Brookdale Day Nursery Ltd

Brookdale Day Nursery Ltd Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY356272 Inspection date 12/12/2011 Inspector Geoff Dorrity

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Setting address Hala Road, Lancaster, LA1 4QJ

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Telephone number 0152 464740 Email brookdalenursery@btconnect.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. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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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

Brookdale Day Nursery Limited was registered in 1999. The group operates from nine rooms in a converted Victorian house situated in a residential area close to the centre of Lancaster. The nursery serves the local and a wider catchment area and is accessible to all children. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 39 children under eight years of age may attend the group at any one time, all of whom may be in the early years age group. There are currently 49 children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The nursery provides funded early education for children and supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and nine at level 3 or above. Two staff have relevant childcare or early years degrees. Two members of staff hold Early Years Professional Status and they also have Qualified Teacher Status.

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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

Outcomes for children in all areas are good. Children make progress because they are provided with good quality individualised care and learning in a positive environment. The setting regularly reviews their provision and practice and makes improvements based upon this and the views of parents and children. Strong professional relationships with parents and other provisions provide children with a consistency which assures their protection and supports and extends their learning. The nursery demonstrates a positive approach to continuous improvement, which is evident in the majority of developments achieved. A particular strength of the nursery is the development and use of the extensive outdoor area to support the children's learning.

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further?

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

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further?

 explore further opportunities to develop children's understanding and experience of diversity  improve the opportunities for children to develop their understanding and experience of environmental issues  further develop parents' understanding of appropriate food content in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 lunches.

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the early years provision

Safeguarding of children is effective. There are good security measures in place, with no adult able to access the building without identification by the staff. Policies are regularly reviewed and updated. All staff have undertaken training and there is a robust vetting procedure in place. There are clear management arrangements, with a designated welfare manager in post. This means that children are safe and feel secure at the nursery. Effective risk assessments for activities and outings are undertaken by staff to support them in ensuring the areas used by the children are safe. This means that children are able to move safely and freely, both indoors and out.

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the early years provision

The indoor and outdoor environment are well laid out and resourced to support independent learning. Staff are knowledgeable about the Early Years Foundation Stage, led by an effective education manager, and use this to support children in their learning. Staff have access to a budget to provide resources to meet the identified needs of individual children. The keyworker is deployed to meet the individual children's needs based on their qualification and skills. This means that children are able to thrive and are making good progress in their development. To further enrich the children's learning, visits are made to the nursery by, for example, the fire service and police. The nursery operates a recycling scheme, however ,this is not fully extended to promote children's understanding of the environment.

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the early years provision

The setting continuously strives for improvement. Policies, planning and procedures established by the staff team demonstrate this commitment. Parents comment on how the nursery is always getting better. The nursery is aware of its strengths and weaknesses through regular self-evaluation. All previous recommendations have been addressed promptly and effectively. For example, a small sink has been installed for ease of access by the children and an 'all about me' booklet has been developed to improve early assessment. Children and parents also have an input to this process, for instance, the organisation of resources has been revised to enable more workspace for children to undertake creative activities. Daily debriefs and evaluations of activities and practise amongst staff has been implemented to reinforce the sharing of good practise, identify next steps in children's development and reflect on areas to improve.

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the early years provision

The setting works well in partnership with parents and others. They operate an 'open-door policy' where families are welcomed into the setting and staff build good relationships. This enables good communication and sharing of views, meaning that parents' wishes and children's individual needs are effectively met. This means that parents can become involved in their child's learning and each child is well supported in making progress towards the early learning goals. Parents report enthusiastically about the caring environment, how staff know the individual children, and how children have developed a positive attitude to learning. The nursery welcomes parental involvement, for instance, in the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 development of the outdoor area, with the allotment achieving a highly commended award. The setting has established good links with other providers

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the early years provision

and professionals, such as the children's centre, and these contribute well to supporting children's welfare and learning.

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the early years provision

Effective policies are consistently implemented and follow the current guidelines for equality and diversity. Staff offer sensitive support to children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They readily adapt activities to ensure all children can access them. There is a special educational needs policy, and good links with the local authority inclusion team and advisory teacher are in place. This means all children can be supported in their learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Children feel safe and secure in the nursery because of the well-organised routines and caring attitude of staff. This is demonstrated by the confidence they show in interacting with each other and adults. Children and parents state they feel safe and have trust in the staff. Children move around and between the rooms freely and know how to access equipment safely. They contribute to a regular circle time session to discuss all aspects of personal safety. Children explore their own personal boundaries so they develop confidence by risk taking with effective adult support, for example, when using the climbing tree in the outdoor area.

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and outcomes for children

Effective steps are taken to promote children's good health and children are developing an understanding of healthy lifestyles. A wide range of fruit and vegetables are freely available for snacks and children brush their teeth after meals. Information about healthy eating and healthy lifestyles is included in the parents' information pack that is given out at the time of admission. However, meals provided by parents are not always healthy. Children can access water when thirsty, which is freely available. Children are given the opportunity to be involved in the allotment and orchard, growing fruit and vegetables. Children participate in a daily 'wake and shake' session. The outdoor environment has been well developed to provide for all areas of learning. This area is used as much as possible, with children making dens in straw bales and using the environment to develop their physical skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children are making good progress in relation to their starting points in all six areas of learning. This is because the staff are skilled at supporting children and following their interests. Children progress in their learning as staff use observation and assessment well to support good quality planning. A particular strength is the outdoor environment, enabling children to develop meaningful knowledge and understanding of the world. Assessments, observations and areas of concern are shared about children who also attend other provision, enabling continuity of learning and care. If a child is identified as not progressing then additional support is given. The setting works with the parent on this individual planning to enable the parent to support their child at home. Children feel valued and develop good attitudes to learning through the use of consistent praise. They develop independence skills, for example, in persevering in the use of cutlery, because of

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the good relationships with staff. They demonstrate cooperative learning skills in both adult-led and child-initiated activities, for instance, when listening to each other during story time. Children are well supported to develop skills for the future. The setting makes use of everyday experiences to promote learning and life skills, for example, when visiting the local shops they talk about money, paying and change. Children independently tidy up after themselves, and computers are freely available for them to use.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave really well in the setting because the staff give clear explanations and set appropriate boundaries. Children are developing respect for themselves and others. The nursery works with a gardening scheme for people with mental and physical disabilities to promote greater understanding of differences, and has regular involvement with charitable campaigns to promote the understanding of socio-economic differences. Although the setting makes good use of resources to reflect cultural diversity and celebrates a range of festivals from other cultures, they are exploring ways to further improve the children's understanding of cultural diversity. 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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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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