Oaklands Day Nursery

Oaklands Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY407320 Inspection date 14/07/2011 Inspector Anna Sketchley

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Setting address Oaklands Children's Centre, Preston Grove, YEOVIL, Somerset, BA20 2DU Telephone number 01935423497 Email oaklandsdaynursery@hotmail.co.uk 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

Oaklands Day Nursery has been registered since in 2010. It is located in Yeovil, Somerset in the grounds of Oaklands Community School within the Children's Centre and opens between Monday and Friday from 8 am until 6 pm. It also has links with the primary school on the same campus. It is a new, purpose built single story building incorporating spacious indoor and outdoor play areas, a sleep room, integral toilet and changing facilities and a small kitchen area. Hot lunches are available. There is easy access into the premises with the advantage of parking. Oaklands Day Nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 38 children under the age of eight years may attend at any one time, all of whom may be in the early years age range. There are currently 67 children on roll and all of these are in the early years age range. Oaklands is registered to receive government funding for

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Description of the setting

early education for children aged two, three and four years. It supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and children for whom English is not their first language. There are 11 staff all of whom hold the early years National Vocational Qualification to level 3 and above or Nursery Nurse qualifications and three are currently studying for a Foundation Degree in Early Years.

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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

Oaklands Day Nursery is an outstanding setting. Children are exceptionally safe and very well cared for within spacious and well organised accommodation where they experience exciting and stimulating experiences. It is run by a highly skilled and effective team, ensuring that children's needs are very well met through careful planning and assessment so that their learning and development are very good. Partnerships with parents and carers, links with the schools on the site, and especially the Children's Centre, are very well established. The Nursery is in the process of improving links with other schools that children transfer to when they reach school age. The recommendation from the last report has been fully addressed. Regular and accurate self evaluation and a vigorous drive and ambition to continue to develop its practice, gives Oaklands Day Nursery an outstanding capacity for further 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?

 ensure that effective links are made with all schools to which children transfer when they leave the setting. 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 exceptionally well safeguarded. All procedures are fully comprehensive and rigorously adhered to and carried out through excellent daily routines so that children are kept safe at all times. Older children are sometimes involved in risk assessments, helping adults as they carry out frequent checks. The quality of written risk assessments is high. All adults are fully trained in first-aid and child protection procedures and have a very strong regard for children's health and welfare. The sleep room, changing room and toilets are kept scrupulously clean and tidy, each child having its own named container for all its daily needs. Resources are of high quality, imaginative, challenging and easily accessible and children benefit from modern, spacious and well planned accommodation. Healthy snacks are offered to children on a café style basis throughout the day and all, even the very youngest, enjoy a healthy meal at lunchtime that is freshly prepared

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the early years provision

and cooked on the premises. As a result children learn and develop in an exceptionally safe, enjoyable, calm and healthy environment.

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the early years provision

The setting is extremely well coordinated by the very experienced manager who, since the Nursery's inception, has welded together a dedicated team. There is a clear focus on extensive professional training, regular staff meetings and appraisal leading to a consistency of practice throughout the Nursery. These monitoring systems, together with thorough self evaluation, accurately identify strengths and areas for development. Well developed and constantly refined systems for planning and assessment ensure that the needs of babies, toddlers and children are all very well met, and as a result they make rapid progress. Assessments form an easily accessible record of development for parents and carers, and this accompanies each child throughout their time at the Nursery. The Nursery is fully inclusive and equal opportunities are promoted extremely well. Diversity is celebrated and discrimination is not tolerated in any form.

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the early years provision

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those for whom English is not their first language, are very well included and supported by specially trained adults and the use of several external agencies. The Nursery has access to a sensory room that is an especially beneficial resource for children with complex needs. An excellent relationship exists with the Children's Centre who have been instrumental in providing valuable in-house training and development for all staff. Very good links have been established with the schools on the site, especially the primary school, ensuring effective transition arrangements into Reception. The Nursery is working towards replicating these with other local schools to which children transfer on becoming school age. Parents and carers receive regular information and questionnaires are continuously available seeking their views and asking for feedback with regard to provision. Parents and carers highly value the

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the early years provision

Nursery, saying that children really enjoy their time here and are very safe and exceptionally well cared for. There are daily opportunities for them to meet with staff to discuss their child's learning and development. When asked about their child's progress one parent commented 'I have access to the record on a regular basis. The Nursery is excellent. I couldn't ask for more'. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Relationships are excellent and children are treated warmly and with supreme care. Adults handle young children with great gentleness in a calm atmosphere where constant praise plays an important part in their development. As a result, they are very confident and settled and behaviour is exemplary. Very young children delight in push along toys to strengthen their walking and are quietly taught to share when one wants a toy that another child is using. They show huge enjoyment and laugh infectiously as they hide under a parachute and are given very stimulating sensory experiences as they run their fingers through edible paint and print with their feet. Their interest is captured as they shake bottles filled with a wide variety of items requiring them to use and identify their different senses. Outside, they develop and control their physical skills as, supervised very closely by an adult, they climb on and jump off colourful plastic boxes, encouraged to assess

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and outcomes for children

the risk for themselves and ask for help if they need it. Adults engage children in talk at every opportunity and are fully involved in their play. Children make rapid progress in their language development as they are asked to name the containers they fill with sand and water and to talk about and explain what is happening. Important moments in children's learning are captured and carefully recorded against the early years stages of development and used to plan the next steps in their learning. The younger children's day includes a sleep time which is exceptionally well managed and organised according to individual need.

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and outcomes for children

During adult-led activities, older children demonstrate their willingness to learn and their very good grasp of sounds and letters and counting skills. They listen to a story attentively and with great concentration and respond accurately when prompted to remember initial sounds for the names of animals. During a singing session, they have great fun counting backwards and forwards as they sing songs, such as 'Five Current Buns'. They participate extremely well to instructions for 'If you're Happy and You Know It' and join in the actions with great enthusiasm. Adult involvement in child chosen activities is very well established through excellent questioning and intervention and the outdoor area supports all areas of learning very well. Children show considerable confidence in choosing what they want to use when composing a picture, becoming engrossed in cutting and sticking whilst accepting a minimum of help. They get on very well together digging up the

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and outcomes for children

potatoes they have grown and engage fully with adults as they discuss what they might do with them during the afternoon. They support each other very well in their learning and sharing happily in all the activities on offer. Recent visits include children experiencing traveling on a bus to the local aquarium and walking in the local park and woods as well as visits to the Nursery of the local policeman, Fire Brigade and Red Cross when children joined in bandaging with great enthusiasm. All of these activities demonstrate interesting and stimulating ways of increasing the awareness of themselves in relation to their local community. Wheeled toys are readily available strengthening children's physical control and they are encouraged to play energetically out of doors as much as possible. They use equipment safely and are fully aware of the needs of others. Preparing their own healthy snacks, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

cooking vegetables they have grown and learning to use knives safely, as well as the and nutritious meals offered to them at lunchtime, all contribute very well to children's understanding of a healthy and safe lifestyle. Children talk knowledgeably about which foods are good for you and why, saying that milk 'is good for your teeth!' They know and demonstrate clearly the importance of washing their hands before meals and after using the toilet. Resources are very clearly labeled making accessibility and tidying up easy for children to take part in. They tidy up quickly and efficiently making a positive contribution to the Nursery. All of the many skills children learn through the exciting activities provided for them, prepare them well for the future. 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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