Denton Island Nursery

Denton Island Nursery Denton Island Nursery, Denton Island, NEWHAVEN, East Sussex, BN9 9BA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/05/2013 28/10/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Safeguarding arrangements are extremely robust and ensure that children and the data relating to them is protected effectively.  Staff have an excellent knowledge and understanding of how children learn. They monitor children's achievements closely and as a result children make excellent progress.  The commitment to ongoing training, reflection on practice and strive for continual improvement results in a setting which ensures high quality care.  Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children with English as an additional language are supported exceptionally well and as a result meet their full potential.  Partnerships with all those involved in the child's care and welfare are excellent and fully support the provision of high quality and consistent care and education for every child.

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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 held discussions with the children, manager and members of staff .

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities provided and the practitioner's and children's interactions during these.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.  The inspector reviewed a sample of relevant documentation.  The opportunity for the manager to take part in a joint inspection was offered.

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Information about the setting

The day care setting is located within Denton Island Children & Family Centre and was registered in 2004. The setting is easily accessible and the childcare is provided in one wing of the centre, comprising a main care area with smaller rooms off, and access to an enclosed deck and garden area for outdoor activities. The setting is open each weekday for 50 weeks of the year from 08.00 to 18.00. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is in receipt of nursery education funding for children and supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who have English as an additional language. The setting currently has 91 children on roll, and all are in the early years age group.. The centre manager is the registered person, and is supported by a management team which includes the day care manager, several key-person staff and a

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Information about the setting

qualified teacher. Overall, there are 11 staff who work directly with the children, and nearly all have early years qualifications.

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

 further encourage children's sense of exploration and risk-taking to help them judge risks for themselves.

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who attend

The quality of the educational programmes is exceptional. Progress in all areas of children's development is excellent, given their abilities and starting points. Staff are highly skilled and have a very secure knowledge of how to support children's learning. They work alongside children at their level. Staff observe what children are doing sensitively and share information with them that deepens children's knowledge and extends their interest in activities. They consistently encourage children to ask questions, voice their opinions and to predict what will happen next in a wide range of situations. Children are active, inquisitive learners as a result.

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who attend

Staff use interesting and innovative activities to motivate children to take part in learning. Key workers carefully monitor children's play and note the subjects that capture their imaginations. They use this knowledge to plan activities inspired by the children's curiosity. For example when children show an interest in space travel and rockets, large scale junk modelling is provided so that children can design and build their own rockets. Staff find film clips online of rockets launching and watch these with children, extending their vocabulary as they talk about the launch process and name parts of the rocket. Children engage fully when taking part in these activities and the progress that children make is rapid.

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who attend

Staff help children to gain excellent language skills and supporting children's communication is a key priority of all nursery staff. Language checks are jointly carried out with parents when children join the setting. Children who require extra help in this area attend small groups focusing on language and communication skills. Specially trained staff have responsibility for these groups and consequently progress for these children is significant. Children's increased ability to communicate effectively helps them in other areas of their learning.

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who attend

Physically children in this setting excel. They develop extremely good co-ordination as they handle small tools, run, crawl, balance and climb. They show strength and determination as they move, arrange and stack wooden pallets in the garden. They enjoy being active and energetic and understand how this links to their physical wellbeing. They make excellent and frequent use of the well-resourced outdoor play areas.

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who attend

The children receive high levels of support to develop their social and emotional skills. Staff interaction with children is sensitive and caring. Children eagerly explain the simple rules of the setting and the reasons for these. They consistently receive very high levels of praise for being kind and helpful. The positive atmosphere encourages excellent behaviour and because of this, relationships between children are strong and secure.

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who attend

Planning and assessment arrangements are sharply focused. Staff use a system which helps them clearly identify where each child is in their learning. Staff plan activities which provide each child with excellent and tailored challenges. Staff carefully consider children's individual learning styles. They always ensure that there are plenty of opportunities for children to work outside and to choose if they want to work in small or large groups.

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who attend

The setting work with parents, other providers and specialists involved in the child's care and education to produce the two year progress check. This very clearly and accurately identifies where children are in their learning and development.

