The Elves and Fairies Woodland Nursery

The Elves and Fairies Woodland Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY422487 Inspection date 23/05/2011 Inspector Marilyn Joy

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Setting address Edmondsham Village Hall, Edmondsham Village, Nr Wimborne, Dorset Telephone number 01725517807 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

The Elves and Fairies Woodland Nursery has been registered since 2007 and moved into the current premises in 2011. The nursery operates as a Forest School Nursery with Edmondsham Village Hall as the registered base, although the owner's garden and Edmondsham Woods are also used. All the required facilities are available indoors and outdoors.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is registered to care for no more than 16 children aged from two years to under eight years. There is no provision for children aged under two years. There are currently 13 children on the roll. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, term time only, from 8.45am until 4.15pm according to demand. Children may attend full and part-time. 'Adventure in the Woods' sessions run for children aged from three to eight years during some holiday periods. The nursery is open for 47 weeks of the year. The nursery is registered to receive funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs six staff, all of whom work part-time. There are five who hold relevant early years qualifications and four either already hold, or are working towards, Forest School qualifications.

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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 flourish in a challenging environment that focuses on outdoor living and learning. Extremely positive relationships are developed with parents and provide secure foundations from which children gain confidence and make good progress in their learning. Partnerships are established with other professionals, although are still in the process of being developed with other settings children attend. Children's health and emotional well-being are particularly well-supported and their safety is promoted through vigilant supervision and suitable safety arrangements in most areas. There is a clear commitment within the nursery to achieve high standards and overall evaluation systems effectively support them in this process.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 improve risk assessments to ensure that effective steps are taken to address potential hazards and keep children safe, with particular regard to the garden pond (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare - also applies to the compulsory part of the Childcare 06/06/2011 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Register).

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further?

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

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further?

 develop arrangements for sharing information with other childcare settings children attend to encourage continuity and coherence in their care and learning  review arrangements for storage of resources outdoors to increase accessibility and extend choices further when the indoor environment is not being used.

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the early years provision

Effective measures are in place to ensure staff have a good knowledge of child protection issues and that they know what to do if they have concerns about the welfare of a child in their care. Robust recruitment and employment procedures ensure staff are suitably qualified and suitable to work with children.

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the early years provision

Comprehensive risk assessments are conducted for trips to the woods and for use of an open fire for supervised cooking activities. Staff are extremely vigilant in adhering to robust procedures and ensuring children are fully aware of the rules they must follow in order to maintain safety.

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the early years provision

Children spend a lot of their time in the garden and although daily risk assessments are conducted, the safety of the pond has not been effectively assessed, which is a breach of the regulations. The small pond is identified as a potential hazard and has been partially covered by a frame and has some pots around it, however, this is not substantial enough to completely prevent children accessing it. Their safety has not been significantly compromised because the high ratio of adults to children and vigilant supervision has enabled staff to keep children safe and secure.

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the early years provision

All the required documentation is well-organised and suitably maintained which means staff have all the information they need to help them meet children's individual health and welfare needs.

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the early years provision

The nursery follows the ethos of Forest Schools and most staff have completed specific training which provides them with the skills and expertise they need to promote children's learning outdoors. They work closely with the local authority to develop their practice and introduce effective systems for monitoring and assessing progress. Management and staff have high expectations for the nursery and a clear commitment towards ongoing improvement. They regularly review their practice and identify areas for further improvement. For example, they are updating the prospectus for parents and developing dedicated areas in the woods. Resources and equipment are tailored for outdoor learning and are used well to support children's health and welfare, as well as achieve planned goals in learning and development; although, when they are not using the indoor environment This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

some are not as easily accessible. There is a particular emphasis on ensuring resources and the environment are sustainable, such as growing their own vegetables and composting waste.

