Media City Nature Kindergarten

Holyrood Day Nursery, Media City Unit 3 Central Park, 3 Ohio Avenue, SALFORD, M50 2GT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/09/2012 26/04/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children are relaxed, confident in their surroundings and eager to learn. They show high levels of independence, curiosity and imagination and are making very good progress based on their starting points.  Staff have a very secure knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All staff recognise the importance of working with children's interests and provide some excellent opportunities to promote children's learning through play, discussions and group activities.  Priority is given to developing children's language skills, physical skills and giving them a strong sense of personal and emotional well-being.  There is a very strong leadership and management team with a clear chain of command. Staff are well supported and monitored to ensure that high standards are maintained. There is a positive drive to achieve the highest standards for children and to continually develop the setting.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Systems to monitor the difference in progress between groups of children, particularly those for whom English is an additional language are in the early stages of development. They currently lack the necessary rigour to be thoroughly effective.  Observations of teaching styles to identify and share best practice within the setting are not always currently utilised well.

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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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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the two main play rooms and the outside area. This included a joint observation with the acting manager of staff interaction with children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the acting managers of the provision and the provider of the setting.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of staff working within the setting and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and the comments made by children at the setting.

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Information about the setting

Holyrood Day Nursery is one of 33 nurseries managed by Happitots Day Nurseries Limited. The setting was registered in 2011 and is situated in Media City UK, Salford. It operates from three main rooms with a fully enclosed area for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The setting serves the local and wider area. There are currently 84 children on roll who attend for various sessions and full days. The setting supports children with English as an additional language. The setting opens six days a week from 7am to 7pm all year except for bank holidays and over the Christmas period.

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Information about the setting

The setting employs 13 members of staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications to level 3, and one member of staff has Early Years Professional Status. The nursery is a member of the National Day Nursery Association.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 improve the pace of development of the systems used to monitor the educational programmes to show that no group or groups of children are disadvantaged or falling behind their peers

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 improve the use of the manager and peer observations to further develop more effective teaching styles and disseminate best practice across the setting.

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who attend

Children are keen to attend the setting and are eager to learn. Their enthusiasm is effectively facilitated by the well-laid out provision and by skilled and professional staff who work constantly alongside the children, extending and developing their play. A flexible and easy going approach enables staff to respond positively to children's interests and develop unique play opportunities based on children's ideas and preferences. For example, building a teepee following imaginative play based around a camping experience. Teaching techniques are largely effective as all staff recognise when to intervene and when to allow children to play independently. They offer support to children, extending their play with new ideas or by asking pertinent questions. Some staff are better than others in supporting children's ability to think creatively and critically. This is because they make less effective use of peer support to continue to improve their practice. Staff work

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who attend

well together to provide a safe, secure and engaging setting where children are confident to explore and acquire skills for future learning. Secure planning and monitoring across the seven areas of learning ensures all aspects are successfully included in the activities on offer while each key person ensures that activities are tailored to meet the individual next steps for their key children.

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who attend

Children's early writing skills are developing extremely well as even young babies are encouraged to mark make in gloop, flour and other substances. Older children recognise their own names in print and are aware of the initial sounds in their names, identifying other words that start with the same sound. During role play, they enjoy using writing for a purpose as staff make sure writing materials are included in the home corner areas. Mathematical skills are also well promoted. Children learn about size as they play with tape measures and develop an understanding of weight and volume as they take part in baking activities.

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who attend

Children benefit from excellent opportunities to play outside on a daily basis. Older children enjoy the challenge of the large climbing equipment and are presented with challenges as they ride tricycles as staff respond to their increasing skill and provide a row of cones to weave through. Children beam with pride as they complete the 'course' and demonstrate their precision. Babies and young children enjoy the fresh air as they sit on comfy mats and play with construction toys outside or are helped to use sit and ride toys.

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who attend

Children make very good progress towards the Early Learning Goals. Systems to assess children's starting points on entry to the setting include parents' views about what their children can do and as a result, staff have a secure baseline in place from which to measure children's progress. Those with identified special needs receive additional support and are also making strides towards obtaining their individual goals. Staff work in partnerships with parents and other professionals to identify realistic yet challenging targets and consequently, children are able to reach their full potential. Parents attend regular reviews and are encouraged to contribute regularly to staff's understanding of how their child is progressing. Regular newsletters detailing activities provide parents with ideas to help children continue their learning at home.

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who attend

The welcoming and accessible learning environment alongside effective planning and monitoring of learning programmes ensures that children are given a wide range of opportunities to learn and develop. Coupled with the professionalism and genuine warmth of staff, and an individualised approach towards care and learning, this setting provides children with the chance to really thrive.

