Home Farm Children's Nursery Ltd

Home Farm Childrens Nursery Homewood School, Ashford Road, TENTERDEN, Kent, TN30 6LT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/03/2013 15/10/2009

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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

 Children develop good independence in their learning because of the freedom they receive to explore, investigate and make choices.  Children form trusting relationships with staff that help them to feel secure. They develop good self-esteem praise and encouragement they receive.  The good range resources very effectively enhance children's enjoyment as well as their learning and development.  Effective partnership working with parents and other professionals enables staff to provide consistent, coordinated care for the children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 nappy changing arrangements for children in the toddler room are appropriately hygienic but children are not routinely changed by their key person  the organisation of activities during the hour directly after lunch is not as effective as the rest of the day.

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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

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged 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 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  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed all areas of the nursery including the group room, toilets, kitchen, office and outdoor play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager, staff and parents at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector undertook observations of activities including a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation including records of children's progress and a selection of 'thank you' cards.

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Information about the setting

Home Farm Children's Nursery Ltd registered in 2009. The nursery operates from a converted building in the grounds of Homewood School in Tenterden, Kent.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 50 children on roll aged from birth to the end of the early years age range. Children aged three and four years receive funding for their early education. Children attend on either a full or a part time basis. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 50 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 11 members of staff of whom 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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

 extend further the well-established key person system to routinely include nappy changing for key children to more fully promote their sense of emotional security

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

 review the organisation of the period directly after lunch to reflect the energy levels and play preferences of the children who do not require a sleep.

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who attend

Staff plan very effectively to reflect children's individual needs and interests. They successfully monitor progress and adapt activities well to offer each child a good level of challenge. As a result, children make good progress in all areas of their development. They benefit from the good support that staff provide to extend their enjoyment and learning in their freely chosen play. Children confidently explore and investigate their environment and are becoming very independent learners. Staff skilfully promote communication and language, making good use of questioning to encourage children to think and giving them time to respond. Children use their rapidly developing language well to engage with staff. Babies vocalise happily, exploring new sounds and learning key words. Older children confidently share their views and discuss their play, for example declaring that they are going to make a boat out of bricks and explaining the process.

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who attend

Children develop their knowledge of the world through activities such as planting and growing. In addition, staff competently extend children's play to introduce new ideas. For example, a member of staff supervising children playing with the ride-on cars encourages them to think about traffic light sequences and the need to put in petrol. Children receive similarly good support to develop their mathematical understanding as staff encourage discussions about shape, size and position.

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who attend

Overall, the nursery day is well organised. This helps children to develop a good sense of routine while allowing them the freedom to choose the activities they enjoy. The exception to this is the hour directly after lunch when the toddlers who do not need to sleep and pre-school children are grouped together and remain indoors. During this time, children have great fun but a number become very lively, having refuelled with their lunch. This leads to a small amount of slightly disruptive play as some children do not have enough space to engage in the physical play they need. However, at all other times children have very good access to the outdoor play area. They use the climbing equipment and ride on toys very well, moving with coordination and control.

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who attend

Ongoing assessment of children's progress helps the manager and staff to identify any gaps in achievement. Regular review meetings and discussions with children's key person provide good opportunities for parents to take an active role in their child's learning. Appropriate arrangements are in place to complete progress checks for children aged two years.

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

Staff prioritise children's safety well. The electronic entrance gate has recently been replaced to improve security and robust risk assessments help to identify potential hazards. Children receive good support to learn how to keep themselves and others safe through activities such as considering road safety when playing with the ride-on cars. In addition, staff recognise the importance of children learning to take managed risks and support this well. An example includes the good advice and support given to a child who wants to see how many wooden blocks he can carry. This allows him to learn through experience in a safe, managed situation.

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

Children play happily and form many strong friendships. They are generally very well behaved and display good social skills. The key person system is well established. Each key person takes the lead in promoting the wellbeing, learning and development of the children in their group. Overall they do this well, but do not always extend these trusting bonds by routinely take responsibility for changing the nappies of their key children.

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

Children develop a good understanding of the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles. They play and learn in a suitably clean environment. They exercise regularly and enjoy nutritious drinks, snacks and meals which reflect their individual dietary requirements. Nappy changing practices are suitably hygienic. Babies and young children sleep in cots and beds with clean, fresh bedding. The good range of toys and resources significantly enhances children's learning and enjoyment. They are able to select items independently and transport them to other areas to extend their games. The outdoor area is particularly appealing, having recently been regenerated.

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

Children are prepared well for future transitions because of their high levels of achievement and good self-confidence. In addition, there are good links in place with local primary schools and reception teachers are invited into the nursery to meet the children.

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provision

The senior management team fully understand the nurseries responsibility to promote children's learning and development. Effective arrangements are in place to monitor the quality of educational programmes. The manager meets regularly with staff and reviews children's developmental records to ensure consistency across the nursery. An appraisal system is also in place to identify and address any training needs. Accurate self- evaluation, along with support from local authority advisors, helps to effectively identify strengths and prioritise areas for improvement.

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provision

Children benefit from the good relationships in place with their families. This helps them to settle easily and allows information to be shared effectively. A selection of 'thank you' cards from parents shows that they are pleased with the service they receive. In addition, a parent explains that his child has come on 'leaps and bounds' since attending the nursery. The manager also recognises the importance of working in partnership with any other settings that share care of the children in order to ensure consistency. Good arrangements are in place to liaise with health professionals and other agencies to coordinate care for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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provision

Clear and appropriate child protection procedures are in place. The manager takes lead responsibility for children's safety. She has attended training to support her in this role. In addition, vigorous vetting procedures are in place to ensure staff suitability.

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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 action. 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 EY377251 Local authority Kent Inspection number 906227

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 6 Total number of places 36 Number of children on roll 50 Name of provider Home Farm Childrens Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 15/10/2009 Telephone number 01580 764 222 ext 226

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: 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, which are usually the childminder’s 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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