Burton and South Derbyshire College Nursery

Burton and South Derbyshire College Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 218410 Inspection date 24/11/2011 Inspector Lynne Milligan

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Setting address Burton College, Lichfield Street, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 3RL Telephone number 01283 494476 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

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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

Burton upon Trent College Day Nursery opened in 1997. It operates from three rooms in a self-contained unit within the main college campus. The nursery is open each weekday from 8.30am until 5.30pm, during term time only. All children share access to a secure, enclosed outdoor play area. A summer school operates for four weeks in the summer holidays.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 44 children may attend the nursery at any one time and of these, no more than 14 may be under two years. There are currently 70 children on roll aged between three months and five years. Places are mainly provided for students of the college and when places are available, the staff and local community.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs 16 members of staff, four of whom, are employed on a casual basis. Four members of staff are qualified to level 6, with two having a BA Hons in Early Childhood studies. Two members of staff have gained early year's professional status, two have completed their Foundation degree and two more are working towards this qualification. The remainder of staff are all either qualified level 2 or level 3.

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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

Exceptional standards within the nursery, fully demonstrate the settings ability to thoroughly embed every aspect of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Innovative and exciting levels of practice, enable all children and their families to be extremely well supported. Children excel in their learning and become absorbed in the moment, captured by professional and highly qualified staff. A consistent and thorough approach to safeguarding fully supports their ability to value and protect the innocence of all children and as a result, children feel safe.

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further?

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

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further?

 consider refining further, children's next steps to clearly show in the planning for babies, the exact learning intention as delivered in the activity.

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the early years provision

A clear strength of the nursery is the outstanding capabilities of the manager who sincerely supports the team, driving them forward to success. They are professional and experts in their field, offering a person-centred approach which This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 fully supports inclusion. Safeguarding is an ongoing priority and impacts on everything in the nursery from recruitment procedures, through to the activities children take part in. A close, effective working relationship with professional bodies, such as, social services and the police, underpins child protection procedures, of which, all staff fully understand. This is further extended to such practices as children's registration forms, where information on other adults living in the home, is sourced. In addition, white cards that record existing injuries are used to build a picture of a child's injuries and are studied at child protection

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the early years provision

meetings. These, along with other records, are used to consistently inform the on- line risk assessments. Consistent updates reflect excellent working practice, as staff strive to provide an environment which fulfils children's needs but takes account of all safety issues. Barriers that include safety, are swiftly dealt with and therefore, allow activities, such as, outdoor play to become truly exceptional. Staff are carefully assessed on return to work after a spell of sickness and effective measures are put into place which support their ability to carry out the role, with specialist equipment provided should it be required. Robust recruitment procedures allow the nursery to employ competent individuals who are suitable to work with children, followed by a systematic approach of continually assessing staff in order to further demonstrate their ongoing suitability. This fully protects children and

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the early years provision

provides a superb level of care and learning.

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the early years provision

Self-assessment is second nature to the nursery as there is a consistent and deliberate drive for improvement. This means that the level of care and education delivered to the children is extraordinary. Every inch of the nursery is thoroughly evaluated using a range of techniques that include equality and diversity audits, peer observations, quality reviews and questionnaires, all scrutinising each aspect of its delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Excellent support from the college quality assurance team, the local authority and the wide range of professionals assist in forming new ways of working, all with the sole intention of providing the best care for the children.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents, dual carers who also deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage and related professionals, such as, health visitors, speech and language therapists, area Special Educational Needs Coordinator and community organisations are outstanding. Based on the views of their parents and the children, the nursery has excelled itself in forming and sustaining inspirational links with its users. Superior, inclusive practices enable staff to work through every issue, confront every barrier and find new ways of engaging with its community. A parent's forum, parenting classes, consultation evenings, home-link books, transition plans and much more, enable staff to specifically direct resources where they are needed and sustain a child's ability to settle,to transfer to a new setting and to become confident and self-assured as they begin to prepare for school.

