The Westlands Nursery

The Westlands Primary School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY426595 Inspection date 10/11/2011 Inspector Susan Scott

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Setting address The Westlands Primary School, Homewood Avenue, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 1XN Telephone number 01795470862 Email jdh@westlands.kent.sch.uk 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.

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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

The nursery is owned by the Westlands Academies Trust in Westland Primary School, Sittingbourne. It was previously operating in the Adult Education College in Sittingbourne. The nursery opened in September 2011 and operates from several rooms in the part of the building which was the Infant School. There is a large outside play area, including a nature walk and playing field available to the nursery. There is access for those with disabilities and car parking spaces.

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Description of the setting

This nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 40 five children under eight years may attend at any one time. Currently, there are 30 children on roll. The nursery is open each day from 8am to 6pm. The manager and two staff hold appropriate early years qualifications and one staff is unqualified.

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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 generally feel safe because most systems and requirements are in place to safeguard their welfare and to enable them to feel secure and happy at the nursery. Frequent observations and assessments promote a good overall understanding of children's needs and preferences which staff uses to plan for their progress. Children experience good opportunities to experience a variety of activities and to enjoy varied outdoor activities. The nursery is keen to continuously improve and evaluates the provision constantly while reviewing the development of the inclusive nursery. Children's experiences are positive and are supported through effective partnerships with parents and carers.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 enure all reasonable steps are taken to minimise hazards to children such as the hot radiator in children's toilets (Suitable premises, environment and equipment) (Also applies to the Childcare Register) W3 30/11/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 improve further the systematic observations and assessments consistently This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 across all six areas of learning and development to identify learning priorities ensure all practitioners have an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding children issues and be able to implement the safeguarding children policy and procedure appropriately.

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the early years provision

The nursery has been open since September, having operated at another site for several years. In the two months since opening staff have continually reviewed and developed the provision to benefit children and ensure their safety an well- being. Risk assessments generally ensure that all children play and learn in a safe environment. One radiator in the children's toilet was recently discovered to be very hot and has yet to be made safe. Although staff supervision limits the risk to children, reasonable steps have not been taken to ensure this hazard is minimised, which is a breach of requirements. Most staff completed safeguarding training several years ago and therefore have a satisfactory understanding of safeguarding,and follow clear procedures for dealing with a variety of concerns. The records, policies and procedures are well understood by staff who are vigilant, and there are high staff ratios in place. This effectively supports the welfare of

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the early years provision

children and enables all children to feel settled and secure at the nursery. Accident and medication records and written consents provide further safeguards for children. The activities and play resources are interesting, attractive, age- appropriate, and checked regularly to ensure they are safe to use.

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the early years provision

The staff have contributed to a development plan which informs the self- evaluations on the provision and which enables them to continually review and the provision and make adjustments and changes which successfully enhance the experiences of children. Good awareness of the needs of children and a shared vision for the development of the setting enables continuous improvement in the quality of the provision. The staff use their skills to ensure that children's contributions are valued and they use informative plans which note children's interests and activities they enjoy. Staff use a variety of resources, activities and celebrate cultural festivals to build upon children's understanding of diversity. They sensitively respond to children's individual requirements and developmental needs which effectively supports the inclusion of all children.

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the early years provision

The staff communicate effectively with each other and provide positive support and encouragement for all children. Staff participate in a various training opportunities, and use the knowledge and experience they gain to good effect. This has a positive impact on outcomes for children. A good two-way flow of information ensures staff regularly make parents aware of children's achievements and any concerns they may have. The children become familiar with the adjoining primary school which supports smooth transitions for those who are moving on. Children also benefit from the services of a setting improvement officer from the local authority to support their progress and development.

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the early years provision

Parents are given good information on a variety of issues, including how to raise concerns if they wish to. Staff have very positive relationships with parents and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 this enables them to work together to meet the needs of individuals. Information is shared when parents and children first visit and parents are kept them informed of their children's progress at the setting. Parents freely access their children's records and use forms which invite their involvement and inputs. This enables continuing parental contributions and children benefit from close working between the nursery and their home. The lending library at the setting encourages children to share their progress at home. Nursery staff welcome parents into the setting and are keen to consult them and their children on their views and ideas; staff plan to use questionnaires to provide feedback on the quality of the provision.

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the early years provision

Parents express great satisfaction with the service they receive and say they have very positive relationships with staff who, they feel, enable their children to make good progress and really enjoy coming here.

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and outcomes for children

Children happily engage in all aspects of play and learning in this welcoming environment. Key persons plan interesting and challenging learning experiences, allowing for children to follow their own interests. Staff frequently record what children achieve, noting their observational assessments against each area of learning and they use this to note children's next steps in their learning. Some next steps lack detail, but this is because staff have not consistently noted priorities for children's learning. However, staff are aware of children's strengths and needs and encourage them to access particular planned experiences so that they make progress. Staff sensitively and accurately identifies any additional needs so that all children benefit from effective support to enable their progress.

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and outcomes for children

Children play and learn in a well organised, bright and stimulating environment. Staff monitor their individual interests to determine which toys to set out and, as a result, children have access to an appealing range of resources and activities that successfully engage their interest. The majority of the sessions offer free play opportunities with free access to the outside play area adjoining the nursery for some of the time. Children learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and have supervised access to another outdoor play area for designated periods of the time. This allows them to enjoy the fresh air and also encourages physical exercise as they use a range of interesting and stimulating equipment. For example, they use a tunnel and bridge, and are learning to use the balance beam and challenging stepping stones.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy sitting together to eat their healthy packed lunches as staff store these safely and offer advice to parents on suitable content and storage. Children understand the reason for good hygiene routines, using small clean trays to place their food on and staff are familiar with children's dietary needs and allergies and can easily refer to the records. Children learn about fire safety from the regular evacuations practised. There are good measures in place to ensure children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn how to dress appropriately for the weather helping themselves to sunhats in the summer, or wearing their coats in colder weather. Children can also learn about their personal safety when This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 they experience planned visits from the fire service and police.

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and outcomes for children

Children happily participate in all activities. They are learning to share, take turns and enjoy secure and trusting relationships with the staff and some older children show their confidence and trust in adults who visit the nursery by talking freely to them. This shows they are self assured and independent. Close relationships with the key person results in children who feel valued, well-cared for and safe. Children's behaviour is good because they understand the rules and boundaries. For example, one child notices an inflatable toy and when he shows a member of staff she asks if he can put this away which he does immediately. This good behaviour is rewarded with thanks and praise as the staff represent good role models, encouraging children's sense of responsibility.

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and outcomes for children

Children happily engage in a range of activities while staff encourage them to talk about their experiences, showing they value every child's contribution. Children's developing communication skills are well supported by staff who ask questions and encouraging comments when they read stories. Early writing skills are encouraged as children enjoy a range of opportunities to write, draw and make marks inside and out. Children enjoy choosing their own activities from those available in the low storage units and sometimes ask for, or help themselves to a favourite toy to play with. They confidently select paint and brushes to do some painting. Children are able to explore simple technology using binoculars and taking photographs with the camera, developing their skills for the future. They extend their understanding of numbers and quantities when they answer questions during story time. For example, when the member of staff asks 'How many eggs are in the

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and outcomes for children

picture?', children are keen to call out the answer. 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 3 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: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Suitability and Safety of Premises and Equipment). 30/11/2011

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