Innovations Nursery

Innovations Children's Centre & Day Nursery Innovation Childrens Centre, Cousin Lane, HALIFAX, West Yorkshire, HX2 8DQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/01/2013 26/01/2011

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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

 High importance is put on keeping children safe. Staff have an excellent understanding of safeguarding issues, which results in children being very well protected.  Staff effectively promote children's communication and language skills through a range of skilfully planned activities.  Good levels of adult support are provided to ensure all children have ample opportunities to make expected progress in their learning and development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There are fewer resources, such as appropriately sized climbing equipment, slopes and low-level steps, for children aged under two years to further enhance their physical skills.  Meal times are not always organised as well as they could be in the pre-school room to enhance children's self-care skills. This includes, on occasions, serving spoons being too big for the children to easily serve their own food, staff not always helping them effectively to use cutlery and children sitting in groups, which are too big for staff to easily support individuals.

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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 each of the playrooms and in the outdoor area.  The inspector held meetings with the manager and the registered person.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of practitioners working within the setting and a range of other documentation.  The inspector took account of the views of five parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Innovations Children's Centre and Day Nursery is managed by North Halifax Partnership Limited and was registered in 2008. The setting operates from three play areas within Innovations Children's Centre on the site of Dean Field Community Primary School in Halifax, West Yorkshire. Children access a secure enclosed outdoor play area. The setting is open from Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm for 50 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays and occasional training days. The setting serves the local and surrounding areas and is accessible to all children.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 109 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range, including 23 aged under two years. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years. It is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

There are 21 members of staff, including the manager, who work directly with the children. Of these, one holds an early years degree, one holds an early years qualification at level 5, two hold an early years qualification at level 4 and 17 hold an early years qualification at level 3. The setting receives support from the local authority and has successfully completed a Quality Assurance Scheme.

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

 increase resources to enhance opportunities for children aged under two years to practise and develop physical skills, for instance with the provision of appropriately sized climbing equipment, slopes and low-level steps

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

 develop the organisation of meal times to enhance pre-school children's self-care skills, for example, by always sitting children in smaller groups, providing appropriately sized serving spoons and offering further support in the use of cutlery.

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who attend

All staff have attended training on the Early Years Foundation Stage. They demonstrate a good understanding of how to implement it well, including how to effectively promote children's learning and development. The wide range of activities provided ensures all children have good opportunities to make expected progress towards the early learning goals. Consequently, they are acquiring the skills for the next steps in their learning and, ultimately, school. An effective induction procedure includes staff gaining children's starting points from parents. Consequently, they are able to provide experiences which build on children's achievements and follow their interests. Children have individual learning journeys. These contain regular observations, which staff use effectively to inform future plans and to monitor their progress.

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who attend

The flexible routine enables children to make independent decisions and choices, raising their self-confidence. Staff have attended 'Every child a talker' training. The member of staff who takes a lead role in this area demonstrates a very positive attitude to ensuring the knowledge gained is implemented well. She links closely with a speech and language therapist from the local authority to ensure this happens. Staff are fully committed to promoting children's communication and language skills. This is evident throughout the setting, for instance as staff effectively use tone and intonation with babies, extend children's vocabulary in the toddler room and identify syllables in the pre-school room. Consequently, children are developing good speaking and listening skills. The children have access to a good range of books, which helps them to develop a love of reading. This is evident as they look at books independently and enthusiastically join in as staff

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who attend

read stories to them. Children have good opportunities to learn about living things as they help to nurture herbs and visit the children's centre allotment. A range of matching, sorting and sequencing activities effectively promote children's mathematical thinking. Children use their imagination well and this is developed into extended and purposeful play. An example of this is when staff make the role play area into a Chinese restaurant to enhance children's understanding of different cultures when celebrating Chinese New Year.

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who attend

Very good partnerships have been developed with parents. They speak highly of the setting and highlight the quality of the staff as being a key strength. Staff enthusiastically encourage them to be involved in their children's learning and to recognise the benefits of being actively engaged in their children's play. This includes inviting them into the setting to partake in various activities, such as baking with their children or sharing a story with them. Information is also provided on the Early Years Foundation Stage, which enables them to become more familiar with the areas of learning and the skills children gain from partaking in various experiences. Staff prepare children well for the transition from their setting to school. An example of this is when they give children the opportunity to change their clothes as though they were getting ready for a physical exercise class at school. Consequently, children are more confident about the move.

