House of Eden

House of Eden Pioneering Care Centre, Carers Way, Cobblers Hall, NEWTON AYCLIFFE, County Durham, DL5 4SF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/01/2013 05/09/2011

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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

 The staff know the children extremely well and as a result they are able to build on their interests effectively.  The children are very safe in the setting because the manager has robust procedures in place to ensure the safety of all children.  The children are very happy and settled in the setting because key person build up strong relationships with children and their families.  Very good relationships with parents mean that children are fully supported at home and in the setting to make the best possible progress.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is a lack of understanding in how to promote early literacy skills with older children, particularly in relation to naming and sounding words, and as a result children's progress in literacy is slower.  Storage of books does not always encourage children to access them independently and as a result children do not always read books for pleasure.  There are missed opportunities for counting which means progress in mathematics is not maximised.

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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 toured the setting with the manager.  The inspector interviewed the manager.  The inspector carried out observations with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of documents including planning, assessments and policies.  The inspector carried out observations in the setting and talked to staff.  The inspector talked to parents.

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Information about the setting

House of Eden Nursery is one of six nurseries owned by a private provider. It was registered in 2011 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from three activity rooms on the ground floor, the first floor pre-school activity room, and the learning suite within the Pioneering Care Partnership building. The nursery is located in the Cobblers Hall area of Newton Aycliffe and serves the local and surrounding areas. The nursery is accessible to all children and there are two fully enclosed areas available for outdoor play plus an enclosed courtyard.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 123 children attending who are within the early years age range. The nursery also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 19 members of childcare staff. Of these 14 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round apart from one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm and children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery receives support from the local authority. 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 and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 improve strategies for supporting older children's literacy skills by; providing activities which help children to distinguish between different sounds in words and; reorganising book corners so that they are cosy and inviting and encourage children to select books independently

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

 develop opportunities for counting in everyday routines, such as snack and meal times.

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who attend

Children enjoy a range of interesting and challenging experiences across the seven areas of learning which are thoughtfully extended to support children's interests and next steps. For example, staff build on babies' interest in exploring milk on the table, and offer jelly and sand for them to explore further. Older children, fascinated by Rapunzel, build a tower for her in the blocks. As a result, children are interested and motivated to learn.

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who attend

Staff have a good awareness of how they can support children's learning and development and parents play an active role in this. 'All About Me' sheets and individual care plans help staff to develop an understanding of the needs and interests of the child when they start. Verbal discussions, an electronic learning journal and termly developmental reviews mean that parents are kept well informed about their children's progress. As a result parents know where their child is at and how they can support them. Home achievement boards enable staff to build on information from home and use this in their planning.

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who attend

All children make good progress from their starting points. Children are working within the developmental range for their age. Children with special educational needs and English as an additional language make good progress because staff work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure their needs are effectively met. Staff assess children according to 'Development Matters' in the Early Years Foundation Stage which means they know where children are in their learning and how they can support them further. Careful observations highlight achievement and next steps and this information is used to plan further activities, such as bathing dolls to support children's interest in babies. Staff support children well throughout their play with careful questioning and comments to promote further learning. This ensures children are well prepared for starting school.

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who attend

A high priority is placed on communication and language and as a result, children enjoy nursery rhymes and can look and talk about the pictures. Staff are aware of individual needs in relation to language development and meet with parents on an individual basis to discuss how they can support this further. As a result, children make good progress in the development of communication and language. Books are used as a starting point for many activities, however, children do not always choose to look at books because the book areas have too many books stored in boxes and children are not able to see or select books independently. Older children are starting to develop literacy skills as they clap the syllables in their name and recognise their own names as they select their drinking bottles and sit at the table next to their place mat. Staff use the programme 'Letters and Sounds' to help children distinguish between the sounds in words. However, the related activities

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who attend

are occasionally not matched to the children's learning needs. For example, too many sounds are introduced to the children in an activity and children become bored.

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who attend

Physical development is promoted well in the setting. Children enjoy pretending to be cars outside as they learn about space and move in and out of each other confidently. This is also developed inside as children ask to do dancing. As a result children learn to move with coordination and control. Children operate independently in the setting as young children are supported to put aprons on for painting and clear away their dishes after lunch.

