Aycliffe Day Nursery

Aycliffe Day Nursery Community Centre, Morrison Close, NEWTON AYCLIFFE, County Durham, DL5 4QZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/03/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children are motivated and keen to learn in this inclusive and welcoming setting. They develop positive relationships with staff and other children.  The well-qualified and knowledgeable staff have an excellent awareness of how children learn. They make the most of opportunities to extend children's learning through play, discussion and group activities.  There is a strong commitment from the management team to improve the nursery, through setting ambitious targets and action plans.  Staff establish effective partnerships with parents, sharing information about the setting and their children's learning, to keep them fully informed and involved.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to improve children's free movement between the indoor and outdoor areas in all weathers, so that they can choose where they want to carry out their activities and be appropriately dressed.  There is room to improve the book area through the provision of child-made and adult- scribed stories, so that children can use them for sharing stories with others and to recall past events.

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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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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 in the playroom and outside area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager, carried out a joint observation and spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's development records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of practitioners working in the setting and a range of other records, policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents through discussion and written comments left for the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Aycliffe Day Nursery was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in Agnew Community Centre in the Newton Aycliffe area of County Durham, and is managed by an individual. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from the main playroom and meeting room and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs two members of childcare staff. Both hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 4 or above. The manager has a BA Honours Degree in Early Childhood Studies and Early Years Professional status.

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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 12 children attending who are within this age group.

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

 give as much opportunity as possible for children to move freely between indoors and outdoors and provide appropriate clothing for children so that they can access the outdoors in all weathers

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

 enhance the resources in the book area, for example, by adding child-made books and adult-scribed stories and use these to help children recall past experiences.

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who attend

Children have great fun and make good progress in all areas of learning as they engage in a range of stimulating activities in the nursery. Staff have a good knowledge of the progress that children make from their starting points. They carry out a baseline assessment which helps them to plan appropriate activities, based on children's interests. Regular observations are carried out which link to the areas of learning and development and next steps are noted for children. This information is used to plan effective future activities and supports children in their good progress towards the early learning goals.

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who attend

Parents are involved in their children's learning in a wide variety of ways. They complete 'What I did at home' sheets and take home a book bag with pictures of familiar television characters in. Parents take photographs and record what they have been doing at home with the children. They contribute these to their children's learning journals. This shows how children are making progress and staff use it to plan around children's current interests. A daily diary informs parents about their child's day and they have access to the learning journal at any time. Once a month, staff complete a progress check about children's learning and detail future learning opportunities. This is shared with parents who add their own comments about their children's progress. This helps parents to continue their children's learning and development at home.

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who attend

Children are confident and skilled communicators and the staff take many opportunities to promote these skills as they listen carefully to children, ask open-ended questions and teach them new words and concepts. Children form good relationships with other children and familiar adults. At circle time, they are eager to speak as staff ask them to choose what rhyme they would like to sing. They are confident to stand in front of the group while they sing and do the actions to a song. Children develop an appreciation of books as staff sit and read books on request. They sit in the comfortable book area and listen intently and talk about what is happening in the pictures. However, there is no access to homemade books for children to look at, based on children's experiences, to help them recall past events such as an outing to the shops .

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who attend

Staff have a clear understanding of the learning intentions of activities. For example, they plan a game of 'Simon says' to challenge children to see if they can follow direction, listening and attention skills. Staff demonstrate the actions and the children copy, listening carefully, closing their eyes and standing on one leg. When the game becomes too difficult for the children, staff changes the activity to a more familiar 'Head, shoulders, knees and toes' and the children are praised for their success, building their self-esteem and confidence.

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who attend

Children's writing skills develop as they make marks on paper in a variety of ways. They use felt tips and give meaning to the marks they make, saying that the picture is their daddy. They use pencils to form circular shapes and use paints at the easel as they experiment with different colours. Children show an interest in shape and space. They fill and empty containers in the sand tray and use implements to press shapes into the damp sand. Overall, children's learning and development is in line with the expected developmental ranges for their age. As a result, they are obtaining the skills, attitudes and dispositions they need to be ready for school or the next stage of learning.

