Riverside Ready For School Centre.

Riverside Children's Centre Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 310201 Inspection date 02/03/2012 Inspector Nicola Jones

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Setting address Riverside Centre, Minton Lane, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE29 6DQ Telephone number 0191 6438868 Email nichole.garner@northtyneside.gov.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

Riverside Children's Centre was registered in 1999 and is situated in North Tyneside. It provides a range of childcare services, including wraparound care on behalf of the local authority. The setting is open from 7.30am until 6pm Monday to Friday, all year round. A maximum of 100 children may attend at any one time.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 165 children on roll. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. It has close links with the primary school located on the same site. The setting works to the principles of the 'North Tyneside Approach' which is a holistic approach to the health, care and education of young children.

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Description of the setting

The staff team consists of the manager, two assistant managers, 24 nursery officers and one nursery assistant. The setting also employs a cook and two kitchen assistants. The majority of the staff team have a minimum level 3 qualification. Other staff have early years degrees, including one member of staff with Early Years Professional Status.

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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

Children are looked after by a dedicated, professional staff team who meet their individual care, welfare and learning needs exceptionally well. Managers and staff are highly effective in ensuring that all children are well integrated and are highly successful in taking steps to close identified gaps in children's achievements. As a result, children make excellent progress given their age, ability and starting points. Partnerships with parents are excellent and staff are aware of how to work effectively in partnership with other providers and professionals. Leadership and management is outstanding; there is a strong drive towards further improvement and the process of evaluating the quality of the provision has a highly positive impact on the outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 developing further observation and assessment procedures by ensuring parents contribute towards children's learning journals. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are safeguarded because comprehensive policies and procedures are implemented consistently and robustly to ensure all concerns are prioritised and dealt with effectively. Extensive recruitment and vetting procedures are in place and all staff have Criminal Records Bureau checks in place before they start. Children's welfare is exceptionally well promoted because there is a comprehensive awareness of safeguarding issues among the adults in the nursery at all levels, and they receive regular training on safeguarding. Staff make effective use of up-to- date risk assessments to support them in ensuring the areas used by children are safe, and as a result children display an excellent awareness of safety. For example, they are closely supervised as they climb onto low-level walls and jump off safely.

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the early years provision

The environment is bright, welcoming and extremely well set up to meet the needs of the ages of children attending. Outcomes for children are clearly attributed to the excellent use of resources, including highly effective deployment of staff. The nursery takes a variety of well-considered steps to ensure resources and the environment are fully sustainable. For example, children take part in a range of local and national initiatives and practices, such as recycling and limiting energy use, which are embedded in their day-to-day practice. The managers and the team of well-qualified, experienced and highly motivated staff demonstrate an enthusiasm for their, work with a clear commitment to promoting outcomes for children. As a result, morale is very high and belief in the nursery's success runs through all levels of staff, including students. Managers have high expectations and a clear idea of the strengths and areas for improvement within the nursery.

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the early years provision

They involve all staff in the self-evaluation process and have identified development of the outdoor areas as a target for future development. Staff regularly gain parents' feedback from the written comments in the suggestion box and comment tree, which helps to target improvement and address any concerns identified.

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the early years provision

Parents are exceptionally well informed of their children's progress and activities through daily discussions with key workers, parents evening and individual learning journals. Parents are delighted with the nursery and use words such as 'exceptional' and 'very supportive' as they describe their individual experiences. Information about their child's learning and development at home is shared verbally with staff. However this is not always reflected in children's learning journals. As a result, it is not always clear how parents are involved as part of the observation and assessment processes. The nursery is highly committed to working in partnership with others and takes a lead role in establishing effective working relationships. There are well-established channels of communication with special educational needs support services, the adjoining children's centre and other services in the local community, which successfully promote children's

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the early years provision

learning, development and welfare. Every child receives high levels of support at an early stage; this is because all staff and managers have an exceptional knowledge of each child's background and needs. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Staff have an excellent understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and use this well to support children in their learning. As a result, children clearly benefit and thrive. They make excellent progress in their learning and development, in relation to their starting points. This is because the knowledgeable staff team have developed extremely effective processes for planning that provide children with a rich range of learning opportunities based on their individual interests and next steps in learning. Excellent use is made of 'floor books' where children are able to communicate their thoughts relating to activities and experiences they have had. This information is used to identify possible lines of development, which are threaded effectively into planning systems. This process gives children a sense of ownership and allows them to develop positive attitudes towards their learning. Children have individual learning journals which contain observations, photographs

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and outcomes for children

and samples of their work. They are matched to the Early Years Foundation Stage and identify next steps in learning and development. This practice extends into the out of school club provision.

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and outcomes for children

Children at the nursery develop into very confident individuals. They are extremely happy, self-assured and eager to learn in an environment which is highly stimulating and welcoming. Staff encourage children to develop their independence, therefore they carry out a wide range of tasks for themselves. For example, they place aprons onto coat hangers before hanging them up to dry. Managers and staff place a high priority on children's communication skills, and as a result children's early language development is excellent. Very young children babble and use single words, which are praised by staff, meaning children gain confidence in extending their vocabulary. Older children talk confidently as they play in the role play restaurant and describe that their meal will be ready 'by quarter past five'. They listen attentively to stories read aloud by adults in a large group and enjoy snuggling up on the sofa to share books on a one-to-one basis.

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and outcomes for children

Excellent use is made of screening materials on entry to nursery; this enables staff to identify delays in language at an early stage and seek intervention where necessary. Children develop numeracy skills as they count vegetables. For example, they are able to count up to ten as they place potatoes into a basket. Staff extend their calculation skills by asking how many there will be if they add one more. Children have a wealth of opportunities to be creative and explore a range of natural materials and resources, including water, drainpipes, paint, junk modelling, milk and bread crates and wooden blocks. They love to be outside and eagerly wash the windows, successfully mastering how to operate nozzles on spray bottles.

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and outcomes for children

Children show an excellent understanding of the expected standards of behaviour and apply them in order to keep themselves and others safe. For example, pre- school children show awareness of the rules on display in their room as they prepare to enter the dining room for lunch. Babies and very young children show an extremely strong sense of security and belonging as they lie on blankets with their key workers and receive encouragement to develop their physical skills. All children show an exceptional understanding of the importance of following good This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 personal hygiene routines. For example, they wash their hands independently before eating. Innovative opportunities are provided for children to engage in a wide range of activities to gain a secure understanding of healthy eating. They take part in initiatives to help them understand why we grow vegetables,

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and outcomes for children

encourage healthy living and promote eating five a day. Relationships with the cook are excellent, and both children and parents benefit from the variety of ways in which healthy eating is promoted. 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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