure good practice. Policies are made available to everyone.

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the early years provision

Children arrive to a ready prepared learning environment that is safe, clean and inviting. A strong focus on continuous provision means that children are able to make their own choices about what they do and follow their interests. The outside play area has been redesigned and offers an exciting extension of the learning environment. The registered person and staff team are in the process of adding resources to this to extend learning opportunities outside across all areas of learning. There is a good team spirit with everyone working together well. This helps to ensure sessions flow smoothly and children receive good levels of individual support. A shared approach to reflective practice and ongoing self- evaluation as a tool for identifying strengths and planning for further improvement is mostly very effective. This suggests that the setting is able to identify key, challenging priorities for development and work on them to achieve the desired

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the early years provision

Each child is valued as an individual and is supported by a named key person, who moves up with them as they progress through the different classes. This means that children receive consistent care from a practitioner who gets to know them really well. Children learn about other countries and celebrate different festivals, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 which helps them learn about the wider world in which we live. They access items reflecting positive images of most aspects of diversity although there are fewer resources and visual images readily accessible relating to disability to help them embrace differences and challenge their thinking. The nursery school recognises the importance of valuing children's home languages and representing these within the environment, but arrangements for doing so are still at an early stage of implementation.

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the early years provision

Parents spoken with during the course of the inspection expressed highly positive views about the nursery school, describing it as 'amazing.' They feel that their children make good progress in their learning and that practitioners are 'really positive and supportive.' Parents are extremely well informed about the nursery school and how their children are progressing, both informally and formally. This is achieved through the display of a wealth of useful information within the setting coupled with that included on the nursery school's website, which helps to paint a very clear picture about the organisation of the setting, what children will be doing, any special events planned and helpful information for parents of new starters. Parents have regular meetings with their child's key person, they are notified of the identified next steps in their learning and take their children's learning journeys home to share with other family members.

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the early years provision

Effective arrangements are in place to ease the transition of children into school and for working in partnership with other professionals and agencies in the local community who support individual children. However, these links are not quite so well developed in respect of other childcare settings that children may attend to ensure a fully coherent and shared approach to promoting care and learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and are confident, interested learners who clearly enjoy their time at the nursery school. They make very good progress towards the early learning goals and gain important skills to support their future learning as a result of the quality of the interaction they receive from interested practitioners and the range of experiences, activities and opportunities offered to them. Each child's key person monitors their achievements and progress and undertakes individualised planning. This approach ensures that the individual learning needs for each child are identified and catered for. Children gather in the foyer with their parents, chatting excitedly whilst they wait for the doors to open for the start of the session. This buzz of conversation, coupled with lots of laughter, continues throughout the morning. Children settle quickly to their own choice of activity and remain engrossed. Many older children play co-operatively, whether engaged in

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and outcomes for children

imaginative play or building with the different construction materials available. They compare the different heights of their models and are keen to make theirs the tallest. Staff provide many opportunities for problem-solving, counting and number recognition. For instance, at snack-time, children are encouraged to identify the written numeral placed next to the different food items provided and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 help themselves to the corresponding number of items. They enjoy sequencing number cards in ascending order and explore the concepts of volume and capacity as they play in the sand and water trays. Children become confident communicators as staff encourage them to chat and express their ideas and thoughts. They choose to look at books and they concentrate well as they listen to audio books. The nursery school's rural location affords good opportunities for

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and outcomes for children

children to go out for walks in the adjacent woods and they learn about nature and growth through such activities as planting vegetables and flowers and creating a mini-beast hotel in the outside play area. Since the last inspection, the nursery school has improved children's free access to a wide range of art and craft resources to encourage the development of their own creative ideas. Many children help themselves to the contents of the craft trolley and they spend a long time decorating oval pieces of card in preparation for an Easter egg hunt. Their finished creations reflect the individuality of their ideas. Children's personal, social and emotional development is a key strength because staff encourage independence and support children in understanding the importance of behaving in appropriate ways. Children make their own decisions as to what they would like to play with and they undertake small tasks, such as preparing fruit and buttering bread for

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and outcomes for children

everyone to share at snack-time. This allows them to play an active role in the organisation of the session. Staff support children in taking ownership, for example by encouraging them to tell other children to stop if they are doing something they do not like. Children are helped to negotiate turn-taking and sharing. All members of staff are kind and caring; they offer reassurance when this is needed, for example by giving cuddles to younger children and act as positive role models. Children's self-esteem and confidence is well fostered by their use of praise.

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and outcomes for children

Children are accommodated in a clean, comfortable environment where positive steps are taken to ensure good standards of hygiene and to minimise the potential for the spread of infection through the implementation of effective procedures and practice. Older children understand when and why they need to wash their hands and younger children are supported in gaining this important skill. The outside play area is used every day and offers an inviting extension to the learning environment. Children refine and improve their gross motor skills as they explore the different wheeled toys and outdoor play equipment on offer, balance on beams, dig and run up and down the small man-made hillock. They learn how to keep themselves safe as part of the normal daily routine, for instance by holding hands and walking as they cross the car park to access the outside play area. They regularly practise fire drills. 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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