Puddles Nursery

Puddles Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY343475 Inspection date 09/08/2011 Inspector Jenny Read

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Setting address Hesters Way Community Resource Centre, Cassin Drive, Princess Elizabeth Way, CHELTENHAM, Gloucestershire, GL51 7SU Telephone number 01242 527545 Email info@puddles-nursery.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

Puddles Nursery opened in 2007 and is one of two nursery's owned by Desirable Childcare Limited. It operates from a purpose built building based within the Hesters Way Community Resource Centre, in the Hesters Way area of Cheltenham. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. They operate from two playrooms, a sleep room, kitchen, laundry room and associated facilities. There are two enclosed outdoor-play areas, one with grass, patio and nature areas and the other with impact absorbent surfaces and a covered outdoor play room/storage.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 31 children from one year to under eight years may attend the nursery; of these, not more than three may be under two years at any one time. There are currently 55 children on roll in the early years age group. The Nursery receives funding for the provision of early education for children aged two, three and four. They are open each weekday from 8am until 6pm for 50 weeks of the year. The nursery currently supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are learning English as an additional language. Children attend from the local and surrounding areas of Cheltenham.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs eight staff, including the manager to work directly with the children. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications to level 3 and above. The manager holds a degree in early years and the deputy is teacher qualified. One staff member is currently working towards a Foundation Degree in Early Years and one is working towards an early years apprenticeship.

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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 make good progress in their learning. They participate in a stimulating range of activities, good access to resources and sufficient free-flowing indoor and outdoor play. Effective arrangements exist to ensure their safety and health and encourage their involvement in the nursery. Partnerships with outside agencies and other providers and partners supporting children are satisfactory. Strong links with parents help to involve them in their children's care and education and they are kept well informed of their children's progress. The enthusiastic and welcoming management and staff team have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision to drive and secure improvement well.

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further?

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

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further?

 review daily routines to further facilitate children's interests in free-flowing This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 inside and outside play  develop further the regular two-way flow of information with other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage for a child to ensure information is consistently shared to fully support children's achievements.

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the early years provision

The motivated management team have high aspirations for quality and are focused on helping all children to make good progress in their learning and development, and promoting their welfare. The indoor and outdoor environments and many daily routines are conducive to learning and safe. As a result, children achieve well and benefit from stimulating experiences inside and mostly out and good access to most resources that enable them to build on what they already know and can do. Staff take appropriate steps to ensure resources and the environment are sustainable. Robust security measures including, effective use of close circuit television, a buzzer entry system and verifying those who can collect, ensures the arrival and collection of children is carefully monitored and regularly reviewed. Staff demonstrate a good level of commitment to promoting children's safety through clear risk assessments and competent knowledge of the nursery's

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the early years provision

policies and procedures. Good knowledge of safeguarding issues ensures prompt action is taken with any child welfare concerns.

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the early years provision

There is a strong commitment to equality and diversity and those in charge consistently communicate high expectations to the well qualified staff team about securing improvement. As a result, they stimulate the enthusiasm of staff, who work well together as a team to support continuous improvement. Self-evaluation takes into account the views of staff and parents through regular team meetings, parent questionnaires, and good use of findings from other quality checks. This leads to effectively identifying strengths and weaknesses in the nursery that lead to realistic and challenging target setting. Consequently, outcomes for children are good and any variations in children's achievements are clearly identified and appropriate strategies put in place to tackle them.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with other settings children attend are in their infancy. However, close links with another nursery allows the children to enjoy a range of different experiences in a rural location. Highly positive relationships with parents are well established, ensuring each child's needs are met. Parents and carers benefit from regular opportunities to share their views about the nursery and take an active part in their children's learning. This is done through: daily feedback with their child's key person; questionnaires; yearly parent meetings; parent workshops; displayed daily planning and regular access to their children's learning journeys and focus activity sheets. This ensures parents are kept well informed about their children's progress and they have co-ordinated, accurate and timely information about the nursery. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children show good awareness about what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. They adopt good hand washing routines and good independence in their own person care needs. They help themselves to a drink when they need one and carefully serve themselves at meal times. Good role modelling at lunch time encourages the older children to help their younger friends, creating a happy, supportive environment. Children benefit from ample quantities of well-balanced, home- cooked meals that encourage a healthy diet. They have generally good opportunities to share their views about the nursery and be involved in some decision making on the menu plans and planning. This is creating active, inquisitive learners who feel safe and a strong sense of belonging.

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and outcomes for children

Children engage in a wide range of physical activities. They negotiate obstacles while riding on the tricycles and scooters, dig in the mud and sand and have fun mastering the tyre obstacles. Many children know what is expected of them and demonstrate clear understanding of how to stay safe in an emergency through half termly practise. Children are well behaved because consistent boundaries and clear explanations are helping them learn about the consequences of their actions. They appear settled and happy, showing good levels of self-esteem, cheering with delight when they succeed in walking across the tyres. They build strong relationships with both adults and their friends creating a happy and supportive environment.

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and outcomes for children

Staff facilitate children's play well. They interact purposefully to support and challenge children's learning. They adapt resources and most routines well and provide clear differentiation to help meet children's individual needs. For example, removing photographs from name labels at self-registration is encouraging more able children to begin to recognise letters and sounds. This is motivating children's engagement in activities and daily routines. Observation, assessment and their use in planning is complex, repetitive and time-consuming. However, displays, individual planning and group planning cover the six areas of learning successfully inside and generally well outside to provide a curriculum that meets children's individual needs.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop a good understanding of the wider world and learn to care for their environment skilfully. They investigate the wormery, search the mini beast mansion, vegetable patch and sensory garden, and gaily run water down the drain pipes. Children have fun with the music for short periods and excitedly respond to staff's idea to introduce pompoms to practise their dancing. They wave them happily, twisting, crossing and moving them side to side, with some children demonstrating rhythm and co-ordination. Children design and make models with the construction materials and happily make patterns with the playdough and sticking materials. 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 3 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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