Berrygrove Early Years Centre

Berrygrove Pre-School & Daycare Centre Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY440334 Inspection date 28/06/2012 Inspector Jane Mount

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Setting address Berrygrove Pre-School, Berrygrove School Annexe, Cow Lane, WATFORD, WD25 9PW Telephone number 01923676763 Email berrygrove@talktalkbusiness.net 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

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

Berrygrove Pre-School and Daycare Centre opened at its present site in 1998 and re-registered in January 2012. It operates from a single-storey building in the grounds of Berrygrove Primary and Nursery School in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is also on the same grounds as Berrygrove Children's Centre. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is open Monday to Friday during term time from 9am to 11.30am and 12.30pm to 3pm. A lunch club operates from 11.30am to 12.30pm. The day care centre is open all year round from 8am to 6pm. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. A maximum of 50 children may attend at any one time. There are currently 112 children attending who are within the early years age range. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and provides funded early years education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The setting employs 22 members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and 16 members of staff hold level 3. The setting receives qualified teacher support and is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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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

Highly effective partnerships between the nursery, parents, carers and other agencies significantly contribute to the staff's knowledge of individual children to ensure their needs are fully met. An inclusive and welcoming environment is provided with a committed staff team, who effectively implement the setting's policies and procedures to ensure children are safe and their welfare is protected. Staff support children well in their learning and development, and children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. The provision has a positive attitude to improvement and overall is aware of their key strengths and the areas they wish to develop further. Systems to monitor the quality of the service provided and to ensure continuous improvement, such as self-evaluation, have been introduced.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further a quality improvement process, such as self-evaluation, to more closely monitor and extend effective practice to ensure continuous improvement. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Arrangements for safeguarding children are secure and children's welfare is protected. Clear management responsibilities in relation to child protection have been established, including having named designated persons responsible for ensuring the correct safeguarding procedures are followed if there was a concern. Staff regularly update their child protection knowledge through training to ensure they have a secure knowledge and understanding of how to safeguard children. Recruitment and vetting procedures are robust, which ensures staff are suitable to work with children, and therefore children's welfare is protected. Children's safety is paramount, with risk assessments in place to ensure the environment is safe. Staff supervise children closely and the security of the premises ensures no unauthorised person can gain access and that children cannot leave unsupervised. Consequently, children remain safe at all times. All required documentation to

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the early years provision

ensure the safe and efficient management of the setting is in place and shared appropriately.

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the early years provision

Staff are led by a management team who have a clear vision for the setting and this results in staff who are clear about their roles and responsibilities and who work very well together as a team. Their enthusiasm for caring for children is evident and, as a result, outcomes for children are very positive. They work hard to provide a good quality service and are aware of their key strengths and the areas they wish to develop. Some systems are in place to monitor the quality of the provision. For example, they are proactive in seeking feedback from parents through the use of questionnaires. They also use weekly staff meetings to evaluate practice and are in the process of reviewing and updating the setting's policies and procedures. A self-evaluation system has been implemented but this is not fully developed to effectively and systematically identify the setting's strengths and areas for further improvement to ensure continuous improvement. Professional

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the early years provision

development is positively encouraged and staff attend a variety of courses and workshops to ensure they are well informed.

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the early years provision

Good use of space and resources and effective staff deployment ensure an environment that is safe and fully inclusive. As a result, children are happy and confident in their play and quickly develop a strong sense of belonging. Staff are friendly and approachable, and excellent partnerships with parents contribute significantly to children's well-being. Parents receive a wealth of good quality information about the setting and staff are forthcoming in exchanging information. An effective key person system ensures staff have a good knowledge of children's needs and backgrounds, and consequently children quickly settle in the environment as their individual needs are met. The setting actively promotes equality of opportunity and has highly effective systems in place for working with parents and outside agencies. This ensures each individual child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or children with English as an

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the early years provision

additional language, are closely monitored and given valuable support to enable them to participate and achieve. The nursery liaises with others and has established very close links with the children's centre, which is situated on the same site. Also, highly effective links have been forged with the school, supporting This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children's transition and ensuring continuity and the full integration of care and learning.

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and outcomes for children

Staff promote children's good health and well-being and take effective steps to prevent the spread of infection, such as thoroughly cleaning of the tables before and after snack time and lunch club. Children have regular opportunities to learn about personal care routines and how to stay healthy. Children from a young age learn to take responsibility for washing their hands, flushing toilets or wiping their noses and disposing of tissues appropriately. The setting follows a healthy eating programme and children are provided with a variety of healthy food choices at snack time. Children are learning about the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables and enjoy caring for the produce they are growing in the nursery allotment. Plenty of fresh air and exercise keep children fit and they develop self-confidence in their physical skills as they use a varied range of indoor and outdoor equipment on a daily basis to promote their physical development.

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and outcomes for children

Children demonstrate a strong sense of security and are confident and self-assured in the setting. Positive relationships between staff, children, parents and carers enable children to feel secure. The environment is safe and children are learning how to keep themselves and others safe. Staff explain to children simple safety procedures, such as discussing the correct way to hold and use scissors or the importance of holding on tightly when climbing. They sensitively remind children not to run when indoors and explain the reasons why. Children behave well, with behaviour managed in a positive manner with clear boundaries set by staff. Staff are good role models and show children how to behave appropriately. Children are learning how to play together and are encouraged to show care and concern and to behave considerately towards others. Praise and encouragement from staff ensure children develop high levels of self-esteem, and children show real

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and outcomes for children

enthusiasm for what they are doing. They are valued as individuals and in turn are learning to respect each other's differences and feelings and to manage their own behaviour.

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and outcomes for children

Children's learning and development are promoted and they are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Staff understand that every child is unique and are effective in ensuring that all children, regardless of their starting points, are fully integrated and supported. Staff monitor children's learning closely through regularly observing and assessing children to identify their achievements and progress over time. Development records show how they are progressing and this information is then used to inform future planning. Children enjoy their surroundings and show a keen interest in what they do with staff, who support them in their play. Staff work hard to provide a child-centred environment, where the daily routine has a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. The environment is organised to cover the six areas of learning and to promote children's independence skills. Children are encouraged to make their own

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and outcomes for children

decisions in their play. The indoor and outdoor environments are used to their full potential and a free-flow system enables children to make choices about where This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 they play.

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and outcomes for children

Staff work hard to provide a child-centred environment and children arrive happy and quickly settle and engage in activities. From an early age children develop a positive sense of themselves and others. They learn and quickly develop self-help skills, such as selecting which resources they want to play with or washing their hands before they have their snack. Children have regular opportunities to express themselves creatively and can access a varied range of art and writing materials. They enjoy investigating the changes to colours when painting or the sensory experience when playing with foam, and talk excitedly about the consistency of the foam between their fingers and on their hands. Children use their imaginations to express themselves and confidently share ideas and thoughts, such as when making a train track together or playing shops. Children respond with enjoyment when listening to stories and keenly join in when singing songs and rhymes.

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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 2 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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