Bear's House Nursery

Bear's House Nursery 11 Holmesdale Gardens, HASTINGS, East Sussex, TN34 1LY

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29/04/2013 Not Applicable

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

p.1

This provision is satisfactory

 The children gain positive self-esteem through the relationships they have with staff.  The staff promote children's developing language with singing, clear speaking and lots of talking.  Children are confident and this supports them in making choices and gaining independence skills.  Children benefit from the nutritious nursery cooked meals, supporting a healthy lifestyle.

p.1

It is not yet good because

 Observation, assessment and planning arrangements are not monitored effectively; as a result weaknesses in planning for children's next steps are not identified and therefore planned experiences for each child across the seven areas of learning are not always sufficiently challenging  Staff are not fully engaging with parents to involve them fully in their children's learning and development.  Partnerships with other settings children attend are not established to help provide consistency of children's care and learning.  The staff do not always make the best use of children's home languages to support children's learning and development.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

Information about this inspection

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

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the play rooms.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the owner and manager of the nursery and completed a joint observation in the nursery with the manager.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at some children's records, including their assessment details and spoke to staff.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of safeguarding practices and self-evaluation processes.

p.2

Information about the setting

Bear's House Nursery was originally registered in 2004. The nursery ownership changed in 2012 when the business was acquired by Early Beginnings Nurseries Limited. It operates from a former residential property on four floors. There is no lift. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is situated in a residential area of Hastings in East Sussex, close to shops and transport links. It is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year.

p.3

Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. There are currently 45 children aged from three months to eight years on roll, some in part-time places. Of these, 38 are in the early years age range. The nursery provides funded free early education for three- and four-year-olds. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those children who speak English as an additional language.

p.3

Information about the setting

There are 10 members of staff (including one apprentice). All but one member of staff hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least National Vocational Qualification at level 2 and seven are at level 3. The nursery employs a cook.

p.3

must:

 develop the assessment and planning processes by making effective use of children's starting points and ongoing observations to clearly identify the next steps in their learning to plan challenging experiences for each child across all areas of learning.

p.4

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

 engage with parents further to encourage a greater involvement with supporting their child's learning at home and contributing to the assessment process

p.4

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

 improve partnership working, where relevant, with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage, to help provide a highly comprehensive awareness of each child's learning needs

p.4

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

 improve the tracking and monitoring of children's progress from their starting points across the seven areas of learning to ensure any achievement gaps are easily identified and narrowed through effective planning

p.4

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

 strengthen the support for children whose home language is not English, by taking reasonable steps to provide opportunities for children to use their home language in play and learning.

p.4

who attend

Children are making sound progress in their learning and development with a staff team who are gaining a secure knowledge of how they can support children. The key staff record observations as children play. They use guidance documents to note what stage children are at in their learning but insufficient attention is given to identifying the next steps for children's individual learning and development. The daily planning is flexible and takes account of children's interests. However because of the weaknesses in assessment not all planned activities are challenging enough for all children. The staff have however made a successful start to the implementation of the required progress checks for the two-year-olds. They produce reports that clearly note children's achievements in each of the prime areas of learning. Staff share information with parents daily about any significant achievements made by children and how children's care needs are met. Parents

p.4

who attend

know they can view their child's learning journal. However, they are not actively encouraged to contribute to the assessment process by telling staff about children's developmental achievements at home.

p.4

who attend

Overall, the staff promote children's developing language development well. Each group room uses singing to encourage children's speech. The staff are aware of the benefits in speaking clearly. They reflect back the correct words or pronunciation rather than correct a child, helping children feel positive and willing to communicate. The support for children whose home language is not English is less effective. They do not have good opportunities to use their home language in their play and learning. For example, a child may not count correctly in English but may do it well in their home language, if given the opportunity.

p.5

who attend

Babies and children confidently make their own choices about their play from the accessible resources or enjoy getting involved in activities planned by the staff. The staff encourage children to concentrate and spend time at an activity. Babies enjoy exploring different textures as they paint or investigate items such as pinecones, shells and musical instruments. Using cause and effect toys helps their early discovery of technology. The toddlers use glue sticks to make pictures with scraps of paper. This supports their developing physical skills. Older toddlers practise using scissors on dough before they try to cut paper, to build their skills and confidence. The pre-school children enjoy exploring different textures. They play with the water and sand, spending time experimenting by filling different containers. A group of children explore a bowl of flour with their hands and brushes. The staff member asks questions about how it feels to promote children's

p.5

who attend

language for thinking. Children are further intrigued as they add different paint powder and talk about how the colour changes. The skills children gain help support their future learning needs as they prepare for the move to school.