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

Staff are well deployed and are clear about their responsibilities. An effective key person system is in place which helps both parents and children to build strong relationships with a designated member of staff. Staff are extremely attentive, providing genuine warmth and affection to every child. This enables children to feel safe and secure, giving them the confidence to develop their independence and explore the environment. Consequently, children are happy to engage in play and develop skills for future learning as they are relaxed and comfortable at the nursery. Babies show strong attachments as they seek out staff for comfort, snuggling in for cuddles. Older children engage staff in their play, confidently asking to have their face painted to act out different animals or characters. They show a sense of ownership for the setting, independently helping themselves at mealtimes and helping each other with aprons at the water tray. This also helps them

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

Individual routines are fully valued and staff work exceptionally hard to ensure that babies' sleep and feeding patterns are respected and precisely met. Each child's personality, likes and dislikes, are fully respected and catered for. Where children speak English as an additional language, staff get to know key words in the child's home language and use these alongside English to ensure that children are included and feel happy and comfortable. This enables all children to express their needs and for staff to provide appropriate personal care.

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

Thoughtful resourcing ensures that all age groups have a fantastic range of age- appropriate activities and toys to meet their needs. Babies satisfy their need to investigate and explore as they handle a range of sensory toys that feel smooth, rough and crinkly. They enjoy shaking plastic bottles filled with dried pasta, gurgling excitedly at the sounds they make and shaking them up and down enthusiastically. Older children enjoy imaginative play in the home corner or in the teepee where they pretend to 'camp out'. They confidently ask for favourite activities again and again, and staff respond willingly, allowing children time to fully develop their interests and ideas. For instance, repeating a 'potion making' game over a number of sessions.

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

Pre-school children develop excellent self-care skills, putting on their own coats and zipping them up with minimal help prior to going out to play. They use large serving spoons at lunchtime, helping themselves to servings of broccoli and other dishes. They make choices from healthy selections at snack time and know why it is important to wash their hands before helping themselves to snacks.

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

Children's understanding of safety is also well promoted. They understand why they must not run inside and why they have to be aware of others when pedalling their tricycles outside. They take part in regular evacuation drills and staff provide excellent opportunities for them to learn in a fun way, as they arrange for the fire engine to visit the setting and for children to sit in the vehicle and learn about fire safety.

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provision

There is a strong management team in place with the provider of the setting, managers and deputies all committed to providing the best possible care for children. High expectations and a positive desire to continually improve the setting mean that all staff are motivated and engaged in providing quality care and learning that effectively promotes children's welfare and progress. Staff are supported in gaining additional skills, with regular access to training and annual appraisals to assess their performance. Monthly supervision sessions are being introduced to further develop their working practice. The setting uses self-evaluation successfully to identify priorities for development and action plans are put in place to monitor progress. For example, the development of a second outside area has been identified as an excellent opportunity to provide children with greater freedom and richer play experiences and the landscaping of this area is well under

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provision

There are rigorous systems to observe, assess and monitor each child's development. Staff complete a tracking document every 12 weeks to monitor and review children's attainment across all areas of learning. These reviews are overseen by management to ensure that any concerns are promptly identified and followed up. Parents are part of the review process and their comments and observations are always included and taken account of, ensuring staff have a complete picture of what each child has achieved so that they continue to make good progress. Management collate information to monitor the delivery of education and to ensure all areas are equally covered. Tracking systems to monitor the different groups of children, and in particular to assess the effectiveness of the setting's approach to the children attending with English as an additional language are in their early stages of development. However, this is not yet happening quickly enough to to ensure

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provision

Positive partnerships exist with both children's parents and other professionals who have an input into children's care. Specialists, such as physiotherapists or speech therapists work alongside staff on individualised plans for children, ensuring continuity of care. Parents are warmly welcomed into the setting and encouraged to 'stay and play' while their children settle. Provision is made for parents with young children to breast-feed or bottle feed, with a designated area of the nursery always available for this purpose. Parents' views are sought informally through discussion and formally through newsletter topics which include a section for parent comments and ideas about a range of practical issues. For example, parents were recently invited to comment on the menus and a wider range of multi-cultural dishes have since been introduced as a result of feedback.

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provision

All staff understand the signs and symptoms that may indicate abuse and know how to report any concerns. All staff receive training in this area and a full written policy is in place to support effective practice. The manager takes responsibility for any safeguarding issues and ensures that any incidents are followed up appropriately. The environment is fully risk assessed and extremely secure. Access to the nursery is via a finger print recognition system and all areas are kept secure, including the large outdoor area. These procedures ensure that children remain safe and secure. Children move around the setting safely, enjoying the freedom that the large open plan design allows. Babies and toddlers have ample space to crawl and climb on soft furnishings, supported by the attentive and vigilant staff while older children develop their independence as they move around freely, accessing different activities that challenge and stimulate them. Consequently, children of

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provision

all ages and abilities display confidence in their surroundings and are eager to learn and play in this welcoming provision.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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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 EY436473 Local authority Salford Inspection number 882914

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 134 Number of children on roll 84 Name of provider Happitots Day Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 26/04/2012 Telephone number 08007819726

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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. 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

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Type of provision

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.

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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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