Noah's Nursery

Noah's Nursery 19 Crossfield Road, Handforth, WILMSLOW, SK9 3LN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/02/2013 01/06/2011

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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

 Children develop a high self-esteem in the friendly and welcoming nursery environment. They are treated with care and respect by their key person and well-established staff team.  Children who require additional support are quickly identified and staff develop close partnerships with parents and other professionals to ensure that their individual learning and development needs are met.  Children benefit from fresh, air, exercise and opportunities to be active in their play and learning in the well-resourced outdoor play areas.

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It is not yet good because

 More able children are not always given sufficient challenges to fully promote their skills in aspects of literacy and mathematics.  Not all parents are fully involved in sharing information regarding their children's skills and abilities at home. Therefore, this is not routinely considered when staff write summaries of their current abilities, track their progress or plan activities.  Lengthy breakfast and morning snack routines reduces the length of the play session and the time staff have to dedicate to supporting children in their play.  Younger children do not have easy access throughout the play sessions to malleable materials, such as play dough, drawing or mark making tools. This reduces their opportunities to develop their small muscle control and creative skills.

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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 spoke to children and observed activities in the play rooms and outdoor play areas.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to members of the staff team about the progress of their key children and their understanding of the nursery's policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's observation and assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of practitioners working within the setting and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector and manager conducted a joint observation to consider how the pre- school room promoted opportunities for children to learn about reading and writing for different purposes.

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Information about the setting

Noah's Nursery was registered in 1989 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is privately owned and operates from a converted property in the centre of Handforth in East Cheshire. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from three rooms on the ground floor and there are fully enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs five members of child care staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The manager also has a level 4 qualification in management and the deputy manager has a degree in Early Childhood Studies.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 26 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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must:

 develop educational programmes for more able children in the areas of literacy and mathematics. For example by: more challenging questioning and activities; increasing print and numerals in the environment and making a range of reading and writing materials accessible in different areas  develop more effective ways to encourage parents to routinely engage in the observation and assessment process. Particularly with regards to sharing information regarding their children's skills and abilities when they start at nursery and when writing the progress check at age two.

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

 review the morning routine to enable staff to dedicate more time to supporting children in their play and learning during the morning play session  extend the variety of consistently and easily accessible drawing, writing and malleable materials for younger children to develop their small muscle and creative skills.

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who attend

Children are busy and engaged for the majority of their time at nursery. Staff record regular and accurate observations of children. They have recently introduced a clear system for tracking children's progress from their individual starting points. Well-written three monthly summaries reflect children's abilities and interests. These are discussed with parents to ensure that they are kept well informed of their children's progress. This format is also used for the progress check at age two and is effective in highlighting gaps in children's learning. Various ways have been introduced to involve parents in their children's learning and in the observation and assessment planning process, but these have only been successful in engaging a small number of parents. Staff do not routinely include parents' knowledge of their children's skills and abilities when establishing starting points to inform the baseline tracking. Some parents verbally inform staff of children's

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who attend

progress at home and staff consider this in their interactions with children and planning of activities. However, very few observations and summaries reflect parents' knowledge or involvement. This limits how staff are able to routinely use this information when assessing children's progress and planning activities that meet their individual needs.

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who attend

Staff use their knowledge of children's skills, abilities and interests to devise next steps in their learning and plan how to support children in reaching these. This is effective in supporting children in making steady, and sometimes good progress in their learning and in developing appropriate skills to prepare them for school. However, at times more able children are not sufficiently challenged, particularly in aspects of mathematics and literacy. Writing materials are available outdoors and in the writing area and children access a good range of books in the book areas. However, writing and reading materials are not available in other areas of the room and there is little print on display. This limits opportunities for children to practise and consolidate their literacy skills.

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who attend

Staff working with children of all ages routinely count with children as they play. Toddlers are beginning to show a keen interest in counting, shape and colour. A child enthusiastically and skilfully builds a tower in the small garden area using large bricks which develop his large muscle skills. Staff ask him to choose a yellow triangle to put on next and they count how many bricks they have used. A baby excitedly crawls over to the tower and knocks it down. Staff support children in understanding that this is what babies like to do. They happily make another tower for the baby to knock down before staff access some stacking beakers for the baby to use to build. This demonstrates how staff support children in developing an understanding of the needs of others.

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who attend

Staff have identified that some toddlers particularly enjoy creative and drawing activities that promote their small physical skills. However, resources to enable children to practise and extend these skills are not easily accessible to children throughout the play sessions. Older children enjoy making Mother's day cards and bracelets. Children and staff count the number of beads that they put on their bracelets. However, few opportunities are taken during the day to challenge more able children in developing their understanding of number and numerals. Children state the shape, size and colour of the card that they want and staff write children's names on the back of their card. Children who are able to write their own names are not encouraged to do so. Staff support children in choosing resources to stick on their cards. They use good find motor skills to use scissors, place small objects on their cards and thread small beads. Children use their individual creativity

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who attend

and take pride in their design. Throughout all activities and interactions staff praise children and are skilled at supporting children's language and communication skills. Staff working with toddlers and babies routinely mirror and extend children's language and children make good progress in their communication and language from their individual starting points.

