Bookworms Nursery

Bookworms Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 154373 Inspection date 11/05/2011 Inspector Nicola Hill

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Setting address Farnborough College of Technology, Boundary Road, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 6SB Telephone number 01252 407080 Email k.easting@farn-ct.ac.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.

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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

Bookworms Day Nursery was registered in 2001. It is a privately owned day nursery run by Farnborough College of Technology in Farnborough, Hampshire. The nursery operates from three self-contained rooms within the college building, and children are grouped according to age and stage of development. All children share access to an enclosed outside play area.

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Description of the setting

The nursery serves the needs of students and staff from the technical college only. The group is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is registered to care for a maximum of 33 children aged under eight years. There are currently 37 children on roll. The group is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years, and welcomes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who use English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery operates each weekday from 8.30am to 5.30pm, excluding Christmas and Bank Holidays. The nursery is also closed for two weeks during the summer. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are six full-time and four part-time staff currently working with the children, all of whom hold a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority and is accredited through the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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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's welfare, learning and development are well promoted at this nursery. The well organised and involved manager enthuses staff to work effectively as teams, and consequently they fulfil their individual roles with great commitment. Positive and trusting partnerships are established with parents, ensuring children receive consistent support with their care, although relationships with other providers who provide early education for the children are not fully developed. Children are happy and secure in the nursery environment and they display positive attitudes towards play and learning. Staff work well with children to ensure they are all included and valued. The setting's robust evaluation procedures ensure that the manager, staff and carers all have meaningful opportunities to review and contribute to the ongoing improvement of the nursery.

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further?

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

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further?

 continue to develop the outdoor environment to ensure that all six areas of learning are promoted outdoors as well as indoors in order to fully extend This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children's play and learning  further develop the current planning and assessment systems by detailing how planned activities can be differentiated to meet individual children's needs, and by developing a clearer system of tracking children's progression in skills towards the early learning goals  improve the partnerships with other settings providing the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) for children also attending the nursery, so that relevant information is shared to support continuity in learning.

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the early years provision

Children's care, welfare and learning are enhanced by the effective way in which the group is led and managed. Safeguarding is given the highest priority. There is a comprehensive awareness of safeguarding issues among the adults within the setting at all levels, all of whom receive regular training on child protection. In- depth policies and procedures ensure that staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting the children in their care. Robust systems are in place for managing the recruitment and induction of staff and to check their suitability. Staff are deployed well throughout the nursery setting and provide high levels of supervision. The premises are secure and free from hazards due to ongoing maintenance, thorough daily safety checks and robust risk assessments, and consistent monitoring of the condition of toys and equipment.

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the early years provision

Strong enthusiastic leadership from the manager, together with regular discussion between staff, ensures that staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities and work extremely well together. The manager effectively motivates staff and enables them to develop through the staff appraisal system and by offering staff every opportunity to attend training. Since the last inspection, the well-established staff team has continued to provide high levels of consistency and the recommendations raised previously have been addressed. The group has high aspirations for quality, which is evident through the constructive methods of self-evaluation. The opinions of staff and parents, as well as reviews from outside agencies, are listened to and acted upon immediately. The self-evaluation form is comprehensive and detailed; it shows constant monitoring and analysis of what the setting does well and what it wishes to improve. Actions taken by the setting are well targeted and have had a

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the early years provision

good impact in bringing about sustained improvement to the early years provision. For example, staff have improved the system for recording children's development and have introduced ''WOW'' boards or books in each room to celebrate children's achievements both at home and in the nursery. The garden is the latest area of the nursery to be highlighted as an area for improvement, which has also been identified during the inspection, showing the group's realistic assessment of their provision.

