Church House Day Nursery

Church House Day Nursery Ltd Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 205425 Inspection date 18/05/2011 Inspector Donna Stevens

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Setting address The Old Registry Office, Brook Street, Kidderminster, Worcs, DY11 6RH Telephone number 01562 829273 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

Church House Day Nursery Limited opened in 1981. It is a privately owned setting which operates from a converted property on the outskirts of Kidderminster. The nursery serves the local and surrounding areas. The setting is accessible to all children and there is a fully enclosed area for outside play. The nursery opens five days a week all year round, except public holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions from 7am until 6pm.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 70 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 113 children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The nursery also provides out of school and holiday care to school age children. The provision is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The setting provides funded early education places for three and four-year-olds and funded two year old places. It supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and also supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The group employ 30 staff who work directly with the children. Of these 23, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. One member of staff has Early Years Professional Status. The setting 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 outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are extremely happy and settled in the setting, where high priority is given to ensuring their safety and wellbeing at all times. They enjoy a wonderful, exciting range of activities both inside, outside and off-site. These support their learning and development in all areas enabling children to reach their full potential and make excellent progress. Each child is seen as a unique individual and staff work very closely with parents, carers and staff from other settings to ensure their individual needs are met. Highly effective systems for self-evaluation include seeking the opinions of staff, parents and children. These enable management to identify areas for ongoing development and improvement as they continue to provide high quality care and learning for children.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 developing further the environment for the younger pre-school children. 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 extremely safe in the setting. Staff have an excellent understanding of the possible signs of abuse and there are clear channels within the nursery for reporting any concerns. There is a detailed up-to-date policy that is inline with local guidance and regularly reviewed by management. Robust vetting procedures ensure that all staff working with the children are suitable to do so. Thorough risk assessments have been carried out for the inside, outside and outings. These are reviewed each week by a different member of staff providing a fresh look at any potential dangers and ensuring that the whole staff team makes children's safety their primary concern. New security measures such as a finger print entry system and use of closed circuit television at the nursery entrance ensures the security of the premises. A recent fire safety assessment has led to the fitting of a new fire and smoke alarm system.

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the early years provision

Management are highly successful in leading and inspiring a close knit staff team. They have high expectations and set high standards which staff are eager to deliver. Morale is very high and staff take great pride in both their own personal development and achievements and those of the children. Staff are observed and monitored to ensure they deliver high quality activities and experiences for the children. They are given targets, such as, creating a story sack suitable for the age of children they care for and do so with enthusiasm and consideration for the children's interests and abilities. Staff respond to these with enthusiasm seeing them as an opportunity to develop their own knowledge and skills. A system of individual and group rewards for staff results in a staff team that are valued and confident. Staff demonstrate a genuine affection for the children in their care and are constantly seeking ways to ensure that their time in the nursery is happy, fun

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the early years provision

and memorable. Management works hard to ensure that self-evaluation is meaningful and directly benefits the children attending. Parent questionnaires are analysed and any areas for improvement identified and discussed with staff. Recent improvements include the introduction of more free-flow play and further development of the outside area. A new base for the younger pre-school children has been identified as the next step for improvement to enable children to make a smoother transition into this room.

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the early years provision

Staff and management have developed excellent relationships with parents and carers and links between home and nursery are very strong. They are consulted about any major changes to policies and procedures, such as new health guidelines indicating that children no longer need to be excluded from a setting because of conjunctivitis. A recent episode of biting in the toddler room led to a biting policy being introduced. Parents contributed to the writing of it with suggestions, one of which was a box of biting toys, which has been adopted as nursery policy. Draft copies were sent out for parent approval before the policy was put in place. Parents are kept very well informed of their child's day through the use of diary sheets that vary slightly for different aged children. In the younger age groups emphasis is placed on keeping parents informed about their welfare needs and as they get older they focus more on areas of learning with suggestions

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the early years provision

of how parents can support children's learning at home. Close relationships have This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 been built with other settings that children attend ensuring that they receive consistency of care and there is exceptional support for children with additional needs.

