Mulberry Day Nursery

Mulberry Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 154888 Inspection date 08/08/2011 Inspector Debbie Newbury

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Setting address 9 Boyn Hill Avenue, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 4ET

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Telephone number 01628 671116 Email mulberry.nursery@childbase.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. 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

Mulberry Day Nursery is one of 40 day nurseries owned and operated by Child Base Limited, which is a private company. This nursery opened in 2001. It is situated on the outskirts of Maidenhead town centre, close to the train station. It serves families from a wide catchment area as a number of parents travel in to work in or around Maidenhead. Children are accommodated in four age-related playrooms and share access to a fully enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is registered to care for a maximum of 66 children under eight years of age at any one time and accepts children from six weeks to five years of age. There are currently 89 children aged from four months to four years on roll who attend a variety of different sessions. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery is open Monday to Friday all year round, apart from public holidays, from 8am to 6pm. Children may attend on a sessional or full-day basis.

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Description of the setting

There are 28 members of staff working with the children; 11 of these hold early years qualifications to Level 3 and one is qualified to Level 2. Three members of staff are working towards a relevant level 3 qualification. The manager holds early years professional status.

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Description of the setting

The setting receives support from the Early Years Advisory Service.

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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 appear very happy in a warm and welcoming environment, which overall is conducive to good quality care and learning. The uniqueness of every child is valued greatly and the nursery works hard to meet their individual needs. Particular strengths lie in the promotion of healthy lifestyles and systems for partnership working. There is a highly productive attitude and collective approach to ongoing continuous improvement of the nursery's provision.

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further?

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

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further?

 provide more opportunities for younger children to develop their awareness of information, communication technology through the provision of more This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 readily accessible resources  review daily arrangements for checking the outside play area so that any potential hazards are minimised.

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the early years provision

Arrangements for safeguarding children are mostly very effective. All staff members has a full understanding of their responsibility regarding child protection and attend regular training to ensure their knowledge remains up-to-date. They are fully aware of the procedures to follow should they have any concerns regarding the welfare of a child in their care. Stringent systems are in place regarding the recruitment, vetting and ongoing suitability of all staff. The nursery offers children a secure and inviting environment with attractively presented base- rooms. Many play materials are arranged to be easily accessible by the children thereby encouraging independent play. Staff ensure most aspects of children's safety receive good attention. However, on the day of the inspection, arrangements for ensuring the safety of the larger outside area were not so effective.

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the early years provision

Leadership and management of the nursery are good. Highly effective systems to drive improvement have been devised and these are embedded throughout all levels of the nursery. These include strong company support and seeking the input of staff, parents and children, results in high morale and a sense of involvement by all. The nursery has introduced a parent's forum, and the staff team's knowledge and understanding of practice issues is tested on an ongoing basis. Consequently, key priorities for further improvement are carefully identified and implemented. For instance, the management is aware of the need to support some staff members knowledge of how to further extend children's learning. This is receiving ongoing attention.

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the early years provision

Arrangements for working in partnership with parents and any professionals who may be involved in children's care are extremely well developed. This brings huge benefits to children as it ensures a fully cohesive approach to promoting care, learning and any extended support. Parents receive a wealth of detailed information about the nursery. Planning is displayed and parents are actively encouraged to share their knowledge about their children with staff on an ongoing basis. Excellent measures are implemented to inform parents about their child's progress and to enable them to support their learning. This is achieved through regular discussion times with their child's 'key person', the organisation of 'stay and play' sessions and the operation of an 'in-house' lending library which comprises of a broad range of interesting books, story sacks and DVDs.

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the early years provision

Staff promote equality and diversity well. The nursery benefits from a richness of culture and language in respect of the children and families using the provision and the staff working there. The value of this is recognised as a way of enhancing knowledge and understanding of others. Children are thereby encouraged to see the diversity of people in the community in a positive way, and to value difference. Children access resources with appropriate inclusive imagery and take part in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 activities relating to a range of faiths, cultures and traditions. This helps them learn about the wider world in which we live. Good use of labelling in languages other than English is reflected throughout the nursery.

