Halesfield Day Nursery Centre

Halesfield Day Nursery Centre Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 208203 Inspection date 02/03/2012 Inspector Rachel Wyatt

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Setting address Unit J, Halesfield 22, Telford, Shropshire, TF7 4QX

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Telephone number 01952 583848 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 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

Halesfield Day Nursery opened in 1989. The nursery operates from a single storey building in a commercial area in Telford. The nursery serves the local and surrounding areas. Children have access to enclosed outdoor play areas. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year, closing for a week at Christmas and for bank holidays

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 54 children aged under eight may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 77 children aged from birth to under five years on roll, some in part-time places. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Description of the setting

There are 19 members of staff working with the children, all of whom have early years qualifications to at least level 2 or 3. The manager has Early Years Professional Status. A member of staff is working towards a level 3 qualification. The nursery also employs two cooks, a volunteer and an early years apprentice. The nursery provides funded early education.

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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 thrive and make excellent progress at nursery. The dedicated, highly motivated managers and staff create a comfortable, caring and stimulating environment for children and families. They all feel welcomed and included, and every child's needs are fully understood and met. Robust systems and strong partnerships with parents, carers and others ensure children are fully safeguarded and kept safe and healthy. Managers and staff are enthusiastic and passionate about providing high quality nursery provision for children and families. They are committed and successful in making and sustaining improvements as a result of their rigorous monitoring and evaluation, prompt tackling of accurately assessed priorities for development and creative channelling of resources and funding.

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further?

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

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further?

 providing further opportunities for children's challenging physical activity and to learn about caring for their natural surroundings. 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 fully safeguarded. Trustees, managers and staff understand and effectively implement the nursery's rigorous safeguarding policies and procedures. This includes working very effectively with families and other agencies to protect the welfare and development of vulnerable children. The nursery's safeguarding role is made clear to parents as part of comprehensive information they are given about how the nursery operates. Robust recruitment, vetting and staff development procedures ensure all personnel are suitable and have the relevant skills and experience. Regular training and support for staff ensure they are all confident about protecting children from harm and know what to do if they have concerns about a child's welfare. Rigorous record keeping includes obtaining all required agreements and information about each child and his/her family before a child starts.

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the early years provision

Children and families consistently access high quality nursery provision as a result of the trustees', managers' and staff's dedication, vision and enthusiasm. Monitoring and evaluation are consistent, rigorous and often innovative, with a strong emphasis on assessing how well children's and families' needs are met. For example, a review and reorganisation of key person roles has enhanced consistency and continuity for each child, and boosted staff's confidence and accuracy in planning for and promoting children's next steps and interests. Different quality assurance assessments and ongoing reflection have resulted in the successful development of indoor and outdoor spaces and the team's determination to continue further. All areas of the nursery are vibrant and inviting. Creating more space, changing layouts to provide more designated learning areas, and improved low-level storage have extended babies' and children's choices,

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the early years provision

independence and purposeful learning. Ongoing improvements to outdoor areas have enriched all aspects of children's learning, enabled staff to really focus on children's active learning, individual learning styles and interests, and encouraged everyone to be outdoors more and in all types of weather.

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the early years provision

Babies and children are happy, have positive sense of belonging and are fully included. Their ideas, interests and characteristics are very much valued and are a vital part of the staff's successful planning and organisation of routines, activities and a great selection of resources. Highly effective relationships with parents and carers are an important factor in the nursery's success in providing a well- integrated service for them and their children. Parents actively contribute to the shaping and development of the nursery as a result of their feedback and their involvement as trustees. The information they provide when their child first starts really helps staff to get to know and settle children quickly. Thereafter, parents regularly contribute to their child's care, learning and development at nursery, for example, agreeing their child's next steps, following up activities at home and attending special stay and play sessions. Children who attend other settings and

