The Orchards Day Nursery

Orchards Day Nursery Ltd 36c Kneesworth Street, Roysters, HERTFORDSHIRE, SG8 5AB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/05/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

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

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This provision is outstanding

 Children have exemplary support to develop literacy and communication skills. The staff plan carefully to meet children's individual learning needs. As a consequence, children are enthusiastic learners and their progress is very good.  Staff have an excellent knowledge of how children learn and provide a rich, varied educational programme with precise assessment and planning for individual children.  Children's needs are quickly identified and exceptionally well met through highly effective partnerships between the nursery, parents, external agencies and other providers.  The nursery is exceptionally well led and managed through a close partnership between the proprietor and the manager. Expectations are high and there is a strong commitment to improve the nursery provision through a set of carefully prepared action plans.  Children are very well prepared for the next stages in their learning. Staff skilfully

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This provision is outstanding

support children's transitions both within the setting and when starting school.  Children are very well safeguarded with staff supervising the children carefully and the nursery is well staffed. Comprehensive risk assessments take place and they are particularly careful about entry to the nursery and ensuring that visitors sign in.

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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 compulsory part 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 in the play rooms and the outdoor areas.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager of the provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at planning, evidence of suitability of practitioners working in the setting, policies and a range of other documentation.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

The Orchards Day Nursery Limited opened in 1997 and was registered again in 2012 due to a change in company status. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It operates from premises in Royston, Hertfordshire, close to the train station. The nursery is privately owned and serves the local area and is accessible to all children. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 17 members of childcare staff. All of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and level 3; one member of staff has a level 4 qualification and the owner is a qualified teacher. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 76 children attending who are within the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children with English as an additional language and with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 continue to maintain and further develop excellent practice by ensuring that the current robust monitoring and evaluation systems continue to be rigorously followed.

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who attend

Children are motivated and eager to learn; they join in activities with enthusiasm and enjoy their time in the setting. Staff provide educational programmes that are stimulating and challenging and meet the needs of children. Consequently, children are able to make very good progress in their learning. Staff have high expectations of the children and an excellent knowledge and understanding of how to promote the learning and development of young children. The setting is extremely well organised and staff ensure that children are able to access a broad range of toys and equipment; as a result, children are active and independent learners.

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who attend

Staff effectively promote children's skills in language development and literacy. Books are readily available to all the children and the younger children in the baby room handle books and printed material with interest. The older children are keen to listen to a story after lunch. The adult reading the story places a sharp focus on helping the children to acquire communication and language skills. She talks to the children about what is happening and asks both open and closed questions to stimulate the children's engagement with the story. The adult interaction with the children is of a high quality. Adults provide attractive and welcoming book areas for the children to independently select and enjoy books. Both the indoor and outdoor learning environments have print displayed that relates to children's play opportunities, for example, the builder's construction area has a workman's shed with reading and writing resources to encourage

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who attend

literacy as part of imaginative play. A group of children choose to sit at a table laid out with paper and pens. The children have good hand control and manipulate the felt pens confidently to make marks on their papers. They talk with the adult about what they have drawn. Staff are careful to listen to what the children say and to repeat words and phrases to support them in extending their vocabulary. The children are taught to recognise and write their names prior to starting school. The staff are skilled in listening and talking to children to promote their speech and widen their vocabulary.

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who attend

The rich and stimulating outdoor provision is a strong feature of the setting. Outdoor provision is carefully planned to offer a wide range of different activities, including running, playing on the slide and using ride on toys; consequently, the children's physical development is well supported. They also enjoy painting at an easel, experimenting with ice cubes, role play in the home area, painting the fence and looking at books. The staff have set up a builder's yard; this is well resourced with a workman's hut which contains building plans, paper to write on and a calculator. The children cut and move wood using a range of tools including saws, screw drivers and wheel barrows. This area is extremely popular with the children; they are highly motivated and become engrossed in pretending they are builders. Adults interact skilfully with the children by talking to them and supporting the role play. The children discuss safety issues relating to the tools and use a

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who attend

wide vocabulary connected with the builder's yard. The outdoor space is imaginatively organised and this stimulating environment effectively supports children's learning.

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who attend

The staff employ a range of strategies to engage all parents in their children's learning. Open evenings are held, where parents meet with their child's key person to discuss their child's progress. The parents are also invited to write comments in their children's 'learning journeys'. In this way the nursery effectively engages with parents about their children's progress and learning both at home and in the nursery.

