School House Nursery

The School House Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY265818 Inspection date 14/05/2012 Inspector Janet Singleton

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Setting address Meins Road, BLACKBURN, Lancashire, BB2 6QF

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Telephone number 01254 689808 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

The School House Nursery was registered to the current provider, a limited company, in 2003. It operates from both ground and first floor rooms, in a detached property in the Billinge area of Blackburn. There is level access to the building. There is an enclosed area available for outside play.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered to care for a maximum of 61 children at any one time. There are currently 76 children on roll in the early years age group. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm, for 51 weeks a year. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs 10 members of child care staff, of these; one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 2 and nine at level 3 or above. There are support staff employed also. The manager holds a level 6 qualification and there is a member of staff with Qualified Teacher Status. The nursery receives support from the local authority early years team and is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association.

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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

Enthusiastic practitioners promote children's learning with outstanding success as children move freely in a rich and stimulating environment. Individual planning supports children in their learning, given their age and starting points, meaning they make significant progress. Practitioners have outstanding relationships with parents and other agencies to support children's overall needs. The highly beneficial learning environment is fully inclusive, safe and secure with high quality resources for children to use. Exceptional organisation of the policies and procedures support the safe and efficient management of the setting. The system for evaluating the quality of the provision is outstanding with clear plans for the future development. All recommendations and actions set at the previous visit have been addressed to drive the setting forward.

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further?

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

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further?

 extending the use of the high quality observation and assessments completed on the children to ensure they are used consistently to identify their learning priorities. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The arrangements for safeguarding children are outstanding. Practitioners have an excellent understanding of protecting children, whom to contact and the action they need to take should they be concerned. They are clear and confident in their knowledge and responsibilities, with all supporting documents in place. The continued suitability of all staff is achieved through the robust recruitment, vetting and induction procedures which contribute significantly to keeping children safe. In addition, through daily supervision and regular appraisals, management monitor and support practitioners' ongoing suitability. Daily checks, risk assessment and continued observation ensure the premises are secure, safe and highly stimulating for children. Children are learning to keep themselves and others safe through play by discussing and practising the emergency procedures. The excellent organisation of the educational programme means that children's individual needs and

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the early years provision

The management team's commitment, ambition and enthusiasm in bringing about improvement to the outcomes for all children is demonstrated through their inspirational leadership. Regular team and room meetings are held and training is promoted for all staff to increase their knowledge and skills. Feedback from parents' is sought and all suggestions for improvement are discussed and acted upon, if appropriate. Practitioners have outstanding relationships with parents who speak very highly of the setting. Through effective sharing of information and working closely with the key worker, they work well together to meet children's individual needs and promote continuity of care. Information boards display a wealth of information about the setting, including all policies, procedures and photographs of the topics undertaken. Parents are included in their child's assessment and are heavily involved in the setting through sharing their own

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the early years provision

observations of their child's abilities and achievement on a regular basis. Their comments are very positive and highlight the progress their children are making, and the improvement in their child's language and in their self-help skills. Parents' feel included and comment on the welcoming feel of the nursery. Partnerships with others is equally outstanding. For example, there are beneficial links with health professionals, the speech and language services and the involvement of the area inclusion team to ensure children are fully supported and make outstanding progress in relation to their starting points.

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and outcomes for children

Practitioners have an excellent knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage which they use to plan an exciting educational programme for all children. The key worker observations and assessments promote children's learning as they use their highly effective skills to watch and interpret children's development and progress. This very comprehensive information is used to identify children's progress against the six areas of learning and to guide planning. As a result, challenges for children are realistic and highly appropriate. Documentation to support the delivery of the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Early Years Foundation Stage is robust and consistently reviewed. Children play and learn in the fully inclusive and highly stimulating environment and are happy and fully engaged in their play. This means children make significant gains in their learning and development considering their age, capabilities and starting points.

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and outcomes for children

However, on occasions practitioners do not clearly identify children's next steps for learning as they base this on the planned activity rather than the learning outcome for children.

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and outcomes for children

Children thrive in this highly stimulating nursery where they use inviting cosy areas and learn through everyday experiences. For example, small world, construction, imaginary play, art, craft and mark making all help to ensure that they achieve and enjoy their learning. There is a dedicated soft play area for all children to use and a sensory room where they can explore and experiment using all of their senses. Practitioners extend children's thinking through practical daily experiences, such as, mopping spillages and helping children to decide how the floor can be kept clean and safe for everyone. The practitioner uses early phonics to sound out the word for 'mop' and this helps children to build on their knowledge of letters and sounds, while helping to extend their vocabulary. Children are competent in their use of the computer as they engage in letters and number programmes, operating the mouse with a degree of skill. Practitioners support children with their problem

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and outcomes for children

solving skills as they sit together at the computer. They use their skills to work out which of the pictures was painted first as they focus on the sequence of the pictures. This process assists children in gaining skills for the future, for example, through building on their concentration, reasoning and understanding of information technology. Children's understanding of the world is enhanced through enjoying being part of a multi-racial setting, learning about different cultures and celebrating various festivals. For those children who have English as an additional language, support is sought from parents so that children are fully supported with their language skills. Behaviour is exemplary and children are extremely polite; with this commented on by their parents. Children are confident as they ask questions regarding the inspection, demonstrating their natural curiosity and confidence. They learn to play and work harmoniously together when building the

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and outcomes for children

train track, deciding how each piece fits together. Younger children play alongside each other during role-play and are very motivated, interested and happy in their play.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about their bodies and develop their understanding of healthy practices through highly positive daily routines. They enjoy high quality, home- made nutritious foods and access their drinks at all times. The pre-school children sit in their outdoor den, which has been made into a book area, to read and enjoy a quiet time whilst still benefiting from the fresh air. Each age group has their own area for outdoor play, ensuring all children are out in the fresh air on a daily basis. Older children ride wheeled toys, climb over balancing logs or throw hoops to develop their overall physical skills and coordination. Children learn about the natural world as they take part in the mini bug topic and are thrilled on finding a frog. As a result, they visit the local pet shop, before going back to the setting and releasing it back to its own environment. Children benefit from the wide range of additional activities provided, for example, a trip to the zoo or local farm and

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and outcomes for children

weekly swimming lessons. Overall, children play and learn in a stimulating environment with committed and caring staff that have a reflective approach to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 continually improving outcomes for children in order to narrow the achievement gap. 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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