Lydiate Junior School

Maison Dieu Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 127363 Inspection date 27/09/2011 Inspector Jenny Kane

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Setting address 94 Maison Dieu Road, Dover, Kent, CT16 1RU

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Telephone number 01304 214951 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. 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

The Maison Dieu Nursery opened in 1989. It is privately owned and managed and operates from two floors of a large house in the centre of Dover. The nursery serves the local area and surrounding areas. Children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.30pm all year round with a two week break during the summer. The premises are accessed via steps to the front door. There is access to the ground floor via a side gate. Parking can be arranged on the front driveway with prior notice.The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 50 children between the ages of two and under eight years may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 76 children aged from two to five years on roll, some in part-time places. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to

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Description of the setting

children aged three and four. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.The nursery employs 14 members of staff who all hold appropriate early years qualifications. They receive support from the local authority's early years advisor.

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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 are happy, settled and enjoy very positive relationships with staff. The care, safety and welfare of the children are given high priority and staff work as a team to provide a generally good inclusive service for all children and their families. Children are making good progress in their learning and development in relation to their different starting points. Staff work extremely well with parents and other professionals to ensure children's individual needs are met. The senior staff team are very clear about their aims; they have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the nursery and use self-evaluation to identify areas for continued improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve opportunities for children with additional languages to develop their communication, language and literacy skills for example, through the use of labelling and visual signs  increase children's awareness of sustainability through recycling projects This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The owner/manager and deputy work well together and are very clear about their roles and responsibilities. The deputy takes the lead for safeguarding and attends regular training. Staff have a good understanding of the safeguarding procedures and these are also shared with parents. Staff have high regard for promoting children's safety and well-being. Staff ratios are high; they are well qualified, experienced and suitable to work with the children. Suitable risk assessments are completed and staff carry out ongoing checks to ensure children play in an environment which is safe and secure. All the mandatory records and documentation are regularly updated.

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the early years provision

The nursery has a homely and welcoming atmosphere. Staff are well deployed, space is organised effectively and toys and equipment are in good condition. Some steps are in place to make the environment sustainable. Several resources promote diversity through positive images but there are no dual language labels or pictorial signs. This does not help children who speak English as an additional language to develop in their communication, language and literacy skills. Children make decisions and choices about what they play with and where.

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the early years provision

Partnerships are a key strength of the nursery. Senior staff have been proactive in establishing very good links with other professionals, for example, health workers and speech therapists. Any children who have specific learning requirements are well supported and staff are quick to obtain support when needed. Liaison with feeder schools is well established and helps children's smooth transitions.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from the close relationships which have developed between the staff and their parents. The open-door policy enables parents to discuss any issues as they arise and ensures they are fully able to be involved in their children's care and learning. When they first start children are allocated a key person who works with the parents to establish their child's starting points. Staff continue to keep parents very well informed of children's progress through good communication, contact books and the sharing of the children's development folders. As a result, parents happily share information about their children and share their views and opinions. Regular newsletters, questionnaires and consultation meetings also contribute to this very good sharing of information. Parents are very happy with the service and express many positive views when asked for feedback. They know who their child's key person is and comment on the friendliness and

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the early years provision

approachability of the staff. They say that information sharing is very good and they are fully aware of how their children are progressing. Several parents comment that they have recommended the nursery to their friends.

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the early years provision

The staff work very well as a team and have established clear routines and sharing of tasks. They demonstrate a good commitment to their personal development and training. Staff take responsibility for planning and providing activities in each of the age-related rooms. Staff contribute to staff meetings, are included in the self- This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 evaluation and work collectively to maintain high standards and to drive improvement. The previous recommendations have been met, helping to ensure the outcomes for children continue to improve.

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and outcomes for children

Overall, children are making good progress in their learning and are developing skills for the future. Staff have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the six areas of learning. All staff are involved in the planning of activities which are based on their observations and the interests and abilities of the children. The key person system works well and helps to support children's progress and development. Staff observe children during their play and make notes which are later transferred into each child's 'learning journey' record. These records have many photographs, samples of work and regular overviews help to track significant progress and establish children's next steps in their learning. The learning journeys are shared with parents periodically and complement the verbal discussions about children's progress. Staff have a positive approach to supporting children during play and frequently join in with the activities which are mainly

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and outcomes for children

Staff are skilled at extending children's imaginations and strive to make their learning fun. Children communicate clearly and explain their ideas confidently. There is a good selection of books and children really enjoy stories. A favourite story is about a troll and goats. Children have great fun making trip trapping noises to represent goats walking over a bridge. They help themselves to mark- making and art and craft resources. Children enjoy mixing paints with water to make different colours and consistencies. They realise that by adding more water they can see their names through the paint. One child paints various colours in the style of a rainbow. Other children comment and they start to sing a song about a rainbow. There are many opportunities to use numeracy and counting during play. Children playing with the toy garage discover that some of the cars will not run down the slope. They find other cars which are smaller and work out which ones

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and outcomes for children

to use. Another child discusses the size of a camel's hump. During play with the sand wheel children discover that the wheel spins more quickly when a larger amount of sand is poured into the top. Children use a good supply of gadgets and toys to work out how things work. They frequently use digital cameras and the computer with a large sized keyboard confidently.

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and outcomes for children

Children investigate natural objects and use them to be creative. They enjoy dressing up and playing in the role play areas both indoors and in the garden. They make good use of the props while acting out various scenarios. Children have positive relationships with their peers, share well during play and show good cooperation. They demonstrate independence and are very involved in deciding what they do. This has a positive impact on their behaviour which is very good. In addition, the relationships with staff are very strong, resulting in children displaying This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 high levels of confidence and self-esteem. Children gain an understanding of the wider world through well planned activities, topics and celebration of various festivals.

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and outcomes for children

There are good opportunities for children to develop healthy lifestyles and engage in physical play each day. The garden is a wonderful play area where children explore freely, move about safely and use the equipment well. They can play outside in all weathers as they have rain suits and a covered area. Children also enjoy using the 'fairy corner' for quiet reflection, looking at the books or just chatting to others. Children learn about keeping safe through regular fire drills, knowing why they need to clear up after themselves and how to use the stairs safely. Lunchtime is a social occasion when they discuss favourite foods and which are healthy. They enjoy healthy snacks and choose when they have this at the 'snack bar'. Helping children to learn about the benefits they can make to the environment through recycling their food waste and other materials has not been considered. Children automatically wash their hands, help themselves to drinks,

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and outcomes for children

choose and cut up the fruit and when finished they take put their plates in the washing up bowl. 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 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 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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