Tops Pokesdown

Tops Day Nurseries 4c Wolverton Road, Boscombe, BOURNEMOUTH, Dorset, BH7 6HT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26/03/2013 26/01/2011

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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

 Safeguarding arrangements are secure throughout the nursery. All staff are clear and confident in their individual roles and policies and procedures help to ensure a consistent approach.  Children benefit from many opportunities to engage in play outdoors and go on many outings in the local area.  Children in the pre-school room gain confidence and independence due to the well organised play environment which enables them to make choices and organise their own play.  Strong relationships are established with parents and carers to benefit children's learning and development.

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It is not yet good because

 some younger children are not supported in forming secure attachments to familiar adults due to frequent changes in staffing.  staff are not always deployed effectively, which means that at times, the younger children do not receive the support they need to become fully involved and benefit from the learning opportunities on offer.  older children are not always encouraged to consider safety when they engage in energetic activities in the soft play area.

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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 inspectors observed activities in the playrooms and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors completed a joint observation with the manager and held meetings with the manager, and area managers.

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors looked at children's assessment records and planning documents and a sample of documentation relating to children's welfare.

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors checked evidence of staff suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children and the read the provider's self-evaluation form.

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Tops Nursery and out of school club opened in 2006. It is part of a large chain within the south region. It operates from six rooms in a building originally built as church meeting rooms in Boscombe, Bournemouth. The first floor is used for children under two. Children over two years are cared for on the ground floor, this includes an area used by the out-of- school club. The nursery has sole use of the premises at all times. There is an outside play area. There are ramps at the front and back enabling easy access at the entrance and into the garden.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 224 children on roll, of whom 210 are in the early years age range. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day. The nursery's opening hours are from 6am until 8pm depending on demand. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and four years. They support children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who learn English as an additional language. The out-of-school club operates before and after school during term time and full days during school holidays. The after school facility can accommodate children up to the age of twelve years.

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Information about the setting

There are 31 staff who work directly with the children. The manager holds a level 5qualification and is working towards Early Years Professional status. Of the remaining staff, one holds a level 6 qualification, four hold level 5 qualifications, 11 hold level 3 qualifications and 8 hold level 2 qualifications. There are four apprentices working towards a childcare qualification and two staff are unqualified.

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must:

 improve the programme for personal social and emotional development to help younger children form strong attachments to familiar adults through effective key person arrangements

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must:

 improve staff deployment to ensure that all those working with the younger children fully understand and focus on supporting children's needs.

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

 encourage older children to give more consideration to personal safety, particularly when using the soft play equipment.

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who attend

Staff have an adequate understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework learning and development requirements. Overall, older children in the pre-school room are supported well in their learning. Effective systems ensure they are challenged, interested and keen to learn. This is due to the good interaction they receive from staff who understand their individual needs and preferences. These children are prepared well for the next stage in their learning. However, support offered to younger children is less effective. Inconsistencies with regards to staffing arrangements mean that some children find it difficult to form secure and trusting attachments with familiar adults. Consequently, these children sometimes fail to engage fully in their play which limits their learning. As a result, younger children make satisfactory progress in their learning. Overall, staff use effective systems which enable them to monitor and plan for children's progress. Staff in

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who attend

the pre-school room use this information particularly well to plan for children's individual next steps. This helps them to identify any gaps in children's learning and provide additional support as necessary. Staff complete the required progress check for two-year- olds to share with parents and other professionals.

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who attend

Children are provided with activities that encourage them to explore and investigate. Babies senses are stimulated as they sit on the fur fabric rug and reach for the interesting objects from the treasure basket. Toddlers and pre-school children enjoy accessing a broad range of creative resources, which encourage them to use their imaginations in role play and explore colours. All children benefit from engaging in many activities outdoors, enabling them to play in a way which suits them. The youngest children enjoy frequent outings in the local community. They learn about the world around them as they listen and look out for birds. Toddlers enjoy opportunities to use the mud kitchen in the garden. They spoon out their mixtures into different sized containers, learning about capacity and measure as they do so. Older children enjoy being able to move freely between the indoor and outdoor play areas and engage in a full range of learning experiences.

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who attend

Parents are fully involved in their children's learning. They receive daily information about the activities children are involved in and formal arrangements are in place for sharing children's learning folder. Parents are encouraged to continue to support their children's learning at home. For example, boxes which include resources for activities and props to support stories are available for parents to enjoy with their children at home.

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

Staff follow appropriate care practices to support children's health and well-being. Older children settle well and are happy at the nursery. All staff are sensitive and caring towards the children. Although all children are assigned a key person, frequent movement of staff within the nursery means that not all staff have a clear understanding of children's individual needs. As a result these children do not always feel as secure and settled and are not always able to form strong attachments. Older children build good relationships with those around them. They eagerly await a special friend's arrival, so they can explore and play together.

