Ambrose Nook Nursery

Ambrose Nook Nursery Prince Charlie Street, Derker, Oldham, Lancashire, OL1 4HJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/10/2012 11/11/2008

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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 and motivated and engage in a broad range of rich and stimulating opportunities. They are keen to investigate and explore their environment using a range of equipment and materials.  A well-established key person system has enhanced relationships with children and their families. Children form secure attachments and display high levels of confidence and a strong sense of belonging.  Effective systems for planning and assessment display an accurate understanding of all children's skills, abilities and progress. Every practitioner has a good awareness of how young children learn and make the most of opportunities to promote children's learning through play, discussions and group activities.  Thorough self-evaluation takes into account the views of staff, children and their parents. The drive for improvement is demonstrated through clear and successful improvement plans that fully support children's welfare and achievements over time.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Strategies implemented to successfully engage all parents in their children's learning in the setting and at home are not yet fully embedded.  Opportunities for older children to develop a strong base in developing their independence during meal times are not yet consistently fully embraced by all staff.

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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 presented in the two playrooms.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation and discussed these with practitioners.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager of the provision and checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with the children, and discussed the self-evaluation and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents and carers from information gathered from the parent's forum and recent parent surveys.

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Information about the setting

Ambrose Nook Nursery was registered in 2003. It is a privately owned family business run by a board of directors. It operates from a converted church building, which is located in the residential area of Derker in Oldham. Children have access to the main hall on the ground floor and a large room on the first floor and there are fully enclosed outdoor areas available for outdoor play. The ground floor of the nursery is easily accessible for all, including wheelchair users. The nursery is linked to St Thomas Children's Centre.

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Information about the setting

The provision is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 42 children aged from six months to five years on roll. The setting supports children with English as an additional language and welcomes children with special educational needs and disabilities. It receives funding for the provision of free early education to two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Information about the setting

The provision is open from 7.30am to 6pm, 51 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays. There are a total of 15 members of staff, including a manager and two supervisors. Of the 15 staff employed, 14 are qualified, 10 of whom to level 3 and above. The remaining staff are currently working towards a childcare qualification.

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

 provide consistent, predictable routines at mealtimes, including opportunities for older children to help in appropriate tasks, such as setting the table, serving food and tidying away afterwards

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

 enhance further the systems that successfully reflect the views of parents in their child's learning journal records.

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who attend

Practitioners have a very good understanding of how children learn and how to engage and capture their interests. Children are provided with opportunities to experience a balanced variety of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Teaching techniques are strong across the provision and reflect children's interests. Practitioners build on children's home base knowledge and experiences and provide further opportunities for progression. For example, pre-school children create a habitat for snails they have collected by using a large fish tank and filling it with soil, leaves and twigs. They conduct research into other creatures that have no legs, such as worms and snakes. They study the shapes of snail shells, creating their own spiral patterns with a range of materials. Planning systems are continually being reviewed to ensure that the outcomes for children remain consistently high. The system incorporates children's interests, feedback from parents and ensures the

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who attend

seven areas of learning are reflected and included, incorporating daily opportunities for outdoor play and opportunities to visit the local community.

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who attend

Practitioners work closely with parents on the point of entry, obtaining detailed information to establish what children can do and define initial targets linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage. Parents are able to access their children's learning journals at any time and are encouraged to share their children's home experiences. For example, children bring photographs from home and mementos of places they have visited to share with their peers. Progress reports are shared with parents each term during consultation meetings along with identified targets to support children's progress. This ensures they are kept fully informed and are supported to understand how to support their children's learning at home.

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who attend

Children of all ages are provided with a variety of opportunities to mark make and develop their early writing skills. Young infants have access to chunky chalks and crayons which they can hold easily and are encouraged to use their fingers to create patterns and marks in tactile materials, such as shaving foam and paint. Pre-school children have access to a variety of writing materials, such as wipe boards and clip boards which they use around the environment in a variety of activities. They access a variety of books and engage in story sessions where they discover that print has meaning. Practitioners encourage the use of phonics to promote children's understanding of sounds and letters and children confidently recognise their printed name during the registration process.

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who attend

The learning environment is well-resourced and every opportunity is used to support and extend children's learning across all areas. Children are provided with opportunities to follow activities from start to finish, consolidating their knowledge and learning experiences. For example, they make dough as part of the morning activity, discovering all the ingredients that are used and the changes of textures and appearance as they are combined together. They then play with the dough in the afternoon where they confidently recollect what ingredients they used and the process of making it. Practitioners are skilful in the way in which they use adult-led and child-initiated activities to question and challenge children's thinking. Interaction between practitioners and every child is especially strong which is highlighted in the children's reactions, the progress they make and the enjoyment they display. All children are secure in communicating their needs and

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who attend

preferences. Visual aids, accessibility to resources and use of gestures enhance their early language skills. Practitioners skilfully help to enhance babies vocabulary by offering choices of resources and repeating words back to them, so they can hear the name of the object clearly. Older children are encouraged to join in stories and to talk through activities, such as planning how they will begin and what materials they will need.

