Children 1st @ Newark

Children 1st @ Newark Torridon House, Muskham Road, NEWARK, Nottinghamshire, NG24 1DP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 04/01/2013 03/06/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Staff are warm and caring with all children, therefore, children are relaxed and confident.  Staff working with the older children promote their individual learning and development through regular observations and assessment of their achievements.  Children benefit from a stimulating environment both indoors and outside, which supports their learning and development.  Children play safely in a secure environment where, they are supervised well.

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It is not yet good because

 Assessment of learning and development for babies is not consistently carried out. Staff support of their learning and development needs is, therefore, not always well- targeted.  Teaching is over directed at times, which does not extend creative and critical thinking or consistently allows children to explore their own ideas.  Monitoring of the educational programme is not fully robust to ensure that assessment of progress for the youngest children is up-to-date and accurate.

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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 and teaching in the playrooms and garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to staff to establish their understanding of care policies and procedures.  The inspector held a prolonged discussion with the manager and cluster manager.

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Inspection activities

 Samples of documentation were seen, including medication and allergy records, parent surveys and children's daily diaries and development files.

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Information about the setting

Children 1st @ Newark was registered in 1998 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a refurbished country house, set in three acres of woodland and landscaped gardens in Newark, Nottinghamshire. The nursery is part of a family-owned business, covering 15 registered settings. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play. The setting is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association and is a Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education accredited training centre. The company holds an Investors in People award.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications. Of these, one member of staff has Early Years Professional status; two are qualified at level 6, five at level 3 and one at level 2. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 59 children attending who are within the early years age group. The nursery provides care for children before and after school up to eight years of age. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four- year-old children

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must:

 improve provision for the youngest children by ensuring that each child's level of development is rigorously assessed against the early learning goals and use this information to successfully advance their learning through well-targeted activities.

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

 improve the systems for driving improvement by ensuring that practice is effectively monitored, in order to quickly identify and act upon inconsistent practice

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

 extend children's creative and critical thinking by using more open-ended questions and activities.

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who attend

Children in the nursery are cared for in specific age groups, which means that staff can provide an environment and learning opportunities that are appropriate to their age and stage of development. Children over three-years-old benefit from well-planned activities and a stimulating environment, where they make good progress in areas of development. Staff assess the regular observations they make of children's learning through their activities and adapt their teaching to meet their individual needs. Children drawing penguins are helped to plan their pictures by first looking at a book about penguins and discussing them with a member of staff. They choose which kind of penguin they will draw, a rock-hopper, and repeat the new word they have learned. Staff support the children with questions and suggestions to extend their learning. However, staff sometimes use too much direction and closed questions, which limits opportunities to

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who attend

extend children's creative and critical thinking.

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who attend

Children benefit from a stimulating and well-resourced outdoor area. Staff plan for outdoor activities, which supports children who learn better in this environment. For example, small huts have been developed to represent the popular children's story about three little pigs. Children develop physical skills as they climb and balance, and explore in the extensive grounds. Staff consider the children's experiences as they plan the indoor space. Some Christmas activities have been left in the home area of the pre-school room because staff recognise that children need to role play their recent experiences. They have noticed that children have been more eager to write letters to Santa and wrap presents since returning from the Christmas break.

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who attend

Children in the toddler age group benefit from warm relationships and developmentally appropriate interactions, which support their progress in communication and language. Staff talk to them during play and encourage their independence and physical skills through praise when they try things for themselves, such as taking off their own coats and boots. Children are encouraged to engage in play as staff sit alongside them on the floor and talk to them about what they are doing.

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who attend

Staff working with the youngest children are less skilled at promoting their learning and development. Initial starting points, established through conversation with parents, are not securely built upon. Observations made by staff are not regularly or accurately assessed, which limits the level of challenge and stimulation children are offered through planned activities and meaningful interactions. For example, assessments do not cover all aspects of the prime areas of babies' development, or consider if older babies are beginning to develop skills in wider areas of development, such as understanding the world around them, or expressing themselves through art and crafts. Staff play with babies and give them consistent attention, which ensures that they make satisfactory progress.