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

Staff throughout the nursery use appropriate strategies to manage children's behaviour. This means that children learn about boundaries from an early age, helping them to work well with others. Children receive lots of praise and encouragement from staff, which helps to build their confidence and self-esteem. For example, a child who manages to climb the stairs for the first time is praised highly by their key person. The key person shares this with parents when they come to collect, reinforcing the child's achievements and keeping parents fully involved. Children are encouraged to be increasingly independent. Younger children are encouraged to feed themselves, picking up finger foods and gradually using spoons with increasing skill. The two-year-olds are encouraged to manage their personal care needs as they take their shoes off before entering the soft play area. Pre-school children take responsibility at meal times, helping themselves to food

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

and clearing away their plates. As children progress through the nursery staff share information. Children have opportunities to make short visits to their new room accompanied by their key person. This makes changes easier for children to adjust to.

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

Thorough risk assessments are completed throughout the nursery. This means that children in all areas can explore and investigate in safety. Security arrangements are effective and children remain well supervised at all times. In the pre-school room, children can move freely around the large indoor areas. Staff have reviewed their arrangements in this area to enable them to better monitor children's movements, to further promote their safety and welfare. Children move safely around the nursery and learn to use steps and equipment with care. However, they are not always encouraged to consider safety when they use the soft play area, to reduce accidents and learn how to use this area safely. Documentation, including the daily register, is used appropriately to help support children's ongoing welfare. Overall, staff follow positive practices and procedures to support children's health and individual care needs. Children enjoy healthy snacks and freshly cooked meals throughout

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

the day. They benefit from daily opportunities to play outdoors in the fresh air, to engage in physical activity. Pre-school children use the mini-gym equipment, learning that exercise can be fun. Good procedures are followed with regards to nappy changing to prevent the risk of cross infection, and maintain children's comfort and health.

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

Areas throughout the nursery are set up to look interesting and exciting for the children. Examples of children's creative work are displayed throughout most areas, making children feel proud and giving them a sense of belonging. All areas of the nursery are bright and well maintained and encourage children to explore and investigate. Most areas of the nursery are utilised well to provide children with a broad range of experiences. There is a very good range of toys and equipment, both commercially produced and natural, to support children's learning.

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

Some families using the nursery learn English as an additional language. Positive steps are taken to support these children and parents within the nursery. Some staff who speak the same home language are able to translate information for parents, so they understand routines, policies and procedures. These staff are also able to share information with key persons about the pronunciation of words in children's home language, helping them to reassure and settle children. Staff use pictorial time lines and flash cards, to enable children with less confident communication skills to share their needs or preferences. Some staff also use sign language to support children to communicate and feel included. Effective systems are in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. A member of staff is designated as the special educational needs co-ordinator. They support staff in working with parents to provide each child with the support they

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

need to reach their full potential. The setting work well with other professionals supporting individual children's needs, to make sure information is shared to provide consistent support.

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provision

Overall, staff have a satisfactory understanding of the learning and development and safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff are deployed effectively to ensure there are sufficient staff available to offer appropriate levels of supervision. However, staff are sometimes moved between the different areas of the nursery to ensure that staffing requirements and ratios are met. As a result, some staff do not have a thorough understanding of children's individual needs to support them all in feeling secure and making good progress.

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provision

Monitoring of the educational programmes is generally effective. Senior staff take responsibility for overseeing the planning arrangements, to ensure children are offered a broad curriculum which generally supports their learning. The nursery management are keen to provide a high quality service for children and families. They complete evaluations and monitor all aspects of the nursery. However, management have not identified the effect that recent staffing changes have had on the support offered for the youngest children. The nursery has their own training team, enabling them to identify and provide appropriate training to improve staff skills. For example, recent observations completed by a member of the management team identified some weaknesses with regards to behaviour management strategies used by staff. Training was provided for all staff, and as a result of this children's behaviour is managed well throughout the setting. The

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provision

management value comments and feedback from parent's, staff and children, and use these as a tool to help them make positive changes. Documents such as the record of complaints help the nursery to reflect on their policies and procedures. The nursery has addressed all issues raised at the last inspection, which has led to some improvements with regards to children's care and learning.

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provision

Staff recruitment and vetting procedures are thorough and help to keep children safe. Full suitability checks are completed prior to any member of staff working with the children. Staff throughout the nursery have a confident understanding of the safeguarding policy and procedures to help promote children's ongoing welfare. They are clear about their individual roles and responsibilities and know the steps they must follow if they have a child protection concern. Staff receive a detailed induction when starting at the nursery, helping them to gain an understanding of their individual roles. They continue to attend regular staff meetings where they discuss changes in policies and share new ideas. They engage in supervision sessions throughout the year.

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provision

Parents state that they feel well informed about their child's experiences at the nursery. They enjoy the daily feedback they receive through an informal chat and the daily record sheets. Parents receive detailed information about the setting, including written policies and procedures. This helps them to understand the aims and responsibilities of the nursery. A newly established parents committee aims to provide a direct link between parents and the nursery management to ensure parents' voices are heard. Staff work in partnership with external agencies to support the needs of individual children. They have established links with other settings which children also attend. They are also extending arrangements for sharing more detailed information about children's learning and development to promote greater consistency for children concerned.

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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 EY344955 Local authority Bournemouth Inspection number 910225

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 108 Number of children on roll 224 Name of provider Tops Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 26/01/2011 Telephone number 01202 720111

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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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