Our Den at Hillside

Yellow Brick House Nursery Hillside Hillside Primary School, Rushey Way, Lower Earley, READING, RG6 4HQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22/04/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Staff work well together to provide a welcoming learning environment where all children are included and valued.  Relationships with parents are positive; staff keep them well informed about their children's progress and welcome their comments.  The management team works very well together, using expertise from the other settings to develop this new nursery to a good standard.  Staff are caring and friendly; they provide good support for new children so they quickly become confident in the nursery and happily play, explore and make new friends.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Occasionally the organisation of whole group activities does not fully engage all of the children.  Children do not have access to a wide enough range of resources to develop further their technology skills.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children in the early years age group during the inspection, both in the nursery and in the outdoor play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the staff's practice and talked to them at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the manager and completed a joint observation of an activity with the older children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documentation and briefly sampled policies and children's development records and observations.  The inspector considered the views of parents spoken to at the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Yellow Brick Nursery Hillside registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register. It is privately owned and part of a small group of nurseries owned by the same proprietor. The nursery operates from a purpose-built classroom next to Hillside Family Centre and Primary School in Lower Earley, Reading, Berkshire. Children have access to the main playroom, which is partitioned for children under two years and for those aged two to under four years. Babies sleep in a curtained-off area. There is an enclosed outdoor play area with a sectioned-off area for the youngest children. The nursery opens weekdays during school term times only, from 7.50am until 6pm. It offers full- and part-time sessions. There are currently 35 children in the early years age group on roll. The nursery is in receipt of free early education funding for children aged two, three and four years. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are eight members of staff who

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Information about the setting

work with the children, including the manager and one lunchtime member of staff, of whom six hold relevant childcare qualifications.

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

 review the organisation of some group activities, to help all younger children to become fully engaged

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

 develop the range and use of resources to increase children's growing awareness of technology.

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who attend

Children make good progress and enjoy their time in a happy, stimulating environment in this new nursery. The quality of teaching is good so children develop new skills across all areas of learning. Staff find out about children's starting abilities through informative discussion with parents and key persons plan activities based on their observations. Development records include good detail about children's progress and next steps for learning. Staff keep parents fully involved with their children's learning through regular meetings to share children's records. They effectively implement the progress check for children aged two and share the summary with parents.

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who attend

Children enjoy a wide range of planned activities and also have good opportunities to initiate their own play. They have continuous use of the interesting selection of good quality toys and resources, covering all areas of learning. Children concentrate well and increase their physical skills as they manipulate play dough and explore water play. Staff organise the playroom well so children can make links in their learning. For example, play dough is next to the home role-play area and children make cakes to cook in the oven. Babies enjoy sensory play as they explore flour and water play, paint and treasure baskets. They develop good physical skills as they crawl over an interesting wooden obstacle course and use an activity centre to pull themselves up to standing. Pictures and labelling on shelves help children pack away resources as they play, and to develop an understanding that print has meaning. The range of resources to develop children's

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who attend

awareness and use of technology is less well developed, which has been identified by staff through monitoring of the provision. . Children have lots of fun playing outside, which they freely access throughout the session. They develop their physical skills as they ride tricycles and climb along the obstacle course and tyres. They show good skills as they kick footballs.

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who attend

Children develop a strong sense of belonging as they see pictures of themselves and their families displayed within the nursery. They learn about feelings, being kind to their friends and sharing toys. Children develop good language skills and confidently communicate as they speak within a group or sing favourite songs. Staff constantly encourage children's language skills by asking relevant questions to extend their thinking and understanding. Children actively develop a love of books and staff plan to extend experiences as children act out favourite stories. Children excitedly hunt for a bear outside and find him hiding in their den. Some of the youngest children become less engaged in the activity as they are a little young to appreciate it. Children enjoy singing familiar rhymes, which further develop their communication skills. Children of all ages enjoy the range of reference and fiction books in the cosy book corners. Children are being well prepared for their transfer

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who attend

to school and most attend the adjacent school. Staff are developing strong partnerships and are able to share some resources, such as the nature and pond areas. Children develop independence as they put on their coats and use the toilet. They take turns to help with the snack preparation as they help cut up the fruit. Staff provide well-planned activities that develop children's skills in readiness for their next stages of learning.

