Brambly Hedge Forest School

Brambly Hedge Day Nursery Richards House, Crosby Road, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL6 1AE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/12/2012 21/09/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Outdoor areas are easily accessible for all children. They are well-resourced, interesting and exciting places for children to develop their physical skills, experience fresh air and have fun.  Close working partnerships are in place with parents and other settings children attend or are about to attend. As a result children settle quickly and are well supported as they move on in their learning.  Children who are learning English as an additional language are suitably supported. Staff are sensitive to their individual needs and learn simple words and phrases in their home language.

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It is not yet good because

 The heating in the baby room is broken. As a result staff find it difficult to maintain a comfortable temperature for babies particularly in a morning. This does not fully support their well-being.  Performance management is not yet robust enough to identify how staff's professional development is appraised each year.

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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 both the playrooms and the outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the deputy manager and spoke to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled children's assessment records and planning documentation, checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children and sampled some policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of a number of parents spoken to on the day and also from written comments left by parents on the day.

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Information about the setting

Brambly Hedge Day Nursery was registered in 2004 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a converted bungalow in Northallerton and is managed by a private individual. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from two activity rooms and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 13 members of child care staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level three and two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level two. The manager also has Early Years Professional Status.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 44 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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must:

 ensure that the temperature in the baby room is adequate  ensure that regular staff appraisals are carried out to identify any training needs, and secure opportunities for continued professional development for staff.

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who attend

Staff have a suitable understanding of the seven areas of learning and have implemented systems for observation, assessment and planning. Children's developmental files and the newly implemented tracking systems show how children are making appropriate progress towards the early learning goals. Observations of children's interests and progress are used to plan suitable learning experiences for children. The next steps in children's learning are clearly highlighted for staff to follow when planning further activities. These are displayed on the noticeboards in each of the rooms so all staff are able to support children's learning appropriately.

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who attend

Staff encourage the development of children's communication and language skills by chatting to them as they play. They skilfully use open questions to help children to develop their thinking skills, for example, by asking 'Which sock matches this one?' as they match socks to different photos. Children enjoy singing familiar songs and rhymes at the end of sessions and spontaneously while they play. Babies enjoy lifting the flaps on the books as staff support them to explore the different textures. Older children listen carefully to stories in small groups or independently select a book to look at themselves. Staff follow children's interests and use some opportunities to extend children's learning. For example, parents write in their diaries that children were interested in the snow on their way to the nursery so staff help children create snowy habitats for their polar bears using a variety of different materials, including sequin off-cuts. Staff introduce children to

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who attend

mathematical language by asking them to identify which is the biggest truck and how many cars are in their traffic jam as they play with the vehicles in the sand and gravel outdoors. Babies are developing their physical skills as they have plenty of space to move around and ample sturdy furniture to pull themselves up against. Children have free-flow opportunities, between indoors and outdoors, with staff planning for an exciting and challenging outdoor environment. Older children carefully spoon the rice into the cake cases and skilfully roll and cut the play dough. Some pre-school children are able to recognise their names as they self-register on arrival.

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who attend

Staff have good partnerships with parents. They keep parents informed of their children's progress and achievements through daily verbal feedback and the sharing of diaries. Parents are encouraged to contribute to their children's learning by completing their own observations, which staff incorporate into their planning. Staff support parents to engage in their children's learning by encouraging them to borrow story bags and take Edward bear home and write about his adventures. Staff appropriately support children with English as an additional language. For example, they learn key words and phrases in the children's first language and are sensitive to individual needs when they find lunch-times too noisy, sitting with them in a quieter area. They also use simple signs and picture cards. This helps staff to communicate with children and support them during their time at nursery.

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

Children benefit from suitable settling-in procedures, which are based around their individual needs and this helps to support them in the transition between home and the nursery. Babies' emotional development is promoted as they develop secure, trusting relationships with staff. For example, staff know how they like to go to sleep and babies are cuddled closely by their key person when they are tired or upset. Photos of important people in children's lives are displayed to help young children to develop a sense of belonging and feel secure. Suitable handover systems are in place for children to move through the nursery from one room to another. Older siblings are able to visit their younger siblings in the baby room to 'check they are alright'.