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

The key person system is highly effective. Arrangements help children to settle well. They provide a central point for parents to receive and share information about their child.

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

Staff model polite, kind and caring interactions and children emulate these. Relationships between the children and staff are warm, caring and supportive. Children know how to behave in ways that are safe for themselves and others. They move with care and consideration for each other and can list a range of precautions they can take so that they don't 'bump' other children or knock into each other. Staff encourage children to take some everyday age-appropriate risks. Children use suitable knives to help prepare food at snack time; they climb balance and move at speed in the garden. Staff are skilled at ensuring that small risks do not prevent activities from taking place, but do not routinely devise activities to help children to experience and judge more risks for themselves.

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

Children receive first-class help to understand how they can support their own health. Good nutrition and healthy eating is promoted very effectively. Staff provide parents with guidance about healthy lunchboxes and making healthy food choices for their children at each age and stage of development. Children discuss healthy eating at mealtime with staff.

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

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who have English as an additional language are supported extremely well. External agency support is well utilised and a wide range of professionals are invited to contribute to individual education plans. Picture labels and a visual timetable help children to understand what is available to them and what the routine of the day is going to be. Staff learn a wide range of words in children's home languages. They recognise that encouraging children to use their first language helps them with their acquisition of English.

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

Staff ensure that there is a good balance of natural and manmade resources which encourage children to investigate and explore. Children are intrigued by the bug hotel and gently remove twigs to see what they can find. Magnifying glasses enable children to examine creatures more closely. A digging pit, sand and water trays, a play lodge and willow den are favourites of the children and are used effectively to increase their skills across all areas of learning.

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

Children are independent. They are self-assured as they choose which toys and equipment they want to use from low-level shelving and storage. The premises are very well organised. Staff monitor the space and reorganise areas to meet the children's changing needs. Equipment is well maintained, plentiful and safe for the ages of the children who can access it. Play areas are spacious and include a good mix of areas for both quiet and energetic play.

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

Children spend their time productively throughout the whole of session. All children are fully engaged in busy purposeful learning through play. The high levels of engagement mean that children are learning at every opportunity. The children grow in skill and confidence because of the very effective learning environment. This helps all children to develop the skills needed to support their future learning.

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

Reception class teachers visit the nursery to meet children and spend time with them, which supports children's move to school. Key workers take children to play sessions at local primary schools so that they are familiar with rooms that they will use and the layout of the building. Staff start discussions about 'going to school' and assess how children feel about the move, offering them additional support if necessary.

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provision

The management team and staff have a comprehensive, secure knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements. Leadership and management are exceptionally strong and practices are inspirational. The nursery work with external agencies to share their best practice with other early years providers. The staff team are fully committed and work closely with the management team to monitor the provision. Consequently, standards are very high and weaknesses identified are minor and are promptly addressed. Staff and management continually reflect on their practices and look for ways to improve what they already do well. Staff welcome the chance to improve their knowledge and understanding of best practice. They take up training opportunities enthusiastically.

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provision

Safeguarding arrangements are incredibly robust and protect both children and the data relating to them very well. Vigorous vetting and recruitment procedures are in place, ensuring that only those who are suitable are permitted to work in the setting. A clear and detailed child protection policy is in place and all staff have a good understanding of the requirements The premises are secure and checks to verify the security of the perimeter are undertaken daily. Records and photographs of the children are securely stored. Cameras and memory cards are signed in and out of locked storage by staff and parents are the only people permitted to take children's learning journals off site.

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provision

Parents are encouraged to be fully involved in both their children's learning and the assessment process. Partnership working with other agencies is exceptional. The arrangements in place provide a whole team approach to nurturing each child. Taking into consideration their abilities and starting points, the vast majority of children make outstanding progress in all areas of their development.

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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 EY279429 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 911964

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 66 Number of children on roll 85 Name of provider Newhaven Community Development Association LTD Date of previous inspection 28/10/2009 Telephone number 01273 515125

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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

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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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