Seashells Nursery

Sheerness Neighbourhood Nursery Rose Street, Sheerness, Kent, ME12 1AW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/04/2013 03/04/2012

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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 making good progress because staff provide a wide range of interesting activities.  Children develop strong bonds with their key persons because staff use effective settling-in procedures.  Parents report they have good partnership working with their child's key person who keeps them regularly informed of their children's progress.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always consider the needs of each child when involving them in large group activities.  Managers do not use procedures rigorously to monitor the progress of children with identified needs.

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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 talked to children and observed them playing.  The inspector gained the verbal and written views of parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled the nursery's records. These included their safeguarding and staff procedures, their risk assessments and the children's development records.  The inspector carried out a joint inspection with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Sheerness Neighbourhood Nursery is run by Children and Families Limited. It registered in 2004 and operates from purpose-built rooms in a Children's Centre in the town of Sheerness, Kent. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. Children attend the setting for a variety of different sessions. Some children stay all day. It also operates a breakfast club, an after-school club and a holiday play scheme. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register, and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 142 children in the early years age range on roll. The after school club caters for children aged over five years. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years. It also receives early education funding for some children aged two years. The nursery supports children

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Information about the setting

with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. There are currently 22 staff working with the children, who all hold relevant early years childcare qualifications at National Vocation Qualification level 2 and above. The nursery also employs two cooks and two administrators. The nursery receives support from the local authority and a qualified teacher.

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

 evaluate how the provision of group activities meets the needs of all the children participating in them

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

 use more rigorous procedures for monitoring the progress of individual children who have been identified as in need of additional support.

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who attend

The staff have a good impact on children's learning and progress because they demonstrate a good understanding of how young children develop. They also take account of children's starting points and capabilities when planning activities for children's individual needs. The educational programmes are interesting and varied to cater for the different ages of children. For example, staff who care for the youngest children promote activities to encourage development in their physical, communication and interpersonal skills. Whereas older children engage in a wider range of activities that cover all of the areas of learning.

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who attend

Children develop a sense of belonging as they talk together at circle time. They talk about the weather and the seasons as well as each other's achievements. They reinforce relationships as they play together with role play and dressing up activities. For example, the boys congregate together to become super heroes. Children choose to sit in the cosy book corner to look at books. Many tell stories to their friends and some of the older children are beginning to recognise and sound out letter shapes from their own names. They are also making lots of marks on their work to depict their names. The younger children enjoy making marks in sand or paint. Children enjoy playing matching games with staff and by helping each other complete the games quickly. Aided by staff they count the sets of cards to see who wins. They also compare the sizes of the towers they make from large blocks to see who can build the biggest. This helps them gain an understanding of

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who attend

Older children use computers and ably follow instructions in the programmes to complete tasks. Younger children use push button toys and delight when music plays or lights flash. Younger children delight in rolling a ball backwards and forwards with staff, clapping their hands when they catch it. Older children wobble along balance beams or use the different height slides and climbing frames. This helps develop their confidence and physical skills. All children enjoy a wealth of art and craft activities. The younger children investigate glitter and feathers while the older children combine these with tissue paper and material. Staff use many of the children's creations to make large displays around the nursery's walls. Children are given time to explore activities to help them learn.

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who attend

Key persons carry out effective regular assessments of children's abilities and can competently talk about how they match planned activities to the children's interests and next steps. All children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those children who speak English as an additional language are closing the gaps in their learning because staff adapt procedures to cater for their needs. For example, staff provide lots of pictorial prompts and timelines to teach children to communicate effectively. Staff provide lots of relevant activities for children who are due to move on to school. They arrange for children to visit their allocated schools and invite reception teachers to visit the children. They also provide lots of school role play and books to show children what school can be like. Therefore, children receive good support to acquire skills for the next stages in their learning and

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who attend

their moves to school. Staff work closely with parents at all stages of their children's learning. They ask about children's home play activities and suggest things parents can do with their children at home. Parents report they have found this extremely helpful.

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

Parents report that their children are eager to attend the nursery and settle well. The nursery's good settling-in procedures help children develop strong bonds with their key person because they meet with them on a number of occasions before fully separating from their parents. All children, especially the younger children, show an interest in visitors. This shows children have confidence in their carers and surroundings and feel safe enough to approach people they don't know.