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and outcomes for children

Children make excellent progress towards the early learning goals and in all areas of their development because staff are experts at understanding the particular age group of children they care for. They are passionate about recognising each child as a unique individual and are meticulous in their observations and development records, allowing them to identify children's next steps in learning and providing extra support where needed. Playrooms for different ages are extremely well resourced in relation to children's ages and abilities. Capital funding has been used highly effectively to increase learning and play opportunities. New Information Communication Technology equipment has supported children's knowledge and understanding of technology and they have been actively involved in the development of the outside area drawing up plans that have led to the creation of a role play area, baby cave and areas for planting. Across the nursery children's

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and outcomes for children

work is displayed and at low level it is covered with sheets of clear plastic to prevent damage and demonstrate to children that their work is important and valued.

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and outcomes for children

Children of all ages are animated and fully engaged in their play. They receive a high level of individual attention and are encouraged and supported to try new experiences or challenges, such as joining in with messy play or completing a puzzle at the next level. Children spend time with those in the age group above theirs to enable smooth transitions across the nursery and there are common routines that become familiar and develop as children become older. Visual timetables are used to convey instructions and support routines beginning simply with one picture depicting snack or tidy up time. Older children have timetables with the days activities displayed or several things to do in order. These initiatives encourage children to think about tasks and make decisions about how and where they would like to spend their time, encouraging them as independent and decisive learners.

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and outcomes for children

In the baby room emphasis is placed on following children's individual routines for sleeping, eating and playing. Staff actively encourage parents to have long settling-in periods gradually increasing the time spent away from parents and carers. They acknowledge the importance of building a very close relationship with the child's key person and will alter their shifts to ensure they are in nursery for the child's drop off in the first few weeks or months. Activities centre around exploring natural materials and developing early communication skills through singing and face to face interaction. Cuddles and time for sitting on laps are plentiful. As children get older and move to the toddler room they thoroughly enjoy developing their physical skills as they climb and balance on robust equipment and start to explore and create through messy play and arts and crafts. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Older children are encouraged to be independent and enjoy free-flow play where they can choose their own activities. They are highly involved in the planning as they offer ideas and suggestions linked to themes or favourite activities. Children showed great enthusiasm for acting out their bedtime routines so the role play area was turned into a bedroom and they play together acting out familiar routines and roles. The children have extended their play into the book corner where cushions and quilts allow them to snuggle up and look at books and share stories. Children approaching school age are extremely confident and articulate and demonstrate excellent skills that will form the basis of their future learning. They are kept very busy and challenged. Children who have learnt their 2D shapes have moved onto 3D shapes discussing the properties of cubes as they play with ice cubes. Letter sounds are learnt through interesting activities, such as tasting food

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and outcomes for children

which begins with a certain letter. A well resourced mark making area allows them to develop early writing skills. They have daily access to a creative room where they can use their own ideas and imaginations to create pictures and models from a wide range of resources.

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and outcomes for children

Children are extremely well behaved, they are kind, considerate and have excellent manners. Positive behaviour policies were adopted across the nursery some time ago and all the staff have received training to ensure consistency. Staff focus on high levels of praise and are very skilled at identifying when children are becoming angry or frustrated. Treasure and calm down boxes have been highly effective in allowing children to vent feelings of anger or frustration and gentle talking and explanations allow them to see the possible consequences of their actions. Older children help to risk assess the outdoor area making them aware of possible dangers and children across the nursery are very well protected from infection both from the cleanliness of the setting and children's clear understanding of their own personal hygiene which they manage independently from a young age. The wide variety of meals and snacks are home cooked and nutritious. Children help

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and outcomes for children

with menu suggestions and serve themselves from a low level server encouraging them to try new foods and allowing them control of their portion size. Above all this is a setting that belongs to the children where dedicated and highly skilled staff allow them to have a voice, steer their own learning and grow into highly motivated, enthusiastic and confident individuals. 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 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 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 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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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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