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the early years provision

who move on to school also have consistency and continuity because of the nursery's well-established links with other providers. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are confident, purposeful and resourceful learners. Robust assessment and planning ensure that staff are fully aware of each child's starting points, interests and individual learning priorities. Adults skilfully plan and organise rewarding activities and experiences, including taking account of parents' views about their children's learning and development. The nursery's curriculum offers children plenty of choice, many opportunities to express their ideas and to follow up their interests, and clearly builds on and extends their skills and understanding. Provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is exemplary so that, for example, children with communication difficulties make significant gains in their speech, language and listening skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children make excellent progress and develop very good skills for the future. From an early age they are eager to join in and concentrate well. Babies and children confidently make choices about what to play with, readily helping themselves to toys, books and equipment. Children happily initiate ideas for play. For example, three children independently use a selection of tyres to help them test out their particular chosen skill, namely balancing, climbing and throwing a ball at a target. Children become increasingly independent in seeing to their personal care, feeding themselves and looking after their possessions. Children are very well behaved. Staff make sure babies and children know what is happening next and what is expected of them. They are eager to help, readily assisting with tidying away toys and clearing up after meals. In pre-school tidy up time is a fun, efficient event with children and staff working together to beat an increasingly tight target time. This

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and outcomes for children

consolidates children's increasing understanding of the meaning of and passage of time. Babies and children are sociable, play cooperatively and make friends. They show care and consideration for each other and develop a sound respect for the lives and customs of others, through using a wide range of meaningful resources and taking part in rewarding activities focussing on diversity.

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and outcomes for children

Children become very competent, articulate speakers, with excellent early support and strategies to help children with communication difficulties or delay. Children use descriptive language, express their ideas, negotiate and explain, for example, when working together at the computer or at different activities, such as elaborate block play or during comparing games. Children confidently recognise letters and sounds, enjoying activities linked to the letter of the week. They have excellent mark making and emergent writing skills. Older children label their work and everyone enjoys regular opportunities to experiment with chunky pencils, crayons and chalks, and to paint and form marks in sand and other materials.

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and outcomes for children

Children count, recognise and use numbers with increasing accuracy. Staff use fun number rhymes and colourful props to foster babies' awareness. Children confidently compare and order items according to number, shape, colour and size and often explain their reasoning. For example, a child orders pony figures by size, placing smaller figures behind larger ones as 'they are in a race and cannot keep up'. Children enthusiastically explore different materials. For instance, babies busily investigate different textures of various black and white items, and everyone This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 enjoys playing with sand, soil, leaves and water. Children find out how things fix together and work, for instance expertly building and experimenting with large scale materials and wooden blocks. Babies and children are creative. They love drawing and painting, and their art and craft work becomes increasingly colourful

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and outcomes for children

and detailed. Children's imagination and ideas are extended by opportunities to find out about and to creatively replicate the work of different artists.

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and outcomes for children

Children are nurtured and thrive. Their individual care, health, dietary and cultural needs are fully understood and successfully met. Children are looked after in clean, safe, comfortable and secure surroundings. Their routines are calmly followed and they have prompt appropriate treatment if they are unwell, need medication or have an accident. Babies and children feel emotionally secure because the caring staff are very receptive to their characteristics and feelings. Children consistently behave sensibly and responsibly. They talk about why they should walk not run inside, they use tools, such as scissors and knives correctly and competently handle different equipment and apparatus. Underpinning, everyone's safety and well-being are robust health and safety procedures, such as, thorough risk assessments, regular safety checks and meaningful opportunities practise evacuation drills.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop a very good understanding about how to lead a healthy lifestyle. They are increasingly independent in seeing to their personal care and explain to others why they must go to the toilet and wash their hands properly before lunch. They make healthy choices about what to eat and drink during nourishing meals and snacks. Children garden, grow and harvest their own food, but are not currently actively involved in recycling and conservation. Babies and children relish regular outdoor play. They go for walks and thoroughly enjoy being active and exploring the nursery's different outside areas. They take part in various sports- based and movement activities and very competently balance, move and climb, although the outdoor physical apparatus lacks challenge for more able children. However, plans for the further development of the outdoor provision includes offering children more adventurous physical and discovery play in a natural setting.

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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 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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