Apple Wood Children's Nursery

Apple Wood Children's Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 254313 Inspection date 08/06/2011 Inspector Melanie Calway

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Setting address The College Of West Anglia, Tennyson Avenue, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 2QW Telephone number 01553 777 382 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.

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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

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

Apple Wood Children's Nursery opened at the present site in April 2001. It operates from three rooms within a self-contained unit on the site of The College of West Anglia, Kings Lynn, Norfolk. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. It is open each weekday during college term times from 8am to 5.30pm. From August 2011 it will begin operating all year round with opening times of 8.30am to 5pm during the holidays.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 54 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 96 children from birth to under five years on roll, some in part-time places. The nursery supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and some who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are 20 members of staff including a cook. All staff working with children hold appropriate early years qualifications and the manager has a qualification to Level 4. The setting provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds. The nursery is supported by 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's individual needs are well met in this warm and welcoming setting because staff use systematic observations to plan for their progress across all areas of learning. Children benefit from a spacious and attractive environment which is well organised to support their growing independence. There are excellent relationships with parents who are encouraged to share information about their children's learning and development and who are made to feel welcome and included in the nursery. The setting has good systems for evaluating its practice in order to identify ways of continuing to improve and offer a high quality service.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop the outside area to provide increased opportunities for children to travel around, under, over and through balancing and climbing equipment and for investigation and exploration  establish effective systems to share information with other providers about individual children's learning and development when they attend other settings. 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 effectively safeguarded from the risk of abuse or neglect because there are rigorous systems in place to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. The college obtains the necessary clearances for all staff, which are regularly renewed. Students are monitored carefully and never left alone with children. Induction and appraisal systems ensure that staff are well supported in carrying out their duties. Effective safeguarding procedures are in place, such as a restriction on the use of personal mobile telephones while in the nursery. Staff in the nursery have a secure knowledge of what to do if they were to have a concern about the welfare of children in their care. They are aware of appropriate referral routes and information about safeguarding, including referral numbers, is easily accessible throughout the nursery. The setting benefits from a qualified, well- established and experienced staff team. Children are cared for in a safe and secure

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the early years provision

environment. Security systems in the nursery are good. All visitors are monitored and access to the nursery is managed by the reception office. Regular and ongoing risk assessment takes place to ensure that the environment is safe for children. Children are protected from the risk of fire as exits are clearly marked, necessary fire prevention equipment is in place and regular evacuations are practised so that the staff and children know what to do in the event of a fire or emergency.

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the early years provision

Children enjoy a bright, attractive and welcoming environment. Children have ample space to move around and engage in well spread activities. Resources are effectively organised and labelled so that children can access them independently. Routines are flexible and child-centred, for example children have free access to the outside area for much of the day. In the 'grasshoppers' room children choose when to stop for a snack and younger children's individual needs and routines are respected. Children benefit from an inclusive environment with displays of their work and examples of their home languages displayed.

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the early years provision

Parents are encouraged to be fully involved in their children's care and education. They are invited to stay and play sessions where they can see what their children are doing and talk to their key person about their children's progress. Parents are encouraged to engage in a lively two-way exchange of information about their children's learning and development and many share examples of what their children are doing at home through regular verbal exchanges with their key person, adding examples to the learning records or providing special books containing photographs of children's extended families to give staff an insight into their home lives and the people who are important to them. Children's learning is enhanced by this exchange, for example parents are able to follow on activities at home such as experiments that fascinated the children while at nursery. Excellent relationships have been formed with parents who feel comfortable in dropping into

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the early years provision

the nursery during the day to breast feed their babies or to feed their toddlers. A strong key person system provides an effective channel of communication for parents and detailed information about children's starting points is obtained so that their progress can be tracked. Systems are in place to communicate with other providers when children attend other settings to ensure effective continuity and progression. However, these are not always fully effective in establishing a useful This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 two-way exchange of information about individual children's learning and development. The setting regularly reviews and evaluates its practice and as a result is aware of possible areas for improvement.

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and outcomes for children

All children make good progress in their learning and development because staff make detailed and systematic observations of their play and use these to plan for them as individuals. Planning is based around individual children's interests and achievements, for example an interest in a well-known engine character is used to help children learn about colours and numbers. Staff have a very good knowledge of their key children and know how to help them to progress. Children communicate very confidently in the nursery with staff and with each other using language to express themselves and communicate their needs. Staff are very sensitive, using open-ended questions to promote children's language and thinking skills. In the baby and toddler rooms they use smiles, gestures and eye contact to communicate with children, chatting as they play to promote children's emerging language. Print is displayed throughout the nursery and children are beginning to

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and outcomes for children

recognise their names as they use labelled pegs or register when they arrive. Attractive and comfortable areas enable children of all ages to enjoy books and children sit on a cushion looking at board books on their own or enjoy favourite stories with the staff. Babies and toddlers experiment with paint and early mark- making and older children are beginning to write their names and understand that writing can be used for different purposes. Pencils and card in the home corner enable children to make lists and staff are skilled at picking up on spontaneous learning opportunities, for example providing children with pencils and notebooks to write down clues when they are pretending to be policemen investigating a burglary.

