Apple Tree Day Nursery

Apple Tree Day Nursery 593 London Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO2 9SD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/04/2013 27/07/2010

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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

 The nursery safeguarding procedures are robust and rigorous, promoting the welfare of all children who attend.  Children enjoy a broad range of activities and experiences that actively promote their all-round learning and development.  All children are very happy and settled because staff provide a welcoming and nurturing environment.  The nursery staff have well established systems to effectively support children who speak English as an additional language.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Not all staff regularly identify the children's next learning steps or share the information with parents to fully involve them in their children's learning.  Information gathered from parents about the children's starting points does not include enough information about the children's initial ability.

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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 spent time observing practice both inside and outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the owner, the staff team and the children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector analysed samples of the children's learning journeys, planning documentation, and a selection of the group policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

Apple Tree Day Nursery registered in 2006. It is a privately owned nursery and operates from a detached house in Hilsea on the outskirts of Portsmouth, Hampshire. There is limited accessibility as there is no lift to the first floor. All children have the use of an enclosed outside play area. The nursery takes children from the local community and surrounding areas.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 57 children in the early years age group on roll. The nursery provides free education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year.

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Information about the setting

The owner has a recognised early years qualification and works in the nursery on a day- to-day basis as the manager. In addition, nine staff are employed to work directly with the children. Of these, seven hold a recognised early years qualification and two are working towards a qualification.

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

 improve the assessment system to ensure all children's next learning steps are identified more frequently and share the information with parents to fully involve them in their children's learning

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

 further develop the information gathered from parents about the children's starting points, in relation to their learning and development.

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who attend

All staff have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and implement it effectively to promote the children's learning. Staff spend time observing what the children can do and use the information well to identify the children's next individual learning steps overall. Staff use the information to plan a wide range of activities and experiences to interest the children who attend. The quality of practice is generally consistent across the nursery, and as a result, all children are making good progress in relation to their starting points. However, occasionally some members of staff forget to frequently update information about the children's next steps to ensure their good progress is maintained. Staff respond well to the children, actively listening to them and participating in their activities and conversations. Staff engage the children effectively and extend the children's learning by asking open-ended questions, and encouraging the

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who attend

children to become active learners. For example, when children use the shaving foam, they are encouraged to write the letters of their names, sound out the letters, write numerals and draw shapes. This promotes the children's understanding that text has meaning from an early age.

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who attend

All children enjoy a well-resourced play and learning environment, which promotes their independence and decision making skills successfully. Children choose activities throughout the day and freely use the wide variety of resources that are clearly labelled and stored at a low-level. Children use programmable toys and resources with ease to extend their interest in technology. Children investigate the natural world through a range of activities. For example, they use magnifying glasses and bug boxes to examine snails, spiders, woodlice and worms during bug and mini beats hunts. They talk with staff about similarities and differences, identifying various characteristics. They enjoy planting and growing flowers in the garden and look after the mini sensory garden. Children explore their local community, visiting the post office, local businesses and parks. They celebrate a range of cultural festivals and use multicultural resources during their everyday activities,

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who attend

as they begin to recognise similarities and differences in the world around them. Children are able to express themselves creatively during art and craft activities and use their imaginations well using small world resources. Children cooperate well, as they build tall towers with the construction toys. They suggest ideas to one another and work out how to stop the tower falling over. The children decide to make the tower wider at the bottom to stop it wobbling when it gets too high. They follow their ideas and the plan works. The children tell the member of staff that they remembered what to do and it worked. Staff give lots of praise and recognition for persevering with their own tasks, promoting the children's problem-solving skills well. Children have favourite stories and recall the stories and characters as they look through the books. For example, children say 'mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all' as they remember their favourite parts. They

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who attend

handle books with care, turning the pages correctly and they enjoy listening to stories, often predicting what will happen next. Consequently, all children are gaining the skills and attitudes they need to be ready for school or their next stage of learning.

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

All children are very happy and settled during their time at the nursery. Staff get to know the children and their families well, providing a welcoming and nurturing play and learning environment. As a result, children form very positive relationships with the staff and the other children. Staff promote the children's social skills successfully as they sit together with children at meal times. They gather and record a wealth of information about each child's welfare needs from their parents. However, there is limited information about the children's starting points, in relation to their learning and development. This leads to a short delay in accurately meeting children's needs when they first attend the setting. Children demonstrate good levels of independence and self-esteem as they confidently move around the setting and explore their surroundings. Staff also use specific techniques to support those children who speak English as an additional language. For example, the

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

provider engages an interpreter when children have no English at all to help them settle. Staff talk to parents and share information about key words in the children's home language, so they understand when the children make requests. In addition, staff use visual aids to promote the children's understanding of the daily routines, helping them to settle in and develop a sense of belonging.

