Walmer Bridge Day Nursery

Walmer Bridge Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY102250 Inspection date 22/08/2011 Inspector Ruth Thrasher

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Setting address 74 Liverpool Old Road, Walmer Bridge, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 5GE Telephone number 01772 611 222 Email walmerbridge@btinternet.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.

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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

Walmer Bridge Day Nursery is one of two nurseries run by a private partnership. It opened in 2001 and operates from a former primary school building. Children have access to rooms on both floors of the building and an outdoor play area. The nursery is in the village of Walmer Bridge on the outskirts of Preston. It is open each weekday from 7.45am to 6pm for 52 weeks of the year.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 59 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 52 children aged from birth to under five years on roll, some in part-time places. The nursery supports children who learn English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are eight members of staff who work directly with the children and they are supported by the owner and a chef. All of the child care staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. The manager has recently achieved Early Years Professional Status. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds. The nursery has gained the the 'Step into Quality' award.

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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

Overall children make good progress towards the early learning goals in a safe and well-resourced setting. The staff are enthusiastic and committed to providing quality childcare. Their detailed knowledge of the children enables them to provide appropriate activities to excite, challenge and meet their individual needs. Satisfactory partnerships with parents and strong partnerships with outside agencies and other settings, ensure consistency in children's welfare and learning. Self-evaluation through a quality assurance scheme has resulted in considerable improvements since the last inspection, which demonstrates a strong capacity to continue to improve practice and outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further systems to improve the regular two-way flow of information with parents and carers to ensure they contribute and are fully involved in their children's learning, for example, by incorporating parents' and carers' comments into children's individual records  develop further activities and resources that reflect diversity in society and the wider world in order to enable children to foster a respect for their own cultures and beliefs and those of other people. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Overall staff demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and have received appropriate training in this area. There are good systems in place to ensure the suitability of adults working with children, including Criminal Records Bureau checks, references and comprehensive induction procedures. Children's security is enhanced by the use of closed circuit television cameras, which enable staff to monitor who is at the door. Staff complete thorough daily safety checks, both indoors and out, and ensure that appropriate action is taken if required. They are vigilant in ensuring the gate is secured as visitors arrive and depart and that children are well supervised at all times.

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the early years provision

The management regularly review practice and make changes to the premises and organisation of the nursery in order to enhance outcomes for children. All staff have contributed to a self-evaluation process through the successful completion of a quality assurance scheme. This has led to improvements throughout the nursery, for example considerable changes have been made to the outdoor play area to enable children to access all areas of learning outdoors. One room is currently being redecorated and equipped as a sensory room and there is ongoing investment in new resources. Staff continue to undertake training, complete further qualifications and share the information they have gained on courses. The enthusiasm of the managers to drive improvement is shared by staff who are given responsibility for different areas of provision and put lots of energy into developing these.

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the early years provision

Staff have an excellent understanding of how children learn and develop and use this to plan appropriate activities to enable all children to progress well. For example, there is much scope for active learning indoors and out, which ensures both boys and girls have equal opportunity to make progress according to their preferred learning styles. Staff ensure the setting is inclusive by considering the needs of children who are learning English as an additional language, for example by creating a wall display in their home language. There are some images and resources reflecting diversity and overall staff plan a generally good range of activities to develop children's appreciation of differences.

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the early years provision

The managers and staff recognise the importance of strong partnerships with external agencies and services to ensure children receive the support they need. They have very good links with the nursery class and use setting link books to exchange information about children's welfare and development. Parents and carers speak highly of the quality of the provision and appreciate the daily exchange of information with their children's key persons. Parents and carers are encouraged to share what they know about their child when they start nursery, however the systems for this are less formalised as the child moves through nursery and parents do not routinely contribute to their children's learning journey records. Staff use a variety of methods to engage parents in their children's learning, they have introduced parents' evenings and questionnaires, as well as informative notice boards. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and actively engaged in their play. They freely choose from attractively presented resources that encourage them to be creative and experiment, both indoors and out. Key persons are familiar with children's individual needs and interests and provide activities which extend their learning. Children's self-esteem is promoted when they take part in tasks involving responsibility, for example they help carry cutlery from the kitchen and set the table. They behave well as staff actively promote positive behaviour, showing them how to take turns with the fishing rods when they play a fishing game.

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and outcomes for children

Toddlers develop their confidence and physical skills as they walk up a small ramp and climb a couple of steps, supported by staff who praise them and count the steps. Babies enjoy building towers and learn about colours as they play with the soft play blocks. Treasure baskets containing different objects and materials encourage them to explore textures. Older children use a range of small tools and materials in their creative play, such as paint brushes and glue sticks. They make 'presents' for their family and observe how things change colour when looking through coloured cellophane. Outdoors they play in the 'secret garden' or use the wooden stage for role play and songs, fuelling their imagination.

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and outcomes for children

Children spontaneously select books and look at them in the comfy book area, equipped with cushions, rugs and a sofa. They have lots of opportunities for mark- making using a variety of equipment, such as big paint brushes and paint rollers. Children have good support to develop their understanding of numbers and problem solving, for example they use a tape measure to measure blocks and write the number down. They learn about technology as they play with battery operated toys, such as a toy cash register and scanner or use a computer. In this way they are developing good skills to support their future learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about healthy lifestyles in a variety of ways. They make vegetable soup and learning about healthy eating and brush their teeth after lunch. They learn to keep themselves safe when they play, for example staff remind them to sit at the table when they use scissors. They learn to appreciate diversity through access to some resources and activities that help them to learn about their own and other cultures. For example, they talk about their families, celebrate Christmas and Chinese New Year.

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and outcomes for children

Children make good progress in their learning as activities are planned to meet their individual needs. For example there are lots of large-scale activities, such as building dens and digging in the soil, to ensure that boys are well as girls are actively engaged. Staff use observation and assessment effectively to plan according to children's interests. They use enhancements to the areas of continuous provision to provide for children's next steps. For example the role play area was changed into a doctor's surgery when staff observed a child listening to a doll's chest with a stethoscope. 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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