Oaklands Day Nursery

Oaklands Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY407320 Inspection date 06/09/2010 Inspector Samantha Powis

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Setting address Oaklands Primary School, Summerleaze Park, Yeovil, Somerset, BA20 2BR Telephone number 01935474314 Email heatherpenny@tiscali.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.

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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

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

Oaklands Day Nursery registered in 2010. It is a privately run establishment, situated in a self-contained unit within the Children's Centre, attached to Oaklands Primary School in Yeovil, Somerset. There is a large playroom, which is divided into areas for younger and older children, along with a sensory room and separate sleep room. Toilet and nappy changing facilities lead directly off of the playroom and a kitchen is available for preparing and serving meals.

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Description of the setting

The nursery opens 50 weeks of the year, Monday to Friday from 8.00 am until 6.00 pm. The nursery is registered to care for 38 children under the age of eight years, all of whom may be in the early years age range. There are currently 50 children in the early years age group on role. The joint owners of the nursery also manage the setting. They employ six members of staff to work with the children. All staff are qualified to level 3 in childcare and two members of staff are currently completing a foundation degree in early years. The nursery is supported by a qualified teacher from the Children's Centre.

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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

Children flourish within the nursery due to the dedication of the highly skilled staff team. Children are happy and quickly settle to an activity of their choice within the stimulating and motivating environment. Meeting children's individual needs is a priority for staff. The individual preferences, needs and interests of each child are taken into account as daily routines and activities are planned. This excellent support means that children are making outstanding progress in their learning and development. Staff share in the managers commitment to providing high quality care and education. They continually review and monitor all areas of the provision to identify ways in which improvements can be made. Highly successful links with the adjoining Children's Centre and associated professionals further benefits the children and families.

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further?

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

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further?

 introducing a system which provides parents with information about forthcoming events and topics which they can take away with them, such as newsletters, to help them to support thier children's learning at home. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

High priority is given to ensuring children's safety is promoted. Clear systems are in place with regards to safeguarding children's welfare. All staff have an excellent understanding of their individual roles and responsibilities with regard to child protection and are confident in the detailed written policies and procedures followed by the setting should they have a concern about a child. Consistent and thorough procedures are followed when recruiting new staff to ensure they are suitable to work with children. High levels of staff supervision throughout all areas helps to ensure children are protected at all times. Frequent risk assessments are carried out on all areas of the nursery to highlight and address any issues and to ensure that all safety measures are in place.

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the early years provision

The exceptionally welcoming and stimulating environment helps to ensure children settle well and quickly get involved in an activity of their choice. Space is organised well to allow them to engage in a wide range of activities and to practise existing and develop new skills. For example, excellent organisation of furniture, toys and resources allows the youngest children to develop strong muscles and build confidence as they learn to crawl and walk. The open plan room feels light and spacious, with good use of furniture to separate specific zones making them feel inviting and cosy. Photographs and children's art work adorns the display boards, helping children to feel valued and included and giving them a strong sense of belonging. Excellent use is made of the outdoor area to maximise children's learning and enjoyment. Children benefit from accessing an exceptionally broad range of high quality resources to support them in their play and learning.

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the early years provision

Commercially produced toys and natural and domestic type resources are freely accessible allowing children to explore and investigate freely. Staff provide a warm welcome to children and their parents and are always on hand to exchange information at the beginning and end of each day.

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the early years provision

All children are valued and included well within the nursery due to the staff's comprehensive understanding of their individual needs. Staff show a commitment to inclusion and consider the needs of all children when planning the environment, activities and routines. Highly successful relationships are established between all those working with and supporting children and their families. Close links with the Children's Centre and other associated professionals ensures a consistent approach and sensitive support for individual children, improving the outcomes for them all.

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the early years provision

The highly effective staff team work consistently together, having a clear understanding of their individual roles and responsibilities to ensure the smooth running of the nursery. This helps to create the calm atmosphere which ensures children feel settled and secure. Staff are all well qualified and experienced and continue to attend training, workshops and courses to increase their own knowledge and skills. This professionalism is evident in the excellent support children receive as they play. All areas of the provision are monitored and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 evaluated very well to ensure the best possible service for children and their families. The setting are proactive in gathering ideas for improvements from staff, parents and children to help implement positive changes. They are forward thinking in their approach, identifying areas for improvement long before they

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the early years provision

have any negative impact on the children.

