Play Days Day Nursery

Play Days Day Nursery James Cook University Hospital, Marton Road, MIDDLESBROUGH, Cleveland, TS4 3BW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/04/2013 22/01/2009

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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

 The quality of teaching is consistently good and occasionally outstanding. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development and develop a broad range of knowledge and skills which supports their readiness for the next stage in their learning.  Children develop as confident talkers and express themselves effectively. This is because staff provide a range of activities and opportunities that enhance their communication and language skills.  Staff meet safeguarding and welfare requirements well for each child. Robust and rigorous policies and procedures are implemented, which ensure children are protected.  Partnerships with external agencies are effective. As a result, children's specific needs are targeted and appropriate interventions are sought.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for the youngest children to develop their early reading skills are not fully developed. This is because books and other printed material are not always easily accessible for them to look at and handle.  There is room to strengthen partnerships with other settings children attend so that there is an increased sharing of information about children's learning and a more consistent and complimentary approach to the support children receive.

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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 carried out a tour of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed play and learning activities and spoke to staff and children in all nursery rooms and the outdoor environment.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with a senior member of staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out an interview with the manager and looked at a range of policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

Play Days Day Nursery was registered in 2002 and is on the Early Years Register. It is situated in adapted accommodation within the grounds of The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesborough. The nursery is managed by the hospital. It provides childcare for staff who work at the hospital. There are fully enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 31 members of childcare staff. Of these, 24 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. Seven members of staff hold higher qualifications, including one with Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 6.45am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 167 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and 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:

 develop further the educational programme for literacy for the youngest children by ensuring children can access and look at a range of board books, cloth books and stories

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

 reflect on and further develop ways to strengthen the relationship with other settings children attend so that there is a more effective method for sharing knowledge and understanding about children's learning and development.

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who attend

Staff have very good knowledge of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and have effectively implemented recent changes to the learning and development requirements. Staff use this information well to support children in almost all aspects of their learning and development. They provide a wide variety of toys, equipment and resources, in the indoor and outdoor areas, and children are encouraged to make independent choices from the selection available. Children are encouraged to lead their own play and take part in play which is guided by adults. For example, children thoroughly enjoy moving sideways 'like a crab' when instructed by staff. They giggle and laugh with each other when they choose their own actions and gallop across the floor like 'horses'. All staff respond very well to children's emerging needs and interests and guide their development through positive interaction. They plan first-hand experiences and challenges

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who attend

appropriate to the age and development of children and, as a result, children thoroughly enjoy the time they spend at the nursery and are excited and motivated to learn.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is consistently good and occasionally outstanding. Staff have a very good understanding of how to promote the learning and development of young children and, as a result, children make good progress in their learning. Very young children's language skills are enhanced when staff copy the sounds they make and try to 'tune in' to the different message babies are attempting to convey. They sing nursery rhymes and songs throughout the day. This helps children to settle, develop relationships with their key person and supports their early literacy development. Staff support older children's expressive language skills exceptionally well. They make excellent use of open- ended questions and, as a result, children are confident talkers and respond to questions using full sentences. Staff have enhanced their knowledge and skills in the development of early language acquisition through the 'Every Child A Talker' programme. This is firmly

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who attend

embedded within nursery practice and contributes to improvements in children's language acquisition.

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who attend

Overall, children's reading skills are promoted well in the nursery. Children have access to a wide selection of picture books, including non-fiction. They enjoy sitting with staff and their peers and listen to stories, learning how to turn pages correctly and point to pictures which interest them. Good opportunities are provided for older children to learn about words. All resources are clearly labelled and very good use is made of available wall space to display key words children will be introduced to when they begin their reception year in school. However, opportunities for very young children to enhance their early reading skills are not fully developed. This is because board books, cloth books and stories are not always within easy reach for children to look at and handle.

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who attend

Staff provide very good opportunities during child-initiated and adult-led activities to develop children's mathematical skills. For example, all staff encourage children to count before they begin to sing group songs and support them to count the number of pieces of equipment they have used when playing with construction resources. Children experiment with quantities and measures as they play with dough. They use scales to weigh and use words such as 'heavy' and 'light' to compare different weights. Children are provided with a broad range of experiences to develop their physical skills. In the indoor environment, children enjoy building and knocking down small towers, use markers to write on white boards and feed themselves competently using knives and forks. In the outdoor environment, children use chalks to develop early writing skills, ride bikes and other vehicles and skilfully move lengths of guttering to create ramps for cars. As a result,

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who attend

children effectively develop the key skills they need for the next steps in their learning, including those required when they attend school.

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who attend

Staff demonstrate a high level of awareness in supporting children whose home language is not English. They provide information for parents and encourage them to share key words from home. This means children are provided with opportunities to develop and use their home language in play and learning, which supports their language development at home. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are equally well supported. This is because staff work very well with other professionals working directly with the child. All staff and parents review and reflect upon children's development. This shared knowledge and understanding is used to plan together and think through ideas of how to move the child forward. In addition, staff make very good use of advice from speech and language therapy services. For example, staff have recently attended training and introduced signing as an additional means of communication. As a result, children

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who attend

with additional needs are progressing well towards the early learning goals, given their starting points.

