Daisy Tree Montessori Nursery Ltd

Bowden House Day Nursery 30 Bowden Lane, Marple, STOCKPORT, Cheshire, SK6 6ND

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/04/2013 05/01/2009

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early years provision

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

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This provision is good

 Children make good progress in their learning because activities stimulate them and are linked to their interests.  Teaching is strong because staff question and challenge children's thinking skills effectively and, as a result, children can work out problems by themselves.  Children are well-prepared in their transitions within the nursery and with local schools. Partnerships with parents and other professionals are strong, which enables effective continuity of care.  Behaviour is good and contributes to effective learning. Children are encouraged to be independent and take responsibility in activities and routines.  Leadership is strong and all staff feel welcome and valued. As a result, staff are conscientious and committed to providing a high quality service for children and their families.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Noise levels from the music player and television are sometimes too loud and, occasionally, distract children's attention away from playing, exploring and communicating with others.  Staff have not fully explored a range of other methods to capture children's next steps in their learning, such as in spontaneous observations, to help make planning even more robust so staff's attention is more focused to further enhance children's learning.

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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 activities in all of the rooms and in the outside area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability of staff working with the children and looked at induction and staff training procedures. The inspector also looked at policies, learning journey records and the self-evaluation form.  The inspector spoke to the manager and staff in the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked through children's assessment records and planning documentation and discussed these with staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account the views of children and two parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

The Bowden House Day Nursery has been registered since 2005 and was re-opened as a limited company in 2007. It is on the Early Years Register. It is situated in the Marple area of Stockport, and is privately owned. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from the ground floor of a converted farm house and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 12 members of childcare staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round, except for Bank Holidays and Christmas. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 63 children attending who are in 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 special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 keep background noise to a minimum by using music and the television only for particular purposes to help children to concentrate, play and explore and communicate freely with their peers

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

 enhance the already good procedures for observation and planning by analysing spontaneous observations to help focus staff's attention more sharply and plan 'what next' for individual children so they make even more progress.

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who attend

Children are engaged and motivated to learn. Positive partnerships with parents are established from the beginning when children are adjusting to transitions between home and the nursery. Staff work closely with parents to gather information about their child's routines, interests and needs so they can offer effective continuity of care. Staff also carry out detailed and good quality observations in order to track children's progress with any gaps in learning clearly identified. As a result, children make good progress towards the early learning goals. Educational programmes are well-covered across the seven areas of learning and meet the age and stages of all children as appropriate. All staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of children's interests and needs. Information about children's learning is gathered effectively through observational methods, such as in learning stories and spontaneous observations. Staff have a good understanding about

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who attend

identifying children's next steps in their learning and record these steps in learning stories. However, in other observational methods, such as spontaneous observations, next steps are not as clearly identified. As a result, staff miss opportunities to tailor planning even more and set personal targets to meet the individual needs of children.

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who attend

Strong emphasis is put on developing effective communication and language skills from a very early age. For example, babies are encouraged to communicate by babbling, giving eye contact and smiling. They enjoy exploring different materials, such as wooden drumsticks, with their hands and mouths. They demonstrate effective physical skills by pressing buttons on toy telephones and grasping objects with their hands. Staff have high expectations and understand the importance of having good quality interactions with babies and children. For example, staff sing nursery rhymes and play peek-a-boo games with babies, and encourage pre-school children to share their news as a group. Staff are experienced and are quick to identify children who require additional support. Referrals are made to outside agencies as necessary and provision is carefully tailored to meet the needs of children.

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who attend

Children's early reading and writing skills are developing well. Staff encourage toddlers and pre-school children to recognise and write their names in preparation for school. Staff are well-trained to deliver letters and sounds activities so children have a good knowledge of the letters of the alphabet necessary for reading. Children are given opportunities to be involved in role play and examples include a veterinary surgery and an ice-cream shop. They are well-supported by staff who engage with them and encourage children to act out scenarios related to their own personal experiences. For example, staff model language and get children to think of their own ideas and act them out with their peers.

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who attend

Teaching is strong and children are encouraged to think critically and work out problems by themselves. For example, pre-school children play and experiment with pieces of railway track by joining them together. Staff ask them which ones are curved and which ones are straight and are skilful in asking children to think about which pieces fit together. For example, they say, 'Is this piece curved or straight? Does it fit here do you think?' Mathematical concepts are incorporated in all activities and routines. For example, young toddlers enjoy counting the number of magnetic fish in a tub and are successful in counting up to three fish. They then independently sort fish into different coloured groups, naming colours, such as red and green, correctly. Staff read stories to pre-school children and ask them to count the number of cats and toddlers count the number of cups on a table. Staff organise a wide range of activities in the sensory room to meet the needs of

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who attend

all children. Examples include musical instruments, handling tactile objects, setting up lights that flash and having the television on. However, this occasionally results in the environment being too busy. The television distracts children sometimes and makes concentration and playing and exploring with objects difficult. Similarly, at mealtimes, background music is sometimes played too loudly and children find it difficult to talk with their peers and be heard. Parents are kept well-informed about their child's progress. For example, they are invited to attend transition meetings and meetings to discuss progress check at age two reports. Staff encourage parents to be very involved in their child's learning and comments parents make about their child's learning are noted down and incorporated into planning. Daily diaries are informative and are used effectively to send messages or for parents to voice

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who attend

their concerns. The diaries are also shared with other nurseries for children who attend different settings at the same time. This enables effective continuity of care. Progress reports and tracker sheets are sent home for parents to read and parents are invited to discuss aspects with the child's key worker so parents are kept up-to-date with their child's progress.