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

Staff consistently implement the nursery's procedures for handling children's behaviour. They are calm in their delivery of the rules and boundaries, making sure the children understand the consequences of their actions and how to stay safe. For example, staff remind and explain to them why they should not climb on the settee and why they should be kind to their friends. As a result, children behave well and are learning the difference between right and wrong. Children are beginning to learn about the world around them. For example, they participate in fund raising for Children in Need. There are plenty of suitable resources and posters which depict positive images of race, culture and disability. Therefore, children are beginning to understand about differences in people in our society. Both the indoor and outdoor areas are well organised to provide children with experiences across all the areas of learning. Children are able to independently access a good variety

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

of toys and equipment and there is a suitable balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities.

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

The heating in the baby room is broken. A portable heater has been installed and staff have informed parents and asked them to provide children with additional layers of clothing. However, the temperatures too are low, particularly on a morning. This does not fully support children's overall well-being. Children are suitably encouraged to develop a healthy lifestyle as they are provided with good opportunities to play outdoors. As well as being able to access the large and interesting garden to develop their physical skills, both babies and children have their own covered areas where they can play outdoors no matter what the weather is like. Their nutritional needs are supported by a variety of home cooked meals and healthy snacks. The nursery employs a cook who shops weekly for ingredients and prepares meals from scratch. Menus are adapted to meet children's individual dietary needs and their likes and dislikes. Daily routines support children's

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

independence skills. For example, older children pour their own drinks and remember to wash their hands after going to the toilet. Suitable nappy changing procedures are in place with staff wearing disposable aprons and gloves. Children develop a good understanding of personal safety. They practice the evacuation procedures regularly and learn how to handle tools, such as scissors safely.

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provision

Suitable systems are in place to protect children. Staff have a good understanding and knowledge of the possible signs and symptoms of abuse and procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child. Robust vetting and recruitment procedures are in place and evidence of enhanced disclosure numbers are available for all staff. This ensures that all adults looking after children are suitable to do so. Detailed risk assessments, along with daily checks of all areas, are in place. These are combined with effective procedures, such as visitor's records and close supervision of children at all times to effectively reduce the risk of accidental injury and safeguard children. Staff act promptly when items become broken, for example the voile in the baby room is removed immediately when it falls down. The front door is kept locked and outdoor areas are securely fenced. A number of staff hold a current paediatric first aid certificate and suitable plans are in place to renew

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provision

certificates that have recently expired. This ensures that children are well protected in the event of a minor accident or incident.

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provision

The learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are suitably understood by the management and staff team. The manager oversees the monitoring of the educational programmes to ensure children make suitable progress. However, staff supervision and appraisals procedures are in the early stages of development. As a result, these are not yet sufficiently robust to ensure that staff benefit from continuous professional development. Actions and recommendations raised at the previous inspection have been positively addressed. For example, observations of children's learning informs future planning with staff clearly identifying next steps. Staff are currently reviewing children's individual files to ensure they are completely up-to-date so they can fully support children's learning. The manager has completed a self-evaluation document and is developing suitable systems to fully involve parents and staff. For

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provision

example, she discusses self-evaluation at staff meetings and some peer observations have taken place. A comments book is readily available for parents to offer their suggestions. This along with a questionnaire, parents can access via the nursery's website, helps to shape the nursery provision and identify strengths and weaknesses. The nursery also receives support from the local authority, acting upon their advice. This demonstrates the setting's capacity for making appropriate improvements to practice.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are positive. Parents speak highly of the care and learning their children receive. Staff keep them up-to-date about their child's learning through daily discussion and inviting them to look through and make contributions to their children's learning journals. Close partnership working with other professionals, including speech and language therapists are successful in supporting children, particular those who have additional needs. Children who attend more than one setting are well supported so that they receive continuity in their learning and development. Good partnership working takes place between the nursery and the school that children transfer to. Transition arrangements are discussed with school staff and visits are arranged to help prepare children for their move to school.

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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 EY290726 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 895875

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 44 Name of provider Brambly Hedge Day Nursery Date of previous inspection 21/09/2011 Telephone number 01609 771333

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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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