Snapdragons Nursery Keynsham

Snapdragons Nursery Ellsbridge House, 185 Bath Road, Keysham, Bristol, BS31 1TL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/02/2013 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

 Children consistently demonstrate their enthusiasm to learn. The rich enabling environment motivates them to initiate their own learning and develop highly positive skills in preparation for school.  Children thrive in the healthily environment because the highly enthusiastic staff are knowledgeable about their individual needs. They implement sensitive settling in procedures, thus promoting children's well-being exceptionally well.  Children are excellent communicators because staff use highly successful strategies to ensure every child reaches their full potential in their key areas of development.  Outstanding systems of self-evaluation and staff supervision contribute significantly to the management team's pursuit of excellence.  Children benefit from an exceptionally healthy diet with varied meals and snacks.

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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 in all areas of the indoor and outdoor environments

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the nominated person, area manager, nursery manager and key persons.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the nursery manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked safeguarding information, and sampled the policies and procedures, and children's development records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the nursery self-evaluation, parents' written feedback and spoke to some parents present on the day of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Snapdragons Nursery is one of seven privately owned nurseries. It registered in 2012 and operates from a purpose converted three-storey building. Children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. It is situated in Keynsham on the outskirts of Bristol. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6.30pm for 51 weeks of the year. It is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts the Childcare Register. There are currently 68 children from five months to four years, on roll. The nursery operates a Forest School philosophy and receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and four years.

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Information about the setting

The owner holds a PGCE in Early Years and has achieved Early Years Professional Status. The manager holds Early Years Professional and Qualified Teacher Status, as well as a Forest School qualification to level 3. There are two staff with a degree in early years and the other three are qualified to level 3. They are supported by a chef and two kitchen staff, a housekeeper and office manager, as well as an area manager, two early years advisors and head office staff. In addition, there are three apprentices training at the nursery not included in the ratios.

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

 enhance the programme for literacy development by providing more words and writing resources in the outdoor environment.

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who attend

The staff have an extremely thorough awareness of each of their key children's abilities and how their planning supports their development. This is because they constantly observe the children and regularly assess and track children's development. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of how to promote children's learning through fun, imaginative experiences. Consequently, children make rapid progress in all areas. They develop excellent skills in preparation for school. Children independently select resources and excitedly initiate their own learning. Staff move children's learning on without rushing them, following their lead. They encourage children to talk about what they are doing, review what they have done and suggest ways forward. This positive support fully promotes children's thinking, language and creativity, so that they become highly reflective learners. For example, three children work together to make a boat from

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who attend

wooden bricks, large enough for them to sit in with sides to keep the water out. The member of staff encourages children to come up with their own ideas and ways to check if they have worked. Children's develop a very good understanding of mathematical concepts, as staff make excellent use of daily routines. For example, older children count how many girls and boys are present and say how many plates they need in total for each to have one. They recognise their names and point out familiar words, such as 'Snapdragons', linking letters to sounds. Children's language development is promoted exceptionally well by staff, for example, as they encourage babies to babble. Staff skilfully support children in small group activities, concentrating on their specific needs. For example, one member of staff tells older children that she knows they know the answer and to give younger children time to think and reply. She then asks them to confirm if the other child is correct.

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who attend

Consequently, all children develop excellent speaking and listening skills, by learning to pay attention to what others are saying. Children develop their early writing skills through a very wide range of activities and by staff acting as good role models. Older children are aware that there are different ways of writing through the festivals they celebrate, such as Chinese New year. Staff write children's comments on their pictures; they provide writing resources and display simple words, although this is not as extensive in the outdoor area.

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who attend

Babies explore an extensive range of natural resources enabling them to use all their senses. Staff notice one child enjoying the sounds they can make with wooden spoons and introduce brushes to make a different sound. Some feel the different textures of material and squeal with joy, as they play peek-a-boo demonstrating their enjoyment of a positive response. Outdoors, children of all ages engage in an adult-led activity, painting with their feet in boots. Older children notice what happens when the colours mix and the prints they leave behind fascinate younger children. Staff keep parents central to their children's learning, which fully enhances their development. They invite parents into the nursery to join their children in activities and for meals. Books go home for parents to share with their children

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

The highly effective key person system promotes children's well-being very well. Parents praise the benefits of 'home visits'. They particularly mention how staff observe what is important to their child and use this to sensitively support them in settling in. Staff use display boards of children's families, which parents contribute to, so children gain positive self-awareness and feel very secure. The manager has been on 'Emotion Coaching' training to focus on children's personal, social and emotional development. She mentors staff to empower children to understand it is okay to feel angry but to use words and appropriate responses to express it. As a result, children's behaviour is exemplary; they share and demonstrate empathy for anyone upset. Older children work together extremely well. Staff sensitively support children in their transition to other settings or within the nursery, making it a gradual process to ensure children feel emotionally secure.