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

Children feel happy and secure in this nursery because it has a homely feel, caring staff and a well-established key person system in place. They are expertly supported by staff through transitions from home to the nursery and within rooms in the nursery. High regard is given to meeting the uniqueness of individual children and staff cater for their needs well. For example, they offer more pre-visits prior to staying for the whole day to build children's self-esteem and confidence. Babies and young toddlers settle quickly with their key persons. They happily snuggle in for comfort or join-in with nursery rhymes by swaying their bodies to the music. Babies explore natural materials and textures with their hands and marvel at the textures and movement materials make. For example, as they transfer dry lentils from different containers using a scoop.

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

Behaviour is very good as children demonstrate excellent skills in sharing, taking turns and listening attentively during stories. This is because staff are positive role models, give children gentle reminders about sharing and praise them when they behave well. All children, regardless of their age, are encouraged to be independent and take responsibility for their own learning. For instance, young babies successfully feed themselves yoghurt with spoons, toddlers pass cups to their peers, and pre-school children dress themselves. Staff support children's understanding about staying safe effectively. For example, pre- school children learn about road safety and practise crossing the road in role play situations. Resources in the rooms and the outside area, in particular, are of high quality and are well-organised so children can make choices. The nursery has worked hard to create an inspiring outdoor area for the children and they greatly benefit from getting

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

plenty of fresh air and exercise. Areas in the garden are carefully thought out and allow children the freedom to explore nature, such as wildlife and plants. Climbing equipment, slides, bikes and football games support children's physical skills effectively so children remain fit and healthy.

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

All children are secure in their understanding of healthy practices. Children choose from a wide range of healthy food options, such as fresh fruit and yoghurt. Staff listen to views from parents and are quick to make changes to meet the needs of the children. For example, one parent asked for more variety at mealtimes and staff now involve children in making their own snacks, such as pizzas. Staff encourage children to manage their own personal hygiene and care practices, such as nappy changing. Staff monitor and record each nappy change and inform parents at the end of the day in daily diaries. As a result, children's care needs are met.

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

Partnerships with parents, outside agencies and local schools are strong. Staff work hard to meet with teachers and they invite them into the nursery to discuss the children. Good quality transition reports and assessments are shared effectively and include children who require additional support. As a result, all children's needs are met and transitions to school are successful.

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provision

All staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures in order to protect children. They know who to contact should they be concerned about a child's welfare. Good quality accident and medical records are maintained to safeguard children effectively. Risk assessments are thorough and regularly reviewed in all areas used by the children. Procedures for vetting, recruitment and induction are robust and ensure that all members of staff are suitable to work with children. All required documentation needed to meet the welfare requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage is in place.

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provision

Self-evaluation is effective and takes into account the views of staff, parents, children and other professionals. The nursery is very committed to delivering a high quality service and managers and staff work hard to provide good quality provision. The nursery has quickly met previous recommendations raised in the last inspection. For example, forging stronger links with other nurseries and schools to enable effective continuity of care. The manager now asks parents whether their child attends another setting and then seeks their permission to contact the other settings. Meetings between teachers from local schools with staff in the nursery are arranged and well-organised. This enables effective discussions to take place about children's learning and development. As a result, children's individual needs are well-met.

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provision

All staff feel valued and part of a team. They are well-supported by the manager who inspires and encourages staff to go on to further training. This benefits the children in the nursery and also equips them with good skills for the future. The manager is well- organised and has a good knowledge of the skills of her staff. For example, she monitors staff practice on a daily basis and regularly checks individual children's learning journeys. This is to ensure they are of good quality and accurately reflect the interests and needs of individual children. Staff appraisals are effective and carried out on a regular basis to identify any gaps in knowledge and training. The monitoring of educational programmes is good and ensures children receive a broad and balanced curriculum. As a result, the provision is effective in meeting the needs of all children.

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provision

Partnerships with parents and outside agencies are strong and effectively contribute to children making good progress towards the early learning goals. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified early. Staff are quick to inform the manager and parents of any concerns they may have. As a result, appropriate care plans are put in place to support the needs of children and staff liaise closely with other professionals and parents. Assessment and tracking of children's progress is accurate and effective in identifying gaps in learning.

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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 EY367058 Local authority Stockport Inspection number 907138

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 35 Number of children on roll 63 Name of provider Bowden House Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 05/01/2009 Telephone number 0161 426 0054

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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

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’.

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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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