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who attend

Parents are adequately involved in their children's learning as details of activities the children say they have enjoyed and why, are displayed on a board in the pre-school room and daily diaries share this information with parents of younger children. Children's development files are accessible to parents so that they can keep informed about their progress.

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

Children have strong relationships with all staff in their rooms. They are secure and confident, eagerly approaching staff to share their observations or ask for help if needed. Babies snuggle up with their key person when they are tired, or when feeding from a bottle, which enhances their self-esteem and sense of belonging. Staff give children good levels of attention, giving time to routine care tasks, such as nappy changing, using the opportunity for some individual time with the children. Children's understanding of how to support their own healthy lifestyle is developing well; they serve their own food at mealtimes. One child tells a member of staff he does not want any cauliflower on his plate. He is encouraged to try a little and reassured that this is his choice. Older children help themselves to a healthy snack and water from the dispenser, learning to know their own needs. They benefit from free-flow opportunities for

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

outside play during the day, which gives them plenty of exercise and fresh air. Babies have their own secure space for outdoor play, where they can safely experiment with their developing stability and movement.

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

Behaviour in the nursery is good. Children are given clear explanations, which mean that they understand why they need to follow rules and learn to consider one another's feelings and needs. When a child tells a member of staff that they want a drink but there is no room at the table, another child quickly finishes their drink and offers the child their place. Children are continually reminded of safety when playing; therefore, they begin to assess risks for themselves. When one child is reminded to clear away the toys on the floor before they move on, the child does so willingly because the member of staff reminds them this is so that people will not trip on the toys.

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

Key persons in all rooms re-visit the starting points with parents when children are approaching the time to move up into another age group, or move on to school. Children visit their new room with their key person and their new key person visits them in their current room to establish a relationship and help them to feel comfortable and at home.

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provision

Arrangements for safeguarding children in the setting are satisfactory. Consent from parents to administer medication is in place and records over time show that the administration of medication has been recorded and shared with parents. However, a recent incident regarding not recording the administration of medication shows that this lapse was not the regular practice of the setting. Prompt action has been taken by the management team to review the policies and procedures with regard to medication and to ensure that all staff are fully aware of these. Staff spoken to during inspection demonstrate a secure and confident understanding of the procedure they need to follow, including how to record medication and how to inform parents of this.

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provision

All staff who are employed by the nursery are checked with regard to their suitability and qualifications. Staff are confident in their knowledge of child protection procedures and consequently, they know how to take appropriate action if they have concerns about a child. Written risk assessments for the premises and all outings are in place and daily checks made by staff ensure that hazards to children are identified and minimised.

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provision

The management team review and reflect on practice in the nursery to identify and act on areas for improvement. The manager has a hands-on approach, spending time in the rooms observing practice. However, the monitoring of staff practice to ensure that they regularly complete children's observations and assessments or that they extend activities to fully promote children's learning is not rigorous. The manager holds regular team meetings to discuss the progress of the nursery with staff, who are then involved in drawing up action plans for their own rooms and the nursery as a whole. Parents' views are sought through regular surveys and ongoing conversation with staff and managers. Children are involved as they express their feelings on the nursery day by using a traffic light system to indicate whether they have enjoyed their activities and discuss with staff what to write on the information board for parents.

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provision

Parents spoken to felt that relationships with staff are strong and they are confident to leave their children in their care. Parents of children in the younger rooms receive a written daily diary of their children's care and activities as well as verbal feedback. The nursery uses diaries to link with other providers where a child attends other settings to effectively exchange information to promote consistency of care and learning. Children are supported well when making transitions with the nursery, through good communication between key persons and parents, which allows children to settle into their new room in their own time. Links with local schools and visits by teachers support their later transition into 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 253341 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 894392

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 90 Number of children on roll 59 Name of provider Breedon House Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 03/06/2011 Telephone number 01636 611 914

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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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