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

Staff organise the small, friendly nursery well to provide a positive, caring space, where all children are respected and included. Children develop good relationships with staff; they receive a warm welcome on arrival and happily come in and settle to play. Children play in a stimulating environment with colourful posters and displays of their artwork and photographs. The nursery has a wide range of easily accessible good quality resources, which allows children to develop across all learning areas. There are good procedures in place, including home visits, to help children settle well as they start in the nursery. They are allocated a key person who works closely with parents to ensure children's individual needs are catered for. There are good systems in place to help children develop the skills they need to move onto the school nursery class. Children are happy and settled as they quickly form good relationships with staff. Staff are

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

attentive to children's needs and support them well to continually develop skills for the next stage in their learning. Children behave well because they feel secure and play with a good variety of activities, which interest and stimulate them. They receive lots of meaningful praise and encouragement from staff. Staff help children to recognise how to use their communication skills if they are upset by other children.

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

Children show a good understanding of safety. For example, young children know how use their feet to slow down the bikes as soon as they see others on the ramp. They walk carefully across the balancing equipment. Children develop their physical skills as they freely access outdoor play, as daily exercise is a part of the nursery routine. Babies sleep according to their needs and home routines are followed closely. Children's dietary requirements are well known and appropriately catered for. They receive a variety of healthy fruit snacks and freshly cooked meals, which are brought into the nursery. Children develop good self-care skills through well-embedded hygiene practice. They wash their hands appropriately and can freely access drinking water. Staff actively promote children's healthy lifestyles.

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provision

The owner, manager and support advisor form a strong, supportive team and work very well together to provide good support for staff. This helps ensure they provide good quality care and learning for the children. The nursery is part of a small, privately-owned group. Management makes the most of previous experience and good practice to provide a caring and welcoming environment. Staff have a good understanding of how to safeguard children and they are confident with the procedures to follow should they have any concerns. Safeguarding and complaints policies are shared with parents, so all are aware of the nursery's responsibilities. There are effective systems in place for staff vetting and induction, and to assess their ongoing suitability. All staff have regular opportunities to discuss their practice with the manager and they identify training opportunities to support their professional development. Staff clearly understand the need

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provision

to keep children safe. They have good systems in place to make sure the premises are safe and secure. Staff complete thorough risk assessments, which they record, and undertake a daily safety check. These measures safeguard the children effectively.

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provision

Children enjoy their time at the nursery as they are cared for by knowledgeable, caring, supportive staff. This enables them to have good opportunities to learn through purposeful play and to make good progress in their learning. Children confidently play and explore the well-organised nursery and good quality play resources. The manager has a clear understanding of the responsibilities in meeting the learning requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff have good childcare and interactive skills. This enables them to plan and provide effective support and interesting activities for children's learning. Staff maintain good development records for all children, which they use well to plan for children's progress. The manager has secure systems in place to monitor these, to ensure they contain good information about children's progress and development in all areas. The staff have a very positive attitude to inspection and to continually improving their

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provision

practices and outcomes for children. The owner and manager continually evaluate the nursery provision. They seek feedback from staff and parents, observe the children, and develop a realistic development plan. Staff are enthusiastic and dedicated to providing a high quality learning environment for children. They are in the process of establishing close working relationships with the school and children's centre who share the same site, to increase opportunities for children's learning. Staff develop good partnerships with parents and others involved with children's care and learning. These positive partnerships promote a coherent approach to meeting children's needs. Parents are very happy with the nursery and comment that it is 'brilliant' with caring, friendly staff who keep them well informed of their children's day and progress.

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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 EY434089 Local authority Wokingham Inspection number 887404 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 28 Number of children on roll 35 Name of provider Yellow Brick House Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07753 325895

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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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