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who attend

Staff have high expectations of all children as they complete a range of good quality assessments, which show the Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage age-bands children are working within and this is tracked over time to demonstrate progress. Individual learning journal files and summaries of learning are completed for all children. Parents have access to this information, which keeps them informed of their child's progress and they are actively encouraged to share information about their child's learning at home. This means there is shared knowledge about children and a complete picture of children's learning and development is obtained.

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

A well-established key person system is in place which helps children to form secure attachments and promotes their well-being and independence. Babies and very young children are supported and communication with parents is maintained when they are greeted at the beginning of a session and handed back over at the end of the day. Children are happy and enjoy what they are doing at nursery and like to sit on the lap of their key person throughout the day. A stimulating, well-resourced and welcoming environment is provided which supports children's all-round development and emotional well-being. Children develop independence as they are able to find and return what they need. Staff encourage children to manage their own hygiene and acknowledge and encourage their efforts to manage their personal needs.

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

Children develop an understanding of a healthy diet as they are provided with balanced and nutritious meals, snacks and drinks. Staff sit alongside children as they eat and talk about which foods are good for them and why. Staff are skilled at recognising children's need for physical exercise and provided regular opportunities throughout the day to enjoy energetic play outdoors. There are plans to extend opportunities to promote children's physical health and well-being further by introducing free-flow access in rooms where access leads directly into the outdoor area.

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

Staff comfort children when they are tired and a calm and soothing environment is created when children need to rest. Staff sing gentle nursery rhymes and songs to babies and very young children throughout the day which helps them to fall asleep and rest. Additional measures, such as dimming the lights for some children, means that individual preferences are well considered and physical needs are met. Staff provide very good role models for children by giving gentle reminders of expectations within the nursery. They skilfully deal with minor conflicts by effectively diverting children's attention. For example, staff provide additional resources when children play with cars. Children are distracted from conflict and carry on playing their game. Staff reinforce rules with older children throughout their play and talk about keeping areas of their room tidy. As a result, children behave very well in the nursery and respond effectively to requests from staff.

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

Effective settling-in procedures are in place when children begin attending the nursery. They make a number of visits, based on their individual needs, before staying for the whole session. Good quality information is gathered from parents, such as specific dietary needs, medication, routines and comforters. This ensures there is continuity in children's well-being and welfare needs. Children are equally well prepared for the transitions they make within the nursery and when they transfer into school. For example, learning journals are shared and staff provides summaries to ensure there is continuity in children's learning and development.

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provision

The managers maintain a good overview of the curriculum and monitor educational programmes to ensure children are helped to make progress in all areas of learning. They have secure knowledge of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and use this well to support the staff team. As a result, staff are enthusiastic and clearly enjoy working in the nursery. Performance management is well managed within the nursery and staff training needs are identified through supervision and appraisal. Planning and assessment systems are monitored effectively and the managers spend time in the nursery rooms to gain first-hand knowledge about what is working well and address issues raised. Documentation for tracking children's progress is in place. This information accurately identifies children who are working below expected levels of development in the prime and specific areas of learning. Consequently, appropriate interventions are

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provision

secured and children receive the support they need.

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provision

The managers and staff team fully understand their responsibility in safeguarding children and have effective policies and procedures in place to ensure children are kept safe at all times. All staff know and understand procedures to follow should they have any concerns and know who to contact if managers are unavailable. Effective measures are in place to record routine practices, such as nappy changes, and this information is shared on a daily basis with parents. There are clear procedures in place for the use of cameras and mobile phones. Permission is obtained from parents for the staff to take photographs of children and effective measures are in place to ensure images are stored confidentially and used only for professional purposes. All staff have paediatric first aid qualifications and keep written records of all medication administered to children. There are first aid boxes in all nursery rooms, which are accessible at all times with appropriate content for use with

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provision

Partnerships with parents and external agencies are well established and make a strong contribution to meeting children's needs. Parents make written comments to demonstrate their satisfaction with the service provided. For example, 'thank you' cards on the wall of the nursery include statements, such as 'My child has enjoyed her time at nursery and is now ready for school' and 'Thank you for turning my baby girl into a smart little lady.' Information received from services, such as speech and language therapy and pre-school assessment units is well used. This ensures children get the help and support they need to address their individual needs and circumstances. Managers and staff have been proactive in their approach to sharing information with other settings children attend. However, there is room to strengthen these partnerships so that there is a more effective shared knowledge about children that will support continuity in their learning and achievements.

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provision

Self-evaluation takes into account the views of staff, children and parents. Views are sought through regular meetings with staff, ongoing discussions with children and opportunities for parents to talk openly to staff or complete written questionnaires. The managers have a strong drive to improve the nursery and have a clear and successful improvement plan that supports children's achievement over time. For example, there are plans to enhance opportunities and storage in the outdoor environment which aim to further promote children's all-round development. The managers and staff work well with the local authority which enhances all aspects of the self-evaluation process.

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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 EY152999 Local authority Middlesbrough Inspection number 908428

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 96 Number of children on roll 167 Name of provider South Tees NHS Trust Date of previous inspection 22/01/2009 Telephone number 01642 282810

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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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