Growing Places @ Mill Hill

Community Childcare Centres Waite End Day Nursery, Mill Road, Waterlooville, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO7 7DB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/09/2012 13/10/2010

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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 happy, motivated and eager to learn. They show high levels of independence, curiosity and imagination and have good relationships with staff members and each other.  The setting staff provide a welcoming environment, adapted to meet the individual needs of children and their families.  The outdoor learning environment offers children excellent opportunities to develop their physical skills and their understanding of the natural world.  Staff use their good knowledge of their key children to support them across most aspects of each area of learning. They challenge and extend children's learning, building on child-led activities to incorporate different aspects of learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The arrangements for large group activities do not always meet the needs of every child, some of whom become distracted or anxious.  There are too few opportunities for children to develop their understanding of shape and space, and to distinguish differences in sounds, word patterns and rhymes.

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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 inspection was completed by two inspectors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors, made observations of children's play and provision in both the nursery and pre-school buildings that together form the Community Childcare Centres.  Documentation was sampled.  The registered person joined the lead inspector for a joint observation.  A small number of parents were spoken to as part of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Waite End Day Nursery opened in 2001. It now occupies two separate buildings housing Growing Places at Mill Hill Nursery and Growing Places at Mill Hill Pre-school, which are within the premises of Mill Hill Primary School in Waterlooville, Hampshire. Both premises have fully enclosed outside learning areas. The out-of-school care operates from the same site and also uses the school outside facilities for sporting activities. The out-of-school care opened in July 2003. Both parts of the provision operate under the umbrella of The Community Childcare Centres and are managed by a board of trustees with a group manager who is responsible for overseeing all the centres.

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Information about the setting

The centres are registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register, and there are links with the school on site. Teacher support is received from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. The setting is open for 51 weeks of the year from 8am until 6pm. Breakfast and lunch are available and are cooked on the premises. The pre-school is open from 9am to 3pm, term time only. The breakfast club is open from 8am to 8.45am each morning. The after-school club is open every afternoon during the school term from 3.15pm until 6pm. Children attend from several schools nearby as well as the host school. Holiday play schemes operate during school holidays; care is offered from 8am until 6pm.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 169 children on roll altogether. Of these 134 children are in the early years age group and 26 of these are under two years. The provision is eligible to receive funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four, they also receive two year old funding. The setting welcomes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. There are 26 members of staff employed altogether. Of these, two members of staff are qualified to degree level, including the nursery manager; 12 staff have a National Vocational Qualification at level 3 or its equivalent, and two have a level 4. Other members of staff are working towards level 3 qualifications.

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

 help children develop concepts of shape and space by highlighting shapes and patterns in daily activities and routines; encourage children to talk about the shapes they see and use .

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

 support children's phonic skills by providing activities which help them distinguish differences in sounds, word patterns and rhymes.

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

 organise everyday routines to meet the individual needs of all children.

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who attend

Children are happy, settled and motivated throughout the day. Most demonstrate high levels of confidence and independence as they make their own decisions. There are some firm friendships within the groups and children show a good awareness of others. The recent introduction of family group times enables small group discussion and the building of relationships between children. The routines of the day enable children to make their own choices both inside and out. Throughout these times, children are focused and move about the setting with direction and purpose, although at transitional times, such as when preparing for family group time, children receive too little guidance, and some children become distracted or anxious.

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who attend

Throughout the day, some children demonstrate their critical thinking skills. They contribute their ideas about activities and choose ways to do things, such as imaginatively building structures or trains with the crates. They make good use of the environment and the resources to explore and investigate. Some compared the flow of water through funnels as they added different-sized balls. Others spontaneously searched for bugs in the garden. Staff members skilfully extend both child-led activities by incorporating mathematical questions. Numbers and counting are also used through routine activities, such as when preparing for meals and in family group time, although there are fewer opportunities for children to talk about shape and space as they explore their environment. Children are keen to use the outside space, which excellently supports children's physical skills and their understanding of the living world. Their coordination and

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who attend

balance is very good as they walk across planks in the trees, move tyres and negotiate uneven surfaces. They assess risks for themselves and inform staff of dangers; for example, one child says, 'that's high enough' as they climb a tree. Babies are also fully encouraged to explore and investigate their surroundings. Different resources enable them to investigate textures and encourage them to use all their senses.

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who attend

Children use different opportunities for communication with their peers and adults. Imaginative use of plastic tubes encourages children to speak into them, listen to whispers and share songs. Brief group times provide opportunities for stories where staff use puppets as visual aids to capture children's attention. Good eye contact encourages babbles from the very young babies, and emerging words and sounds from the older babies. Staff help children recognise the sounds in words during group times but do not always use opportunities to do this during other activities and as they play. The well- motivated staff enhance children's learning through their interaction and extension of activities. They know the children well and use their interests to encourage different skills, for example designing car tracks to develop pencil control for children who are fascinated by cars. Through detailed observations and knowledge of the children, staff develop a

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who attend

strong awareness of where children are in their learning and understand how to support individual children's further development.