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the early years provision

The nursery is a relaxed and happy place for children and families. Staff create a welcoming environment which is both reassuring and stimulating. Children enter the nursery confidently and have the benefit of being accommodated in age related base rooms, which helps them to feel settled and safe. All rooms are brightly decorated with the children's work, and each child has their own named This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 coat peg, which gives them a sense of ownership and belonging. Children use a varied range of safe, good quality and developmentally appropriate resources. These are well-presented by staff, and children are able to choose from the inviting range stored at low level in all rooms. Children enjoy the benefits of the setting's positive approach to inclusion. Their individual personalities and needs are well known and respected by staff, and cultural differences are positively

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the early years provision

acknowledged. The nursery is continuing to develop the good support provided to children who speak English as an additional language.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents are well established, with many parents keen to express their confidence and support for the setting. Parents comment that the staff are approachable and give good feedback about how their child is developing. Staff are very conscious of the differing ages, needs and backgrounds of the parents using their services; consequently, some of the staff have attended counselling courses in order to be able to provide appropriate advice and support. Parents are kept well informed of their child's development and progress through regular discussions, termly progress reports and access to their child's records. They have been given good information about the Early Years Foundation Stage and are also provided with details of planned topics. Regular newsletters keep parents up to date with the latest developments at the provision, and a display of other information is clearly on view on the notice board. The nursery has started to

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the early years provision

establish links with other providers to ensure continuity of care and learning for children who attend more than one setting; however, these are not yet fully established.

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and outcomes for children

Children make good progress in their learning and development due to the effective organisation and knowledge of staff. Settling-in visits are offered to new children, and parents are asked to complete a ''Getting to know you'' form about their child. Using this information, staff observe the children as they settle, which gives them a good basis to start planning for each child's developmental needs. Planning throughout the nursery is clear and links to all six areas of learning. However, it is not clear on the written plans how activities can be differentiated to meet individual children's needs. Staff regularly make observation notes on children's learning and consistently record children's next steps. However, staff have not yet devised a clear system to assist them in tracking children's progression in skills towards the early learning goals.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a good working knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and use this to plan and implement a broad range of activities and experiences across the six areas of learning. They use various teaching methods to gain children's interest and help them develop. However, staff are not yet maximising children's learning opportunities or fully promoting all six areas of learning within the outdoor environment. Staff develop close and supportive relationships with children, allowing them to feel secure and confident in their play and learning. Older This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children speak confidently about what they are doing and enjoy sharing their thoughts. They thoroughly enjoy a visit from a grandparent with a baby, and are fascinated as they watch the baby being bathed. They gently splash the baby and find the baby some toys to play with. Children have easy access to mark making

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and outcomes for children

materials and show curiosity in numbers as they talk about their ages and make dot-to-dot pictures with staff, adding the next number in the sequence to each dot. They show an interest in books and listen attentively to stories, recalling a French story they have been reading. Babies and young toddlers receive lots of cuddles, and babble and gurgle confidently to staff. Babies have fun playing with interactive toys with lights and sounds. They also play in the sensory tent and enjoy exploring and feeling different textures, such as shaving foam, pasta and items from the sensory baskets. Toddlers enjoy singing songs with staff and like to look through a photo album about their recent trip to a children's farm. They explore the different properties of soil in the sand tray and show good imagination as they play with small world figures. Children benefit from good opportunities to explore their environment and learn about the natural world. They help water and care for the

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and outcomes for children

vegetables and flowers outside, and learn about life cycles by caring for caterpillars. They visit various places around the college, such as the music suite and the beauty salon, go on local walks to places such as the train station and welcome visitors to the setting, such as the police and the fire brigade.

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and outcomes for children

Children stay healthy because they are provided with freshly prepared snacks and hot lunches and teas, which are highly nutritious, varied and well balanced. Arrangements to minimise cross infection ensure standards of hygiene are excellent. Children show a firm understanding of good hygiene procedures and are very well protected as all staff have attended paediatric first aid training. Children have daily access to outside play and thoroughly enjoy playing on the wheeled toys and climbing apparatus. They regularly go on walks, including ''wellie walks'' to jump and splash in puddles, and babies often take part in ''baby yoga'' sessions. All children show a strong sense of security and feel safe within the setting. They show an excellent understanding of what standards of behaviour are expected and apply these in order to keep themselves and others safe. Their understanding of safety issues and how they demonstrate this is exceptional. Children are

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and outcomes for children

encouraged to be polite and to use good manners so they acquire effective social skills, and are provided with lots of praise and encouragement to develop their self-esteem. Staff provide children with the necessary resources, activities and opportunities they need to help them gain important skills for the future. 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 1 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 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 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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