Yeovil College Nursery

Children's Centre at Yeovil College Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 142870 Inspection date 11/05/2011 Inspector Marie Thompson

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Setting address Mudford Road, Yeovil, Somerset, BA21 4DR

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Telephone number 01935 845471 Email michelle.hobson@yeovil.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. 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

The Children's Centre was established in 1985 and has been extended to accommodate children for full day care. The nursery is owned by Yeovil College and operates from a converted bungalow in the college grounds. The accommodation has many rooms including an office, a pre-school room with its own toilet facilities, a toddler room and a room specifically for babies. There is a dedicated bathroom for babies and toddlers, which has nappy changing facilities included. There is a kitchen on the premises where meals are prepared and cooked for the children. There is a fully enclosed outside area for play, and dedicated garden areas designed by the children, one of these is used by the children to grow vegetables. There is also a Forest School adjacent to the nursery for children to use.

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Description of the setting

Children attend from Yeovil and surrounding towns and villages. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Registers. There are currently 78 children on roll under five years. The setting does support children with language and learning difficulties and has close links with other professionals to help support this.

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Description of the setting

The Children's Centre is open from 07:30 to 18:00 all year round with the exception of public holidays and the period between Christmas and the New Year. There are ten permanent members of staff who all hold relevant qualifications in child care including NNEB and NVQ certificates. There are also five Bank staff employed by the nursery. The nursery is a member of the Somerset Nurseries Association, National Day Nurseries Association and is supported by advisors 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 cared for in a vibrant and caring environment where their individual needs are successfully met. They are offered a very good range of innovative learning experiences which capture their imagination and which supports their learning, which allows them to make very good progress towards the early learning goals, given their age, ability and starting points. Children's uniqueness and individuality is recognised and managed well. Well written policies and procedures securely underpin the operational practice of the nursery. The recommendations from the last inspection have been addressed.

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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  continue to develop systems to evaluate the provision which reflect the views of all service users

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the early years provision

Children are kept safe within the setting as there are effective procedures in place to be followed in the event of a concern being raised, which ensures that children are safeguarded. Policies, procedures and documentation for the effective and safe running of the setting are very well organised, effectively implemented and all are shared with parents. There are sound recruitment procedures for staff to ensure they are suitable to work with children. Safety is prioritised within the setting. Thorough risk assessments of all aspects of the nursery are in place, which ensures a safe and secure environment. Children's good health and well-being is well promoted at all times, for example, hygiene routines are clearly adhered to and the setting operates a healthy eating policy. All records of information relating to individual children are in place, well maintained and effectively stored to ensure confidentiality. All legally required records are in place and very well maintained.

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the early years provision

Self-evaluation is good but does not yet fully include the views of all parents, carers and children. Children with special educational needs are very well supported because staff have attended relevant training and provide visual timelines and photo choice cards to help their individual progress within the setting.

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the early years provision

Aspects of leadership and management are particularly strong and this is reflected in a real commitment to staff's personal professional development. High standards of record keeping are noted with a strong focus on children's achievements in relation to their learning and development. There is a strong emphasis on fostering trust, openness and respect with parents, whilst keeping the focus on the children's learning, development and welfare. Parents have a designated area in the foyer and good levels of consistency have been achieved in relation to reinforcing children's learning and development at home. Parents are kept well informed about nursery topics and events, and they commend staff for the way in which they deliver a consistently good service. Staff work effectively with other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage to children who attend the nursery to promote continuity and progression of children's learning and well-

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the early years provision

Space, time and resources are organised and used well to meet the needs of children. Before sessions begin, resources are checked in relation to health and safety. They are thoughtfully arranged to welcome children to the setting and to encourage children to use them. Labelled boxes containing quality toys and equipment for outdoor play enhance children's experience at the setting. Outdoor play is an integral part of the provision and the resources and equipment used in the outdoor play areas clearly reflect the children's age and stage of development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The nursery is a vibrant place for children to spend time and they make good progress in their learning as they experience a wide range of exciting and stimulating activities which meet their interests and developmental needs. The environment alongside the wealth of resources are thoughtfully laid out enabling children to make full use of the available space and access a range of play experiences, which significantly promotes children's confidence and ability to make choices and take an active part in their play and learning experiences. Children are well supported by a dedicated staffing team, who are deployed well to offer support and guidance. This ensures that all children are consistently supported and challenged during their play and learning experiences. Staff show a very good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and of how young children learn through first hand experiences and play. Regular observations are carried out

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and outcomes for children

by the key persons to assess learning and progress, which are recorded in each child's learning scrapbooks and profiles. These are used effectively to identify what each child needs to learn next and then this information is then used to plan activities to support further learning.

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and outcomes for children

The well equipped and innovative lay-out of the outdoor play area successfully extends children's' learning from indoors and encourages children to be active and full participants when playing outdoors. They develop their physical skills as they use equipment such as climbing frames, bikes, cars, garden and ball games. Their enjoyment of outdoors is further enhanced as they enjoy playing with sand, use mark making materials and enjoy looking at books and use a range of constructional resources. They have great fun running through the Willow arches and hopping in and out of the tires on the ground. Younger children enjoy bouncing on the trampolines and taking the kitchen play into the outside area to make a picnic for the dolls and teddy bears. Children participate in growing a selection of flowers and vegetables, which ensures that their understanding of sustainability is actively promoted. Furthermore the Forest School adjacent to the

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and outcomes for children

nursery provides an innovative educational approach to outdoor play and learning. Children access a very wide range if information and communication technology, including a computer, programmable and interactive toys which provides opportunities to enhance their understanding of the mathematical concepts. They thoroughly enjoy expressing their creative flairs through acting out well known stories in the home corner or taking take in action songs, which promotes their language and imaginative development.

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and outcomes for children

Children are well nourished and their health and dietary needs are consistently met. A healthy range of meals and snacks are provided which are prepared from fresh ingredients. The cook takes a proactive role within the setting. For example she has set up a healthy eating board for parents' information and prepares food in accordance with the topics the children are learning about. Children develop good personal hygiene routines as they independently wash their hands prior to eating their snacks and also after visiting the toilet. Children know how to keep themselves safe. They take part in an emergency evacuation drill and are aware of the safety measures needed when playing inside and outside. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children enjoy their time at the setting, building warm and friendly relationships with one another as well as the adults around them, consequently behaviour is

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and outcomes for children

good. Children have good opportunities to respect diversity by celebrating festivals from different cultural traditions as well as their own, which is well supported by activities, resources and displays of positive images which are seen throughout the nursery. A sense of belonging is well fostered as they see displays of their own work displayed throughout the setting, enabling them to share their achievements with others and help create a welcoming and child centred environment for all to enjoy. 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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