Little Wishes

Wishing Well Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 257854 Inspection date 24/10/2011 Inspector Rachel Wyatt

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Setting address 76 Droitwich Road, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR3 7HT

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Telephone number 01905 613401 Email Type of setting Childcare - Non-Domestic 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 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

Wishing Well Nursery is one of six nursery and out of school club settings run by Wishing Well Nurseries Ltd. It opened in 2001 and operates from a two-storey building situated in Worcester City. Children have access to enclosed outdoor play areas. The nursery is open each weekday all the year round, closing for bank holidays and a week between Christmas and New Year. Sessions are from 7.45am until 5.45pm.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 44 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 61 children aged from 3 months to five years on roll, some in part-time places. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs 21 staff who work with the children, plus the provider, a cook and a driver. Of these, 20 staff have appropriate level 2 or 3 early years qualifications, one member of staff is working towards a foundation degree in early years, and two are working towards a level 3 qualification. The nursery provides early education funding and is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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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

Babies and children thrive and enjoy learning because managers and staff know and support them well, ensuring each child is fully included, makes good progress and so their needs are always met. Staff create an inviting, well-resourced and comfortable environment and successfully extend children's experiences by involving them in many worthwhile activities within the local community. The smooth running of the nursery is underpinned by effective team work, generally robust procedures apart from minor omissions to some safety records, and positive partnerships with families and other agencies. These all contribute to children being fully safeguarded, kept safe and well looked after. Children benefit because the provider, managers and staff successfully monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the nursery, and make sustainable improvements. They positively encourage and respond to parents' views about the quality of the nursery, and are

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

innovative in the way they engage with young children to ensure their choices and suggestions influence the planning and organisation of toys and activities.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the recording of regular safety checks. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are fully safeguarded. The provider has clear safeguarding policies and procedures, which all adults working in the nursery understand and follow. They all attend safeguarding training, and managers with designated responsibility for safeguarding understand their roles to ensure any concerns about a child's welfare are carefully monitored and promptly reported where appropriate. Parents understand the nursery's safeguarding procedures as these form part of the welcome pack they are given when their child starts. Children's welfare is further promoted by the nursery's safer recruitment procedures so that all adults working there are vetted including students, and a record is kept of these and all other suitability checks. In addition, all required agreements and information about children and their families are obtained before each child starts.

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the early years provision

The leadership and management of the nursery are good. The provider, managers and staff are dedicated to ensuring children and families access good quality provision. They consistently monitor and reflect on the effectiveness of all aspects of the nursery and promptly tackle areas for improvement, including previous inspection recommendations. Different areas of the nursery have been altered and improved such as providing a soft surface area in the garden for children's climbing and balancing. There is a strong emphasis on promoting the managers' and staff's training and development. As a result they are confident about managing change, enthusiastic about their roles and ably work together to give children excellent support. Children and parents really appreciate the friendly and caring atmosphere. Staff make sure sessions are fun and children's care routines are calmly managed. As a result, babies and children thrive and become really confident. They feel

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the early years provision

valued and have a strong sense of belonging because adults ably promote their individual needs and consistently encourage and recognise their ideas and interests. For instance, children's suggestions are central to the planning and organisation of topics, activities and resources. During sessions children choose what they want to play with, for instance referring to a photographic record of different outdoor toys and equipment. Throughout the nursery they can easily help themselves to books and toys which are stored in clearly labelled, accessible units and containers. Provision for children's individual medical and developmental needs is exemplary. The nursery works closely with parents, speech and language therapists, the local inclusion team and schools to ensure children with, for example, developmental delay, hearing impairments or specific medical conditions have tailored support, strategies and specialist equipment to enable them to

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the early years provision

progress well and to fully take part in the life of the nursery. Staff also work closely with other providers in order to ensure consistency for children who attend more than one setting and to facilitate their smooth transition into school. From the outset positive relationships are developed with parents and carers. They are well informed about how the nursery is managed and operates. Their views are sought about the quality of the nursery provision and their feedback and any concerns are followed up. They are kept well informed about their children's care, learning and development and from the start they are encouraged to tell the staff about their child's interests, abilities and routines. Parents are given newsletters and copies of topic and activity plans so they are well informed about nursery life and they enjoy This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

attending special events such as sports day and the nativity play. Parents are encouraged to follow up activities at home. Children in pre-school choose a book to read, and children of all ages enjoy taking home special nursery toys whose adventures whilst with them are then reported back in a lively pictorial record.