p.5

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

The nursery has a suitable key person system in place and staff are getting to know the children well. Regular discussions with parents ensure that children's care needs continue to be met, such as babies' changing sleep routines. The nursery has flexible settling in systems to suit parents and children. As a result, babies and children settle well. The relationships they have with the staff help them gain a sense of belonging and positive self-esteem. The confidence that children gain helps them cope with the moves between the group rooms in the nursery. The staff involve parents in discussions about the best time for these moves to take place. Children's behaviour is generally good and there are no concerns about how staff manage children's behaviour. Children share resources with others and children play happily together or alongside each other, appropriate to their age. The staff encourage children to try things for themselves and this helps develop

p.5

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

independence skills. For example, the toddlers and preschool children are able to go to the toilet when they need.

p.5

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

Children like to play outside as part of learning about and gaining a healthy lifestyle. Some of the older children clean their teeth after lunch, learning about the importance of dental care. Toddlers and children help themselves to drinks throughout the day. The freshly cooked healthy meals are popular. The nursery clearly displays the menus so parents are aware of what their child is eating. Some children, such as the toddlers, benefit from seeing the cook at work, learning about healthy eating. Children are learning to keep themselves safe through messages from the staff, such as not standing on chairs. They sometimes practise fire evacuation drills to help familiarise children with the emergency procedures.

p.5

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

The staff continue to develop the environment to promote children's learning. Rooms on each floor level are equipped with a range of appropriate toys and resources for the age and stage of children cared for. For example, babies have good space for crawling and sturdy furniture to pull themselves up on as they start to walk. Most of the displays are of children's artwork showing their own ideas. Some resources positively reflect diversity and help children learn to respect and value others. However, these do not fully reflect the cultural diversity of children who attend. The outside area is secure and provides space for outdoor play. Staff bring resources out for babies or use those stored in the shed. Children can chalk on the boards or use the slide on the new safety surfaced area. Another outdoor area to offer greater play and learning experiences, such as a growing area, is under construction.

p.6

provision

There is a suitable understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. All required documentation is in place such as clear attendance records, to support the safe and efficient management of the nursery. Parents are able to view the written policies and procedures, and as a result, they are aware of the practices at the nursery. The staff undertake safeguarding training to update their knowledge. There are clear processes in place to help ensure staff suitably follow up concerns about children's welfare. The manager knows when she needs to notify the safeguarding authorities and Ofsted about events at the nursery. She deals with concerns about staff suitability well. Monitoring their practice and identifying further training needs. Overall, supervision, appraisals and training are available to help promote staff's professional development. Regular staff meetings and input from the local authority are beginning to develop the systems in place for assessing

p.6

provision

and planning for children's learning. The current processes used for tracking children's progress do not effectively help staff to identify all gaps in children's achievement. As a result steps to narrow achievement gaps are not always well-targeted.

p.6

provision

The premises are secure and care is taken to keep children safe. Regular risk assessments and daily checks of the environment are completed. Action is taken to minimise identified risks, for example, with safety gates positioned to restrict children's access to the stairs. There is a suitable recruitment process, including checks on health. The owner took on an existing staff team and is obtaining new criminal records checks to help ensure the continuing suitability of staff. The new manager is enthusiastic about her role and keen to develop the nursery. Her self-evaluation of the provision demonstrates an awareness of strengths and identifies areas to develop that are likely to have a positive impact on children's learning. As a result, the nursery demonstrates a sound capacity for continuous improvement. Relationships with parents are positive and these are developing to encourage them to make stronger contributions to children's learning. Partnerships with other professionals,

p.6

provision

such as speech therapists help support children's learning. However, effective partnerships with other early years settings where some children also attend, to help provide consistency of care and learning, are not in place.

p.7

The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met

p.7

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

Setting details

Unique reference number EY455180 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 891228 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 45 Name of provider Early Beginnings Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01424465856

p.9

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.

p.9

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.10

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,

p.10

Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.11

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.11