Thrive Grosvenor House

Benison Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 304975 Inspection date 22/11/2011 Inspector Jane Shaw

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Setting address Benison Nursery Care, Rake Lane, Eccleston, Chester, Cheshire, CH4 9JN Telephone number 01244 676199 Email benison@hotmail.co.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

Benison Day Nursery is privately owned and was registered in 1986. It operates from three purpose-built houses in Eccleston, Chester, Cheshire. There is also access to enclosed outdoor play spaces. A maximum of 76 children aged from four months old to under eight years old may attend the setting at any one time. The setting is open five days a week from 7am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. The setting also offers an out of school and holiday club provision for children aged five years to 11 years old, which operates each weekday from 3pm to 6pm and during school holidays from 7am to 6pm.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 139 children on roll. Of these 135 are aged under eight years old and of these 116 are within the early years age group. Of these, 30 are in receipt of funding for early education. The setting supports children with special educational needs and disabilities. The setting is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

There are 31 members of staff, including the manager, 28 of whom work directly with the children, of these, 26 have appropriate qualifications. One member of staff has Early Years Professional Status and an early years degree, three staff have Qualified Teacher Status, five staff hold early years degrees, 16 staff hold level 3 qualifications in early years, and one holds a level 2 qualification in early years. Two staff members are currently undertaking level 3 qualifications in early years, two staff are underatking early years degrees and three staff are completing level 3 qualifications in early years leadership and management. The setting receives support from the local authority and is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association. The setting acheived Aiming Higher award in 2007, Highscope Implementation Certification in 2008, awarded a Platinum Level Healthy Eating Award 2007, 2008 and 2011, and achieved ICAN accreditation in

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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

Benison Day Nursery creates a fully inclusive and welcoming environment, where all children have equal access to all opportunities. Children are valued as unique individuals and an inclusive ethos threads through all aspects of the setting. As a result children make excellent progress towards the early learning goals. There are highly effective relationships between staff, parents and carers, and clear policies and procedures are implemented extremely well in order to safeguard and promote children's welfare. All records and documents are robustly maintained in order to promote the highly efficient management of the setting. Partnerships with other professionals are excellent and support children's care, learning and development extremely well. Highly effective self-evaluation and a culture of reflective practice results in the setting's very strong capacity for continuous improvement. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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further?

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

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further?

 enhance further the existing opportunities for children to find out about their environment, for example, further developing their knowledge and understanding of sustainability.

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the early years provision

Leadership and management are outstanding. The management team have high aspirations for quality through ongoing improvement and a strong commitment to equality and diversity. Rigorous recruitment and vetting procedures are in place to ensure the suitability of staff. The on-going suitability of staff is a regular feature of staff appraisals. Staff have a very clear knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures, regular training is provided, and as a result children's welfare is extremely well protected. There is a high ratio of qualified staff, with many staff holding higher level qualifications. The training and development of staff is a particular strength of the setting. Staff are extremely well deployed to ensure that children are well supervised at all times and are made to feel secure and welcome. All records, policies and procedures that support the nursery in promoting positive outcomes for children are robustly maintained and regularly

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the early years provision

reviewed. Thorough risk assessments and daily checks ensure children's safety at all times. Children are encouraged to develop and understand their own safety through discussion, and older children undertake their own risk assessments. Regular fire evacuations are carried out ensuring children's safety.

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the early years provision

The management team have high aspirations for excellent quality care and education through ongoing reflection and self-evaluation. All staff teams within the nursery and out of school club undertake their own self evaluation, which feeds into the main process. As a result actions taken by the setting are well targeted and have an outstanding impact in ensuring sustained improvement to the early years provision. Leaders and managers communicate ambition and drive and secure improvement highly effectively. Staff feel valued and extremely well supported. Regular staff meetings and appraisals take place, and staff are fully committed to ongoing training and development. The highly effective systems for reflection and self-evaluation, staff commitment to training and development result in a strong capacity to improve. Older children are also invited to complete questionnaires giving their views on the setting, activities, resources, and are

