The Wendy House Nursery

The Wendy House Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY421204 Inspection date 12/05/2011 Inspector Julie Neal

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Setting address Wendy House Nursery, Rydon Crescent, Cannington, BRIDGWATER, Somerset, TA5 2JT Telephone number 01278653775 Email rtecelectric@aol.com 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.

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as 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

Wendy House Nursery is privately owned and re-registered in 2010 due to some changes with the ownership. It is situated in a residential area of Cannington, Somerset. There are three separate play rooms for children: under two years; two to three years; and over three years. There is an enclosed hard standing area to the front of the premises and two grassed areas to the rear, one of which is partly decked. All play rooms lead to an outside area.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register to provide care for a maximum of 44 children, of whom no more than 12 may be under two years. The setting is also registered on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. There are currently 71 children attending at different times. The setting is open Monday to Friday 7.30am to 6.30pm, 50 weeks of the year, with the exception of bank holidays. The setting receives early education funding for three- and four-year-old children. There are 11 members of staff working with children, including the owners. Nine of these have appropriate early years qualifications, and the two remaining members of the team are working towards these. One of the owners is working towards Early Years Professional Status.

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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 enjoy an immensely inclusive environment where their individual needs are met extremely well. Children of all ages make excellent progress in each area of learning because staff use their extremely good understanding of how children learn and develop to provide a wealth of enjoyable experiences that promote individual development. Self-evaluation within the setting is very strong and, as a result, action plans for the future are thoughtful and well considered, focusing extremely effectively on achieving and sustaining high quality outcomes 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?

 consider ways to maintaining additional consistency around the two-way flow of information with parents, with special regard to the implementation of the setting's procedures around the administration of medication. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Leadership and management in the setting is immensely effective, resulting in an enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff team who have a very good understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This is demonstrated in their excellent awareness and implementation of safeguarding procedures in the setting. All staff undertake safeguarding training, and safeguarding is an ongoing agenda item at team meetings. As a result, staff remain up to date with good safeguarding practice, and aware of any changes to local procedures for reporting concerns. Employment procedures and systems of staff checks are robust, and staff are asked to declare annually that nothing has changed that would affect their suitability to work with children. Procedures for the safe collection of children are extremely rigorous; where possible, parents are asked to provide a photograph of anyone who will be involved in collecting their child. Children are safe and

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the early years provision

secure within the setting because thorough risk assessments are carried out, and these are supported by extremely good health and safety checks that are carried out throughout the day. Risk assessments are reviewed regularly to reflect current activities enjoyed by children. For example, the setting has introduced Forest School activities, which enable children to explore the natural world and to enjoy adventurous activities in nearby woodlands, such as den building and pond dipping. Excellent risk assessments relating to these activities include making children aware of the possible hazards that may be involved, and teaching them how to remain safe. These are reviewed before each session to take account of the ages and abilities of children taking part, and to identify additional safety measures that may be needed by any individual child to enable their participation. Generally, documentation within the setting is maintained very well, and all regulatory

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the early years provision

records are in place. However, there are some very minor inconsistencies in records of medicines given to children where the setting's procedures have occasionally been overlooked.

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the early years provision

There is a strong culture of reflective practice among the staff team, and as a result, self-evaluation within the setting is extremely good. Action plans for the future clearly identify how improvements will benefit children. For example, the staff team has developed their skills in using sign language with children of all ages, and most are now very confident in signing while they talk to children. As a result, very young children support their developing speech with signs for simple words such as 'please' and 'thank you'. Older children understand that, for some people, sign language is their main form of communication. The setting is following this up by offering parents the opportunity to learn some of the basic signs that their children know, so they can practise together at home. Feedback from parents is valued and respected. For example, the setting consulted parents to find out how they would prefer to keep up to date with their children's progress in learning.

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the early years provision

In response, the setting now offers flexible arrangements that include one-to-one appointments to suit parents' convenience. Regular events are held; for instance, parents were invited to 'come and play', taking part in activities such as using paints or play dough to find out how these provide different learning experiences for children. Children's views are included in future plans. For example, children have been keen to make suggestions that have contributed to developing the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 outdoor learning environment, such as, improving water play facilities to include resources, such as pipes and guttering for experiments.

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the early years provision

Excellent partnerships with parents, and with others involved in supporting individual children, enable staff to have an extremely good understanding of each child's needs. For example, children who have specific learning and development requirements benefit from the very good systems of sharing information, this ensures a consistent approach towards planning to meet individual needs. The setting supports children who have English as an additional language, and who are bilingual. Staff work very well with parents to ensure they are aware of, and understand, key words and phrases that children may use in their home languages, so that children's needs are met while they develop confidence in expressing themselves in English. Some children attend other settings that provide the Early Years Foundation Stage, such as pre-schools or childminders. Staff have developed very effective systems to share information regarding children's

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the early years provision

development with their key workers in these other settings, in order to ensure consistency in planning future learning objectives. Transitions within the setting, as children grow and develop and move between age groups, are extremely well organised. This ensures children and parents become familiar with new surroundings and key people involved in each their care. As a result, children remain secure and confident.

