Hummingbirds Nursery

Hummingbirds Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY428666 Inspection date 26/09/2011 Inspector Helen Blackburn

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Setting address Hummingbirds, 1 Back Lane, Sowerby, THIRSK, North Yorkshire, YO7 1NQ Telephone number 01845 525172 Email hummingbirdsnursery@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

Hummingbirds Day Nursery opened in 2011 and is managed by an individual owner. It operates from a single storey converted building in the Sowerby area of Thirsk. There are schools, parks, shops and public transport links in the local area. Children have access to a fully enclosed outdoor area. The setting is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round, except bank holidays and Christmas.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 15 children may attend the setting at any one time. There are currently 16 children aged from 18 months to under five years on roll, some in part-time places. The setting is also registered by Ofsted on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register to offer care to children aged over five years to eight years. The setting supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children with English as an additional language. The setting provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds.

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Description of the setting

There are four members of staff employed at the setting, of these, three hold early years qualifications to level 3. In addition, one member of staff is working towards a level 3 qualification.

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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

Practitioners have good relationships with parents, children and other professionals or agencies involved in children's care. The children are happy, they approach their play with enthusiasm and overall, organisation of resources and promotion of all areas of learning is good. Practitioners provide a learning environment that supports children in becoming well-behaved, independent learners who learn to respect diversity and difference. Overall, most documentation, policies and procedures contribute to promoting a safe environment. Practitioner's commitment towards promoting ongoing improvement is good and their self-evaluation processes support them in achieving their goals and ambitions.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve risk assessment arrangements so that the regularity of checks is appropriate for ensuring all reasonable steps are taken to minimise hazards  improve the organisation of the book area so that children are encouraged to access books and extend the range of activities available in the outdoor environment  ensure the new procedure for administrating medication is made available and shared with parents. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Practitioner's have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities in promoting and safeguarding children's welfare. They are aware of the possible signs of abuse and neglect, they have access to relevant policies and procedures and they regularly attend safeguarding training. This means that they ensure children's welfare is paramount at all times. There are good vetting, recruitment and induction procedures in place, which ensures all practitioners, are suitable to work with children. The setting maintains a good range of documentation, policies and procedures, which overall, contribute to the safe and efficient management of the setting. For example, policies regarding behaviour management, equality and complaints clearly outline the procedures in place. However, there is a new procedure for administering medication, as a result, this is not readily available or yet shared with parents. Overall, practitioners provide a safe environment for

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the early years provision

children to play. For example, practitioners supervise children's play, they organise resources so children can make safe and independent choices and they carry out risk assessments. However, the frequency practitioners check some of the safety precautions in place is not sufficient, resulting in missing electrical socket covers and trailing wires from the television. Practitioners work well as a team and they deploy themselves well, so that they meet adult to child ratios. In addition, practitioners make good use of resources within the local community to extend children's experiences. For example, children go on nature walks around the village and they regularly access the local park.

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the early years provision

Practitioner's commitment towards promoting improvement is good. For example, they use self-evaluation and reflection to monitor the effectiveness of the setting and to help them identify areas they can improve. Self-evaluation is an inclusive process because it includes the views of parents, children, practitioners and other professionals. For example, following feedback from parents and children, practitioners moved the location of the parent's notice board and they looked at how they support children to develop positive relationships with each other. Practitioners access a good range of training courses to extend their skills and experiences. This supports their ongoing professional development and promotes positive outcomes for children as practitioners implement new ideas into the setting. For instance, introducing more open ended and natural resources that children can explore and use in different ways, such as tubes, materials, pebbles

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the early years provision

Practitioners have good relationships with parents, other professionals and external agencies involved in children's care. In addition, they work hard to overcome the barriers they encounter with some settings, such as school and nursery who are not forthcoming with the information they share. Overall, through good communication, practitioners meet children's individual needs. Policies, procedures, newsletters, notice boards and welcome booklets ensure parents receive good quality information about the service. Parents provide positive feedback about the setting, especially about the close relationships formed due to the setting being small. Practitioners work really well with other professionals to support the children who need any additional support or help. This means children receive the best This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 possible care and learning opportunities. This contributes to promoting an inclusive

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and outcomes for children

Practitioners operate a key person system, however, because the setting is small, all practitioners have good relationships with all children. These positive relationships and consistent routines contribute to children feeling safe and secure. Practitioners have a good understanding of how young children learn. This means they support their learning well. They are actively involved in children's play, they regularly observe them, which means they have a good understanding of their abilities, likes and interests. Therefore, they effectively plan activities to support children's ongoing development and progression. Practitioners skilfully incorporate child-initiated activities into the day. For example, when children become engrossed in building castles with the small bricks, the activity soon evolves into all children building a large castle they can all use, using material, tubes and other props. This fosters children's imagination, creativity and personal and social skills.

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and outcomes for children

Overall, children access a good range of continuous provision across all areas of learning, which supports them in making good progress. However, the outdoor area is under development and as a result, this area does not incorporate all areas of learning and the organisation of the book area is not as inviting to children as other areas within the setting. The children are happy and confident and they approach their play with enthusiasm. For example, children use their imagination and problem solving skills very well as they create a large train track that weaves and twines around the room, they express their creativity through arts and crafts when painting their leaves for the Autumn tree and they confidently engage in conversations with others. In addition, through fun activities, such as matching, sorting and counting games and finding objects that begin with certain letters, children are learning about simple mathematical concepts and early literacy. The

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and outcomes for children

children are inquisitive learners, for example, they listen attentively to the sounds on the tape, eagerly shouting out when they recognise the familiar sounds, such as trains and aeroplanes.

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and outcomes for children

Through everyday routines, children are developing an appropriate understanding of the importance of good personal hygiene practices. For example, practitioners encourage children to wash their hands at appropriate times throughout the day. Through nutritious snacks and meals, children are learning about the importance of making healthy choices. Opportunities for children to be active are good, which supports their physical development. For example, when children go to the park, they are able to develop their climbing, running and balancing skills. In addition, children are developing their dexterity and coordination skills well. For example, they pour, rake, dig and manipulate different objects, medias and textures, such as sand, rice and water.

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and outcomes for children

The children behave appropriately for their ages and stages of development. This is because practitioners provide consistent boundaries, established routines and positive role models for children. Through play, children talk about being kind, sharing and taking turns and this helps them to develop cooperative and respectful This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 relationships with their peers. The children are learning well about diversity and difference. For example, practitioners embrace and fully incorporate children's individual backgrounds, needs and cultures within the setting, which provides them with a sense of belonging. In addition, through talking about differences, various festivals and traditions and accessing a good selection of resources that promote positive images of all people in society, they are learning about the wider world. 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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