Chestnuts Day Nursery

Chestnuts Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY420335 Inspection date 16/11/2011 Inspector Alec Smith

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Setting address Chestnuts Day Nursery, 39a Harboro Road, SALE, Cheshire, M33 5AN Telephone number 01619731403 Email christinecambridge@btinternet.com 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

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

Chestnuts Day Nursery opened in 1995 and was re-registered in 2010 as a partnership. It is one of three nurseries owned by the C. and C. Cambridge partnership. It operates from five rooms within a house in Sale, Cheshire. The provision serves the local area and has links with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. There is a fully enclosed play area available for outdoor play and exercise.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 40 children may attend the setting at any one time and there are currently 50 children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register.

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Description of the setting

The setting has procedures to support children with special educational needs or disabilities and who speak English as an additional language. The setting is accessible on the ground floor.

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Description of the setting

The nursery opens on five days a week, Monday to Friday for 50 weeks of the year from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Description of the setting

The setting employs 12 members of staff that work with children, 11 of whom have a level 3 qualification in childcare and one has level 2. The manager and deputy hold a level 4 qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children settle exceptionally well in the friendly and homely atmosphere of this nursery. Highly motivated staff use their first class knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage to rigorously assess children's progress and to plan a wealth of inspiring activities. All required documentation is organised to a very high standard, and all policies are highly effective in practice to support excellent outcomes for children. Parent's views and opinions are really valued and used highly effectively by staff to ensure children's needs are met. The setting takes the lead in establishing links with local schools, with scope to develop this further. Excellent self-evaluation and monitoring processes are in place so that improvement is focused on outcomes for children.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 extending the support for helping children to settle at times of transition; for example to school. 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 exceptionally well protected and safeguarded as staff have an excellent understanding of local safeguarding procedures and receive regular training. There are detailed and robust policies in place and these are shared with parents on admission as part of a welcome pack. Staff go through a stringent recruitment process and rigorous checks are made of all staff. The management team ensures that staff are up-to-date with child protection procedures as they monitor this closely.

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the early years provision

Staff have a highly skilled understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and use this exceedingly well to ensure all groups of children are supported. The environment of the setting gives every child access to a vast and innovative range of resources and activities. This means that children are highly motivated to make their own choices and so make excellent progress. For example, in the baby room all resources are placed where babies can reach them, in open storage and the environment is set up to feel like a home from home. Staff's professional development is given the utmost priority to have an outstanding impact on outcomes for children.

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the early years provision

All staff are fully involved in the self-evaluation process and are highly motivated to bring about sustained improvement to the provision. They have used the Ofsted self-evaluation form and other monitoring processes to set themselves highly ambitious targets. For example, they have developed the planning and observation systems they have in place to ensure that all children's needs are met and shared with parents.

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the early years provision

The setting forms excellent relationships with parents. For example, they regularly keep parents updated about activities in the setting and they are invited in to contribute to children's learning. There are first class systems in place to keep parents informed about children's progress, such as daily observation sheets that parents sign each day and can make their own comments on. This means that children's individual needs are given the utmost priority. Parent's views are sort through regular surveys and are asked to contribute to children's learning journeys. This means that their views are valued and acted upon rapidly. The setting has excellent links with other professionals to ensure that the needs of children are met. They are enthusiastic in making close links with schools to aid transition, though there is scope to develop this further.

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the early years provision

The setting provides outstanding support for children who have special education needs and/or disabilities. For example, they work closely with parents and other professionals, such as hearing support teachers, to develop Individual Education Plans. This means that all groups of children make excellent progress. Staff work continuously towards making sure that they are inclusive. Provision for those who have English as an additional language is excellent and staff work closely with parents to meet these children's needs. For example, staff learn key words and use technology based books to read back words in children's home language. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are extremely confident and self-assured in the setting and feel safe and secure. This is because staff place the utmost priority on ensuring the setting is safe and provides a warm homely environment for all children. Children have an excellent understanding of safety rules, as they have been fully involved in deciding the rules of the setting. For example children remind each other how to play in the sand so no one gets sand in their eyes. Children learn how to be safe outside the setting as staff regularly invite visitors from the community, such as the lollypop ladies who use the outdoor space to show children how to cross the road safely.

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and outcomes for children

Children have excellent opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles. Mobile children take part in regular exercise sessions each day and talk about how exercise makes them feel. This means that children have a superb understanding of the benefits of being active. They grow their own herbs and vegetables, such as carrots, beans and parsley, and where possible these are used in the meal at lunchtime. This gives them fantastic opportunities to learn where food comes from and to make healthy food choices. Children of all ages have access to a wide variety of activities outside and activities are planned for each child so that they make outstanding progress in their physical development. All children adopt good hygiene practices and know to wash their hands before meals and to carefully throw tissues in the bin once they have wiped their own noses.

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and outcomes for children

Children make rapid progress towards the Early Learning Goals because staff complete exceptional observations and are linked in to very well organised planning. This information is used to track children's progress to ensure that progress is maximised and every child's needs are met. For example, each child has next steps each week and activities planned for every child and their interests. Children make excellent progress in phonics and join in with a wide variety of activities to develop their understanding. For example, children make 'silly soup' using objects and pictures that rhyme. Children develop their mark making skills both inside and outside, using large brushes and water to write their names and draw pictures outside. Children's mathematical skills are developed using songs and active games. They see how many paper balls they can throw in to a target and work out how many they need to throw to get more in the next time. All

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and outcomes for children

children, including young babies develop excellent skills for the future using technological toys. Babies use simple one button toys to explore cause and effect, while older children use the keyboard to direct a character on screen.

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and outcomes for children

Children take an active role in choosing and setting up activities. When playing in gloop, children choose the colours to use, pour the water themselves and mix it together ready for the activity. This means they are free to explore their own ideas and to develop a number of concepts for themselves. Children learn about their own and different cultures through a vast range of activities and resources. For This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Eid, with support from a parent, children learnt about the foods and clothes they ate and wore for the celebration and what it meant to them at home. 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 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 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 1

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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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