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and outcomes for children

Children's good health is extremely well promoted. They benefit from a healthy environment that is maintained at a comfortable temperature. There are also very good standards of hygiene and procedures to minimise cross-infection. Children eat healthy, nutritious meals and snacks that are prepared on site and adapted to cater for their individual needs. Close attention to detail ensures children with allergies remain fully protected. Baby's individual feeding routines are respected and they are held and cuddled whilst they have their bottles. This adds to their emotional wellbeing. Children enjoy lots of fresh air. Babies enjoy spending time in the newly created baby garden whilst older children explore an interesting outside area. This offers some wonderful opportunities for climbing, balancing and exploring movement.

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and outcomes for children

Children appear happy. They are looked after by staff who clearly enjoy the time they spend with them. As a result, relationships are very warm and caring, which adds to the children's sense of belonging. For instance, young children climb onto the laps of their carers for a cuddle, very confident that this will be given. Children have high levels of self-esteem as they receive lots of praise and encouragement. They behave well overall and their understanding of positive ways to behave is reinforced through the nursery's 'golden values'. Children are encouraged to play an active role by putting toys away when they have finished with them and helping to lay the table for lunch. Staff make a point of including children in decisions that affect them, such as talking to babies and toddlers about the need to change their nappies. All children have their own photograph book of the special people and places in their home lives. These are placed easily accessible places and several

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and outcomes for children

children choose to look at these. The photographs provide a nice link with home and enable other children to recognise similarities and differences.

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and outcomes for children

Overall, children are presented with a range of activities and experiences that help them make good progress in their learning and gain important skills for the future. However, younger children have less opportunity to independently access resources that help them learn about technology. Staff members interact positively with children and show interest in what they are doing; they are ready to chat, read a story or join in with their play. However, on occasion some individuals miss opportunities to extend further children's learning through effective open questions to develop ideas. The nursery has recently introduced a new method of monitoring children's progress and planning for their 'next steps' in learning as part of its systems for observational assessment. This is becoming embedded.

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and outcomes for children

Babies enjoy the freedom of moving around and exploring the different resources in their playroom. The provision of a large quantity of shredded paper attracts the attention of several babies and the placement of this on the floor means they can This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 sit in it and crawl through it. This provides them with an interesting sensory experience. Older babies have fun outside in a nicely presented garden area where they explore and investigate the many different natural resources and other media and materials provided. They are excited by water play and enjoy filling different containers repeatedly with water and watching this cascade out as they turn the watering cans upside down. Some children enjoy exploring the sand and are introduced to the idea of size as a staff member suggests they make 'big and tiny' sandcastles.

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and outcomes for children

Toddlers are keen to help create a painted backdrop for a display. They are provided with some lovely metallic paint markers which they use in different ways, stamping, dabbing and rolling around the paper to create marks. Some children enjoy putting together the train track with support and they help themselves to books, which they look at independently or take to a staff to read to them. Pre- school children enjoy exploring the newly installed SMART board and confidently explain what they need to do to operate this and complete their chosen problem- solving game. They chat about their recent recycling project and explain how they have raised money to purchase a compost bin. Pre-school children work well both independently and collaboratively. They are confident communicators with adults and other children. Children demonstrate secure understanding of letters and sounds and show an enthusiasm for mark-making as evidenced by the quantity of

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and outcomes for children

child completed labelling within their playroom. They show lots of interest in the different living creatures brought in by an external company and some are keen to share their knowledge of these.

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and outcomes for children

The staff supervise children carefully and support them in learning how to keep themselves safe. All children participate in regular fire evacuation drills and older children take part in specific activities as part of staged events, such as National Children's Safety week.

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and outcomes for children

Overall, the nursery is well managed and well resourced, and the children are cared for by dedicated and caring staff who use imaginative play activities to successfully support their 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 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 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 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 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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