New Era Nursery

The Play Centre Sion Baptist Church, Church Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 2DW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/02/2013 09/07/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 A small and regular staff team greet the children with a warm welcome. As a result, they enter enthusiastically, develop secure relationships, confidence and feel safe in the setting.  Most aspects of the play space, both inside and outdoors, are well planned and resourced. Consequently, children become engrossed in their activities and are able to follow through their own ideas and investigations. This helps them become enthusiastic active learners.  The new management team has a suitable knowledge of the legal requirements. This ensures that the setting runs smoothly and safely.

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It is not yet good because

 Assessment is not always precise or accurate. Staff do not consistently engage parents in establishing children's initial starting points or carefully evaluate their attainment. As a result, provision for some children is occasionally not specifically tailored to ensure that they consistently receive the support or challenge they need.  Difficulties in being able to quickly access toilet facilities and whole group routines, which do not always meet all children's needs, sometimes hinder the development of some aspects of their physical and personal and social development.  Monitoring and evaluation is not yet sufficiently rigorous to identify and address specific weaknesses in teaching and learning.

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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 playrooms and the outdoor play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the management team of the setting and spoke with staff and children at appropriate times in the day.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of four parents spoken with on the day, in addition to feedback obtained via the setting's own questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

The Play Centre was registered in 2007. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register and is managed by New Era Enterprises (E Lancs) Ltd. The Play Centre premises are situated close to the town centre of Burnley in Lancashire within the Sion Baptist Church building. The setting operates from a designated playroom and two other multi-purpose rooms situated on the first floor. Shared toilet facilities are available on the ground floor and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The setting currently employs five members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. It opens Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3.30pm, except Tuesdays when the setting closes at 12noon. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 26 children attending, who are in the early years age group. The setting 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 those with special needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 ensure that each child's level of development is accurately assessed; take account of information from parents to form clear initial starting points and use this information along with practitioner observations to more consistently plan tailored strategies to promote the learning experiences of each child.

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

 improve the provision to enable children to take increased personal responsibility for their self-care, for example, by considering possibilities to provide easier access to bathroom facilities and by providing more flexible routines to enable children to make decisions for themselves and to prevent disruptions to their play and learning

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

 strengthen monitoring of the quality of the provision, including teaching and children's progress, and use the information to identify and address specific areas for improvement in relation to children's learning and development.

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who attend

Children enter the setting enthusiastically. They are keen to access the wide range of interesting play and learning opportunities freely available to them in the vibrant indoor and outside environment. During child-initiated play, children are well motivated and they are keen explorers. The imaginative use of resources captures children's interest effectively and helps them to learn. For example, children are fascinated by the natural materials available to explore in the investigation area. They feel the texture and weight of a variety of pebbles and associate this with mathematical language as they show the 'big' stone. They hold conch shells to their ear to find out what they can hear and they seek out binoculars in an attempt to look up close. Effective organisation allows children to use their imagination vividly. They take great care with their dolls, knowing where to find play food and bottles to feed them with, in addition to clothes and covers to keep them warm.

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who attend

They extend their own play ideas by using the available dressing-up clothes to adopt roles. However, the flow of children's play, their concentration and thinking is disrupted early into the session by whole group routines, such as snack time.

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who attend

The outside area has recently been recently improved and becomes a hive of activity. Children fill containers with water and pour it using watering cans and jugs. The use of waterproof, protective clothing allows children to fully embrace their interest and growing an understanding as they pour water down the pipes and then splash and jump in the puddle tray and the opposite end. The garden also provides opportunities for some physical challenge. For example, children are supported to balance on raised blocks used as 'stepping stones'. More able children seek out their own challenges as they race each other using their trikes on a sloping path.

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who attend

All areas of learning are continually promoted through effective continuous play provision. Additionally, adult-led learning is routinely planned and suitably enhances children's experiences. For example, each month, staff plan and provide specific activities with particular learning in mind. During Halloween, staff encourage children to decorate pictures of five pumpkins, each numerically labelled, in order to introduce numbers as labels for counting into the current theme. Additionally, staff use 'keyworker time' to introduce children to letter sounds and to promote their listening and attention in small group situations. This helps children to develop some of the skills they need for their future learning at school.

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who attend

The vast majority of teaching is based on a sound understanding of how to promote the learning and development of young children. However, while children do learn through the broad range of interesting experiences provided for them, staff do not always challenge them to make best progress. This is because they do not always have specific learning objectives for individual children during activities and routines. This means that more able children occasionally lack the challenge they need to keep them continually engaged. It also means that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities occasionally lack the targeted support they need to help them achieve as much as they can. Children's communication and language skills are suitably enhanced when they join in with and begin to sing a repertoire of songs and when they are introduced to letter sounds during key group time. Children with English as an additional language receive adequate support and

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who attend

benefit from hearing some instructions in their home language through a bi-lingual trainee. This helps reinforce their understanding and their learning.

