Parkhead Cottage Nursery

Parkhead Cottage Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY425214 Inspection date 07/11/2011 Inspector Angela Howard

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Setting address Parkhead Cottage Nursery, 342 Ecclesall Road South, SHEFFIELD, S11 9PU Telephone number 01142361133 Email ejburdall@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

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

Parkhead Cottage Nursery opened in 2000 and re-registered under new ownership in 2011. It operates from a two-storey extended cottage in the Parkhead area of Sheffield. It is divided into two independently accessible units. The nursery serves the local community and children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Description of the setting

Children are cared for in four rooms, in which they are grouped according to age and ability. Younger children are cared for on the ground floor. Children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area which has a safety surface. The setting is registered for a maximum of 34 children within the early years age range at any one time. There are currently 78 children on roll, of whom 21 three and four-year-olds receive funding for nursery education. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The setting operates each weekday throughout the year from 7.45am to 6.30pm.

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Description of the setting

There are 12 staff who work directly with the children, working full-time and part- time. All the staff hold an appropriate qualification in childcare, with one staff being qualified to degree level and one member of staff working towards degree level. The nursery receives support from the local authority and has completed the local quality assurance scheme 'Pathway to Quality'.

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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

The nursery provides a welcoming environment where children are happy and make good progress in their learning and development. Persistent and exceptional efforts are made to encourage and include parents to be involved in the learning and development of their children. The nursery has an outstanding capacity to improve because the manager and her experienced team evaluate the provision well and implement changes to improve it further.

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further?

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

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further?

 enhance the process of tracking children to ensure that the systems effectively monitor their progress and address the next steps in their personal learning and development.

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the early years provision

Safeguarding is outstanding because staff have an excellent understanding of safeguarding and child protection issues. Consistent procedures are applied, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 meeting Local Safeguarding Children Board requirements, and all staff know what to record and who to report to should they have any child protection concerns. This is because all staff undertake safeguarding training which ensures they are very confident in implementing the nursery's own procedures in order to protect children in their care. Exceptionally clear and concise records of suitability and vetting procedures are maintained. All visitors to the nursery are asked for appropriate identification and their presence is recorded. Safety is given high priority and staff undertake rigorous risk assessments and daily checks to ensure potential hazards in all areas and activities are reduced. The nursery has a very

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the early years provision

secure entry system, which means only those authorised to collect children can gain entry to the premises. All policies and procedures are reviewed annually and the manager invites parents to contribute to this process because she values their views. A welcoming environment is provided in each room where toys are effectively arranged to support self-selection so that children take the lead role for the majority of their learning. The staff have a good commitment to equality and diversity and promote this well, successfully ensuring that all children are fully integrated. For children who have special educational needs, robust procedures are in place, which ensures their inclusion and full participation. Staff liaise very closely with parents to support additional learning needs, which helps them to focus very effectively on the inclusion of all children. There is a suitable range of good quality resources and planned activities that help children understand and appreciate

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the early years provision

The nursery promotes excellent relationships with parents which helps to ensure children are cared for according to their individual needs. Parents are provided with exceptional information about the nursery. The nursery has developed the role of parent liaison officer which has led to excellent initiatives in place, such as, father's breakfast days, cooking classes for dads, the use of parents as volunteers and an information cafe in which staff show videos of children playing to inform parents how to extend learning through play at home. Parent's comments include' my child is very happy and loves going to nursery', 'he is developing and learning all the time and we feel that nursery is playing a positive and significant role in his progress' and 'staff know the children very well and there is evidence of the interest of other children in the displays and planned activities'. The setting is highly committed to working in partnership with others and has established highly

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the early years provision

effective working relationships with an extensive range of other professionals. The nursery supports the children very well as they move onto their primary schools because the staff attend the transition meetings to provide reassurance and in some cases have continued to support the school and child after initial visits. The setting is exceptionally well managed. There are excellent self-evaluation systems in place, which ensure that improvements have a very positive impact on the experiences of the children. Staff are very confident about what the setting needs to do to improve and are very receptive to the inspection process. Staff work very hard to ensure the setting is effective and see change as a challenge and welcome new ideas. Moral is very high and belief in the setting's success runs through all levels of staff. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Staff support children's learning effectively as they have a clear understanding of what children need to learn next based on regular observations. They start from a sound base line assessment when planning activities. However, the tracking of children's progress is not yet thoroughly embedded to monitor their individual learning journey against the six areas of learning. Babies thoroughly enjoy using the wide range of different materials, including paint and exploring the texture of cereals. Displays show babies have access daily to a good range of craft experiences. This enables them to make their own discoveries, developing their imagination and ideas independently in well-supported, child-initiated play. Babies settle quickly and engage well with the range of activities offered. A good range of heuristic play resources and varied treasure baskets stimulate sensory and tactile experiences. Staff make good eye contact with babies as they speak, reinforcing

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and outcomes for children

messages and helping children to listen well. Toddlers are beginning to use their imagination well as they put babies to bed, make cups of tea and join in story time with their own ideas of what happens next. They are happy, settled and secure because staff provide close care, are attentive and respond swiftly to their needs. Staff sit close to toddlers on the floor as they encourage them to join in group times. Older children begin to learn their sounds and recognise their names as they make marks to represent names on pictures. Innovative use of salt to encourage mark making enables children to make patterns. Children enhance this activity themselves by independently selecting number cards and begin to copy the written symbols in the salt. Staff interact well with the children, extending their vocabulary and encouraging them to investigate and explore. They ask them questions, for example, about the collage pictures they are making, and value their

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and outcomes for children

achievements by displaying their paintings and collages on the walls. Construction toys and interactive technology, such as electronic toys, gives a wide range of experiences and a strong introduction to skills for the future. Children are independent as they put on aprons, coats and shoes very skilfully. They are very keen to share ideas and be involved in routines of the nursery, such as tidy-up time.

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and outcomes for children

Children's behaviour is good. They help take care of the environment by being involved in recycling and are sensitive to each others needs. They receive frequent praise and encouragement from staff for effort, achievement and kindness, which helps boost their self-esteem. Children learn how to be safe as they practise fire drills, negotiate space and know to put on coats to keep warm when it is cold outside. They learn good hygiene routines and how to handle cutlery with care. Children's independence skills are nurtured as they serve their own meals, make their own play choices and learn to return toys to the correct place on the shelves when they have finished playing. Staff follow agreed care routines that children know and understand. They are offered a very healthy range of fresh, wholesome food daily and the effective use of the outdoor play area ensures the successful promotion of children's health and well-being.

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and outcomes for children

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 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 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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