Bright Horizons Portswood Day Nursery and Preschool

Westwood Park Day Nursery 27 Winn Road, Portswood, Southampton, Hampshire, SO17 1EJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/04/2013 20/11/2008

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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's independence is fostered extremely well. This encourages them to become active learners and helps prepare them for the next stage in their learning.  Staff make good use of observational assessment to monitor children's progress and help them plan activities and experiences tailored to children's individual learning.  Parents contribute to initial assessments on entry to share what they know about their child. Daily handover discussions, alongside the meetings with their children's key person, keep parents well informed about their children's well-being and development.  Children benefit from the provision of nutritious, healthy meals freshly cooked on the premises daily, with any special dietary needs catered for so children remain healthy.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children who learn English as an additional language to hear or use their home language in the nursery are not maximised.  Staff do not always support children's hygiene practices as they learn to do things for themselves, such as cleaning their noses.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all the playrooms and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation, including a sample of children's records, planning and records to check staff suitability.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to staff, the nursery manager and the provider's area training manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of the inspection and of the provider's self-evaluation.

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Information about the setting

Westwood Park Day Nursery opened in 1994. It is part of the Asquith Court Nurseries Ltd chain of privately owned nurseries. It operates from a large two storey house in Southampton, Hampshire. Children have access to two enclosed outside play areas. Access to the premises, the first floor and toilets in one area are via steps. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. It is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6.30pm for 51 weeks of the year, with the exception of Bank Holidays. There are currently 112 children on roll. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education to children aged three and four years. They support children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and who learn English as an additional language. The nursery employs 36 members of staff; this includes supply staff, a chef, a kitchen assistant and an administration assistant. One member of staff has Early Years Professional Status, two

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Information about the setting

hold level 4 qualifications, 19 hold level 3 qualifications and two hold level 2 qualifications. Several other members of staff are currently undertaking a relevant early years qualification.

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

 review systems to support children whose language is other than English, to help build their vocabulary by extending the range of their experiences and enabling them to hear and use their own home language at the nursery

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

 help children develop more awareness of healthy practices as they learn to do things for themselves, such as cleaning their noses.

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who attend

Children happily come into the nursery and quickly engage in play activities. Staff have a good understanding of the children's individual needs, routines and interests, as a result children feel settled and secure. An effective key person system is in place, where staff observe children's achievements and plan for their progress. After children start at the nursery staff complete an initial assessment of the children's starting points, taking into account parents contributions from the 'All about Me' forms. Staff carry out weekly observations; these are collated in children's individual learning journals and the information used to inform future planning. This makes sure that children are supported well in making good progress in their learning. Systems to complete the progress check at age two have been implemented and staff liaise with parents so they are involved in the process. Planning is flexible and linked to children's stages of development, with activities

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who attend

adapted to respond to children's interests. For example, when babies want to climb in the sand, staff organise sand and glitter in a tray on the floor, so babies can explore the sand between their toes. The educational programmes cover all seven areas of learning and offer children a good range of interesting play and learning experiences, indoors and outdoors. Staff interact with children positively, supporting them in learning skills that will help them in the future.

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who attend

Staff provide an enabling environment where children's independence is successfully promoted; as a result children become active learners. Babies show growing confidence as they freely explore and investigate their environment, and older children are able to choose whether to play inside or outside. This allows children to follow their own interests. Children's communication is supported well. Staff interact positively with babies responding to their babbling and early conversations. Toddlers are introduced to new words as staff model language through the activities, such as 'pat, pat, pat' and 'dig, dig, dig' during the sand activity, and children repeat the sounds. This helps to build on children's vocabulary. Older children eagerly talk with others as they paint their Alien pictures, describing how many eyes it will have and the name of their Alien. This generates lots of discussion and excitement. Labelling around the nursery helps children to

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who attend

understand that print carries meaning and includes some text to take account of children's different languages. However, systems to fully support children who are learning English as an additional language are still being developed. Consequently, staff do not always use strategies to actively encourage children to communicate in their home language.

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who attend

Children are developing their understanding of mathematics through planned activities, such as going on a 'shape hunt' around the environment. Older children regularly use number in their play and learn about capacity during the activities and daily routines. For example, children confidently count the grapes at snack time and staff talk to them about when their cup is 'full' and 'empty'. Children take part in various cooking activities. They know how to operate the microwave and tell others that the chocolate will melt when it gets warm. Staff introduce language of 'more' or 'less' to extend children's learning. All children have good opportunities to use their senses to explore colour, texture and space through a wide range of creative activities, such as paint, water, soil, and play dough.

