Acre Wood Nursery School

Acre Wood Nursery School 197-199 Woodside Road, AMERSHAM, Buckinghamshire, HP6 6NU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/09/2012 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children settle well at the nursery as they make secure attachments to their key person and other familiar adults.  Children play happily within the activities on offer and their parents are pleased with the flexible service they receive.  The nursery has suitable systems in place to promote children's safety and well-being. Potential hazards to children are minimised both indoors and outdoors.

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It is not yet good because

 Staff do not plan children's outdoor play activities sufficiently, especially in relation to stimulating babies that are not yet mobile.  Systems for planning, ongoing assessment and the educational programme are not effectively monitored and children's next steps are not effectively identified in order to shape children's future learning experiences.  The quality and monitoring of staffs' teaching practice is not sufficiently consistent and robust.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are scheduled:  at least once in every inspection cycle. The current cycle ends on 31 July 2016  more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged as inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised for inspection where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Inspection activities

 Evidence gathered by nursery website prior to inspection. At the inspection, by talking to parents, staff, observing their interaction with children in baby room, toddler room and pre-school.

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Inspection activities

 Sampled children's information, planning and assessment records, policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 Ongoing discussion with the provider took place during the visit. Safeguarding discussed with the manager and staff.  Met with the provider to discuss the leadership and management of the nursery.

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Information about the setting

Acre Wood Nursery School was registered in 2012 and is run by a private provider. The nursery operates from a large detached house in Amersham in Buckinghamshire. Children use seven activity rooms, a dance studio, a sleep area and a secure outdoor play area. The nursery provides a service for children from the local community and it is open each weekday from 7.30am to 7pm all year round except Christmas and bank holidays. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 94 children on roll in the early years age group and they attend for a variety of sessions. Systems are in place to support children who are learning to speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 10 full-time staff and three part-time members of staff. Of these, 11 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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must:

 develop appropriate arrangements to effectively supervise staff and provide training and coaching to improve the consistency in the quality of teaching  develop the educational programme by providing a stimulating and well-resourced environment outdoors which provides a wide range of experiences, especially for babies that are not yet mobile  improve and monitor the planning and assessment procedures in order to shape children's future learning experiences .

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who attend

Children are making satisfactory progress in their learning and development. There are appropriate systems in place to identify children's developmental starting points, which include discussions with parents. Staff observe and record what children do during their play in their individual learning journal. However, they do not use this information fully to inform and shape children's future learning experiences. As a result planning is general rather than being tailored to meet children's individual learning needs. The quality of practice is variable. For instance, some staff are skilled at asking children open questions and allowing them time to think and respond where others are not. There is a suitable range of good quality toys and resources, including those that reflect diversity, to help children to make progress and to develop an understanding of difference.

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who attend

Children arrive happily and are warmly greeted by staff. They develop a sense of belonging as they recognise their name on their lunch mat, drawer and coat peg. Children are well behaved; they receive positive praise when they achieve something so that their self-esteem is promoted. They are learning to share and enjoy playing either by themselves or with or alongside their friends. Children have opportunities to increase their speaking and listening skills during activities, story time and discussions. Staff chat to babies who respond by smiling, gurgling and babbling. Children join in enthusiastically with actions at song time and toddlers spontaneously wave their hands and mimic the sound of familiar songs. Children are practising their early-writing skills as they draw spiders' webs. Babies and toddlers enjoy using their fingers to paint and they make marks in sand and 'gloop'. Children are exploring colour, numbers and shape through number

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who attend

rhymes, stacking cups, posting shapes, fitting puzzles together, and building with bricks. Some staff skilfully extend children's mathematical language, for example, by discussing long and short objects.

