Bright Horizons Slough Day Nursery and Preschool

Slough Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY283550 Inspection date 10/07/2012 Inspector Sue Bennett

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Setting address 490 Ipswich Road, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 4EP

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Telephone number 01753 554942 Email slough@asquithcourt.co.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. 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

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

Slough Day Nursery, registered in 2004, is one of 78 nurseries run by Asquith Court Nurseries Limited. The nursery operates from four rooms in a self contained building. It is situated on the Slough industrial estate close to Slough town centre and serves the local community and nearby areas. Children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 63 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 56 children aged from three months to under five years on roll. The nursery is funded to provide free early years education to children aged three and four years. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children learning English as an additional language. The nursery is open from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday all year round. It employs 20 staff. The manager and all staff hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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

Children are confident, secure and enjoy their time in the nursery. The strong emphasis on an inclusive environment enables children to make good progress in their learning and development, overall. Effective systems for observing, planning and assessing help to ensure that, in the main, staff provide well for individual children's needs. Children benefit from strong partnerships between staff, professionals, parents and carers. Robust safeguarding records, policies and procedures help to ensure children's safety at all times. Clear processes of self- evaluation are in place to monitor practice, leading to continuous improvement. The nursery has addressed all recommendations from the last inspection.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop room displays further to celebrate children's achievements and to remind them of their experiences  develop staff skills in framing open ended questions such as 'how can we...?' and 'what would happen if....?'  consider the organisation in the shared outdoor area in meeting the needs of children of different ages. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The nursery is highly successful in promoting children's welfare, well-being and safety. Regular training and updates at staff meetings ensure staff have a good awareness of child protection procedures. Policies, records and procedures are comprehensive and regularly reviewed. Risk assessments for off-site visits are thorough and learning environments meticulously checked each day. Staff supervise children well at all times. Registration systems and hourly headcounts ensure that children are safe as they move freely between the indoor and outdoor environments. Buzzer systems ensure external doors are secure. All staff undergo rigorous vetting procedures when they begin work and are appropriately qualified to care for children.

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the early years provision

The manager has a clear vision and is committed to improving outcomes for children. Staff work closely as a team and are involved in setting targets for improvement, through discussions at staff meetings. Senior managers from the company's head office also support the manager in her drive for improvement. Focused self-evaluation documents identify the nursery successes and areas for development. Since the last inspection, the nursery has enhanced its practice by improving standards of care, planning and monitoring of children's progress. Periodic questionnaires enable parents, children and staff to contribute their views on the nursery's provision.

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the early years provision

The nursery rooms are spacious, well organised and contain a good range of age appropriate resources. For example, babies enjoy resources in the separate synthetically grassed outdoor area and have good space for sensory exploration inside. Older children move freely between in and outdoor areas, enjoying a range of physical apparatus outside and free choice activities within their respective rooms. However, there are limited displays across the rooms, resulting in lost opportunities to celebrate children's achievements and remind them of their experiences. Staff have a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They strongly promote inclusion, valuing each child in line with their individual needs, backgrounds and beliefs. The nursery celebrates a range of festivals such as Diwali and Chinese New Year. A proportion of staff are bi-lingual and, while they encourage children to develop their understanding of English, they nurture cultural

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the early years provision

Links with the local educational authority and specialist professionals are strong, supporting individual children's development and disabilities effectively. 'Time around the Child' meetings, attended by staff, parents and specialists ensure that there is continuity of communication and appropriate planning for next steps in learning. Effective transition processes are in place, enabling smooth transition for older children between the nursery and school.

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the early years provision

Staff establish good relationships with parents and carers. The nursery has an open-door policy and parents freely approach staff about their child's individual needs. Parents have good access to their child's 'Incredible Learning Journey' and can contribute to them. The key person writes a report summary every three This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 months, updating parents on their child's progress. Parents are encouraged to be involved in planning future learning targets for their child. They speak highly positively about the care and support that their children receive at the nursery.

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and outcomes for children

Children of all ages relate very well to the staff. They are happy and quickly settle when they arrive. In the baby room, children enjoy exploring the coloured transparent fabrics and the changes in colour that these create. Older children confidently move around, knowing where to find toys and equipment that they wish to use. They eagerly play with their friends, pretending to be super heroes rescuing someone in need, or helping to build a road with constructional apparatus. Staff plan a stimulating range of activities, stemming from children's interests and their own observations, such as making binoculars from creative materials. However, during discussion and exploration activities, staff make less use of open-ended questioning to encourage children's critical thinking and prediction skills. Key persons compile effective 'Incredible Learning Journeys' for each child, consisting of photographic, observations and work examples, which

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and outcomes for children

record children's achievements well. Key persons support children's individual needs well, identifying targets for future learning appropriately, and sharing information with other room staff and parents. Overall, children greatly enjoy their experiences and make good progress in their learning.

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and outcomes for children

Well resourced environments both indoors and outside provide good learning opportunities for children, such as modelling in the sand and 'Going on a Bear Hunt' story time. Babies enjoy the sensory feeling of soil from the digging area. Children's physical opportunities are plentiful. They enjoy climbing on the scrambling net and playing with the bats and balls. However, on occasions, older children dominate younger children and prevent them from fully benefitting from their outdoor experiences. Children enjoy communicating their learning, for example when designing medals they explain that Olympic winners receive awards if they win a race. Opportunities for mark making are plentiful. Babies enjoy finger painting and messy play in shaving foam, whilst older children draw maps, recognise and write their own names. Children of all ages enjoy stories, looking at books and joining in with repetitive rhymes. Mathematically, children recognise

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and outcomes for children

two-dimensional shapes and number to 10, whilst the youngest children explore shape puzzles and build towers with bricks, developing their understanding of size. Children use cameras and computer software with a high degree of competence. Staff promote children's awareness of current events well, for example, making Olympic torches and flags, then watching the torch's journey past the setting. Cultural understanding is strongly promoted through everyday practice, such as labels in different languages and discussions about photographs of family groups.

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and outcomes for children

Daily routines are well established. Children understand the importance of washing hands before eating and putting on coats to keep warm. They attempt to fasten buttons and zips and are proud when they succeed. Children are developing a good understanding of safety and the consequences of their actions. For example, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 using scissors appropriately and the importance of sharing and being kind to each other. Staff encourage children to sort out their differences amicably. Children are familiar with evacuation procedures and know what to do in an emergency. At snack time, children understand the importance of eating fruit to keep healthy. They pour their own drinks and share fruit out amongst their friends. Lunchtime meals are nutritious and freshly cooked on the premises, with individual dietary needs well provided for. Children enjoy time outside and know that exercise helps

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and outcomes for children

them to grow strong. 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 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 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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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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