Queens Gardens Childcare Centre

Queens Gardens Childcare Centre Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY266947 Inspection date 26/03/2012 Inspector Rosemary Beyer

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Setting address Queens Gardens Site, Wilberforce Drive, Hull, North Humberside, HU1 3DG Telephone number 01482 329943 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

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

Queens Gardens Childcare Centre is managed by Hull College and is attached to the main college building in the centre of Hull. The nursery has been registered in its current purpose-built building since 2004. Children are cared for in four main rooms and share access to an enclosed outdoor play area. It accommodates children of students, the general public and staff from the college.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 62 children may be cared for at any one time. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 72 children on roll from six months to under five years. The nursery is in receipt of funding for nursery education. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and also children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 5.45pm, all year round. There are 12 members of staff, including the manager, employed to work directly with the children. All hold relevant childcare qualifications. A cleaner is also employed. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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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

Staff use their very good knowledge of the children to help them settle in the nursery and to meet their individual needs. The children are making excellent progress in all areas given their ages, starting points and abilities. All children are welcome and the nursery has an ethos of inclusion. Partnerships with parents, other agencies and carers are extremely good, although some schools are still not involving the nursery in children's transition process. The self-evaluation procedure involves parents, children and staff giving everybody the opportunity to make their views known and have input into plans for future development.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the relationships with other carers to ensure smooth transition to school for children  extend opportunities for children to be outdoors to have a positive impact on their sense of well-being and help with all aspects of their development.

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the early years provision

Staff have a very good understanding of their role in safeguarding children, which also extends to any students on placement in the nursery. Parents are also made aware of staff responsibility to report any concerns. Children are protected through This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the robust recruitment system which ensures only suitable people are employed. The security of the building and the admission and collection procedures also ensure children's safety. Risk assessments are completed for the premises and regularly reviewed.

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the early years provision

The nursery is extremely well resourced, with children able to access toys and materials easily and safely. The outside area is shared by all the children so resources outside are adapted to meet the needs of the group currently playing there. Careful planning means there is a well-balanced mix of child-initiated and adult-led activities that are based on children's interests. These activities cover all the six areas of learning and are displayed for staff and parents to see. Activities are carefully evaluated to assess their suitability and to ensure the children have enjoyed them and made progress as a result. Key workers take responsibility for recording children's development, although all staff make and record observations of achievements.

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the early years provision

Clear policies and procedures are in place to ensure the safe and efficient management of the nursery. These are regularly reviewed and all staff acknowledge reading and accepting them. They are also made available for parents who are encouraged to read the file displayed in the foyer of the building. Arrangements are made for those parents who speak English as an additional language to have access through translation or explanation.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents are excellent. They are included at all stages in their children's welfare and learning. Parents spoken to during the inspection express great satisfaction with the care and education their children receive. They find the play sessions with their children very enjoyable and now understand how the activities, such as the talking and listening programme, support children's communication skills. They also use letters and sounds at home to reinforce the children's understanding. Children take home the soft toys, Coconut and Sparkle, and complete a diary of the outing, including notes of the activities they have enjoyed and photographs of the visit.

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the early years provision

Relationships with other carers are also extremely good, with regular exchanges of information ensuring children's welfare and learning are effective, consistent and any concerns highlighted. Outside agencies are also greatly valued for the support they provide and the nursery works closely with them to enable children to make excellent progress whatever their ability. The nursery has also built very good relationships with some schools, which ensures a smooth transition to school for the children. Development files and information about the children are welcomed and enable the schools to identify any strengths or concerns. Not all schools, however, have such close contact.

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the early years provision

The self-evaluation process is an integral part of the nursery's assessment of its practice. Staff, parents and children are able to make their views known, which ensures the nursery meets the needs of all its users. The process highlights the nursery's strengths and also aspects for improvement. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The children are making excellent progress given their starting points, abilities and ages. They enjoy a very wide range of stimulating and exciting activities which are tailored to meet their individual needs. Through meticulous planning, observation and monitoring, staff ensure all children are given ample opportunity to learn and develop. They are able to follow their interests and enjoy learning new things. Children's development is very effectively recorded in their learning journals, both through observations in the nursery and those made by parents at home. The books show how the children have achieved excellent progress.

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and outcomes for children

The introduction of a talking and listening scheme and its very effective assessment shows the children have made particularly good progress in their communication skills. Both the toddlers and preschool children are becoming very confident speakers. They understand the importance of listening to others and waiting until they have finished speaking before responding. The children are keen to speak to visitors and happily discuss their activities, likes and dislikes. They are particularly enthusiastic about the tadpoles which are going to develop into frogs; some have small legs already.

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and outcomes for children

During the inspection, all the children were safe and confident in the care of the staff, even the babies show little concern at the arrival of a stranger. They are happy to build towers with bricks and tubs, laughing when they fall over. The room is decorated with samples of work including spring flowers, hand prints and individual pictures drawn by the children.

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and outcomes for children

The toddlers are also happy to see new faces and make visitors very welcome. Their room is decorated with posters, displayed at the children's level, to support their learning. All planning is displayed for staff and parents to see. Activities are planned to support children's development and they are becoming good communicators, able to make their needs known and starting to develop a wide vocabulary given their ages. They show ready concern for each other, for example by giving back a toy from home when it is missing and could cause upset, and are very pleased to see each other.

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and outcomes for children

Activities within the preschool room are many and varied to meet the needs of the children. The outside area is adapted to meet the needs of the age group using it as not all children can be outside at the same time. All the children are able to access climbing equipment and move around confidently. They can also use the border and pots to promote their understanding of the natural world. Visits to the local park and gardens provide opportunities to observe plants growing and to search for insects. The children learn to keep themselves safe by using good road safety practice when out in the local community.

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and outcomes for children

All children are welcome in the nursery. The inclusive attitude of everyone within the nursery ensures there is an extremely positive environment where all children and parents are treated with respect and their differences valued. Staff seek advice from parents about festivals and learn simple words to help communicate with This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children who speak English as an additional language, although most parents wish them to speak English. Children are able to celebrate different festivals from around the world through crafts and food, while books, dressing-up clothes and musical instruments are readily available to develop this knowledge. The brightly coloured dragon and craft activities show how children celebrated Chinese New Year and Easter celebrations include painting eggs and making cards.

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and outcomes for children

The children are developing an excellent awareness of technology through the use of mobile phones for role play activities in the toddler and pre-school rooms and the use of computers. They are proud of their computer pictures displayed on the walls and show good mouse control. They also enjoy taking photographs of each other playing and use the camera when taking home Coconut and Sparkle to illustrate their visits. 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 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 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 1 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 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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