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

Staff ensure indoor space and resources are organised effectively each day to create an accessible, welcoming environment for all children. Each child has a key worker who works closely with the family as a whole. Consequently, children feel a strong sense of belonging. Staff sensitively manage the transition for children from one room to another. This includes children having short visits prior to the move and parents being well informed of the change. Consequently, children continue to feel secure in the setting. Staff consistently praise and encourage children, which promotes their confidence and self- esteem well. Staff demonstrate a consistent, calm and positive attitude to managing children's behaviour. Consequently, children are learning right from wrong and are starting to take responsibility for their own actions. Children are cared for in a clean and comfortable environment, where staff promote good

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

personal hygiene practices. Staff implement good procedures for nappy changing, to ensure children's personal care needs are met well. Children have opportunities to develop their self-care skills as they are encouraged to use the toilet independently and put their coats and boots on for outdoor play. However, lunch time in the pre-school room is not always organised as well as it could be. On occasions, the serving spoons are too big for children to easily serve their food, staff do not always help them to use a knife and fork correctly and children sit in groups which are too big for the staff to easily support individuals. This hinders children from enhancing their self-care skills.

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

Children are encouraged to enjoy healthy snacks and meals. These include fruit, pasta dishes and vegetables. This results in them developing good lifestyle habits. Children are active or restful through choice, and babies sleep according to their individual needs and parents' wishes. Children aged over two years enjoy ample opportunities to use the outdoor area, which has large climbing equipment, a maze, a pretend builders yard and a variety of sit and ride toys. Consequently, they regularly test and develop their physical skills. Younger children have space to crawl and run and occasionally use large soft blocks to climb on and explore the tent. However, there is room to enhance resources to fully promote the physical skills of the youngest children by providing such things as climbing equipment, slopes and low-level steps for them to negotiate. Children's knowledge about personal safety is encouraged through road safety activities, discussions about the hazards

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

of talking to strangers and regular evacuation drills. This positively contributes to children developing a sense of danger and how to keep themselves safe. Staff have a very good understanding of relevant policies and procedures, such as the action to be taken regarding a sick child and the administration of medication. This helps to minimise the risk of cross infection and safeguards children's health.

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provision

The manager demonstrates a secure understanding of her responsibilities within the setting. This includes monitoring the planning and delivery of the educational programmes and safeguarding children. The member of staff who takes the lead role on safeguarding children is passionate about protecting children. This ethos is shared enthusiastically by all the staff, who have all completed relevant training. This impacts very positively on keeping children safe. Risk assessments and daily checks of the premises and resources effectively reduce the chance of accidental injury. The robust recruitment procedure ensures all staff are checked with regard to their suitability, qualifications and experience in order to keep children safe. The supervision of staff ensures they receive coaching to improve their personal effectiveness. They access a range of training to improve their skills and qualifications, which impacts positively on the service they provide.

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provision

Partnerships are well-established with other professionals, including speech therapists, health visitors and translators. These make a strong contribution to children's achievements and well-being and are particularly beneficial to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. The setting works closely with parents to support the continuity of children's welfare and learning. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the benefits of sharing relevant information with other practitioners where children receive care and education in more than one setting. They are currently establishing links with a nursery where a child is to start in the near future, to enable them to extend and complement activities.

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provision

The manager is committed to further improving the setting to benefit the children who attend. Targets set are honest and realistic and build on the good practice already established. These include enhancing the outdoor area to enable younger children to access it more freely. There is a good self-evaluation process in place. The setting has recently completed a quality assurance scheme, which has helped the manager and her team of staff to further reflect on their practice. Feedback from parents and children enable them to tailor the service provided to those currently attending. There have been many improvements since the last inspection, including the reviewing of the observation and assessment process. This impacts positively on the way staff are able to track children's progress and plan more effectively.

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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 EY382695 Local authority Calderdale Inspection number 858779

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 68 Number of children on roll 109 Name of provider North Halifax Partnership Ltd Date of previous inspection 26/01/2011 Telephone number 014222 48222

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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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