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the early years provision

Excellent partnerships are established with parents and carers. They feel welcome within the nursery and are able to share important information with staff to ensure children's needs are identified and understood. They receive detailed written information about the settings policies and procedures and have access to information about events and activities on notices and boards at the setting. Some of this information is not available for them to take away with them, to allow them to better support their childs learning at home. Parents are very well informed about the progress their children are making within the nursery and have many opportunities to add their own observations to help staff when planning activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children are highly motivated as they become engrossed in the broad range of exciting activities on offer to them. They benefit from the flexibility of being able to select their own resources and play wherever they want within the nursery, secure in the knowledge that they will be safe and well supported in all areas. All areas are very well resourced with high quality equipment which can be used throughout the nursery. Children's sustained involvement in high quality play ensures they are making excellent progress in their learning and development. Skilful interaction from staff encourages children to be confident and inquisitive. Children form strong bonds with adults and other children within the setting. They call out excitedly to welcome a member of staff who has returned from holiday, happy to have her back at the nursery.

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and outcomes for children

Planning of activities is based on children's interests and developmental needs. This ensures that all children receive appropriate challenge and support to achieve their optimum learning potential. Staff carefully observe children as they play, closely monitoring their progress throughout all areas of learning to ensure they can offer appropriate activities, resources and tools to allow children to take the next steps in their learning when it is right for them.

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and outcomes for children

Children have a strong sense of belonging. Older children settle quickly to activities, whilst younger children are comforted by the presence of a familiar carer. Children's routines are respected helping them to feel secure. For example, younger children are fed at times which suit their individual routines. They feel secure as their key person holds them close ensuring good eye contact and communication as they are fed, making this an enjoyable and relaxing time. Children are confident communicators. They chat freely to each other and to staff often using language to negotiate taking turns with equipment or to organise their play. They frequently see text within the environment, increasing their awareness This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 of letter shapes and sounds and helping them to understand that print carries meaning. For example, as they freely paint at the easel a member of staff records

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and outcomes for children

the childs description of their painting. Children enjoy stories and books. They can often be seen enjoying the book corner independently, often recalling the story from memory and using the pictures as clues. They turn the pages front to back demonstrating their increasing understanding of how books are used. Children enjoy problem solving. A group of children play out of doors using the drain pipes. They prop the pipes at an angle and allow the cars to roll down them. As they introduce more pipes, tubes and vehicles they learn about speed and size as the vehicles go faster if they move the pipe higher. Children enjoy singing along to their favorite songs played on the piano. They sometimes use their fingers or props when joining in with number rhymes, helping them to understand number value as well as order.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very polite and well behaved due to the clear and consistent expectations throughout the nursery. Children are caring towards each other. As they play they are reminded about the needs of others, to be mindful of the babies who are crawling out of doors as they use their bikes and trikes. They learn about safety and how their own actions can support the safety of others. For example, they learn to put toys away in an appropriate place thereby preventing others tripping. Children make very good progress in their physical development. Toys and equipment provided for the youngest children encourage them to reach out or become mobile and constant positive encouragement from staff boosts their confidence to 'have a go'. Older children use a range of tools to increase their manipulative skills such as when they pour their own drinks and spread butter on their toast at snack time. An extensive range of scooters, trikes and pedal cycles

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and outcomes for children

encourage children to develop strong muscles, control and co-ordination. Some vehicles require two children to operate them, promoting co-operative working as well as their physical development. Children are provided with many opportunities to explore different materials. The youngest children gaze intently as they watch the 'gloop' drip slowly off of their hands. Older children use the compost tray, trucks and diggers to experiment moving soil from one place to another, just like the big machinery they have been watching on the adjacent building site. Children learn about healthy eating. They chat about the foods they enjoy as they eat their freshly prepared lunch of roast pork and vegetables. They help to plant, grow and harvest their own vegetables, learning about the health benefits of fresh produce. They understand the need to follow good hygiene practices and some children bring along their toothbrush to clean their teeth after lunch.

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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 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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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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