The Abingdon Kindergarten - Long Furlong

Abingdon Kindergarten (Long Furlong) Abingdon Kindergarten, 43 Loyd Close, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 1XR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29/04/2013 13/10/2010

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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

 Children are happy and engage well with a wide range of interesting activities provided by staff.  Staff know children well because there is a well-established key person system, so they meet children's needs well.  Staff's care practices are good, which help children learn about keeping themselves healthy.  Staff deployment is good, so children are provided with a safe, calm environment and good adult support.  There are good links with parents which contribute well to supporting children's welfare and learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always plan special group times for the older children sufficiently well to maintain everyone's interest, so some children become restless.  Staff do not organise use of the outdoor space as well as possible, so children can choose to spend long periods outside, including mixing with children of different ages.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children in all rooms and age ranges in the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed a range of documentation including self-evaluation paperwork, the complaints record and children's records.  A shared observation of an activity was completed with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with the manager and several staff at various points throughout the inspection, and with the directors at the end of the day.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Abingdon Kindergarten (Long Furlong) is one of four nurseries run by Abingdon Nurseries Limited. It operates from four main rooms, in a purpose built two-storey, air conditioned building, situated on the Long Furlong estate in north Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The kindergarten offers full day care with sessions running from 8.15am until 5.30pm for full days. Morning sessions run from 8.15am until 12.30pm, with afternoon sessions from 1.15pm until 5.30pm. It is open five days a week, all year round and extended hours are available on request. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 77 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. Children come from a wide catchment area. The kindergarten supports children who learn English as an additional language. There are 17 members of staff employed to work at the nursery. Of those working directly with the children, 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications and

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Information about the setting

two are working towards a qualification.

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

 develop group times, particularly for older children, such as by planning these to better reflect other experiences, so that all children are thoroughly engaged and interested, and more able to make connections across their learning.

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

 organise more time for children to choose to play outside, including with those of a different age group so they can become more aware of the lives of a wider range of children, at the same time as allowing those who learn better outside to have plenty of time in which to do so.

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who attend

The staff welcome the children and their families when they arrive each day and the many pictures and displays of children's work show that all children, including those from different cultures, are valued. Children settle quickly to an activity demonstrating that they feel secure. Staff understand that children learn through their play and they provide a good balance of child led and adult directed activities. Overall, interesting activities are made available that are suitable for the children's differing stages of development. This careful planning means that children are usually keen to be involved and are motivated to learn. Consequently, all children make good progress towards the early learning goals which prepares them well for when they move on to school.

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who attend

There are well-established systems to assess what children can do when they first start and for assessing their ongoing development. Parents' contributions about their children's development are valued and comments slips are available for them to complete. The children's particular 'key person' maintains a good dialogue with parents which ensures that they regularly share information about what each child can do and what they need to learn next. Staff offer ideas about how parents can support children's learning at home through discussion when children are collected. The combined assessments are used by the children's key persons to plan activities that will interest and challenge children. However, some group times for older children are not always as well planned as possible, which means some children loose interest.

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who attend

Nevertheless, overall, staff have a good understanding of effective teaching methods and use these generally well to support children's learning. They provide good support during most activities so that as children play they continue to learn. Staff are sensitive to the differing needs of the children who attend. For example, they provide additional support for children whose parents are away from home or by using key words from a child's home language to help them communicate effectively.

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who attend

Staff encourage children to think critically and suggest ways of solving problems. For example, when a child wants a spoon to mix water and compost, the staff member asks them to consider whether they need to wash their hands first, before going to search for a spoon so they will not spread the compost everywhere. Staff comment on the textures the children are feeling, increasing their vocabularies.

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who attend

Children count pieces of pasta and concentrate as they push these onto thread. Children play outside daily, but time to do so is somewhat restricted, which does not support those children who prefer to be outside as well as possible. Babies look at books and enjoy the wind on their face. Occasional outings give toddlers the opportunity to listen to the sounds around them and they benefit from the wider space and play equipment available in the park. Children make friends within in their age group. However, children spend very little time with children of a different age group in order to become aware of the needs of a wider range of children and build positive relationships with others.

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

Children settle well at the start of their day. The effective key person system and friendly staff enable families to share information. Babies' care routines, such as sleep times and nappy changes are carefully managed and warm relationships develop. Children are supported well when they move from one room to another and they soon develop new friends.

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

Children behave well and learn to play co-operatively. Staff explain to children when something is not acceptable, such as when they need to take turns. These explanations help them to consider the needs of others. Children are effectively supported in developing skills in independence, having a drink when thirsty and washing the mud from their hands before doing so. The broad range of experiences enjoyed by children show that they are developing useful skills for the future. They are well prepared for the next stage in their learning and the eventual move to school.

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

The nursery is well resourced with good quality toys placed within easy reach of the children. Children gain some benefit from outside play each day. Staff make sure that children are dressed appropriately for outdoor activities. Visitors to the nursery provide allow children to meet other people and to deal confidently with changes to routines. Children develop a good understanding of why it is important to eat a healthy diet and be physically active. Staff monitor the content of lunch boxes and talk with children about the food they bring. They encourage them to eat their savoury items first. Staff support younger children as they learn to eat independently. Children's nappies are changed regularly so that they are comfortable and older children are well supported as they begin toilet training.

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provision

The senior managers demonstrate a good understanding of their responsibilities in meeting all the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff have a good understanding of the policies, procedures and other documentation, which successfully promote children's welfare. The staff team takes an active role in overseeing any changes the nursery and in the ongoing development of the quality of provision. Staff deliver engaging activities overall across all areas of the educational programmes so that all children progress well towards the early learning goals. The staff are deployed effectively to meet children's needs and they work well together. Systems to monitor the learning of individual children and to inform the planning for their next learning stages are effective. This monitoring means that the appropriate support is provided for each child's ongoing development, including those with additional needs.

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provision

Children are safeguarded effectively and procedures for ensuring staff are suitable to work with children are robust. Staff have all completed safeguarding training and are knowledgeable about the procedures to follow should a concern about child protection arise. The environment is assessed for risks on a daily basis and action is taken to minimise any risks identified. There is an effective system for evaluating the quality provision. The manager observes staff during their work to monitor their performance to check they remain suitable for employment. A formal system for the management of staff performance is in place. All staff are given professional support to develop their practice. Regular meetings are held with other local providers to share knowledge on good practice. The manager takes the views of staff, other professionals, parents and children into account when identifying areas to develop. Effective action is then taken to drive ongoing

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provision

improvements, for example, by improving the provision for outdoor play.

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provision

The welcoming staff establish good partnerships with parents who speak highly of the care and support provided for their children. The manager is aware of the benefit of sharing information with other settings that children attend and has good communication links with the local school.

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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 EY318514 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 916269 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 47 Number of children on roll 77 Name of provider Abingdon Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 13/10/2010 Telephone number 01235 528910

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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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