Selby Cottage Childcare Centre

Selby Cottage Childcare Centre The Close East, Chester-le-Street, DURHAM, DH2 2EY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/11/2012 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The childcare centre provides an extremely caring, homely atmosphere where children and their families are welcomed and extremely well supported.  The knowledgeable and committed staff team have an excellent understanding of the learning and development needs of young children. They use their skilled observations to plan individual activities which support children's next steps exceptionally well.  Children of all ages show high levels of motivation and independence as they play creatively in the fantastic natural environments both indoors and outdoors. They make excellent progress in their learning and development because their individual interests and needs are provided for very well.  Safety and security is of utmost importance. Clear risk assessment procedures and vigilant staff ensure that children tackle stimulating challenges and exiting activities as safely as possible.  Strong partnerships are formed with parents and carers. A wide range of information is

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This provision is outstanding

shared about how children are progressing so there is continuity of learning between the setting and home.  Staff are highly motivated and work closely together as a result of the outstanding support they receive from their manager. They continually strive for improvement through constant reflection and evaluation of their practice and the detailed monitoring of children's progress.

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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 children and staff engaged in activities in the four main play rooms, the outdoor areas for under and over threes, and the conservatory dining area. This included a joint observation of outdoor activities in the 'Secret Garden'.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the deputy mangers and the local authority operational lead.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at assessment and planning documentation, samples of policies and procedures, evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff and the setting's self-evaluation and improvement planning documents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also spoke to parents and reviewed parent comment books and questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

Selby Cottage Childcare Centre registered in 2012 under new management. It is located on the outskirts of Chester-le-Street town centre. The centre operates from single-storey premises and there is access to enclosed outdoor play areas. The centre is open five days a week, Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6.30pm all year round for 51 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays. Sessional and full day care places are offered. An out of school club runs from 7.30am until 9am and 3pm until 6.30pm, term time and the holiday club runs from 7.30am until 6.30pm during school holidays.

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Information about the setting

There are 135 children on roll, of these 85 are in the early years age group. The centre also takes children in the older age range from eight years old to 16 years old. The group is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The centre is able to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. There are 12 permanent staff who work with the children. All hold relevant qualifications mostly at level 3, with two staff qualified to level 6. The group receives support from a teaching consultant from the local authority.

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

 build on the already varied ways parents are involved in supporting their children's learning at home, such as developing a wider range of home learning activity bags so these are available to all children.

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who attend

The centre's highly knowledgeable and dedicated staff work closely together. They continuously develop exceptionally engaging learning environments using a wide range of natural resources. Everyday objects, fabrics and baskets are innovatively laid out so even the youngest children can choose independently. Outdoors children of all ages have continual access to an incredibly rich and versatile outdoor environment. This includes a fantastic range of areas to explore, including outdoor painting, a sound garden, or digging and real-life construction areas. The large pebbled area for water play and the extensive sand pit intrigue and fascinate children. This provides them with endless exploration which stimulates their imaginations and develops their physical skills exceptionally well. The kitchen garden, 'Secret Garden' and the wide range of fruit trees provide them with real experiences of growing and tending plants. A favourite activity is helping to look after the

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who attend

setting's three hens and collecting the eggs daily. These meaningful experiences ensure children develop an excellent understanding the world around them.

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who attend

Activities and resources are always appropriate for children's ages and stages and their individual developmental needs. This is because staff use their extensive knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage to make meticulous observations and assessments on a daily basis. These are used to plan engaging activities which effectively support progress across all areas of learning. Babies are able to mix and explore powder paint and freely make swirls on the floor painting. Toddlers respond to seeing a live hedgehog in the Forest School by creating their own fir cone 'hedgehogs' and a box of leaves for them to live in. Pre-school children develop their construction play using maps, or select their own resources when they want to make playdough, learning about reading and numbers as they follow the recipes and weigh out the ingredients.

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who attend

Across the centre adults provide superb support for children to develop their language. Creative activities that promote children's knowledge of sounds and letters are introduced into their new music area helping them develop listening skills. As staff play alongside children, they skilfully use every opportunity to help them listen or talk. They repeat their early attempts at words, or extend their vocabulary suggesting they 'squash' the playdough, or help them to explain how they are going to tip over the log to find bugs underneath. This individual support means that all children, including those who start below their age-appropriate levels, make excellent progress in their language development and are very well prepared for moving to school. Where children have an additional home language, staff ensure that they work closely with parents to learn about the words children are using, so that children quickly become confident communicators.

