Hopscotch Nursery

Hopscotch Nursery 9 Nizells Avenue, HOVE, East Sussex, BN3 1PL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/05/2013 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 make rapid progress in their learning and development due to the excellent support and planning by staff.  The highly stimulating environment and excellent range of resources are used extremely well by staff to promote children's learning.  The leadership and management team demonstrates exceptional ability to reflect continually on practices and consequently improve experiences for children.  Children thoroughly enjoy their time in the nursery. They join in enthusiastically with exciting, purposeful activities that cover all areas of learning.  Staff form excellent partnerships with parents that result in very strong continuity of children's learning and welfare.

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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 outdoor area.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled children's assessment records, planning and other documentation.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of staff suitability. She held a meeting with the manager and discussed the self-evaluation form.

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Information about the setting

Hopscotch Nursery in Nizells Avenue has been operating since 2002 and re-registered as part of a limited company in 2012. There are four other nurseries operated by the same company. This nursery operates from a converted house in Hove. There are eight childcare rooms, including a sensory area and a soft play area. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 8am to 5.30pm, all year round. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. There are currently 112 children on roll in the early years age range. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years. The nursery also offers care to children aged up to eight years. Children come from a wide catchment area. The nursery currently supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who learn English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 17 staff. There are 16 staff, including the manager, who hold appropriate early years qualifications. The manager has Early Years Professional Status. There is one member of staff who is working towards a recognised qualification.

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

 consider ways of further enhancing the outdoor area for babies to explore and investigate their world.

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who attend

Staff work extremely closely with parents to help settle children. Staff establish children's starting points and individual needs exceptionally well. Staff gain valuable information from parents about children's interests, routines and favourite toys. This provides an excellent foundation for the key persons to begin planning for individual children. Staff take considerable effort to make sure they have familiar resources for a child. For example, staff sensitively comfort babies using books they like at home. Staff get to know children extremely well and, as a result, give them the support they need to help them achieve. Excellent ongoing observation and assessment enable staff to meticulously plan and provide exciting learning experiences for every child. Children needing additional support make significant progress as staff take highly effective steps to meet their needs. This means that all children make considerable progress in relation to their starting points.

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who attend

Staff keep parents extremely well informed about their children's ongoing progress. These include daily reports, regular formal meetings with key persons and the sharing of summary sheets. Parents talk about how they actively contribute to children's learning at home and in the nursery. Children's home backgrounds are highly valued. For example, staff make sure children's differing backgrounds and home languages are fully represented in the nursery and the activities. This means that all children gain an excellent awareness of diversity in their community.

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who attend

Staff prepare children exceptionally well for school. Children show high levels of independence as they help themselves to resources and initiate their own play both indoors and outdoors. For example, they find the car track pieces and skilfully put them together to make a ramp. Then they find a bucket to fetch water that they pour on the track to see what happens to the cars. Children concentrate exceptionally well as they carry out tasks and work out mathematical problems. Younger children work out how to remake a tower with the soft blocks. Adults provide excellent support as they get children to think about the shapes and sizes of the blocks and use these discussions to increase children's mathematical skills. Children show they are highly motivated and keen to learn. Staff thoughtfully provide rich and imaginative learning experiences for children. For example, children have great fun exploring the space room using fluorescent items such

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who attend

as gloves. Babies excitedly explore cornflour and glitter using their fingers and spoons. Staff skilfully interact with children and encourage them to express their ideas and thoughts. As a result, children become extremely confident speakers who readily share their experiences. They listen to each other as they take part in a sound game together. Babies and very young children communicate effectively as they point to the photographs of their families and friends on the walls.

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

Highly effective care practices help children feel emotionally secure. Staff consistently follow children's individual routines and meet their needs. This contributes extensively to children's well-being. The key person system is excellent as staff form exceptionally strong bonds with their key children. This results in children becoming extremely confident and independent learners. For example, babies show they feel settled and secure as they happily move away from their key person to investigate their surroundings. They watch themselves in the mirror as they make sounds with the beater and musical instrument. Older children form excellent relationships with adults and other children. They behave extremely well and play cooperatively together as they take part in role play activities, such as being space monsters. Children of all ages readily share resources and take turns. Staff use excellent strategies for helping children learn to manage their feelings.

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

Children flourish in an environment where staff give a high priority to hygiene and cleanliness. Even very young children show that they know they need to wash their hands after taking part in messy play. Children enjoy healthy balanced cooked meals and snacks. They have fun growing vegetables to eat such as carrots, beetroot and potatoes in the outdoor area. Children enjoy an abundant range of physical activities in the outdoor area. This contributes to children's growing understanding of the importance of exercise and fresh air. Children learn to manage risks exceptionally well as they try challenging physical activities, such as the climbing wall. Staff deployment is excellent as they are close by to help children who need support. Children thrive in the safe and secure environment staff create. They develop an excellent understanding of safety as staff gently remind children about how to stay safe as they play.

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

Overall, staff create outstanding learning environments both indoors and outdoors for children. They make innovative use of the space and resources to excite children and hold their interest. This includes a sensory room that is used for a variety of purposes. There is an exceptional range of child friendly resources and furniture that is of an extremely high quality. Children independently access resources both indoors and outdoors as staff provide them with an excellent variety in low storage units. Staff take meticulous steps to review the environments and help make sure the different rooms and play areas meet children's needs. For example, following research, staff obtained low beds that babies and very young children can crawl into independently when they want a rest. Babies enjoy their time in the outdoor area. However, the experiences staff provide for them are not quite as exciting and inspiring as those provided for older children, to completely engage

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provision

The leadership and management team demonstrate an exceptional knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. There are excellent recruitment and induction processes to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. Staff show an exemplary awareness of what to do if they have a child protection concern. All the required documentation is in place and maintained to a high standard. Staff carry out extensive safety checks and risk assessments that help minimise hazards to children. The manager makes excellent use of the accident records in her ongoing review and assessment of risks.

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provision

The leadership and management team give high priority to the ongoing professional development of all staff. They frequently and consistently monitor staff and carry out regular appraisals. All staff attend well-targeted training that helps to significantly improve their knowledge and skills. The manager is highly motivated and shows a determination to continually drive improvement in the nursery. She is extremely enthusiastic and makes excellent use of her training to reflect on practices in the nursery and improve outcomes for children. The manager and nursery staff are highly reflective and continually review the use of the environment and resources. Systems for the ongoing evaluation of practices are fully embedded and include contributions from parents and children. This results in significant changes to the nursery that greatly benefit children. For example, staff have improved ways in which they care for babies and help extend children's communication

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provision

and language skills. The manager and staff rigorously monitor the educational programme and assessment process to help ensure that children continue to make excellent progress. The manager has excellent tracking systems that enable her to identify any gaps in children's learning, both for individuals and for groups of children. The information gained significantly supports staff in planning effectively to narrow gaps in children's learning. Staff form highly impressive links with other providers and agencies. This means that children benefit from excellent consistency and continuity across all settings involved in their care and learning.

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provision

Staff form highly effective partnerships with parents. They work extremely well together to meet children's welfare needs. Parents state that they feel their children make excellent progress and that they are well prepared for moving on to school. They also say that they like the fact that staff are attentive but also allow children to develop and take risks. Parents feel well supported and say that staff take very effective actions to address any concerns they have.

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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 EY455753 Local authority Brighton & Hove Inspection number 895332 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 51 Number of children on roll 112 Name of provider ACPH Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01273 772 028

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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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