Dowry House Nursery School

Dowry House Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 309291 Inspection date 11/05/2011 Inspector Janet Singleton

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Setting address St. Marys Road, Bamber Bridge, Preston, Lancashire, PR5 6TE Telephone number 01772 628 410 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

Dowry House Nursery School is privately owned and was registered in 1990. It operates from a detached property in Bamber Bridge, Preston. The nursery school serves the local area. The nursery school is mostly accessible to all, however the entrance is accessed via steps. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Description of the setting

The nursery school opens Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 8am until 5.30pm. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. A maximum of 25 children may attend the nursery school at any one time. There are currently 46 children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The nursery school is registered on the Early Years Register. It provides funded early education for three and four-year-olds. The nursery school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery school employs seven members of childcare staff, of these, one holds appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and five at level 3. The manager is qualified to a level 6 in early years. The nursery school receives support from the local authority advisors. The nursery school is a member of 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

Practitioner's good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage promotes children's welfare, learning and development with success. The setting's effective planning and observation systems supports children in their learning given their age and starting points. The learning environment is fully inclusive, safe and secure, positively promoting children's independence. The stimulating child- orientated environment encourages children's understanding and outstanding promotion of diversity. Good organisation of the policies and procedures support the safe and efficient management of the setting. The good procedures for self- evaluation and improvement of the provision means a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses is obtained. Practitioners have outstanding relationships with parents and good relationships with other agencies.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the good observation and assessment procedures to consistently identify the actual learning priority for all children to enable planning to truly reflect their learning and development needs at all times  ensure the newly developed procedure for lunch time is planned to allow for This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 a balance of the time taken, in regard to children's initial waiting periods at the table and for the preparation of all children to become ready to partake in their lunch.

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the early years provision

The arrangements for safeguarding are good as practitioners are clear in their responsibilities to protect children. Good supporting documents are comprehensive outlining the procedures they would follow should they have a concern. Recruitment, vetting and induction procedures are robust and contribute to keeping children safe. The good organisation and regularly reviewing of the policies and procedures contribute to the overall safe management of the setting. The arrangements for maintaining a secure and safe environment, for example, risk assessments and health and safety, are reviewed and changed according to need. The involvement of the children in discussions about keeping safe and their partaking in the evacuation procedures ensures they are learning about keeping themselves safe.

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the early years provision

Leaders and managers make exceptional use of the resources as children play and learn in a child centred and stimulating environment. The excellent organisation of the outdoor area and the good educational programme for children means that their individual needs and uniqueness is planned for. Outstanding promotion of equality and diversity is through comprehensive documentation and the involvement of parents, children and other agencies in identifying children's individual needs. Outstanding partnerships with parents contribute to the good outcomes for all children. The sharing of their child's assessment and through the daily diaries and communication books provides feedback to what is taking place with the child at home. Learning priorities for the children are not always consistently identified as these sometimes build on the interest and activity in regard to planning for their next steps.

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the early years provision

The manager and practitioners have a clear understanding and achievable plan for improvement through the completion of a detailed and reflective self-evaluation form. Partnership with parents is good and they are included in evaluating the provision which supports the continuous improvement of the setting. They are provided with a communication book, a monthly newsletter and are invited to add their comments by completing the questionnaire requesting their views. Notices are displayed for their information. The practitioner's commitment and enthusiasm to improve the service shines through as they explain how they have changed some areas of outdoor play to assist in children making better use of these areas. Partnerships with external agencies are established including working with the local authority and the inclusion team. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Practitioner's good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage means that effective planning is in place to meet the individual needs of the children. Through sensitive observation and identification of the children's interests and development, means they successfully support them in making good progress towards the early learning goals. Children delight in playing and learning in the outstanding and well planned environment as they access the continuous play provision. Practitioners effectively support children as they promote positive attitudes to learning. A good balance between child-initiated and adult-led activities allows children to use their imagination, for example, in role play and story time.

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and outcomes for children

Children are excited and motivated as they play outdoor on a daily basis, they play in the fantasy area as they make and cook food using the leaves and stones from the natural world. They delight in putting on a show as they sing and act with gusto and enthusiasm, the sheer delight showing on their faces. They watch the hens roam freely and check to find out if they have laid any eggs. They grow their own fruit and vegetables and enjoying picking them for lunch. They find a frog and look at this, for a short period, in the glass tank before allowing it to return to the natural world. Children climb, run and express themselves as they remain occupied and motivated outdoors. They enjoy story time in the outdoor covered room and access the mark making and areas of continuous provision both outside and indoors. They count and name colours as they play. They enjoy writing and making marks for a purpose. They find their own names and self register for snack

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and outcomes for children

time. Their personal needs are attended to as they sleep according to their individual bodily rhythms. Children are confident, they ask meaningful questions, such as, who, why and what, as they show their curiosity. The children are comfortable around staff and know the rules as they are very well behaved being engaged and interested at all times. They are polite and remember their manners when asking for equipment. They learn about the wider world and diversity as they talk about the similarities and the differences of people, celebrate festivals and observe positive images of people. They learn about looking after their environment and not being wasteful through topics, growing their own food and using materials for recycling. They talk about saving the polar bears to give children a tangible understanding of the importance of effect this has on the world.

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and outcomes for children

By engaging in everyday activities, for example, hand washing, children learn about good health practices. They enjoy healthy snacks and through discussions learn about healthy choices. However, the routine means that their growing independence is not always supported, because some children are waiting at the table until all children are ready to partake the lunch time. Children are included in the process of lunch time, for example, pouring their own drink. The resources of the nursery help develop the children's confidence particularly with regard to making choices and decision. They show an excellent sense of self and are confident and active learners. By exploring and learning how to use programmable toys and the computers they develop their skills for the future, as a consequence this is outstanding. This combined with the positive use of praise and as a consequence the building of children's self-worth and esteem, means that children

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 are learning and developing in a positive and beneficial environment and are able to make a positive contribution, this is also an outstanding area. 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 1 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 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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