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

Staff organise the extensive range of exciting resources exceptionally well, so that children make choices and become active learners. Older children free-flow between the indoor and outdoor environments and staff take babies out daily. Children of all ages move freely around the spacious premises and develop very good physical skills. For example, babies crawl up the gentle slopes and move to where resources catch their eye. They sleep safely in a separate room, which staff constantly monitor. All ages have a large indoor sandpit, where they explore the properties of wet and dry sand. Staff fully engage children in using the resources and then ensure they are available for children to use individually. For example, they use items in a bag to start conversations and introduce vocabulary. They then leave this in the book area so that later children initiate their own learning by repeating the activity with each other.

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

The nursery has won awards for its healthy eating initiatives, providing children with locally sourced foods and fresh cooked meals. Consequently, children gain an excellent awareness of healthy eating and cultural foods; displaying excitement over snacks of crumpets with homemade jam. All children regularly drink fresh water from their individual beakers, which staff ensure are available both indoors and outdoors. Older children comment on needing healthy food and water to give them energy. Staff follow excellent procedures to protect the health of the youngest children, for example while changing nappies. All children have daily outdoor activities and dress appropriately for the weather. Older children remove their coats and boots to independently manage their personal hygiene, then excitedly put them back on to continue their activity; sometimes taking more resources with them. Children learn to manage age appropriate risks and

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

demonstrate they know how to use tools safely through daily routines and Forest School activities.

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provision

The strong management team has an excellent understanding of their responsibilities to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They follow robust and extensive recruitment procedures, in order to ensure they employ highly knowledgeable staff. They have recently reviewed their staff supervision procedures, so that there is a purpose to the meeting and beneficial outcomes to both parties. This ultimately affects the children as the staff spend time exploring the policies and procedures, and know how to effectively implement them. Staff deploy themselves extremely well to safeguard and support children, which enables children to make full use of the premises. In addition, the office staff and manager monitor the main door and CCTV from the office. Staff ensure that they record all safeguarding information and keep well-documented information to protect children's welfare. They all receive safeguarding

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provision

training and have an excellent awareness of the procedures, as well as where to gain additional guidance. Staff carry out extensive risk assessments and safety checks to ensure children remain safe.

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provision

The management team provide extensive in-house training and have high expectations of their staff. They set compulsory training for all staff, including safeguarding, health and safety, and food hygiene. Some training is specific to staff roles or interests, which motivates them to continue to update their knowledge and implement new initiatives. For example, the staff use specially developed communication cards as a tool to enhance children's language and communication skills. They use sign language with the youngest children and have cosy areas to share books. The company employs two early years advisors who visit all their nurseries, making joint observations with the manager and feeding back on areas for development. For example, they are currently reflecting on ensuring they are meeting the needs of boys and introducing visual timetables. Extensive systems of self-evaluation, including regular meetings for managers, room leaders and

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provision

staff, and questionnaires for parents, ensure that everyone using the setting can contribute. The owners and manager have a very positive attitude to the challenges they face as the nursery numbers grow and they have excellent plans in place to continue to improve.

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provision

All staff have an excellent awareness of how to implement the early years learning and development requirements. They use their constant observations to provide summative assessments for parents and the required two-year-old progress check. Parents receive excellent information on the provision, and their child's care and development. The website, newsletters, notice boards and parents' evenings, provide up-to-date news and information on how to promote learning at home. Parents receive a written summary of their child's development and next stages of learning every two months. In addition, staff are available for daily discussions. Staff have actively contacted another provider as they are about to share care of a child.

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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 EY445914 Local authority Bath & NE Somerset Inspection number 880895 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 121 Number of children on roll 68 Name of provider Snapdragons Nurseries Ltd Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01179 861173

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Setting details

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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