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who attend

Children are developing an appropriate understanding of the world in which they live. They use programmable toys and phones, which encourages their knowledge of information technology. Babies love pushing buttons to light up toys and play music, and children are practising their technology skills when using the computers. Children learn about other people's beliefs. For example, during the celebration of Eid they make cards and taste different foods. Children participate well in imaginative play, for instance, as they dress up, make tea, and play with dolls and dinosaurs. In the garden, they learn about the world around them as they observe creepy crawlies and enjoy watching the trains and planes. Kind and caring staff provide a satisfactory start for the children's future learning and education. They provide appropriate support to help children be ready for school. For example, they foster their independent skills, such as helping themselves to

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children are safe and secure. Daily risk assessments are carried out to check the premises are free from hazards. There are other effective procedures in place to help to protect children, such as a buzzer entry system. In addition, visitors are required to sign the record book on arrival and departure. Children are learning to keep themselves safe as they tidy up their toys, so they don't become a tripping hazard.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Parents are required to spend time helping their children to separate and settle happily when they first start at the nursery. The staff are responsive to the emotional needs of children, which helps them feel secure, comfortable and safe in the nursery. All children are developing suitable attachments to staff. Babies seek out their key person for reassurance and enjoy cuddles. Children confidently approach the range of activities on offer and enjoy praise for their achievements from staff. Boys and girls have equal access to all activities. Staff appropriately support children learning English as an additional language. They find out key words from parents in the children's first language to help them to respond to their individual needs within the nursery.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Babies enjoy playing in the ball pool, they pull themselves up to stand and are walking around furniture. They use sturdy push-a-long toys to help them balance when walking. Children are developing increasing control over their bodies as they climb, slide, and balance on a variety of apparatus. However, staff do not plan effectively for outdoor play, especially for babies that are not yet mobile and who spend their time being carried around by staff.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Suitable hygiene routines promote children's well-being. The nursery, equipment, toys and resources are very clean. Children are encouraged to brush their teeth and wash their hands during the routine of the day. This helps them to learn about good hygiene practice. Individual bed linen, babies' bottles, and cots are individually labelled to prevent cross infection. Appropriate systems are in place for administering medication and several staff have attended first aid training to provide suitable treatment as the need arises. Children are learning about healthy eating; they are encouraged to help themselves from the fruit basket on their way home. The qualified cook prepares nutritious meals and follows food hygiene routines and guidelines, such as taking fridge temperature readings. Healthy snacks and meals are prepared on site and children help themselves to drinking water when they are thirsty. Babies are comforted by the closeness of being bottle-fed on

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

their key person's lap. In addition, their well-being is promoted well by ensuring individual sleep patterns are respected.

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provision

The provider has a clear understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children are safeguarded appropriately. All staff clearly know the indicators that cause concern and the reporting procedures required of them. The manager is the named person for child protection and she has attended relevant training, which is cascaded down to the staff team. The induction procedure includes staffs' knowledge and understanding of their role and responsibility to protect children. The required documents, policies and procedures are regularly updated to reflect changes in legislation and underpin the safety and well-being of all children. Rigorous recruitment procedures are in place to check that staff are suitable to work with children. The majority of staff are suitably qualified and key information is shared at staff meetings.

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provision

The provider has an appropriate understanding of her responsibility to meet the learning and development requirements. She is keen and committed to improving the service for children and their families. Self-evaluation is still in its infancy, but does identify areas for further development in relation to assessment processes. However, systems for monitoring planning and assessment, staff performance and children's progress are not yet sufficiently rigorous or robust. As a result the quality of teaching is inconsistent and planning is not tailored to children's individual learning needs.

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provision

Staff are proactive in establishing effective working partnerships with parents. Parents are encouraged to share information about their child and complete relevant forms about children's individual needs. Discussions with parents during the inspection reveal that they are happy with the service they receive. They find the staff very friendly and approachable, and like staff suggestions for activities they can do at home with their child. Several parents remark on the flexibility of the service. They like the information shared through the newsletter and their children's daily diary, and look forward to the planned parent evenings. The provider recognises the importance of working with other professionals to support children's learning and development as the need arises.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY444351 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 784885

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 94 - 0 Total number of places 61 Number of children on roll 94 Name of provider Brook 2 Ltd Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01494729007

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises that are usually their own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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