Rhymetime Nursery

Rhymetime Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY258797 Inspection date 25/05/2011 Inspector Sue Rogers

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Setting address Southbrook, Corby, Northamptonshire, NN18 9BE

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Telephone number 01536 741144 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

Rhymetime Day Nursery registered in 2003. The nursery is one of a number of day nurseries owned by Avenue Nurseries Ltd. It operates from a building situated in the grounds of Kingswood Primary School, in Corby, Northamptonshire. All children have access to an enclosed outside play area.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is open Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. A maximum of 70 children aged under eight years may attend at any one time and the nursery currently admits children aged under 12 years. Currently there are 86 children on roll, 82 of whom are in the early years age group. The setting is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is in receipt of funding for early education places. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Description of the setting

There are 11 members of staff who work with the children. Of these, one holds a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at level 6, seven hold NVQs at level 3 and two hold NVQs at level 2. Three members of staff are working towards NVQs at level 3. The nursery receives support 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 make good progress as they are supported by caring and knowledgeable staff. This well resourced nursery provides children with stimulating learning experiences that are regularly reviewed so these reflect children's changing needs. Policies are largely effective in meeting children's needs although the cleaning procedures require review. Strong and trusting relationships have been forged with parents resulting in excellent partnerships. Through careful assessments and close links with additional agencies, children's individual needs are considered well throughout all of their care. There is a successful system in place to evaluate and measure the effectiveness of the setting. The nursery has sustained successful progress since the last inspection and demonstrates a good capacity for improving in the future.

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further?

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

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further?

 review the cleaning rota for the refrigerators so these are kept clean and organised throughout sessions. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are well safeguarded as the nursery has efficient procedures in place to protect them. Policies are clear and staff have a good knowledge of what would concern them regarding a child's care. Staff recruitment and vetting systems are effective and prompt, ensuring they are suitable for their role. Training opportunities that enable staff to develop and progress their skills are provided regularly and the manager sources training that utilises the expertise of other professionals. This promotes the staff team's confidence and inspires them to provide the children in their care with additional learning opportunities. Staff are well supported by the management and each other, resulting in cohesive team working. Risk assessments are comprehensive, subject to regular review and are updated as new equipment and resources are introduced. Children's activities are closely supervised by staff. This allows children to be adventurous in their play and

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the early years provision

encourages their strong feelings of safety. However, the refrigerators can become disorganised at busy lunch times, which potentially impacts on children's ability to help themselves to their food and drinks.

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the early years provision

Parents and carers receive excellent support from the staff group, who ensure that they are involved throughout all aspects of their child's care. Parents are greeted very warmly into the setting and share details of their childcare with staff, who skilfully place parents at their ease. Staff recognise parental responsibilities and sensitively provide advice and support. This ensures that parents are very well informed about all aspects of their child's welfare and development. Social events organised at the nursery bring staff and parents together and allow parents to further understand the learning opportunities their children prefer. Through successful partnership working with additional agencies, children's individual needs are considered carefully. Activities are planned and their care and education organised to meet their needs. Resources are well chosen, resulting in a stimulating and creative play environment where children explore and learn. The

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the early years provision

play environment is regularly reviewed so that any changes that are made reflect the needs of the children. There are good systems in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. The staff group monitor the effectiveness of the setting, so as to identify areas for improvement. This process involves consultation with other agencies, children and their parents.

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and outcomes for children

Children grow in confidence and they thoroughly enjoy their activities and learning experiences at the nursery. Staff are very committed to providing care and education that provide children with valued learning opportunities. They have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and ensure the planning of activities and assessments follow individual areas of learning. Learning records for each child are made readily accessible for parents. These This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 greatly encourage their involvement, and contain evaluations of children's progress and show plans for the next steps in their development. Children are encouraged to appreciate the diversity of their world, as staff plan a variety of cultural festivals, cover a broad range of topics and engage in open discussions with children.

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and outcomes for children

Children have ready access to drinking water throughout the session and develop their independence well as they pour their own drinks. Staff provide well presented nutritional snacks that children enjoy, which include milk, fresh fruits and vegetables. This provides children with a good understanding of healthy eating. They form effective friendships with other children that help them enjoy their play further as they freely include others, explaining and discussing their creative ideas sociably in groups. Children can choose which area of the nursery they would like to spend their time in, which further promotes children's free choice. They explore the stimulating outdoor area and ably climb onto raised areas. They also enjoy peddling their bikes and digging into sand and soil. Carefully presented resources are pivotal to children's good progress. For example, children dig up brightly numbered potatoes and this activity helps them to confidently recognise numerals

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and outcomes for children

and enhances their physical skills and appreciation of nature. Mark making activities are available throughout the nursery and children use the pens, papers and boards to enhance their imagined play scenarios.

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and outcomes for children

There is a very good programme of activities that support children of all ages in their communication and language development. A stimulating environment encourages babies to explore and make sounds as they encounter different floor textures, treasure baskets and photographs of familiar adults. This interesting and stimulating environment is carefully designed and significantly supports children's development of their communication skills as they encounter new experiences. Children readily engage each other in all aspects of conversation and use their natural curiosity to ask questions, helping them to make good sense of the world around them. Children are encouraged to recognise their names at snack times when they search for their name cards. They are supported by staff as they enjoy a story book that encourages their understanding of the purpose of text. Children use measuring scales to compare number and volume. They add more to the

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and outcomes for children

scales and anticipate what will happen as they watch the mechanism tip in one direction. Throughout children's learning experiences they are supported and encouraged by committed and caring staff, and this results in positive outcomes for all children. 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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