The Village Nursery

The Village Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 253136 Inspection date 29/09/2011 Inspector Janice Hughes

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Setting address 26 Town Street, Bramcote, Beeston, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG9 3HA Telephone number 0115 943 0053 Email villagenursery@btconnect.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

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 Village Nursery opened in 1986 and was taken over by the current proprietor in 1995. It operates from a converted school and children are cared for in two buildings, with a separate building for the office and staff facilities. It is located in the village of Bramcote, situated on the outskirts of Nottingham and close to Nottingham University. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round, with the exception of bank holidays and Christmas. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 114 children aged from birth to under five years on roll. The nursery currently receives early education funding for three and four-year-olds. Children come from the local community. The setting currently supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and also supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are 21 full and part-time staff who work with the children. Of these, two have a higher qualification, including the Early Years Professional Status. The majority hold a level 3 care qualification and six staff have National Vocational Qualification Level 2. Two trainees are working towards a childcare 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

Children are happy, confident and settled in this inclusive setting;. The environment in most areas is stimulating, bright and well organised. Children make good progress in their learning and development and are provided with activities which are generally informed by children's interests. Staff provide strong partnerships with parents/carers and other professionals to ensure the continuity of children's welfare and development needs are met. The manager is fully committed and well organised and has very good drive and ambition for the setting. Comprehensive policies and procedures are in place and effective systems that ensure the children's safety and their protection are assured. Detailed systems are in place to monitor, evaluate and target specific areas for improvement through collaborative working with parents and staff.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure the practitioners plan and resource a challenging environment where children's play can be supported and extended  ensure that the planning systems use the children's observations and assessments to clearly show their learning priorities This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff are knowledgeable regarding safeguarding issues and the procedures to follow should they have concerns about a child in their care. Required policies, procedures and records for the safe and efficient running of the setting are thoroughly established and revised as necessary to maintain compliance with the regulations. Robust recruitment and induction procedures ensure qualified staff with relevant knowledge and experience are suitable to work with children. Risk assessments contain a comprehensive amount of detail and are reviewed annually to promote children's safety. The premises are secure and enable children to play safely. Staff work very well together to ensure day-to-day routines are efficiently managed to provide a safe and nurturing environment where children's individual needs are effectively met.

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the early years provision

The setting is well led and managed by the manager and owners who strive for high quality through purposeful self-evaluation processes to identify strengths and drive for improvement. The setting has successfully completed the recommendations from the last inspection. Children are cared for in age- appropriate rooms, where their transition through the nursery is led by their readiness and developmental progress. The transfer of information between key persons is managed effectively to ensure ongoing, consistent care for children. Areas are well resourced to provide children with interesting and exciting experiences to encourage their enjoyment, fun, learning and development. However, some areas of the nursery and some resources are not used to their full potential to maximise children's learning opportunities. Most playrooms provide a bright and attractive space, where toys and resources are stored at low level so

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the early years provision

that children can self-select them. The garden offers children opportunities to engage in different activities to support their physical development and their interest in nature. For example the children can climb the trees, explore and investigate the logs and stepping stones and hunt for bugs.

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the early years provision

An inclusive environment is provided for all children who attend the setting. Strong emphasis is put on the partnerships with parents and outside agencies to ensure each child's needs are identified and met. Effective systems are in place to include parents in children's learning and development. When children start, an initial discussion and assessment takes place to obtain information about their child's interests and abilities in order to determine their 'starting points'. This is obtained through the children's 'All About Me Booklet'. Parents receive verbal information about their child's progress on a regular basis and younger children's parents are given detailed daily diaries so that parents know what their child is doing at nursery. Open evenings are also arranged for the parents/carers to view their child's developmental record and find out about their learning in more depth. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy themselves in this friendly nursery which has a homely feel. They have regular contact with children of different ages, which supports their personal and social skills well. Staff effectively interact with the children during free play, and consistently encourage children to try to do things for themselves to support their learning and development. Children make good progress towards the early learning goals through a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. The planning of activities provides a broad and varied range of opportunities across the six areas of learning. For example children paint their own portraits and discuss the features of their face, whilst looking at mirrors. This helps the children to understand about similarities and differences. They are beginning to understand that people have different needs, views, cultures and beliefs that need to be treated with respect. Staff maintain good observation records of children's

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and outcomes for children

progress, however, although these contain useful information, they do not fully inform planning for children's individual learning intentions. Staff are very skilled at managing children's behaviour. They offer good explanation and alternative ideas to encourage positive behaviour. Children's effort and achievement is acknowledged and praised, and star charts are used as positive reinforcement. As a result, children develop good social skills and a sense of self worth. For example, children happily share two plastic toy snakes and are able to negotiate and agree an area of space each where they can play.

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and outcomes for children

Resources are easily accessible to promote children's independence and they are confident in making choices and steering their own play. They show a strong sense of feeling safe in their environment. They confidently help themselves to the resources and equipment, smile and giggle with their peers, and the staff and seek support and comfort when they need it. Children are knowledgeable about hand- washing 'to get rid of germs' and follow thorough routines throughout the nursery. Children learn about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle through topics and discussions with the staff. They have access to fresh drinking water throughout the day and eat healthy meals, including homemade lentil soup with croutons and fresh fruit. All children enjoy their daily outdoor play as they ride their trikes, climb, balance and run around in the fresh air. They learn about personal safety as they use scissors effectively, cross the road with their key workers while on outings and

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and outcomes for children

discuss issues, such as the dangers of fire, when they have visits from the local fire brigade. They also learn about keeping safe as they are included in the fire evacuation procedures of the setting.

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and outcomes for children

Children find out about and use information and communication technology, which fosters their skills for the future. They explore various computer programmes, which support their learning about numbers, calculation and following simple voice instructions. Children's problem-solving skills are further extended as they explore puzzles and build with construction. Younger children and babies enjoy exploring battery-operated toys and resources as they notice the flashing lights and voice instructions and show delight in pushing the buttons. All children enjoy their creative activities. Toddlers enjoy pushing their hands through orange and red paint as they create autumn pictures, and older pre-school children enjoy using This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 paints to make marks and writing their name on their own work. The staff encourage the children to explore books and make the books accessible in comfy

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and outcomes for children

corners with cushions and mats. Staff sit with the children to tell stories and during these story sessions children listen, sustain concentration and join in. They participate well in singing and with confidence sing 'Five Flying Spacemen' and 'Five Silly Monkeys' which helps them to learn about decreasing numbers. 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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