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who attend

The small, consistent staff team and the friendly relationships developed with parents means that staff are able to share information about children's learning. Therefore, they are able to provide some guidance for parents in supporting children's development. Staff have ensured that where applicable, parents are consulted in relation to seeking additional support for children, who need it most. However, the setting does not yet fully involve parents in assessment or provide more than a satisfactory level of information about children's progress.

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

Children settle well in the relaxed, friendly setting. A small team of consistent practitioners helps children to feel safe in their care. A key person system is in place, the details of which are displayed for parents. Staff know sufficient detail about children's care needs and interests because they ask parents for this information before they start. This includes information about the family and the involvement of other services. This enables staff to understand children's backgrounds.

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

Staff promote healthy lifestyles effectively. They encourage parents to provide healthy lunch box items and they promote 'Fruity Monday' to encourage children to bring in a variety of fruit to share for snack. Weekly 'Zumba dance' sessions provide children with fun opportunities to engage in physical exercise and they routinely benefit from play and outings in the fresh air. However, aspects of children's physical development are hindered by the organisation of the premises. The setting uses public toilet facilities situated on the ground floor. This means that children need to ask to use the bathroom and need to be escorted and supervised. This also means that children, who are toilet training struggle to be able to respond to their needs quickly and more able children are unable to develop their personal independence skills. Older children are encouraged to put on their own coats ready to go outside and more able children offer support to others. They find their

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

individually named placemats at lunch time and they are encouraged to pour their own drinks. The promotion of these skills helps to prepare children for the next stage in their learning. Staff know what schools children are moving onto and they discuss getting ready for school with children.

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

Children occasionally struggle to manage themselves during times of transition in daily routines. This is often because the different needs of two-, three- and four-year-olds are not fully met in whole group sessions. Following their meals and snacks, younger children quickly become restless and are distracted by play equipment within the room. This then distracts older children from consistently learning social skills.

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

Visits out and visitors into the setting help raise children's awareness of staying safe. Staff discuss 'stranger danger' and road safety when taking children out into the community. Road safety and fire safety officers have visited the setting to talk with the children. They become well rehearsed in following emergency evacuation procedures as this is regularly practised with them and they demonstrate their understanding of safe routines when they walk down the stairs carefully in single file. Suitable risk assessment means that the premises are made sufficiently safe and staff vigilance and supervision ensures children's safety.

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provision

The safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are understood and they are successfully met. Arrangements for keeping children safe are effective. Staff have completed safeguarding training and understand the procedures to follow should they have concerns about a child in their care. Recruitment and vetting procedures are appropriate and a well-structured induction process ensures that those working with children are suitable. One-to-one sessions and appraisal takes place, which helps prioritise some professional development.

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provision

Since the last inspection, there has been a change in management arrangements. The new joint management team is still embedding. Both managers hold suitable qualifications, skills and experience relating to their roles and they have both recently updated their training in relation to the revised Early Years Foundation Stage. Their individual skills are complementary and they have adopted clear roles and responsibilities within their focus of working as a team. The providers and managers together are focussed on making improvements to the provision where this is possible. They use quality audits and are working to achieve the local authority's 'Step into Quality' award. Additionally, they are using the guidance and support of another lead setting. They set themselves some challenging plans for improvement, for example, developing the outside play area. This has significantly improved children's access to outside play along with the

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provision

range of play and learning opportunities provided in this area. Self-evaluation attempts to draw on the views of staff, parents and children and parents' comment that children enjoy being in the new garden. However, inconsistencies in assessment have not been identified. This is because the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning is not yet sufficiently rigorous. However, the hands-on approach of both managers ensures that children, who may need additional support and intervention are identified and as a result, appropriate intervention is sought. The difficulties associated with a lack of immediately accessible toilets is known, however, managers have not yet identified suitable possibilities for addressing this.

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provision

Parents' comment on the welcome they and their children receive. They feel reassured that their children are happy to come. Parents value the relaxed, friendly relationships and say that staff are helpful. It is these relationships, along with attendance at multi-agency meetings, that help staff understand the needs of the whole family and thus, how to support individual children. Managers know already that despite their attempts, they have more to do to involve parents in the assessment of their children and to keep them fully informed of their children's progress. The newly required assessment of children's progress at age two years is prepared and ready to be put in place.

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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 EY365523 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 902110

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 26 Name of provider New Era Enterprises (E Lancs) Ltd Date of previous inspection 09/07/2009 Telephone number 01282 450536

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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

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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