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who attend

Parents are fully involved from the start in helping to provide information about their children's interests and needs. They have home visits and daily contact with their child's key person, so they develop strong relationships. Parents are kept extremely well informed about their children's progress throughout nursery. They attend regular parents meetings, share the wealth of information in the 'Learning Journey' files, or look at the photographs and 'learning stories' displayed around the setting. Parents make valued contributions about children's interests from home in their own 'home learning stories'. This means parents are able to provide continued support at home for their children's learning.

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

The centre has a well-established system of supporting families through a flexible programme of home and setting visits. These are always tailored to suit the needs of the children. Parents comment about how this has provided essential reassurance and support when they first leave their children at nursery. From this successful start, staff continue to develop exceptionally strong bonds with their key children, carrying out care routines, carefully observing their preferences and responding to these in the cosy, homely rooms. Children also develop caring and supportive relationships with their friends as they are helped to share and take turns in all aspects of the day to day routines and activities.

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

Children develop incredibly strong independence skills, because they are able to access resources themselves and make their own choices from an early age. Staff support this process extremely well, providing just enough support to allow children to succeed, whilst enabling them to 'do it themselves'. For example, adults help babies use wet wipes to clean the paint off their feet after a messy activity. They allow toddlers to serve their own snacks and pour their milk. This provides children with a real sense of achievement and exceptionally good self-help skills for their ages. A rich variety of activities which celebrate other cultures are explored throughout the year. Images and resources provide children with awareness of the differences between themselves and others in the world around them.

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

Using a wide range of tools and equipment in the Forest School and the outdoor environments, helps children to manage their own risks and challenges. This is supported by meticulous risk assessments across the centre, and staff who are always alert in case they need to intervene and support children. Resources and all play spaces are subject to regular careful checks to make sure children are kept safe.

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

Children are helped to learn a great deal about being healthy. They spend large amounts of time outdoors exploring and being active, but also have opportunities to dance to music indoors if they choose. They benefit from nutritional meals planned around seasonal menus, as well as learning about growing food first-hand and trying out their own garden produce. Lettuce sandwiches are very popular. Tooth brushing is promoted and children enjoy trying out brushing with the giant teeth and toothbrush.

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

Transitions between rooms are particularly sensitively planned. Children are observed so staff recognise when they are ready to move on. They are enabled to access the new room over a period of time so they gradually become settled. When children move to new nurseries or school they are similarly supported. An innovative system of 'School Choice' evenings for parents creates close links with local schools. This ensures an excellent programme of visits, which make sure children are fully prepared for the next step in their learning.

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provision

The leadership of the setting promotes a culture of continuous professional development and improvement. All staff are eager to reflect on their practice. They contribute to the evaluation and improvement process through completing 'reflection sheets'. Parents' views are sought and acted upon. There is an excellent awareness of listening to children's views and ideas, including the Out of School children's council. Staff are highly self-motivated. Following recent training on 'Loose Parts' play and 'Letters and Sounds', they immediately share their knowledge with colleagues and enthusiastically adapt their room areas to reflect these approaches. A carefully monitored and detailed improvement plan shows clear priorities for development which have been sustained and reviewed over a long period of time. Managers collate the data from children's 'Flying from the Start' sheets so they can track the progress different groups of children make. From this they identify

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provision

support for children with lower language levels, or areas of learning that can be further developed through providing practitioner training. This ensures all children are enabled to make maximum progress.

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provision

Procedures to recruit staff are exemplary and thorough induction is carried out for all new practitioners. The centre's policies and procedures are consistently implemented and there is a clear reviewing process to ensure these are always updated. Appraisal of staff is used effectively to support a comprehensive programme of professional development, which includes attendance at a wide range of appropriate local authority training. Regular staff meetings are used to share and ideas and practice between practitioners. One member of staff is an Advanced Practitioner within the local area and provides training and visits to promote the centre's exceptional practice to other settings. The manager has a role in overseeing and supporting other nurseries in the area. This means the centre is at the forefront of innovative and progressive practice.

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provision

Partnerships with a range of professionals are very well established. The setting works closely with the local authority and accesses support from the speech and language, family support and educational psychology services to support children's needs as appropriate. Parents' involvement is crucial to the work of the centre. A thriving parents' group is involved in a wide range of fund-raising and community activities, which support the centre. These provide opportunities children, parents and staff to celebrate and relax together. A recent 'Broth and Bun' event was particularly enjoyed and successfully provided contributions of food for those in need. The centre has developed a supportive relationship with some of the elderly residents near the setting who children visited to promote safety leaflets, in co-operation with the police. In this way children feel an essential part of their community and learn to respect the needs of others.

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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 EY446983 Local authority Durham Inspection number 801411

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 87 Number of children on roll 135 Name of provider Durham County Council Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01913885620

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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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