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who attend

Staff regularly make observations and assessments of children's learning. The assessments enable staff to monitor children's progress and to plan suitably challenging activities. Staff constantly observe and listen to children, questioning them during activities in order to extend their learning and enhance understanding. The children are making very good progress in their learning and the vast majority of children are working comfortably within the typical range of development expected for their age. Where children have special educational needs and /or disabilities, an individual education plan is in place to ensure that their needs are fully met. Through the expert use of resources and skilled teaching the children are exceptionally well prepared for school.

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

Arrangements to help children settle into the nursery and build secure emotional attachments with the staff are highly effective. Successful implementation of the key person system ensures children feel safe and secure in the setting. Parents have regular contact with their child's key person and this helps to build positive relationships between home and the nursery, which then contributes to children's sense of security and well- being. Children play very well together and behaviour is excellent, demonstrating an understanding of the clear boundaries and expectations within the setting. Relationships are strong at all levels and children are learning to respect and tolerate each other's differences. For example, children with special educational needs are very much included and involved in all activities. The nursery has an inclusive and friendly atmosphere.

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

Children are provided with a healthy diet that includes fruit and vegetables. The children enjoy a morning snack of fresh fruit and they peel their own bananas; they are encouraged to be independent at meal times. Menus are displayed for parents; a chef prepares a hot nutritious meal for children at lunchtime. Children are encouraged to learn the importance of basic personal hygiene and ensure their hands are clean before eating and after using the toilet. Water is readily available to the children throughout the day so that they do not get thirsty. The adults place a high priority on teaching the children to keep themselves safe, for example, during cooking activities the children are taught how to use a knife safely. Consequently, children are helped to keep themselves safe and healthy.

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

The setting provides a very well-resourced and welcoming environment to support children's all round development and emotional well-being. The children have use of a rich and stimulating outdoor play area; this gives them the opportunity to enjoy fresh air and supports their physical development. Children are very well prepared for the next stage in their learning because staff provide effective support to prepare them for their transition to school. The older children look at photographs of the schools that they are transferring to and dress up in the school uniform. The teachers from the schools that they are transferring to, visit the children in the nursery.

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provision

The proprietor and manager form a highly effective leadership team; they are ambitious, enthusiastic and dedicated to further improving the nursery. They foster a strong team approach and involve staff in decision making. The staff have widened their knowledge and experience by attending training courses and a number of staff are working to further improve their qualifications. As a result, the staff team is motivated, skilled and enabled to offer excellent quality provision for all children. Effective systems are in place for recruitment, induction and performance management, ensuring that staff with appropriate skills and experience are employed. The manager carries out regular supervision meetings for all staff, feedback on observations are given at these meetings and actions are agreed for improvement, which then leads to better outcomes for children.

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provision

Effective partnerships with parents make a valuable contribution to meeting the needs of children. The nursery staff enjoy extremely good relationships with parents. Their active involvement is encouraged through newsletters and questionnaires so parents can convey their views and preferences. They are kept fully informed about their child's learning and development through daily written and verbal feedback on the activities that children have engaged in. Parents spoken to at the time of the inspection, hold the provision in very high regard, they feel that their children are very well cared for and are helped to make very good progress in their learning. The nursery has developed strong relationships with other professionals these include the local authority early years adviser and the area special educational needs coordinator. The nursery has also established very effective links with the schools that the children move onto to support their transition from one setting to

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provision

another. The close partnership working with other professionals ensures that children's needs are identified and that they are supported to make very good progress.

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provision

The nursery places the highest priority on ensuring children's welfare and safety. Staff have a clear and up to date understanding about safeguarding children and understand their role in protecting them. The children are carefully supervised both indoors and outside. The provision has appropriate policies and procedures in place to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Rigorous systems are in place to assess risk and to ensure that the premises are safe and secure. Staff create an environment that is safe and welcoming, where children feel secure and happy. All staff have been suitably vetted to work with young children and a majority of staff hold a paediatric first aid qualification.

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provision

The manager monitors and evaluates the provision and educational programmes, while continually looking for ways to further improve. Robust systems are in place for observation and assessment, and planning is evaluated on a weekly basis. The proprietor and manager have high expectations and are ambitious to drive forward further improvements. The nursery critically evaluates its provision and has prepared a set of action plans which detail plans for future initiatives. Parents' views are gathered through questionnaires which feed into the self-evaluation process. The nursery has acted upon feedback from parents and has adjusted the children's menus in the light of parental wishes. The children's views are sought and listened to, recently they were consulted on themes that they would like to learn about and they chose 'books' as the theme. The drive for improvement and forward planning is key feature of the exceptional leadership and

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY456705 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 892027 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 49 Number of children on roll 76 Name of provider The Orchards Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01763241577

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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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