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the early years provision

Staff deployment is highly effective and resources and equipment are used imaginatively to meet the needs of the individual children. All children have equal access to the activities, opportunities and available resources, and therefore inclusion is extremely well promoted. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Resources are organised effectively in low level storage for easy access, and as a result children are beginning to become independent learners as they make choices. Both the indoor and outdoor environment fully supports children's learning and development and enjoyment. Transition arrangements for children moving through the nursery and beyond are excellently planned and carefully conducted to support both the children and their parents and carers.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are excellent and support children's placements extremely well. They have access to a wide range of information on the nursery and the learning and development requirements. Parents and carers spoken to speak extremely highly about what the nursery has to offer their children. They are invited to complete questionnaires on a regular basis, attend parent's evening, and contribute to their child's leaning and development by sharing their own observations. Parents and carers support the setting and their children, by generously sharing their personal skills and knowledge to enhance the existing excellent opportunities for children. The highly inclusive systems of communication ensure that there are consistent and productive partnerships with parents and carers, resulting in strong levels of engagement with the setting's work. Excellent links have been established with other early years professionals to

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the early years provision

support children's development. Links with other settings delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage, and transition arrangements for the move to school are in place and are highly effective in order to ensure a complementary curriculum and continuity of learning and care. Well-established communication between all professionals involved with individual children is in place and very successfully promotes their learning, development and welfare.

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and outcomes for children

Children are extremely happy and settled within the environment. A highly enthusiastic and committed staff team plan activities based on observations of children's interests and development, and as a result, children are actively engaged and make excellent progress towards the early learning goals. Staff provide children with a balanced programme throughout the day, with a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities, along with regular opportunities for outdoor play. Children in the out of school club contribute to the planning of their activities. Staff make observations of children's activities, progress and development, and keep detailed records sharing these with parents and carers, who are asked to contribute to these records by sharing their own observations.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing an appropriate sense of safety. Warm relationships between staff and children are formed and children's behaviour is exemplary. For example, they happily share toys, take turns with the play resources and join together in role play, for example, as toddlers enjoy playing with the toy animals and as pre-school children make models of houses. Children are independent as they make choices about their play, whether to play in or outdoors. Children are developing excellent communication skills as staff engage with them, extending This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 their thoughts and opinions. Babies and younger children have lots of eye contact with staff, who respond to their gurgles and early attempts to form words. All children thoroughly enjoy the stories read to them or told to them by members of staff. Children including babies help themselves to books and a variety of resources

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and outcomes for children

encourages their early mark-making skills, for example, babies make marks in water on a table, and toddlers and pre-school children draw pictures outside with chalk.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop an appropriate understanding of mathematical language as they count, complete jigsaws, match and sort shapes. They have access to a computer to develop their understanding of technology; and younger children learn that pushing buttons creates further actions. Resources and activities, such as posters, play figures, jigsaws and books promote children's awareness of the wider world. They celebrate a variety of festivals from around the world, such as Diwali and Chinese New Year, and are embarking on a Peace Mala project. The provider and staff place the promotion of equality of opportunity at the heart of all of its work and its aspirations are understood and acted upon consistently at all levels.

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and outcomes for children

Excellent use is made of the outdoor environment to promote a number of areas of learning. For example, children grow a variety of fruit and vegetables, nurturing these, picking them and using them in their snacks. They are involved in early science as they experiment, for example, older children look at sinking and floating, build igloos from snow and ice and use a metal detector to hunt for treasure. Vision panels have been added to the fences in the outdoor area, to enable all children to view the adjoining fields. Children are involved in developing an understanding of their environment and are involved in recycling. The further enhancement of their knowledge in this is an area for development.

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and outcomes for children

A variety of different textures, techniques and opportunities encourages children's creativity. For example, all children enjoy music, dance and drama sessions with an external visitor. Babies enjoy the feel of jelly during sensory play, and toddlers enjoy free painting, making choices about different resources and implements to use. Daily access to an excellent outdoor play space encourages children's physical health and overall learning and development. They develop an understanding of the benefits of physical exercise through additional activities to support their physical development. Babies develop movement as they move towards toys placed away from them and practise walking with staff support.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing a good understanding of healthy lifestyles as they are offered a very healthy diet, with meals cooked each day with fresh ingredients and access to drinking water at all times. The premises are clean and well maintained and support children's very good health. Children understand why they need to wash their hands before they eat their lunch and to use tissues when blowing their nose, creating a very healthy environment. A wide variety of activities and opportunities encourage children to develop appropriate skills for the future. 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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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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