Aristotots Nursery School

Aristo-Tots Private Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY270136 Inspection date 02/08/2011 Inspector Cordalee Harrison

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Setting address Soskin Drive, Stantonbury Fields, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK14 6DP Telephone number 01908 311800 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

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

Aristo-Tots Day Nursery, which includes a pre-school, was registered in September 2003. The provision is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is privately owned and is one of two provisions registered to this provider. It is located in Stantonbury Fields, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire in two purpose-built buildings on the same site. Both buildings have easy access to secure outdoor play space. The nursery is registered to provide care for no more than 99 children; of these, no more than 36 may be aged under two years at any one time. Excluding bank holidays, the provision operates for 51 weeks of the year and opens each weekday from 7.30am to 6.30pm. The provision supports children with English as an additional language. There are currently 111 children aged from three months to under five years on roll who attend a variety of different sessions. The nursery provides free early

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Description of the setting

education for children aged three and four years. The nursery employs 26 staff; of these, including the manager and the deputy, 11 are qualified to Level 3 in education and childcare. One member of staff also holds Early Years Professional Status.

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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

Staff provide activities that overall promote good outcomes in children's learning and development. Staff have strong partnerships with parents and others involved with the children, which helps them identify and support children's individual needs. They show commitment to the continual development of the provision as they identify their strengths and weaknesses and act on their improvement plan. Staff implement policies and procedures that safeguard the children and promote most aspects of their welfare effectively.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further staff member's knowledge of the importance of good hygiene routines when changing nappies to minimise the risk of cross infection  develop the use of information that staff gain from children's observations to inform activity plans and personalised learning, particularly for the youngest children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The nursery safeguards and promotes children's welfare, learning and development well overall. The leadership team follows safe recruitment practices. All staff are cleared through the vetting procedures, including Criminal Record Bureau checks. Staff across the provision understand safeguarding and child protection issues, and are aware of the procedures to follow should they have any concerns regarding the welfare of a child in their care.. There are clear policies and procedures for the management of health and safety.

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the early years provision

The provision of high quality food is a strong feature of the provision for children each day; all children eat balanced and nutritious foods. Staff take good care of children's personal hygiene overall. However, they do not always change gloves and clean the mat when changing nappies to prevent cross-infection. The provision uses risk assessments and daily hazard checks effectively to create and maintain safe environments for children. Risk assessments of the children's environment and for outings also promote their safety well.

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the early years provision

To drive improvement for children in all areas, the leadership team manages the provision efficiently and demonstrates a good capacity for maintaining continuous improvement. Annual appraisal, team meetings and cascade training are some of the methods that the leadership team uses to promote teamwork and improve consistency of care for children. Through regular assessment and reviews of its processes and policies, along with input from staff, parents and early years professionals, the provision identifies strengths and priorities for improvements. Improvement plans make sure that weaknesses are addressed in a timely manner.

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the early years provision

All areas of the provision are equipped very well to meet the developmental needs of the children who use them. This ensures that all of the children have ample good quality play resources and equipment to support their needs. Equality and diversity are central to the provision, which caters for children from many different backgrounds and cultures. There are close working relationships with parents, and staff are careful to follow their guidance for children, whether based on personal preferences, cultural or religious observances. There are no children with special education needs and/ or disabilities on roll. However, the provision is experienced at working with parents, other agencies and professionals to identify, plan and deliver suitable learning opportunities for these children.

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the early years provision

The provision engages parents effectively. Parents find it easy to communicate with staff who work directly with children and the managers. Parents praise all of the staff highly; they particularly value the key person system with which they are familiar. Parents state that the provision communicates effectively with them. Notices, letters and invitations to join social activities and celebrations with their children are some of examples they give. They also state that they get sufficient information to keep them engaged with their children's progress and development. The provision has a strong record of partnership working with other professionals, including local schools, the local advisory teacher and welfare development worker. These partnerships drive improvement for children and support continuity in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children's care and learning as they move on to other settings.

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and outcomes for children

The provision is made bright and attractive for the children. Displays of their work and photographs in all areas helps to create an environment where children feel that they are at the centre of learning. Across the provision, activity plans are derived from the practice guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage and there is a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Most staff use their observations to identify learning aims and regularly evaluate these to gauge individual children's progress This ensures most children's learning experiences are appropriate to their age and stage of development. However, staff supporting the older children are more practised at using their observations to develop personalised planning than those working with the younger children. This leads to some variation in how effectively staff plan for individual children's progress across the age ranges.

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and outcomes for children

Activities are inviting and readily accessible to all children, which encourages them to make choices, develop their independence and learning styles. Children in the pre-school use construction sets to build with, toddlers use scissors to cut paper, use puzzles and wash the doll,. in the Babies Room, the babies knock different objects together and listen to the sound they make. Child-initiated play is a strong feature of the provision. Children are developing their communication skills well, books, stories and nursery rhymes are fun activities across the provision. In all areas children experiment and explore sand, water and various other materials; they test their senses and explore different textures. All children make marks and pre-school aged children demonstrate good control of writing implements. They begin to record data from their experiments and label their artwork with their own names. Children who have English as an additional language benefit from using

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and outcomes for children

dual-language books and the sharing of key words with staff supports communication. All children access resources that encourage them to consider similarities and differences, and they are encouraged to see the diversity of people within the community in a positive way. Children are achieving and enjoying as they develop skills for the future through many good quality-learning experiences.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about various aspects of healthy lifestyles. They enjoy outdoor activity each day when they use a range of equipment to develop mobility, balance and coordination. Even outdoor play in wet weather provides the opportunity for them develop their understanding of the natural world. Children learn that it is important to protect themselves in hot weather; staff make sure that the use of sun cream is a regular part of the routine for all children. In addition to having fruit and vegetables to eat during the day, every child can choose a fruit to take home at the end of the day.

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and outcomes for children

Across the provision, children make and listen to music. Children in the pre-school group use a range of musical instruments and extend the group activity as they continue to play enthusiastically for their own enjoyment. Children make positive This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 contributions through their good behaviour. The atmosphere in the provision is busy and at times noisy. However, children are considerate and show that they value the friendships they are making. Staff are good role models and let children know when their behaviour is inappropriate. Children are learning when to say 'sorry' and do so spontaneously when necessary.

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and outcomes for children

Children interact with staff warmly. They chat together about activities and children respond well to instructions. Children's happy, relaxed and responsive manner with staff across the provision is a good indicator that they feel safe and content at the nursery. Visitors to the provision, such as the local community officer and parents who extend children's learning with interesting information and news, also help children to develop their awareness of safety, diversity and inclusion in practical and authentic ways. 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 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 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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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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