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who attend

The partnership with parents is good and improving. Parents contribute to initial and ongoing assessments through shared summaries of children's progress. Parents report on good communication and approachable staff throughout the setting. Partnership working and individual monitoring of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities ensure children develop at their own rates and in their own ways.

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

Children are able to settle into the different areas of the setting at their own pace. The environment throughout the setting is welcoming, and staff support the individual needs of each family well. Parents stay to settle their children, sharing details of any established routines with key persons. Babies' needs are met on an individual basis; milk feeds are enjoyed in the arms of their familiar adult, and they have their comforters for sleep and rest times. Relationships are strong at all levels; babies and children are contented and have built trusting relationships with key persons, giving them the confidence to accept new staff and unfamiliar adults.

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

All children's behaviour is good. They are able to share and take turns, using strategies such as timers on the popular equipment to regulate its use themselves. They listen to each other as they make suggestions about their play. Children are also valued by staff members for their ideas, which are incorporated into play and extended further. They are developing high levels of independence in their self-care and in their decision-making. They choose their activities throughout the day and are independent in feeding themselves at lunchtime.

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

Children and babies feel very safe and secure. They confidently and independently move about the different areas of the nursery. They are encouraged to take appropriate risks and rise to challenges, such as when undertaking physical activities in the garden. Children are also able to use a range of indoor tools safely, such as scissors for independent art work and knives in the preparation of breakfast. They have a good understanding of being healthy; at lunchtime they talk about having 'five-a-day' and talk about what vegetables they have on their plate. They access water independently and take part in many physical activities throughout the day. The stimulating, well-resourced outside environment supports all areas of children's learning, so children can continue to learn wherever they choose to play.

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

Children are well prepared for their next stage in their learning because staff members provide prepare them for their transitions. Key persons accompany toddlers as they make visits to the larger part of the nursery. The reassurance this brings enables them to build their confidence and make new relationships. The setting continues to prepare children as they move on to school. Lots of discussion, books and photographs are used and children are encouraged to share their experiences when they return from visits.

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provision

The leadership team within the setting have a secure and strong understanding of providing and overseeing the educational programmes for all children. The introduction of new systems to support the revised Early Years Foundation Stage ensures staff will provide children with challenge across all areas of their learning. Managers have identified areas in need of small improvements and are starting to take action in relation to these areas. They work collaboratively as a team, and value the ideas and input from all staff members. They empower some staff to specialise in different areas and complete research projects, such as considering the physical needs of boys. They are up to date with current changes and have plans to provide in-house training for all staff to update their knowledge.

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provision

The setting offers a welcoming environment to children and their families, with a flexible approach to meet the needs of parents and children. The setting is well resourced, and with the implementation of the open-plan arrangements, children can take advantage of a wide range of stimulating activities both inside and out. Staff extend child-led play to provide challenges, and staff make good use of the available resources to extend learning. Children are able to develop their understanding of assessing risks as they learn to manage the uneven parts of the outside environment. Staff support the younger children, who quickly appreciate the fun that can be had in climbing trees and rolling down the hill. Risk assessments are completed daily to ensure the safety and suitability of all areas of the setting. Clear procedures, known by staff and the leadership team, are in place for safeguarding children. Staff are confident of the procedures they need to follow, and

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provision

established systems ensure all concerns are followed through appropriately. There is a system of recruiting new staff, with appropriate checks made to ensure their suitability. Through inductions, observations and appraisals, the provider also monitors the ongoing suitability of staff and the quality of their work

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provision

The staff work well together, particularly in the longer-established team in the pre-school. However, all staff are motivated and well deployed through all areas of the setting to ensure children are well supported. Reflection and evaluation are a regular part of the setting. Staff are monitoring the impact on children of changes such as the new open-plan arrangements of the nursery. Staff's ideas are valued by the leadership team, with regular formal opportunities for staff to discuss their children's development and ideas for the setting. The leadership team also shares their ideas for improvement with all staff. Parents are encouraged to give feedback and share their ideas generally, but also more specifically on their children's development.

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provision

The setting has positive relationships with parents and carers, which are well established, ensuring each child has their individual needs met. The setting has successfully extended this partnership approach with specialists involved in children's care as well as other local early years settings children move on to. Parents and carers receive information about children's achievements and progress, enabling them to support the children's learning. They can view written developmental information at any time, and key persons share information through summaries of children's progress. Parents say they are satisfied with the setting and that staff are very approachable, supportive communicate very well.

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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 160819 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 883087

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 138 Number of children on roll 169 Name of provider Community Childcare Centres Date of previous inspection 13/10/2010 Telephone number 023 92258557

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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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