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who attend

Tailored settling-in sessions are organised to meet the individual needs of children and parents. Parents receive regular feedback about their child's care and learning through the effective systems of two-way exchange of information. Daily sheets are used for the younger children to share details of their sleep times, food eaten and nappy changes during the day. Children's progress is shared with parents and they are actively encouraged to contribute to their children's learning journals. Formal meetings during the year provide opportunities for parents to discuss children's achievement in more detail with their children's key person. A recent book lending facility has been set up to encourage parents to borrow books to read at home with their children. This helps involve parents in their children learning.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children's individual needs, which helps promote children's physical and emotional health. They link closely with parents to follow the children's routines and recognise when babies are ready to sleep, gently settling them and offering their special 'comforters' for security. As a result, children are settled and secure. Babies and younger children receive regular cuddles, helping them form positive relationships and secure attachments. Children independently engage in play activities and the younger children gain confidence to explore their surroundings, reassured as they know familiar staff are close by.

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

Children's safety is given high priority and effective security systems are in place. Staff continually risk assess the play space and activities to help them identify and minimise risks to children. The provision of separate playrooms for the differing age groups and outside areas fitted with safety surfaces, means that children can move around safely in their play. There are clear procedures in place for taking children on local outings and staff ensure that these are followed to keep children safe. Children learn to keep themselves safe in their play as staff provide gentle reminders, such as using their 'walking shoes' inside, children listen and respond. Staff involve older children in discussions about the behaviour rules and boundaries, and children confidently tell others that running is for 'outside'. The senior management team have worked closely with the staff to put additional strategies in place to deal with specific behaviour issues, such as shadowing

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

children and using monitoring charts. Staff provide regular praise and encouragement throughout the day, which helps to boost children's confidence and self-esteem.

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

Children benefit from the provision of healthy snacks and freshly prepared meals during the day, with alternative options provided for children's dietary requirements. The use of colour coded photographic place labels makes sure that staff are aware of any children's specific medical and dietary needs. Children are familiar with daily routines and know to wash their hands before eating, with staff supporting toddlers in learning to 'wash, wash, wash away the germs'. However, staff do not always support children's hygiene practices as they learn to things for themselves, such as cleaning their noses and the importance of washing their hands afterwards.

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

Children enjoy a well-resourced and stimulating environment. Age appropriate good quality resources and equipment are positioned at child-height, successfully promoting children's independence. Effective use of the outdoor play areas aids children's enjoyment and offers different learning experiences. Children have fun as they climb and balance on the low tree branches, dig for bugs in the soil, and use the moveable resources to create road works on the path. The toys and resources reflect diverse needs and the wider world, which helps raise children's awareness of the needs of others and to respect differences. Children develop a strong sense of belonging as they see their photographs and creative work displayed around the nursery; this helps them to feel valued.

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provision

Leadership and management is good. This contributes positively on the staff's ability to implement the learning and development and safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Clear policies, procedures and records are maintained to support children's safety and welfare. Parent's receive detailed information about the provision via regular newsletters, the noticeboards and access to the company website. The nursery management team follow robust recruitment and vetting procedures to make sure that all those having contact with children are suitable to do so. Staff have regular safeguarding and first aid training and have a secure understanding of their responsibility in providing a safe environment for children. They know to report any concerns about a child in their care to the designated safeguarding officer. The manager gives high priority to safeguarding children and takes action to

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provision

ensure any concerns are dealt with effectively.

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provision

Thorough induction procedures and ongoing supervision means that staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The manager motivates and supports the staff team, who work together well to follow children's individual routines. Some staff have key roles within the nursery, such as 'training champions' where they role model good practice and cascade training. This has helped to support staff gain more confidence in using the observation, planning and assessment systems. As a result, systems to monitor children's progress are effective and help staff to identify when children are in need of additional support. The senior management team carry out regular audits and the manager is clear of her role to monitor the delivery of the educational programme. She monitors staff practice by carrying out meetings, annual appraisals, and reviewing children's learning journals. Staff are encouraged to attend training to update their

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provision

knowledge and skills, which contributes towards their continuous professional development.

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provision

The management and staff have a positive attitude to the ongoing improvement of the nursery. Recommendations from the last inspection have been addressed, and additional staff are employed to provide extra cover during the busy lunch time periods. Staff, parents and children are all involved in evaluation of the nursery. For example, older children were consulted on how to improve the garden area and staff are encouraged to think about how they could use the garden to extend children's learning. Staff gather parents' views both verbally and through questionnaires. Comments and suggestions are evaluated and as a result, some changes have been made, such as extending the opening hours of the nursery.

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provision

Effective partnerships with parents, carers and others involved help staff to support children's care and development. Staff develop professional relationships with others supporting children's needs, such as speech and language specialists. They also link closely with the local authority Area Special Needs Coordinator for advice and support, for children with specific needs. As children move on to school, key staff from the nursery attend the settling-in sessions at the school alongside children and parents. This helps to promote continuity and support children during the changes.

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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 EY286410 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 907922 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 78 Number of children on roll 112 Name of provider Asquith Court Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 20/11/2008 Telephone number 02380 672551

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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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