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who attend

Mathematics is mostly planned for well as children have plenty of opportunities to explore and learn about shape, as they make pictures and use blocks and bricks to explore the different properties of shapes. Children are developing mathematical vocabulary, such as bigger and smaller as they build and construct. Older children learn about numbers and activities are planned to help children recognise number, however opportunities for counting within the routines of the nursery are missed as staff lay the table and place the cups out for the children. This means that children's understanding of number and counting is not maximised.

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who attend

Children are interested and enjoy learning about a range of festivals and celebrations. Children have recently enjoyed Olympic events and the nursery communicates with settings in China and Turkey so children develop an awareness of other cultures. Children access a range of equipment to support information communication technology and older children are able to load programmes on the computer.

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

Children are very happy and settled within the nursery. A very effective key person system means that children and their families are supported well. Parents talk to their key person at the beginning and the end of a session and they feel that their child's key person knows them very well. Parents comment on how the developmental reviews carried out termly are individual and describe their children extremely well.

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

All staff are aware of the needs of the children and as a result, they are able to support children's growing independence by responding to their needs, such as toilet training. Children's personal independence is promoted well and children are supported to manage their own clothing and wash hands when using the toilet and before meals.

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

The setting promotes independence and resources are clearly labelled and accessible to the children. Where this is not always possible, children confidently ask for the resources they require. This means children are able to operate independently within the setting. The environment has been adapted to suit the needs of the children and recent changes, such as creating an extra room for the older children, have been successful. This means that staff are able to meet the needs of all children effectively.

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

The children are kept safe because behaviour is managed effectively and children are reminded about how to behave in the setting. Children are praised for good behaviour and staff plan in activities, such as passing a ball, to help younger children to share resources. As a result, children learn to behave, share and take turns and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. Regular outdoor play means that children benefit from fresh air and enjoy learning from the environment. Children are beginning to develop an awareness of the effects of physical exercise on their body as they talk about how they feel after dancing and that they need a drink.

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

Transitions within the setting are managed effectively. Visits to the next room are flexible according to the needs of the child and vary in length and frequency. Once the child is settled, staff review the care plan with the parents. This ensures that children are settled and a care plan is established while parents begin to get to know the new key person. The nursery work hard to establish links with local schools and staff from local schools visit the children in the setting and find out about their learning and development needs. Staff share assessments and, where appropriate, visit with the children to ensure smooth transitions into neighbouring schools.

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provision

The manager has a good understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the welfare and learning and development requirements of the revised Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Regular monitoring of planning with staff teams means that she is aware of where improvements need to be made and provides further training and support where necessary. For example, after identifying that outdoor provision is not planned for effectively, staff have attended training and are planning for the children's learning outside. The manager is undertaking a trial with the local authority to track children's progress and is beginning to use this to enhance the identification of gaps in children's learning. Regular monitoring of the setting, including time in the rooms, means that the manager is aware of the needs of all her staff and can target further training and support where necessary. There are robust recruitment procedures in place which include

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provision

observations of candidates in the setting. All staff and students have appropriate checks carried out and comprehensive induction procedures mean that all staff, including students, are aware of their role within the setting.

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provision

Safeguarding is good because the manager and staff have a good awareness of their responsibilities. Clear policies and procedures are known and understood by all staff, including students, and are implemented consistently. A rigorous security system for entry to the setting and collection of children as well as regular risk assessments mean that the setting is very safe. Staff have a good understanding of and give a high priority to the safety of children. Daily risk assessments mean that all the areas of the nursery are checked and hazards identified. Children behave well in the setting and respond well when staff remind them of potential risks.

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provision

Self-evaluation is good because the manager and staff identify what they do well and how they help children learn. The manager acts upon feedback from parents and changes, such as a staff photograph board, mean that parents know all the staff in the setting. All actions and recommendations from the last inspection have been addressed. Action plans are developed as a staff team and highlight planned improvements, for example further developing the outdoor play provision. Recent improvements include extending the building and have had a positive impact because staff are able to meet the needs of the different age groups more effectively. Good relationships with the local authority mean that the manager knows who to contact for help and support. Staff training provided by the local authority has had a positive impact.

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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 EY427246 Local authority Durham Inspection number 875872

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 94 Number of children on roll 134 Name of provider House of Eden Limited Date of previous inspection 05/09/2011 Telephone number 01388722152

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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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