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and outcomes for children

Children become familiar with counting and numbers as they join in with nursery rhymes. Puzzles and construction provides opportunities for problem solving and children are beginning to learn to count and recognise numerals. Activities are well planned to build on children's existing knowledge and simple calculations are introduced as some children are able to confidently count the numbers of cars they have drawn in the car park and compare groups of numbers. Staff use the language of size and shape so that children are beginning to learn how to use mathematical language. Children learn about the world around them as they engage in role play being a firemen or policemen. Displays show how they observed builders building a play house in the outdoor area and how they can design their own food packets. Babies and toddlers engage in messy activities to enable them to explore different textures and materials, for example playing with

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and outcomes for children

cornflour, jelly, cornflakes and pasta or exploring the objects in treasure baskets. Children become familiar with technology as they play with old cameras, use the shop till, play with programmable toys or use the computer in the 'grasshoppers' room.

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and outcomes for children

Children use their imaginations as they engage in role play either on their own or in small groups. Resources for creative play are well organised throughout the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 nursery and children can access materials themselves using a range of different media to express themselves. In the 'ladybirds' room they choose from a range of materials to make their own animal masks and some become engrossed in this activity. Personal, social and emotional development is particularly well fostered. Children form excellent relationships with the staff and with each other. Babies and toddlers form secure attachments to the staff and to their key person. Older children are able to play independently in small groups and negotiate among themselves with little intervention from staff, for example saying, 'it's your turn now'. Children feel able to confide in staff saying, 'I was in a funny mood this

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and outcomes for children

morning but I'm alright now'. Staff praise children for their achievements boosting their confidence and self-esteem. Children's independence is well fostered as they make choices and decisions in their play and learning and learn to take care of themselves. Even very young children learn to wash their hands and successfully put their paper towels in the bin. Children are encouraged to respect each other's similarities and differences, for example as staff chat about different hair cuts and through using examples of children home languages in their play and learning. Children are constantly reminded about being kind as they select apples to put on the kindness tree and as a result this becomes second nature with children who say, 'I have done a picture for my friend'.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop physical skills of coordination and control as they move about their environment freely. Babies pull themselves up on and crawl through soft play equipment. Good use is made of the outdoor area which all rooms access freely throughout most of the day. A range of physical equipment is available outside such as balls, hoops, bean bags, ride on toys and a small climber and slide. However, opportunities to climb or travel over and under more challenging climbing and balancing equipment are limited. A small garden area is available at times and children enjoy sand and water in the outside area, painting the paving with water and brushes, although more opportunities for active exploration and investigation with natural materials could be created.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop an exceptional understanding of how to stay healthy as they are constantly reminded about healthy practices. They are reminded to wash their hands after sneezing and blowing their nose. They learn to wash their hands and are reminded why they need to do this. Pictorial aides provide further prompts. Even the very youngest children learn how to wash their hands with soap and water and dispose of their used towels. Children know, without prompting, that they may need to put suncream on before going outside or that their friend should wear a hat in the sun. There are good systems in place to minimise the risk of infection with good hygiene practised in all areas of the nursery. Children enjoy a healthy balanced snack of fresh fruit and a hearty home cooked lunch which provides them with a balanced diet. A vegetarian menu is offered alongside the other menu and children's dietary needs are well met. Parents who provide packed

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and outcomes for children

lunches are reminded to provide healthy options so that children learn about a healthy diet. Children have free access to the outside area for most of the day and so are able to be active. Babies also enjoy plenty of fresh air and some are rocked to sleep outside in their pushchairs if this is consistent with their routines. Children learn to stay safe as they are reminded about safety rules. Children feel safe and secure in the nursery because they have built up warm and trusting relationships. The key person system enables children to form strong attachments and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 throughout the nursery children develop excellent relationships with the staff and other children. Adults provide very good role models and children are learning to develop care and concern for each other. Children are fully involved in the nursery as they make decisions and learn to manage their own behaviour. They are

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and outcomes for children

learning skills for the future as they form positive attachments, become independent and make good progress in all areas of learning and development. 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 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 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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