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

Children learn about keeping themselves safe from an early age. They demonstrate a clear understanding of the group safety rules, often reminding one another of safety issues. For example, children remind other to sit down when using scissors, to tuck their chairs in when they leave the tables and to pick up resources that have fallen on the floor. All children and staff practice regular fire drills to ensure they know how to evacuate the premises quickly and safely in the event of an emergency. All children behave exceptionally well because staff implement the clear rules and boundaries consistently. Consequently, children know what staff expect of them and they are keen to follow the rules. Staff are positive role models, supporting the use of good manners and promoting politeness across the nursery. As a result, children listen to one another and they consider other children's views. They are beginning to show consideration for others as they pass

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

resources to each other and ask other children if they would like to join in. Children learn about the importance of a healthy diet and regular exercise. They talk with staff about the types of food that are good for them. They know that fruit and vegetables help them to grow stronger and too much sugar is bad for them. Children enjoy daily use of the outside play area and regularly visit local parks as they develop an awareness of healthy lifestyles. The nursery has a healthy eating policy in place and they have taken part in the healthy eating pre-school challenge programme to promote the children's understanding further. Children learn how important good personal hygiene is through daily routines and discussion. For example, they are actively encouraged to wash their hands at appropriate times to help prevent any possible spread of infection. All children use the outside play areas daily. They practise their physical skills in a wide variety of ways and enjoy visiting

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

the local parks, using large-scale physical equipment.

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

The nursery has strong links with local schools and other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Effective systems are in place to ensure the children's smooth move to school and procedures are good to support children who move on to the next age group within the nursery. Staff have successfully completed the two-year progress checks and the information has been shared with the parents.

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provision

Effective safeguarding procedures are in place to promote the welfare of the children. Since the last inspection concerns were raised in relation to safeguarding, suitable people, health, the safety of the premises and documentation and Ofsted carried out an investigation. Following the investigation a notice to improve was issued. This required the provider to obtain prior written permission for every medicine from parents before any medication is given, to ensure parents are informed of any accidents or injuries sustained by their child whilst in the care of the provider and of any first aid treatment given. The provider was asked to ensure fresh drinking water is available to the children at all times and to ensure staffing ratios are maintained, to maintain a record of the children's daily attendance and to ensure all accident and injury records are available for inspection by Ofsted. In addition, the provider was required to ensure indoor spaces, with particular

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provision

reference to the stairs within the premises are safe. Following this, the provider took steps to address all the issues in full and Ofsted is satisfied with the action taken.

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provision

The nursery staff share the full written policies and procedures with parents to ensure they are aware of the staff team's responsibilities towards protecting their children. All children enjoy a very safe and secure play and learning environment because staff carry out daily checks, and written risk assessments are completed. Staff are vigilant and monitor the safety of the premises rigorously. For example, they ensure all spillages are cleaned up immediately with no disruption to the children's activities. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures alongside effective induction systems help to ensure all adults are suitable to work with children. All visitors are required to show identification and sign in the visitor's book to ensure a full and accurate record of everyone meeting the children is in place.

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provision

The nursery has recently made many improvements. The recommendations made at the inspection, and the notice to improve from the subsequent visit, have all been met. Staff promote the children's hygiene and self-care skills effectively and children wash their hands at appropriate times to help minimise the possible spread of infection. All staff and parents contribute towards the self-evaluation of the setting to drive improvement and ensure continuous development. The owner and deputy managers carry out questionnaires to obtain feedback from parents. Staff meetings and regular training drive improvement and ensure all staff are aware of current guidelines and procedures. Management successfully monitor staff performance and their contributions to the nursery through regular team meetings, reviewing staff practice and annual appraisals. This demonstrates a good capacity to improve the outcomes for children.

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provision

Partnership with parents is good. Parents have access to their children's records at anytime and are able to talk to staff about their children's progress. The nursery has recently introduced parent's evenings. Parents receive regular written summaries about their children's progress and overall, they are involved in their children's learning. Parents have access to the nursery policies and procedures to develop their understanding of how the nursery operates and how their children are learning. Partnership working with other agencies ensures systems and procedures effectively support all children, including those children who have English as an additional language.

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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 EY319828 Local authority Portsmouth Inspection number 793778 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 37 Number of children on roll 57 Name of provider Sharon Lesley Bagley Date of previous inspection 27/07/2010 Telephone number 02392 652111

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Setting details

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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