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who attend

Good use is made of the well-resourced outdoor play areas to promote all areas of learning. Older children busily fill up containers with water. They run around the playground, skilfully avoiding obstacles, to clean cars and benches and water plants that they find. Toddlers enjoy climbing on and under equipment and slide down the slide as they develop good large muscle skills and coordination. Children have access to a range of equipment to explore and investigate the world. They use binoculars, magnets and torches and staff encourage them to look at different countries on the world map. Staff have recently involved children in choosing a wider selection of play people, books and dressing up clothes to reflect different cultures, ethnicities, abilities and families. These have enabled children to learn about differences and similarities between people in our diverse society. Children become competent in using technology and can operate simple

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

Babies and children are confident, secure and form strong bonds with their key person who supports them well as they settle into nursery, move to different rooms and make the transition to school. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that they have a good understanding of children's individual health and dietary needs, likes and dislikes and these are met accordingly. Teachers of local primary schools are invited to visit children at the nursery and information is shared with them regarding children's skills and interests. Children have some opportunities to develop independence as they make choices in their play throughout the day and help to serve snacks. They develop appropriate skills to manage their own hygiene, such as washing their hands before snacks and meals. They enjoy healthy, home cooked meals during social mealtimes and benefit from regular exercise and fresh air. Children learn the importance of exercise and healthy eating

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

through weekly physical play sessions delivered by an external organisation. The indoor and outdoor environments are secure and appropriately support children's skills. Children explore it confidently and at times remind each other of possible hazards. For example, older children remind younger children to be careful as they climb on a chair to access toys from a shelf. On the whole the daily routine meets children's needs and staff are deployed well to ensure that children benefit from their support in their play and learning. However, children are offered breakfast until 9.30am and then have a snack at 9.45am. This routine takes the attention of the two staff working with the pre-school and toddler children and reduces the time they are able to engage with children in their play. Some children who have finished breakfast are not actively engaged in play during this time.

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

Children enjoy playing on their own, with their friends and with staff. Staff are positive role models and are calm and caring in all their interactions with children. They have a good understanding of expectations of children's behaviour, taking account of their individual needs and stage of development. They support children well in developing their skills in taking turns and praise their positive behaviour. Children show consideration for each other, for example, as they help their friends to remove the top from their yoghurt.

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provision

A recent safeguarding audit and review of the nursery's policies and procedures has been effective in ensuring that children's safety and well-being is promoted well. Staff receive regular training regarding child protection and have a clear understanding of when and how to refer concerns if they suspect a child may be suffering abuse or neglect. They understand the nursery's whistleblowing policy and that they have a responsibility to ensure that the protection of children is paramount. Robust recruitment procedures ensure staff and students are all checked and suitable to work with children. Therefore, children are safeguarded well.

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provision

Tracking systems ensure that children who require additional support are quickly identified. Staff work closely with parents and other agencies to ensure that children receive the support needed to promote their learning and development. Links with the local authority enables staff to attend relevant training and supports the setting in identifying areas for development. This has included training to further staff skills in working with two-year-old children following the introduction of funded places for two- year-olds.

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provision

Staff work hard at the nursery. They recognise the importance of their role in the lives of the children they care for and are committed to continually improving the quality of the provision. The deputy manager is attending training from the local authority to support her in establishing effective systems for self-evaluation. This has led to some positive improvements, such as the safeguarding audit and purchasing of new resources. The manager and deputy recognise that the self-evaluation process is still in its infancy. Robust systems have not been established for monitoring the quality of educational programmes and the self-evaluation has not yet covered all the areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The views of staff and parents are sought through meetings, discussions and questionnaires and these are considered when making improvements to the nursery. Feedback from parents is positive. They told the inspector that they are

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provision

pleased with the progress that their children make at the nursery and with the feedback staff give regarding their development. They like the homely environment of the nursery and have been delighted how quickly their children have settled.

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provision

The provider works as the manager and is actively involved in the nursery throughout the day. She prepares the meals and works alongside staff, supporting them in caring for children when needed. This allows her to ensure that the policies and procedures are implemented and to have an awareness of staff strengths and areas for development. Regular supervision and appraisals take place to promote staffs' personal development. They attend regular training and this has supported a number of improvements. Of particular note is the initiatives taken to improve children's communication and language skills. Staff who had attended training identified from the tracking systems that a number of children were not making good progress in their communication and language. Children's skills in this area have improved greatly.

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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 305214 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 818736

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 26 Name of provider Elizabeth Julia Rorke Date of previous inspection 01/06/2011 Telephone number 01625 524623

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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: 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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