Hoole Bank Day Nursery

Hoole Bank Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 305111 Inspection date 10/07/2012 Inspector Lesley Bott

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Setting address Hillcroft, Hoole Bank, Hoole Village, CHESTER, Cheshire, CH2 4ES Telephone number 01244 324422 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

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

Hoole Bank Day Nursery was registered in 1997. It is situated in Hoole village on the outskirts of Chester. The nursery serves the local area. The nursery is accessible to all children and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Description of the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 42 children may attend the nursery at any one time, all of whom may be within the early years age range. There are currently 63 children attending who are within this age range. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds. It supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, most hold appropriate early years qualification. There are two members of staff with Early Years Professional Status and two with Qualified Teacher Status. 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

The setting provides a warm, welcoming and inclusive environment where children are respected and valued. Children settle well and make good progress in welfare, learning and development where most of their needs are met effectively. Positive partnerships are in place with parents and others to ensure continuity of care. Systems to evaluate and improve practice are thorough and result in a continually improving setting.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop planning further to identify individual learning priorities, with particular regard to challenging more able children  maintain a learning journey for all children to ensure progression towards the early learning goals.

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the early years provision

Children's safety and welfare is well-maintained in the setting. Robust vetting and recruitment procedures ensure that all staff are suitable and hold appropriate qualifications. Children are well protected as there are clear safeguarding This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 procedures and staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities in protecting children. Parents are kept well-informed about all aspects of safeguarding through displays and written policies and procedures. Effective arrangements are in place to monitor and supervise visitors to the setting. All staff have suitable checks completed which include a Criminal Records Bureau check and evidence of this is held in files which are readily available for inspection. A detailed written risk assessment is in place which covers all areas accessible to children as well as outings. This is further supported by visual daily checks on the

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the early years provision

indoor and outdoor area prior to children arriving to ensure that all potential hazards to children are minimised and addressed.

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the early years provision

Staff ensure that effective use is made of the available space to provide children with a wide range of stimulating and exciting play opportunities. Equipment and resources clearly support children's learning and development, in particular the outdoor area. Designated areas for learning indoors contain low-level storage which enables children to initiate their own learning. They learn about the diverse community they live in through a good range of toys and resources which promote equality of opportunity. For example, books, puzzles and posters reflect different cultures and lifestyles.

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the early years provision

A comprehensive self-evaluation system is in place which demonstrates several initiatives that have been successfully developed to ensure future improvements are maintained. For instance, addressing recommendations raised at the previous inspection have resulted in the nursery installing a dedicated sensory room, and more tactile activities being included in the daily planning. Partnerships with parents are well-established and make a strong contribution to children's good progress. Daily diaries and regular newsletters keep parents informed of their child's activities at the setting. Staff use questionnaires to improve their practice as they collect views from parents on an annual basis. Parents have access to children's learning journals. Although, due to forthcoming changes in the Early Years Foundation Stage later on this year, and paperwork changing, a new starter to the nursery, at the time of inspection, had no records on their individual

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the early years provision

learning and development in place. Children benefit from continuity of learning and care because the setting liaises with other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage for them. Links are made with local schools and teachers visit the setting to meet the children and view their learning journeys. There are no children attending who have special education needs and/or disabilities. However, the manager is fully aware of the importance of working closely with outside agencies to support children's welfare and development.

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and outcomes for children

Children make good progress in their learning and development. Systems to observe, assess and plan for children's learning are established and mostly effective. Consequently, children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Staff use the information from observations to identify some of the children's learning priorities. However, planning does not always ensure that every child is suitably challenged by the learning experiences provided. This is because This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 observations of activities are not always matched to children's current abilities and future learning needs which may compromise the progress some children make.

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and outcomes for children

Children thoroughly enjoy their time in the nursery. They participate in purposeful play and exploration and are developing the skills they need for the future. The children particularly enjoy the outdoor area as they develop their physical skills with ball games, and learn to climb and balance on the equipment. Knowledge and understanding of the world is developed as they tend to their fruit and vegetable patch, and enjoy eating the end products. All children enjoy exploring media such as cornflour, shaving foam and sand, learning to share and co-operate. They develop their language skills as they talk about mark-making in the sand and shells and relate this to beach holidays that they have been on recently.

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and outcomes for children

Children are gaining the skills they will need in future life in meaningful and effective ways. For example, independence is encouraged as older children collect their cutlery and food at meal times, and independently pour their own drinks. They enjoy and have an interest in books as they listen to stories. Staff members encourage them to be active and inquisitive learners. For example, during circle time the children use their senses to try and remember which item has been taken away from the tray. They understand not to shout out the answer but to put their hand up and wait, taking turns and share the experience.

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and outcomes for children

Children's awareness of safety and healthy lifestyles is effectively promoted. The outside area is used on a regular basis and children are learning about nature and developing good physical skills. Food provided by the nursery is healthy and nutritious and fresh water is available at all times. Children are learning to keep themselves safe as they practise regular emergency evacuation drills. Visits from police and opportunities to see emergency vehicles help to raise children's awareness of safety issues in a child-friendly manner. Children are learning about themselves and others through discussion and planned activities. They enjoy exploring a range of religious and cultural festivals throughout the year. Staff effectively use positive methods to manage children's behaviour and provide them with good role models to follow. They are calm and consistent in their approach and children learn through simple rules and use of positive verbal praise.

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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 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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