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and outcomes for children

Children's welfare, learning and development is promoted extremely well. Daily health and safety routines are exceptionally well organised and implemented throughout the day, to provide children with a safe, secure, and hygienic environment. Children learn to understand the importance of managing good personal hygiene routines from a very young age because staff teach them well. For example, children under two years of age understand basic routines, such as washing their hands before snacks and meals. They toddle happily to the cloakroom with staff and enthusiastically use soap, making lots of bubbles to make sure their hands are clean and proudly holding them up to be checked. Children enjoy healthy meals and snacks, and individual dietary needs are met well. Snack times are used extremely well to develop children's awareness of what constitutes a healthy diet. For example, children know it is good for them to eat a variety of

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and outcomes for children

different coloured fruit and vegetables, as well as understanding that they should have at least 'five a day'. Older children enjoy helping to prepare snacks and they learn to use knives safely as they peel, slice and chop fruit and vegetables. Children's understanding of how to keep themselves safe is extremely good because staff teach them about possible hazards, and to make their own simple risk assessments. For example, while playing a ball game in the garden, some younger children come close to the swings being used by their friends. When reminding children not to go too close, staff ask them why; children quickly respond that they could be knocked down. Older children, using a selection of containers to measure sand, drop a jug and the handle breaks. They show a member of staff and identify that 'it is sharp' and 'someone could cut themselves'. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

They consider whether it can be repaired and agree that it cannot and so should be put in the bin. Children enjoy an excellent range of activities, both indoors and outside, that provide regular exercise and promote co-ordination and control of their bodies. For example, babies and very young children enjoy immensely playing with bubbles blown by staff. They laugh and stretch as they try to catch the bubbles; they chase them and watch and point as the bubbles fly away. Children develop co-ordination through activities, such as, throwing coloured bean bags into matching colour buckets, using bucket-stilts to practise balancing, and moving their bodies in time with another child to operate two-person swing boats.

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and outcomes for children

Children make excellent progress towards the early learning and development goals relative to their starting points. Staff demonstrate an extremely thorough understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They use their knowledge very well to provide children with a wealth of learning experiences in all areas that are relevant to their ages and stages of development. Observations of children are excellent and used very effectively to develop individual learning plans that clearly identify the next steps in each child's progress towards the early learning goals. Records of children's learning and development are excellent overall. These show how individual aims and objectives for each child build on prior learning experiences, and provide very good evidence of how children have achieved their current stages of development. There are occasional weaknesses in cross-referencing evidence in children's

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and outcomes for children

learning journals but this has no impact on their learning experience.

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and outcomes for children

Children of all ages are immensely eager and enthusiastic learners who are keen to explore activities and resources. They are confident and well behaved because their self-esteem is promoted most effectively, and children take pride in being given responsibility. For example, staff use picture cards to help children identify different tasks that need to be done during the day. Children eagerly volunteer to do things such as tidy paints away, sweep up any spilled sand, and help with snack preparation. Children are extremely confident communicators who are encouraged to reflect on what they have learned, and to share their thoughts and ideas. For example, children as young as two years of age consider the different sounds they are making with a variety of musical instruments. They talk about some sounds reminding them of rain, and that bells make them think of Christmas and 'jingle bells'. Children use their critical thinking and problem solving skills well as they

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and outcomes for children

conduct experiments. For example, children enjoy immensely working together to channel water through pipes. They decide how long the lengths of pipes and guttering should be, and how to link these together. They watch the water as it flows and consider how to make it move faster or slower, and they compare whether it is easier to pour water into the pipes using a cup or a funnel. Children confidently initiate their own activities and make extremely good use of resources to create their own imaginative games where they practice and consolidate what they learn. For example, children lay out large blocks to reach the edge of a number line on the ground. They take turns to walk across the blocks, balancing carefully. When children reach the number line they identify a numbered square that they aim to jump onto, confidently and accurately naming each number. Children immensely enjoy exploring the natural world. For example, older children

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and outcomes for children

identify the different birds that inhabit the garden and the local woodlands, and they keep charts where they record the different types they have seen. Younger This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children excitedly spot a snail in the garden and follow the trail it has made to discover where it came from. They are quiet and gentle as they crouch down to examine it, showing concern in case they scare the snail; children take turns to take photographs of it to display within the setting. 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 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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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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