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from exceptional levels of input from staff, that consistently reinforce the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Children eat extremely well, pouring their own drinks and serving their own food, indicating the advantages of coloured This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 foods, such as, tomatoes and carrots. Older children know these have vitamins that help them grow, clearly knowing the effects on their bodies as they walk about in skeleton outfits and confidently say 'I have the strongest bones because I eat lots of salad'. Children are completely independent and need very little prompting about what they need to do before snack time, or after using the bathroom. They visit the facilities on their own, happily finding what they need as the environment has been fully prepared for them. Babies and younger children are treated with similar regard, in that they too have the freedom to explore,

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and outcomes for children

become involved and supported in learning new skills that help them with future tasks, such as, hand washing. This level of care and concern clearly impacts on children's behaviour as they are perfect examples of self-assured, confident and well mannered children. Every child is fulfilled, happy and secure. This is demonstrated in their ability to move from room to room mixing with older children and as they move freely from inside to out. Visiting flag ship early years centres has helped staff to rethink the way in which they look at free flow play, how the environment engages children and how attitudes can sometimes inhibit change. Their ability to 'think outside the box' has resulted in some inspiring and innovative practice, which clearly sets them above others.

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and outcomes for children

Children's ability to settle and to transfer from room to room is extremely successful as staff are enormously proactive, working with others as they prepare for each child's transition. Regular visits to the nursery help children to form secure and meaningful relationships with their key person, as they become familiar with their surroundings and the routine. In addition, access to the summer school helps those children whose parents are due to start college in the autumn, as this further reinforces their continuity of care. Staff have also discovered that in turn, this helps parents in their studies as they feel confident in the knowledge that their child is happy.

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and outcomes for children

Information is collated as children settle and along with initial observations are all used to provide excellent learning opportunities for all the children. Respect is paid to those parents and children that may speak additional languages for example, with staff who are also well versed in similar languages, working with parents to ensure they are well-informed. Children's individual needs are clearly identified along with areas of interests which are captured in extremely accurate observations. Their prior learning is then used to form the focus of their planning, with next steps determined to ensure progression across key areas. This system is used throughout the nursery and is exceptional in almost every room. The level of skill in delivering the learning and development requirements, is so high that children are always engaged, always happy and always challenged. For example, whilst outside, children confidently build a row of logs. They begin to work out

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and outcomes for children

which one will fit into the gaps, assessing size and shape. Staff sit and observe, allowing children to lead their own play, only stepping in when necessary. Through prompts from staff, children explore texture as they are asked to identify the difference between those that have bark and those that don't. Children rub the bare wood, explaining how one feels soft and another rough. They confidently identify which end is the top and which is the bottom and how some logs are bigger than others. Children comment on the flat part of the log and the half moon side, pointing to each. They instruct each other, moving logs around to seek a better position. Staff ask them what would happen if one fell on their foot. Children This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 say 'it will bleed'. When discussion extends further, children know that if they are not careful it could break a bone and point to their foot, saying 'I would have to go

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and outcomes for children

to hospital and have an operation in there'. Their listening skills are consistently explored as children eagerly run to one end of the outdoor area excited as they can hear a fire engines sirens. Making a similar noise, children then talk about where it's going and why and what equipment they may use which included 'pipes'. Staff extend this through careful questioning which builds on their knowledge of water and its other uses. Whilst visiting community buildings they explore and appreciate culture, underpinning their value for others. Children visit mosques where they learn about cultural cues, such as, taking off their shoes and why girls wear head scarves or as they identify colour and form in stained glass windows at their local church. They spot a variety of landmarks on the way, such as, the electrical sub-station and conversation flows about job roles, equipment and how electricity powers lights and machinery. Every single opportunity is fully

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and outcomes for children

explored and consistently used to inform the planning which is consistently adapted in order to meet the needs of all the children throughout the nursery. 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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