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

The stimulating, well-resourced environment is rigorously risk assessed by the manager and her deputy regularly to keep children safe. Staff maintain good safety levels in their own rooms. Their daily assessments include hygiene considerations especially in baby changing and toileting areas and in the garden. This shows that all staff give children's safety a high priority. Children are able to gain a good understanding of risk as they play on climbing frames and balance beams. They understand they need to be careful and take turns because staff teach children to use equipment safely.

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

Staff are good role models for children. They are polite to the children and each other. In this way children learn good social skills and to show concern for each other. The nursery's good behaviour management policy clearly explains to staff how they must manage children's behaviour. Primarily staff must talk to children about any undesirable behaviour and encourage children's thinking time without removing them to a specified area. Children behave very well and are usually eager to help with tidying away toys. Children make positive contributions to the nursery through their choices about what they play with and where they use equipment. For example, children take indoor toys outside to use them. This encourages other children to make their own choices too. However, there are times when the children do not have a choice, such as during circle time. Older children find it hard to maintain their concentration levels because some of the younger

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

children become restless. Overall, children learn to make their own decisions and manage their own behaviour.

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

The children eat healthy food which is cooked on the premises. Staff work closely with parents to meet children's individual dietary needs. Children serve themselves at meal times and pour their own drinks. At snack time they help prepare food. Children learn to be independent as they practise the nursery's good toileting and hygiene procedures. Children are able to move freely between inside and outdoors and enjoy outdoor play in all weathers. Consequently children have a healthy lifestyle at the nursery.

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provision

The managers use a good range of policies and procedures to organise the nursery. They demonstrate a good understanding of the Local Safeguarding Children Board's procedures to help protect children's welfare. For example, they understand the need to provide appropriate notifications to Ofsted and the Local Safeguarding Children Board regarding any concerns, and the timescales involved. Managers make sure that all staff undertake safeguarding training so they understand how to help keep children safe. The nursery's good safeguarding procedures are an agenda item for every staff team meeting. This means that staff also know the procedures very well.

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provision

The staff recruitment and vetting procedures are rigorous and robust to help ensure only suitable adults work with the children. All staff have an enhanced disclosure issued by the Criminal Records Bureau. The provider is registered with the Disclosure and Barring Service. Therefore, children are looked after by informed, suitable staff who give their well-being a high priority. Staff participate in good induction processes and, have regular practice meetings with the manager, to keep informed about the nursery's policies and procedures. Managers conduct staff appraisals annually to help identify areas for further improvement in the quality of the provision. The effective staff training programme helps managers to ensure that all staff are supported in their professional development. This means that children benefit from the staff's knowledge and expertise because staff meet their individual needs.

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provision

The manager, her deputy and the early years teacher have a good understanding of how young children learn and develop. They use suitable procedures to regularly monitor the educational programme to help to ensure it meets the needs of the range of children who attend. For example, they talk with key staff about their key children and carry out spot checks of the children's assessment records to check that they are accurate and that children's next steps inform the activity planning. However, the procedures are not completely rigorous to make sure that staff are closely monitoring any children's identified and specific additional needs. This has an impact on how well they are able to narrow any achievement gaps in children's learning.

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provision

Managers support any interventions identified for children to support their inclusion and learning and development. They use good procedures to work in partnership with parents and other health professionals to make sure children receive the appropriate support to help them in their development and learning. They also use good procedures to work with other care provision which children may attend. For example, they exchange information about services accessed by children with special educational needs and/or disabilities when they attend other settings. This means that children receive good support and continuity in all areas of their lives. Parents report that they are happy with the provision. They report that they feel welcome in the nursery and are able to discuss their children's progress with staff at any time. They regularly see their child's development records and know they can contribute to them to support continuity of care and learning. Therefore,

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provision

the children benefit because regular discussions of their needs take place.

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provision

The manager and her deputy carry out good evaluations of the nursery on a regular basis. The evaluations include comments made by staff, children, parents and their local setting improvement partner. These help them to effectively identify the nursery's strengths and weaknesses. The nursery's action plan is comprehensive. It details current projects, such as the effective use of the space in the pre-school room, alongside future projects, such as the development of the garden areas. This shows that the management is making a concerted effort to improve the nursery to benefit the children.

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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 EY297098 Local authority Kent Inspection number 911176 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 83 Number of children on roll 142 Name of provider Children and Families Ltd Date of previous inspection 03/04/2012 Telephone number 01795 663311

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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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