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

Staff have effective procedures to help children settle in the nursery and promote their well-being. For example, parents complete a form about their children's individual needs, their interests, favourite toys and any fears that they have, which may impact on their care or learning. Children have three settling-in visits which can be extended to meet their needs and ensures a smooth transition from home to their care. Children access a well presented and welcoming environment. Staff work hard to make sure that resources are set out each day and organised in an easily accessible and familiar layout. The large playroom is divided into areas of play, such as writing, construction, reading and imagination. Resources are available on low-level shelves and children make their own choices as they develop their independence. The safety of children is given priority and they learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they practice evacuation

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

procedures so that they know what to do in such an event.

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

Staff have a calm and consistent manner with the children and follow sensitive behaviour management procedures. Children become familiar with routines, show an understanding and cooperate with some boundaries. For example, they help to put toys away prior to going outside. The nursery provides a wide variety of meals and snacks for children which are freshly prepared on the premises. Children enjoy choosing what fruit they would like and take part in the preparation of snack, as they attempt to butter a cracker and put jam on. Their understanding of healthy eating develops as staff talk to them about what foods they do or don't like, what different foods they could try and what they like to eat at home. From this discussion, children say they like Spaghetti Bolognese at home and it is decided to have it in nursery next week. This encourages children to try new foods and helps them look forward to what they can eat in nursery. Children learn to manage their

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

own personal needs. They are encouraged to wipe their own noses when needed and dispose of the tissue appropriately. They help with clothing, such as putting their arm into their coat and help to fasten the buttons. From a young age, children have more than sufficient space to move around their playroom. During the day they access the garden for a short period of time where they move with pleasure and confidence in a range of ways. For example, they ride tricycles and dig in the sand pit. However, they do not have free access during the day so that they can choose whether they want to be indoors or outdoors. Their time outdoors is interrupted due to poor weather and appropriate clothing, such as waterproofs and wellingtons, is not provided to enable them to stay out longer.

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

The staff have a good knowledge of how to prepare children for a transition to another setting and work with other providers, who deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Procedures include working closely with schools and other settings to pass information on relating to children's development, to promote consistency in their learning.

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provision

The manager and staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities with regard to the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. A range of appropriate policies and procedures support children's safety and welfare in the setting. Robust procedures ensure the safe recruitment of suitable and qualified adults to care for the children. Staff's ongoing suitability is monitored through the manager carrying out six monthly supervisions. This gives them the opportunity to discuss any concerns about performance and any training and development needs. Identified courses improve their knowledge and understanding of good quality practice. For example, the manager is currently attending special educational needs coordinator training, to further develop her knowledge about the procedures to follow should she have a concern about children's development.

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provision

The manager has an excellent overview of the educational programme. This is due to the tracking documentation that is in place which staff use to ensure that children make good progress against each area of learning and development. This information is analysed to show how children make progress over time and whether any interventions are needed. Where children have an identified need, staff work with outside professionals, follow their advice and develop an individual educational plan to follow for the children. This ensures their individual needs are met appropriately, which enhances and supports their learning.

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provision

Staff understand their responsibilities to safeguard children. They capably describe procedures that they would follow, should a concern be raised in order to protect children from harm or neglect. Risk assessments are conducted daily for the premises to ensure that any possible hazards are identified and minimised for children. Self-evaluation of the service offered is very evident in every day practice. The manager and staff have evaluated how they have progressed since registration and they successfully identify strengths and weaknesses. For example, they have identified that they need to develop mathematics, and speech and language further. Parents are involved in the self-evaluation as they complete a questionnaire about their views of the nursery. Local authority development officers visit regularly to provide advice and support, which helps to identify areas for improvement. This all ensures sustained improvement over time. Parents voice

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provision

their appreciation for the staff and their hard work. They state that the nursery is a 'home from home' for their children. That they are impressed with the teaching techniques they use with children, which they have implemented at home.

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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 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 EY452589 Local authority Durham Inspection number 885073

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 28 Number of children on roll 12 Name of provider Jane-Hayes Taylor Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07761 818514

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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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