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

A well-established key person system and the effective deployment of practitioners enable children of all ages to form secure emotional attachments and successfully promote their well-being and independence. Sensitive care giving, bestowed by practitioners, provides a strong foundation for babies and young infants. All children flourish as they become familiar with routines, develop their independence and demonstrate a positive sense of themselves and others, enabling them to form a positive disposition to learn. All children show an extremely strong sense of belonging within the setting. They display high levels of confidence and self-esteem, learn to form good relationships with their peers and work alongside others companionably. For example, young infants show care and concern towards their peers if they become upset and older children work together cooperatively whilst creating a variety of obstacle trails in which to place their marbles.

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

Babies settle well because they are familiar with their key person, who has exceptional knowledge of their individual needs, routines and preferences. They develop secure attachments and actively seek reassurance from practitioners and engage with them as they move around the environment. They demonstrate high levels of curiosity as they take an active interest in the variety of activities on offer, which are located within easy access, enabling them to make choices. They explore treasure baskets filled with tactile items, such as hay and cones. They fill and empty containers in the sand and squeal with delight as the sand runs through their fingers. They also create marks in chocolate mousse, using a variety of utensils. Practitioners are skilled in helping children to explore their feelings through the use of games depicting emotions and using puppets. They sensitively enable them to express feelings, such as joy, sadness and frustration. This enables children to

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

develop strategies to cope with new and challenging situations and learn to value and appreciate the feelings of others.

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

Overall, pre-school children develop a range of self-care skills, for example, they help themselves to resources and are encouraged to talk about what they want to do. They are encouraged to manage their personal needs, such as visiting the toilet, washing their hands and wiping their nose, enabling them to become familiar with personal hygiene routines. They actively help to tidy up their environment by putting resources away. They are involved in conducting risk assessments, where they explore the environment with a practitioner and discuss potential risks and what can be done to reduce them, such as ensuring the safety gates are closed so younger children do not leave the room. However, opportunities to set the table, serve their own food and tidy away afterwards during meal times are not consistently implemented, resulting in missed opportunities for the further development of independence. Children learn about healthy lifestyles through the

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

promotion of healthy eating. They experience food tasting opportunities where they select and sample a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables. The environment both indoors and out is carefully planned so that it is highly stimulating and welcoming to all children and enables them to make choices, be creative, investigate and play an active role in their learning. Children enjoy engaging in physical play and being outdoors as they discover the value of exercise.

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provision

Leadership of the setting sets high aspirations for quality. Thorough self-evaluation takes into account the views of staff, children and their parents which are accomplished through the result of careful monitoring and analysis. Strengths and weaknesses are clearly identified and planned actions are implemented effectively to overcome areas of weakness. For example, a comfortable seating area has been created in the nursery to make parents feel more welcome and encourage them to stay to observe practice and engage in discussions with practitioners. Robust recruitment, induction and performance management systems ensure that practitioners' strengths and weaknesses are recognised. Relevant support systems are also implemented to enable them to improve their knowledge, understanding and practice. Staff performance is monitored formally through appraisals, observation of practice and regular team meetings.

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provision

Arrangements for safeguarding children within the provision and through work with families and outside agencies are effective. All practitioners prioritise children's safety and have a secure knowledge and understanding of safeguarding issues and the procedures to follow. The management team have robust systems in place to monitor and audit staff's knowledge, which are implemented consistently. Practitioners create a stimulating environment that is welcoming and safe, both in and outdoors, where children enjoy their learning and grow in confidence. Every child, from the youngest to the oldest, and of every ability, receives a happy and enjoyable early years experience that secures their future learning. There are effective systems to monitor how practitioners observe, plan and monitor each child's progress. Extensive support and liaison with a wide range of professionals has enabled practitioners to implement the revised Early Years Foundation

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provision

Stage with confidence, ensuring they have an accurate understanding of the requirements to monitor all children's skills, abilities and progress. Interventions are sought at the early stages through robust tracking systems for individual children, resulting in their needs being met effectively and relevant support services involved.

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provision

A strong commitment to partnership working with parents, other settings and external agencies is evident and well-established, and contributes to meeting children's needs. Practitioners have good relationships with parents which have been further enhanced through the introduction of a parent forum, who meet regularly to share views and discuss future developments of the setting. In addition, 'stay and play' sessions have enabled parents to share and discuss a variety of activity ideas with practitioners, which can be incorporated into their home. Effective communication systems ensure that parents are kept fully informed of their children's progress. Photographs are also readily available to illustrate the breadth of activities that children are actively involved in throughout their time at the setting. Parents contribute to the initial assessments of their children's starting points on entry and they are actively encouraged to support and share information about

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provision

their children's learning and development at home. However, their views are not yet reflected in their children's journals. Close liaison with local schools ensures that the transition process is successful and effective. Children are given opportunities to meet their new teachers both in their existing nursery environment and through visits to their new school, resulting in them feeling confident in the transition process.

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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 EY272230 Local authority Oldham Inspection number 819890

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 82 Number of children on roll 42 Name of provider Ambrose Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 11/11/2008 Telephone number 0161 678 8400

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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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