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and outcomes for children

Babies and children enjoy being at nursery. Staff reassure and settle children well, and get to know their interests and characteristics which they reflect in the range of toys and activities they provide. Effective assessment procedures mean that adults have a good understanding of children's starting points and ongoing learning and development needs. There are clear links between assessments and planning to ensure children's next steps are fully reflected in activities and resources and so they make good progress. Rewarding topics cover all areas of learning and are well-organised so children enjoy a good balance of child-initiated and adult-directed activities. Managers and staff also ably adapt plans, their support and resources to cater for each child's abilities and confidently work with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who speak English as an additional language.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop good skills for the future. They are eager to take part in activities and often concentrate and persevere well. From an early age, children confidently make choices about what they are going to play with, eagerly helping themselves to books, toys and games. They become increasingly independent in looking after their possessions, seeing to their personal care and managing hygiene routines. Children are kind and helpful and behave well. Older children talk about sharing and taking turns and staff working with babies and toddlers gently promote these and other social skills. As a result, children make friends and play harmoniously. Children also develop an excellent appreciation of the wider world. Babies and children all take part in local activities and events such as walks to the park and visiting local shops and garden centres to buy items for cooking and gardening. They contribute to national fundraising campaigns and join in activities at a nearby

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and outcomes for children

church and schools. Pre-school children take part in weekly swimming and African drumming sessions. During their Monday morning 'Little Adventurers club' they enthusiastically take part in rewarding outings linked to a topic, such as taking harvest gifts and singing to residents at a home for the elderly, collecting leaves, cones, sticks and conkers on nature walks, and buying bulbs and visiting the pets corner at a large garden centre. They also learn about the lives and customs of others, for example, during activities linked to celebrations such as Diwali, Christmas and Chinese New Year.

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and outcomes for children

Children become articulate speakers as the staff interact well with them, encouraging their responses and developing their speech, language, vocabulary, and attentive listening. Children enjoy books and stories, pointing excitedly to the pictures and talking about the characters. They recognise and use letter sounds, for example, during self-registration. They become competent mark makers, benefiting from many opportunities to practice their emergent writing such as forming letters in sand, chalking on walls outside, and labelling their work and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 other items displayed around the nursery. Children confidently count, order and compare numbers and recognise colours, shapes and sizes. They think critically, responding to staff's open- ended questions and joining in games and activities which foster their problem solving such as simple puzzles, stacking toys and shape

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and outcomes for children

sorters for babies. Children of all ages are interested in how things work, react and change. Babies are fascinated by different textures such as paint, pasta, dough and jelly. Toddlers build towers, counting the wooden bricks they have used, and confidently assemble small world toys such as farm buildings and the wooden train track. Children are interested in and adeptly use real or pretend information technology to support their learning. They learn about caring for their natural surroundings. They grow plants, bulbs and vegetables, feed the birds and recycle paper. Babies and children are creative and imaginative. They express their ideas through role play, dressing up, making models and through their colourful art and craft work. Children are encouraged to take pride in their work. Many examples are displayed around the nursery, as well as being photographed or taken home.

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and outcomes for children

Children's welfare is promoted well. Clear agreements are obtained from parents relating to their children's health and dietary needs, and staff confidently manage children's often quite significant medical conditions. Each child has prompt appropriate treatment from first aid trained staff if they have an accident, become unwell or need medication. Appropriate records are maintained and discussed with parents who sign these. Children develop a very good understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle. From an early age they clean their hands properly before eating and after outside play, nappy changes or going to the toilet. Babies and children are well-nourished and make healthy choices. They talk about and record their choices to show how they have plenty of fruit and enjoy eating the vegetables they have grown at nursery. Babies and children are physically active. They have regular outdoor play and exercise. They throw and catch balls and bean

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and outcomes for children

bags, safely use wheeled toys and competently balance and climb. Staff and children talk about the benefits of exercise, and their skills and coordination are further extended through regular walks, music and movement, swimming and physical education sessions. Children are kept safe as the premises are secure and free from hazards. They are well supervised and detailed risk assessments are effectively used to monitor safety and to ensure hazards are minimised and removed. Daily safety checks are also completed but those relating to outside areas are not recorded. Children develop a sound understanding of how to behave safely and responsibly. They confidently describe safety procedures to follow when travelling in a vehicle and they all have opportunities to learn about road safety during walks and structured play activities. Regular practise evacuation drills are carried out so everyone is prepared for emergencies.

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and outcomes for children

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 1 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 1 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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