Fountain House Farm Day Nursery

Fountain House Farm Day Nursery Fountain House Farm, Watton, DRIFFIELD, YO25 9HY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26/03/2013 20/04/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 The staff know the children well and their different needs and abilities. Regular observations and assessments are completed by the staff to identify children's next steps. This results in children making suitable progress in their learning.  Resources are appropriate and promote the different areas of learning to support the children's interests and progress. As a consequence, children make choices in their play.  Staff work well with parents to support a shared approach to their children's ongoing care and development.

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It is not yet good because

 The area used for children aged under two-years-old is not effectively organised, managed and monitored, to fully meet their needs in relation to the required space allowance for each child attending.  There are few opportunities for children to experiment with writing for a purpose and to practise their mark marking during their imaginary play.  Opportunities for younger children to extend their sensory experiences by exploring different textures and more natural resources are not fully explored by staff.

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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 activities with the children and staff in the nursery and outdoor play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at the children's learning records, planning and evaluation documents, and a selection of policies and procedures.  The inspector spoke with parents on the day.

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Information about the setting

Fountains House Farm Day Nursery was registered in 1997. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from converted farm buildings, within a working farm situated between Driffield and Beverley. The nursery serves both towns and the surrounding rural area. Children are cared for in different age groups in four areas, including the out of school club. There are three outdoor areas available for outside play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, except bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 69 children attending, all of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 to 6, including one with Qualified Teacher Status. The nursery is a member of the area Early Years Cluster group.

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must:

 organise the space and provision for children aged from birth to under two years more effectively, to ensure that their needs in relation to the allocated floor space to the number of children attending are fully met at all times

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must:

 improve the educational programme for literacy by extending opportunities for children to experiment with and practise writing for a purpose during their role play and imaginary games.

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

 review and monitor practice more effectively to carefully consider the impact of space and the quality of practice on children's overall achievements

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

 extend opportunities for younger children to enhance their sensory experiences, through exploring different textures and more natural resources.

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who attend

The staff seek information from parents prior to the children starting at nursery. This informs the key person about each child's needs, routines and what they enjoy playing at home. The settling-in process is a shared approach, with staff working closely with parents so that children feel secure when being left. The staff have a sound knowledge of the areas of learning and provide activities that enable children to be motivated and interested in what they do. The key staff get to know the children well and support their differing needs and abilities, so that children are able to make suitable progress. Staff observe and assess the children on a regular basis and use these to identify and plan what children need to learn next. Parents have ongoing opportunities to discuss their children's progress with their key person and access their children's learning files. They are encouraged to share what their children do at home, to assist staff in planning for their children's

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who attend

Children readily come into nursery and are confident to access the resources and make choices in what they play with. Group time for the older children enables them to share news, such as hearing the helicopter in the sky and how loud it was, or what colour their bedroom is to be painted. Children confidently select their names and choose which snack they want. These activities promote children's communication skills and confidence well, as they share information and listen to each other. The younger children mainly have space to actively crawl and develop their emerging walking skills and manoeuvre themselves around furniture. However, when the number of children attending is increased, there is less space available for children to make the most of their exploration and movement.

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who attend

The older children visit the farm adjacent to the nursery to see the newly born lambs. They feed some with bottles of milk, this caused excitement as the children commented that the lambs were 'very hungry' and had 'wet noses'. The incubator containing the chicken eggs promotes interest with the children, to keep looking to see if any have hatched. Children see the changing seasons through being involved in what happens on the farm. These opportunities extend children's experiences and understanding of the environment around them.

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who attend

Children see different letters, labelling and numbers all around the nursery, which supports their understanding that words and numbers have meaning. This is enhanced through games that enable them to match and sequence, and action songs encourage them to count. However, the opportunities for children, to experiment and practise early writing and make marks for a purpose, particularly during role play and imaginary games, are less well supported and this hinders children from making the most of their early literacy skills. Children access various media and materials to design and develop their own ideas. The children using toy tractor tyres to make patterns with or paint pictures of healthy food they eat, such as red strawberries and green cabbage. Children access the role play area for different activities that follow their interests, such as a hairdressers or shop. These enhance children's imagination well, allowing them to share their own

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who attend

experiences through their play. The younger children have jelly and 'gloop' to feel and experience and use paints to make patterns with their hands. However, the opportunities for children to extend their sensory experiences and explore other textures and more natural resources is not fully explored by staff. The range of activities and learning opportunities offer children a suitable start in preparing them for the next stages in their learning.