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the early years provision

Strong partnerships are developed with parents. They are well-informed about most aspects of the service provided and the daily care and learning their children receive. Communication is ensured using a varied range of verbal and written communications. Effective settling-in arrangements are agreed with parents and help children to quickly settle-in and gain confidence in a new environment. Staff spend time getting to know parents and sharing information which helps them to develop a secure knowledge of each child and effectively meet their individual needs.Parents comment on how much they value the different experiences the nursery offers, the healthy outdoor focus and the varied activities.

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the early years provision

Clear arrangements are in place for working with other agencies to support children's individual developmental needs. The nursery is still in the process of establishing arrangements for working with other childcare settings children attend to help them develop continuity and coherence in their care and learning. Links are made with local primary schools to help foster a smooth transition from one setting to another.

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and outcomes for children

Children appear comfortable and at ease in the relaxed and happy environment offered. Parents are fully aware of the outdoor focus and so children have appropriate clothing to enable them to play outside whatever the weather. Children arrive confidently and quickly settle to activities of their own choosing. Most demonstrate a strong sense of belonging within the setting and behave well. They are well motivated and are beginning to show a good awareness of responsibility within the nursery.

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and outcomes for children

Daily song and story times effectively promote children's language skills alongside positive interactions and conversations with staff. They play games where they identify what sounds they can hear and then begin to recognise letter sounds and link them with words. Staff successfully incorporate all areas of learning into practical activities that children enjoy. For example, children's interest in jumping off the balance beam is extended with counting and measuring when they create their own number signs and place them in order on the ground. They work out how to prevent them from blowing away before taking it in turns to measure how far they can jump.

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and outcomes for children

Children engage in a broad range of activities which help ensure they are able to make good progress in their learning. Planning focuses on children's interests and their next steps for learning; because of the flexibility of the daily timetable and a good knowledge of the children plans can be easily adapted. Each child has their own progress folder which records achievements and tracks their progression against the expectations of the early learning goals and generally they are up-to- This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 date.

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and outcomes for children

Activities are organised throughout the year to extend children's experiences, for example, they make candles, plant hyacinths, create a treasure map and find out about Chinese New Year and Easter celebrations. A good balance of adult-led and child-led activities means that children have plenty of opportunities to explore activities independently or with their friends as well as benefit from the support of staff. Many resources are flexible and can be used imaginatively such as blankets for dens and wood for building, although as storage is not fully organised outdoors, not all of the nursery's resources are easily accessed.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy the company of staff and develop positive relationships with them. Some take a clear interest in gardening and become engrossed in raking the soil and preparing the ground before planting courgettes and cucumbers. In readiness for circle time children take it in turns to collect flowers and herbs to decorate the table. Staff name what they have collected and very quickly the older children remember and repeat their different names.

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and outcomes for children

Staff involve children in daily routines which helps them to understand the importance healthy habits and staying safe. Children develop good hand-eye coordination as they help to prepare the vegetables and fruit for snack and learn how to cut them up safely. Problem solving is introduced as they work out how many cups and plates they need.

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and outcomes for children

A healthy and nutritious lunch is cooked on an open fire and children learn about the importance of being careful with fire and keeping themselves safe. For example, they know they must not enter the 'fire circle'. They help to fill up the water bucket so that it is ready to be used to put out the fire in an emergency or when the fire is no longer needed. At lunch time they sit around the fire at a safe distance. Staff are vigilant in supervising children, particularly if they are new to the setting.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn to take manageable risks and use equipment safely with effective support from staff. For example the height of the climbing frame is limited so they can learn to balance and climb. Apart from the 'fire circle' children are free to play wherever they want which is why the pond presents a possible risk and safety is reliant on supervision.

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and outcomes for children

Children's good health is promoted well. Children enjoy plenty of exercise and engage in a wide range of physical activities. They develop their physical coordination as they play on the swing, manoeuvre wheeled toys around and manipulate clay to make pots. Effective hand washing is consistently promoted to prevent the spread of bacteria particularly as children are playing outdoors. Hats, sun shades and sun cream are routinely used to keep children safe in the sun. Staff are fully aware of children's health and dietary requirements and ensure they are complied with. 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 3 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 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: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Suitability and safety of premises and equipment). 06/06/2011

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