Bridges Nursery and Out Of School Club

Bridges Nursery and Out Of School Club Windmill House, St. Cuthberts Road, GATESHEAD, Tyne and Wear, NE8 2EL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/03/2013 07/04/2009

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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 are settled, very happy and motivated to learn. Resources are easily accessible to all children, which helps to develop their independence, curiosity and imagination.  Children have a positive attitude towards learning and participating in activities and experiences both indoors and outdoors.  Staff work closely with parents when children first attend to establish children's starting points and care routines, helping to support children's transition into the setting. Purposeful and regular information is shared with parents, ensuring they are fully informed of their child's progress and activities they are involved in.  The progress check at age two has been completed for all relevant children. Parents and other agencies are involved in the process and any concerns have been shared and acted upon. Parents are also given information about activities they can do at home to ensure effective continuity in children's learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children to persist or continue their play and learning are not fully utilised.  Resources with a variety of textures and weights to stimulate and encourage babies' interests are not readily available in the baby room.

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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 main playrooms and outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager, staff, children and parents at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journals, planning documentation, policies and procedures, children's records and other relevant documentation.

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Information about the setting

The Bridges Nursery and out of school club was registered in 2001 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in an old school building in Gateshead, and is managed by Bridges limited. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 35 members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above, including four with Early Years Professional Status and two with Qualified Teacher Status.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 120 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery 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 children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 improve opportunities for children to persist or continue their play and learning, for example, by not routinely tidying all activities away before lunch

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

 improve opportunities for babies to explore a range of resources that are varied in texture and weight, to stimulate and encourage their interests further.

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who attend

Children are very happy and content in a welcoming and mostly stimulating learning environment that helps them to feel at home and secure. Staff work closely with parents when children first attend to establish children's starting points and care routines, helping to support children's transition into the setting and build an accurate picture of their development. Learning journals are in place for all children. These clearly show how staff use observations to assess next steps in children's learning. Observations are used to plan a varied and challenging learning experience for all children. Systems to track children's progress are in place. These clearly show how children are making good progress towards the early learning goals, and therefore, gaining good skills in readiness for the next stage in their learning. Children have a positive attitude towards learning and participating in activities and

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who attend

experiences both indoors and outdoors. Older children eagerly join in with circle time activities and confidently sing the 'welcome song' and say 'hello' to their peers and staff. Children wait patiently for their turn to choose where they would like to play and confidently talk to the group about the activity they have chosen. This helps to promote children's thinking and learning and gives them opportunities to plan their own learning and play.

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who attend

Babies and young children show an interest in toys with buttons, flaps and simple mechanisms and are beginning to learn how to operate them. They laugh and giggle as they press buttons to make sounds and lights flash. However, resources with a variety of textures and weights to stimulate and encourage babies' interests are not readily available in the baby room.

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who attend

Children enjoy joining in and acting out their favourite number rhymes. Staff encourage them to count the 'five green frogs' and correct their mistakes and model counting to five. This helps to promote children's understanding of number names and provides opportunities for them to count in their play. Staff successfully participate with the children's chosen activities and skilfully scaffold their learning through talk and discussions. For example, children show great interest in sowing cress seeds. They decorate their own pot and staff encourage children to talk about what they think the seeds need to grow. Children confidently talk about the seeds needing 'the sun' and 'water', 'like we need water to grow'. This demonstrates their understanding of living things and the world around them.

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who attend

Toddlers enjoy sharing stories in small groups, they listen with interest and staff repeat new vocabulary, giving young children time to respond. They give meaningful praise as they repeat new words and the children are keen and eager to learn, all of which is instrumental in developing the children's communication and language skills, and encourages a thirst for learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children with English as an additional language are well supported. For example, staff know simple words and phrases in the children's home language and these are displayed in the playrooms. This helps staff to communicate effectively with children and to understand their needs.

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who attend

The progress check at age two has been completed for all relevant children. Parents and health visitors have been fully involved in the process and any concerns have been shared and acted upon. Parents are also given information, on the settings website, about activities they can do at home to ensure continuity in children's learning.

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

The effective key person system and the good level of adult attention ensure that all children form positive and trusting relationships with staff. For example, they go to them for reassurance and cuddles when they are feeling tired. This provides children with a secure and safe environment for them to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Key persons plan for their children's individual learning and spend time during the day supporting them in specific activities in small groups.

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

Children develop good self-care skills as they learn to dress in suitably warm clothing before playing outside and walking in the local environment. Staff place a great emphasis upon the importance of a healthy diet and provide well-balanced, nutritious food, including fresh vegetables and fruit. Older children serve their own meals, which encourages their independence and self-help skills. Drinks are readily accessible to all children, throughout the day, in age-appropriate cups. All children are involved in regular fire evacuation drills, which develops their awareness of safe procedures to follow in the event of an emergency.

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

Staff offer an interesting learning environment. Resources are easily accessible to all children. However, some activities are routinely tidied away before lunch. This does not always provide opportunities for children to persist or continue their play and learning. The setting helps prepare all children for the transition to the setting and good systems are in place for transition to local schools, nurseries and between rooms. For example, staff work closely with children, parents and other providers to fully support children's transitions, helping them to prepare for the next stage in their learning. Children display very good behaviour. Staff provide lots of praise and encouragement. This promotes and supports children's confidence, self-esteem and achievements very well.

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provision

All staff have completed relevant checks to ensure they are safe to have contact with children. They have a good understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse and the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about children in their care. A wide and relevant range of written policies and procedures are in place. These are successfully implemented and shared with parents. The inspection took place following a complaint from a parent with regard to the supervision of children and the implementation of the educational programmes. Staff have a good understanding of their responsibility to ensure that the setting meets the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff have implemented the educational programmes very well and good systems are in place to monitor children's learning and development. Observations, learning journals, the completed progress check at age two and comments from parents

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provision

are assessed. This information is then used to challenge children's progress across all areas of learning.

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provision

Systems for self-evaluation are in place. Staff work closely with the local authority's advisor and attend relevant training to continually improve the service they provide. They also seek comments from parents and children, helping them to consistently improve the provision for children. Regular appraisal systems for all staff are also in place. These are used to highlight training and development needs, ensuring continual professional development.

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provision

Learning journals, regular progress reports and in-depth daily discussions provide parents with a wide range of information regarding children's care and learning needs. Parents comment that 'staff are brilliant and very friendly and children love coming here'. Staff work closely with other providers and teachers from local schools regularly visit children, helping to smooth their transition to other settings and promote continuity in their learning experience.

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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 502848 Local authority Gateshead Inspection number 908948

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 137 Number of children on roll 120 Name of provider Heaton Nursery School Limited Date of previous inspection 07/04/2009 Telephone number 01914773233

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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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