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

Children form close relationships with staff and their key person. This supports them to be secure and develop their confidence and growing independence appropriately. Children clearly see what resources are available and to make choices in their play both inside and outside. Staff review what the children enjoy and resources used, to extend activities that engage and further their interests. Most resources for the younger children are at a low level, to enable them to self-select and staff enhance these to develop their experiences. However, when the number of younger children attending is increased, this impacts on the availability of some resources and equipment. For example, on occasion, this results in not enough high chairs being available to allow all children to eat together.

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

Transitions are managed well in the nursery, information is shared with parents and the children regularly visit their new area. The introductory period allows children to meet with their new key worker and build secure relationship to move on. The nursery make contact with all the schools children are to attend. This enables school staff to visit the nursery and children to the school. Information is shared effectively to support children's ongoing learning and development. The staff provide a calm supportive environment where children develop their skills to share and take turns. Staff work with them to manage their behaviour through appropriate strategies, such as to re-direct them to another activity or talk about why a behaviour is not acceptable. Staff encourage the children in what they do; they respect and value their contributions. This builds children's self-assurance and confidence well.

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

Staff support the children's personal care well. Meals and snacks are provided by the nursery. These are freshly prepared on site by the cook and offer a well-balanced nutritious selection for all the children who enjoy their food. Staff provide various activities that promote healthy lifestyles with the children. Older children manage their personal care well and staff offer support only when needed. This fosters a positive approach to children's understanding of what being healthy means to them. Information is shared with parents to ensure the care of children when ill is managed effectively to minimise cross infection. Safety is ongoing with the children in all they do. They are well supported to take risks in a safe way through being independent in their use of the different tools and equipment. For example, children access the large climbing frame and the go-karts outside and use knives and forks at mealtimes. Activities engage the children in safety

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

messages about crossing the road, when in the car or on the farm. These activities develop children's understanding of keeping safe.

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provision

Staff monitor their teaching and learning for the children. The Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage support staff in how they assess where the children are in their development. This results in identifying any gaps in children's learning to inform planning and how staff support and challenge the children relevant to their needs and abilities. The staff, parents, children and feedback through the early years cluster group contribute to the nursery's evaluation and development. Since the last inspection staff reviewed how they observe and assess the children, this resulted in a more effective approach that all staff use confidently across the nursery. However, following information received, the inspection found that the arrangements for monitoring and reviewing the number of under two-year-olds attending nursery on certain days, is not managed effectively. This results in a higher number of children sometimes attending above the

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provision

allocated space required for each child. Consequently, the support young children receive is variable during certain times of the day, and this does not ensure they consistently benefit from high quality practice.

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provision

All staff have updated their safeguarding training, to ensure their knowledge and understanding of children's well-being is managed appropriately. Information is provided on the procedures to follow and the relevant safeguarding agencies to contact. All information is shared with the parents. The safe recruitment and suitability of staff is secure. There is appropriate staff support through supervision, staff appraisals, team meetings and access to training as part of staff development. Other records, risk assessments, policies and procedures are suitably reviewed in support of the ongoing management of the nursery.

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provision

The partnerships formed with parents is positive. The nursery provide open days and other times as requested by parents to share and discuss their children's progress. The daily sheets for the younger children provide regular details of their personal care for parents. Parents appreciate the daily contact with staff, to share any changes in their children's routines or needs. The digital screen in nursery provides a weekly review of the children's activities for parents. Regular newsletters are another form of communication to keep them informed, such as the children's visit to the lambs. The parents are very happy with the level of care and the range of activities provided. The staff are welcoming and approachable and they feel confident to leave their children in the nursery.

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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 314630 Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire Inspection number 908214

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 72 Number of children on roll 69 Name of provider Christine Martinson and Neil Martinson Date of previous inspection 20/04/2011 Telephone number 01377 270164

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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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