Next Steps Community Nursery CIC

Next Steps Community Nursery CIC Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY430304 Inspection date 16/01/2012 Inspector Jean Thomas

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Setting address Waterloo Primary School, Crosby Road North, LIVERPOOL, L22 0LD Telephone number 0151 928 8808 Email nextsteps24@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.

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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

Next Steps Community Nursery opened in 1999 and was re-registered in 2011. It is run by a private provider, operating as Next Steps Community Interest Company. The provision is based in Waterloo County Primary School, in Crosby, Liverpool. Children use the pre-school unit and have access to a secure, enclosed outdoor play area. There are full disabled access and facilities. It is open Monday to Friday from 8am until 5.45pm, for 48 weeks of the year and serves a wide catchment area.

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Description of the setting

The provision is registered to provide care for a maximum of 40 children in the early years age range, of whom, none may be under two years at any one time. There are currently 91 children on roll in this age range. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register. It provides funded early education for three and four-year-olds. The provision also supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who have English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The manager leads a team of nine staff who work directly with the children. All of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. Three members of staff have completed their Foundation degree. Staff are supported by the Sefton early years and child care, quality and inclusion team.

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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

The nursery excels in meeting the needs of all of the children, they promote their welfare, learning and development needs to a very high standard. Children thrive in this fully inclusive, caring and stimulating nursery. The provider and staff team value the uniqueness of each child and plan effectively to help children reach their full potential. Exemplary systems are in place to work in partnership with parents and other professionals to promote continuity in children's welfare, learning and development. Rigorous self-evaluation systems reflect the commitment to sustain continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 increase opportunities for children to have access to the computer to further enhance the development of their communication technology skills. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Safeguarding arrangements are exceptionally strong and integral in all aspects of the management of the provision to protect children from harm. All staff have undertaken 'in house' safeguarding training presented by the social care team. This level of training ensures staff's knowledge of child protection issues is very secure and maintenance of the relevant records is to a high standard to support the effective implementation of the child protection procedures, should a concern arise. Rigorous staff and volunteer vetting procedures, together with induction and appraisal procedures, ensure suitable persons are working with the children. Robust risk assessments fully support children's safety both at the setting and when they go on outings. A Health and Safety agency is employed to help manage and monitor the safety of the provision. Other professionals are involved in risk assessments for individual children's needs to ensure all children benefit from the

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the early years provision

full range of resources and activities. Documentation that supports safety, such as, fire evacuation procedures, records of children's accidents and medication, are maintained and checked thoroughly for accuracy, to ensure that no child's needs are overlooked.

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the early years provision

The provider, who is the nursery manager, provides outstanding leadership. She is passionate about children's rights to equality of opportunity and is dedicated in helping each child reach their full potential. The staff team are extremely enthusiastic and equally committed to the vision of the nursery. They work as a cohesive team. Resources are accessed and skills, interests and expertise is exceptionally well used to support children's learning and development. For example, involvement in the 'Forest school' activities, staffed by an outside service, gives children the opportunity to learn about the natural environment, how to handle risks and to use their own initiative to solve problems. Strong partnerships are forged with many professional agencies, including, services who do not routinely work with younger children. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who are learning English as an additional language, are

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the early years provision

highly benefited. The written comments from other professional agencies demonstrate how highly they regard the manager and the provision.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from a vibrant nursery environment where space and resources are excellently planned to stimulate their curiosity and interest. The outdoor area provides a rich environment to support a wide range of play and generate learning. Children move freely between the indoor and outdoor environments throughout the day as their play ideas evolve.

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the early years provision

Self-evaluation is ongoing to sustain the high expectations for continuous improvement. The reflective process is thorough and involves all staff, children, parents and professional agencies. The manager and staff value opportunities to become involved in government initiatives and research to inform practice and improve outcomes for children. For example, the 'Every Child a Talker' initiative to effectively promote children's language development and participating in a university research project regarding children's physical development. The nursery has received the Quality award from the Local Authority for their exemplary This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 practice. The setting shares its practice with other settings.

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the early years provision

The excellent partnership with parents and others who support the children, is an outstanding strength. Parents speak very highly of the nursery, including statements about the positive impact it has had on their lives. Parents feel involved in their child's learning and development and value the relationships with their child's key worker. A wealth of information is available to parents about the organisation of the nursery and the Early Years Foundation Stage. Regular newsletters are issued to parents and these are written by a parent and translated into different languages to ensure all parents are kept informed. Excellent transitional arrangements are in place with schools and other providers to support children in feeling safe and informed of their next steps in life. This includes visits to specific school events made throughout the preceding year. The nursery staff work closely with others delivering the Early Years Foundation stage to support

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the early years provision

children's progression and provide continuity in their welfare.

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and outcomes for children

Children have outstanding opportunities to achieve positive outcomes and are highly motivated in play. All staff are fully engaged with the children, know them well and form genuinely strong relationships with them. This significantly contributes to the children's sense of belonging. Staff place high regard in nurturing children's confidence and encouraging them to become very independent thinkers as the foundation to developing their positive attitude towards learning. A 'can do' mentality is actively promoted which gives the children the confidence to try to achieve tasks themselves. This is evident in all aspects of the children's nursery life. For example, the children decide when they want a snack and chose which foods they want to eat and access the milk cartons from the fridge independently. Staff successfully balance child and adult-led activities to provide children with the appropriate challenge, which means children are fully occupied

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and outcomes for children

and enjoying their learning journey. Key persons plan for children's next steps in learning and development using the Early Years Foundation Stage practice guidance, to effectively support children's progress to the early learning goals. A tracking system is used to monitor children's progress. This shows children make significant progress in relation to their starting points and capabilities.

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and outcomes for children

Children show exceptional high levels of concentration as they pursue activities which sustain their interest. The children's creativity flourishes as they determine the direction of their play. They access resources from the continuous provision of play materials and equipment to support their ideas. For example, older children gather magnifying glasses and tape measures as they plan to find clues in their superhero pretend play. They demonstrate in their play their understanding of measure, position, numbers and use of calculation. Children explore sound as they create their own music using an extensive range of musical instruments. Children apply skills learnt from the school as they use a range of tools in their workshop. The quiet area is respected for its purpose by the children. In this area they complete games, jigsaws and enjoy books, either independently or staff reading to the children. The children learn about technology, for example, by using the

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 computer and the interactive white board to operate a range of programs. However, the computer is not available for use on a sessional basis for children to practice skills. Overall, children are exceptionally well supported to make progress in communication, literacy, numeracy and skills linked to information and communication technology, which has a positive impact on their future economic well-being.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health and well-being are promoted exceptionally well. Children learn about the importance of personal hygiene and independently follow hand washing procedures at the appropriate times without prompt from staff. Guidance is given to children about dental care. Children have the space to be exuberant in their movement and enjoy energetic play. The outside environment is accessible throughout the year and children learn how to dress suitably for the different types of weather. The snacks are thoughtfully planned to ensure children have access to a wide range of healthy options. Parents provide lunches for the children and these are stored appropriately to protect children from the risk of food contamination. Purposeful activities, such as, growing vegetables at a community allotment and staff's social interaction with the children at snack or lunch times, greatly impacts on developing their interest in healthy eating. Staff are exemplary role models for

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and outcomes for children

children's behaviour. The children are exceptionally well-behaved and thoughtful. They show consideration towards each other in play and obviously enjoy each other's company. 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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