Noahs Ark Nursery and Out of school Care

Noah's Ark Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 208238 Inspection date 08/06/2011 Inspector Fiona Robinson

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Setting address Newport Infant School, Granville Avenue, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 7DX Telephone number 01952 825066 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

Noah's Ark Nursery registered in 2000 and is located in the grounds of Newport Infants School, in Newport, Shropshire. The nursery occupies part of the school building and has the use of the hall, library, a secure outdoor play area, playground and field. It is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 56 children aged from two to under eight years may attend at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm, during school term times. Currently there are 192 children aged from two years to 14 years on roll. Of these, 77 receive funding for early education places. Children come from the Newport area and attend for a variety of the sessions on offer.

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Description of the setting

There are 16 members of staff who work with the children. Of these, eight hold National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) at level 3; three hold NVQs at level 2; one has a Foundation degree in Early Years and one is working towards a degree in Childcare. 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 outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children achieve very well in this stimulating environment and are fully included in an excellent range of indoor and outdoor activities. There are outstanding links with parents, the host school and community, and information is shared very effectively with them. Children are exceptionally well-behaved and benefit from excellent activities that stimulate their motivation for learning. The manager and staff have an outstanding knowledge of the nursery's strengths and areas for improvement. They demonstrate an excellent capacity for future improvement.

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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 range and use of information and communication technology resources to support children's learning and development.

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the early years provision

Children's safety is promoted extremely well because staff have an excellent understanding of safeguarding and child protection issues. They ensure policies This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and procedures are fully implemented to ensure children are safeguarded from harm. They undertake regular risk assessments of the indoor and outdoor environments and equipment. Security within the nursery is excellent and staff are deployed very effectively to ensure children are supervised at all times. Staff and parents have a very secure knowledge of the rigorous procedures in place for the collection of children. There are robust staff recruitment and vetting procedures in place to check the suitability of staff and adults having contact with the children. Exceptional use is made of the outdoor and pond environment, which are fully enclosed and maintained to a high standard. Fire evacuation procedures are

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the early years provision

practised regularly to familiarise staff and children with the routine.

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the early years provision

The nursery is very well led and managed. There are excellent self-evaluation processes in place which ensure that improvements have a significant impact on the children's experiences. The manager, staff and committee work purposefully together and take into consideration the views of parents and children. Excellent teamwork, planning and assessment significantly benefit the children's learning and development. Outstanding progress had been made in addressing the recommendations of the previous inspection. Staff make very effective use of an excellent range of resources to meet the needs of the children. They demonstrate high levels of commitment and regularly attend courses to enhance their qualifications and expertise. Staff regularly monitor activities and set challenging targets for all children. They provide excellent support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional

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the early years provision

language. Staff promote equality and diversity to an outstanding level and ensure children integrate very well throughout the day. Children take part in French, Spanish and music activities taken by staff, teachers and parents, which encourage them to value other lifestyles and cultures. Staff have a very clear idea of areas of development, such as increasing the resources in the outdoor area.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are outstanding. They say that staff are very caring and ensure their children experience an excellent start to school life in a wonderful, nurturing environment. Parents receive regular information through informal discussions, the parents' notice board and comprehensive newsletters. They are kept very well-informed of their children's achievement and progress by key staff. Parents are highly appreciative of the children's learning journeys and consultation meetings. They are very supportive of special events, such as the annual carnival, party in the park and fundraising activities. There are excellent links with the community and parents are very supportive of fundraising activities, discovery events, trips to the local farm and the nativity performed by the children at Christmas. Links with the host school are outstanding and the nursery benefits from the use of the hall and outdoor environment. Children experience a smooth

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the early years provision

transition into full-time education. Staff work very closely with the local children's centre and outside agencies and provide outstanding support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from a wide range of interesting experiences. They make excellent progress towards the early learning goals. Staff value the children's ideas and interests and include these in the planning. They skilfully use information gained to plan the children's next steps in learning. Themes, such as Jack and the Beanstalk, The Circus and The Royal Wedding result in bright, colourful displays. Children behave very well and quickly settle at chosen activities. They are extremely confident and have excellent relationships with staff and their peers. Staff are outstanding role models and have a consistent approach to managing the children's behaviour. Children learn to take turns and are respectful of the golden rules and boundaries, which they helped to compile. They are highly motivated by a wide range of activities, such as bird watching in their garden and pond dipping in the wildlife area. Children's independence is promoted very well in a vibrant

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and outcomes for children

learning environment. Festivals, such as Diwali, the Chinese New Year and Easter enrich their experiences about the wider world. Parents are invited into the nursery to share their knowledge of other countries, lifestyles and customs with the children.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop an excellent understanding of keeping healthy and safe at the nursery. They make healthy choices at breakfast time and snack time and eat a wide range of fruit and vegetables. They learn to use equipment very safely as they prepare their own vegetable soup, pizzas, fruit salads and smoothies. Children develop their physical skills extremely well as they balance on climbing equipment, ride on their pedalled vehicles and play ball games outdoors. They behave in ways that are very safe for themselves and others. For example, they use tools very carefully when making models. Children benefit from talks and activities which support their understanding of road and fire safety.

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and outcomes for children

Children experience an excellent range of interesting activities and achieve very well. Their communication, language and literacy skills are developed very well through listening to the story about the hungry caterpillar and talking with great understanding of the lifecycle of a butterfly. Most children can count and recognise numbers up to twenty and beyond and recognise two-dimensional shapes in the indoor and outdoor areas. All children can write their own names. They enjoy searching for mini beasts and building dens. Children's creative skills are developed very well as they print colourful patterns with fruit and vegetables. They enjoy growing fruit and vegetables in their garden and proudly talk about the Newport in Bloom competition which they worn. They are keen to reenact the story of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' and learn how to make porridge. Children confidently use the computer to complete simple programmes and they enjoy

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and outcomes for children

opportunities to use the interactive whiteboard. However, they do not make full use of the digital camera and other information and communication technology to share their experiences with others. Their ability to speak French is developed very well in the nursery. Overall, children are prepared extremely well for their next stage in learning. 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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