Brooklands Childcare Ltd

Brooklands Childcare Rose Hill, Wigan Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, WIGAN, Lancashire, WN4 0BS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22/04/2013 22/06/2009

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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

 Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents feel involved with their child's learning and children benefit from the good links between their main carers.  Partnerships with local schools are well-established and promote smooth transitions. They share developmental information about the children to enable teachers to continue building on their progress.  Regular self-evaluation by management, staff, children and parents ensure the nursery has realistic targets for improvement and take into account the views of all users.  Staff have a secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and plan a wide range of stimulating and interesting activities that children enjoy taking part in. As a result, all children learn effectively and make good progress.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities to further promote very good levels of language acquisition for younger children are sometimes missed, which means they do not always progress as well as possible.

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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 voluntary and compulsory parts 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 that took place within the playrooms and in the outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to on the day of inspection.

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Inspection activities

 Documentation was viewed by the inspector throughout the course of the inspection, including children's files, policies and procedures, risk assessments and other relevant documents.  Staff and children were spoken to at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector held meetings with the manager, deputy manager and senior staff.

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Information about the setting

Brooklands Childcare was registered in 1999 and as a limited company in 2004. It is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a converted school in the Bryn area of Wigan. The nursery operates from six main playrooms on both the ground floor and first floor of the property. The nursery serves the local and surrounding areas and is accessible to all children. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play at the rear of the property.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 37 members of staff, 36 of whom are childcare practitioners. Of these, one member of staff holds Early Years Professional Status, two hold level 6 qualifications, 23 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level three, seven at level two and five are unqualified. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, 51 weeks per year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 132 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 who have with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 increase the opportunities for younger children to develop language skills, in particular, when staff are supporting children with their personal care routines.

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who attend

Practitioners have a thorough knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and pay close attention to ensuring that all children are happy and enjoy their time at the setting. This contributes to children feeling secure and being enthusiastic and positive about their play and learning. They concentrate on tasks and are happy to explore activities that are enhanced by a skilful staff team. For example, older children enjoy investigating melting ice cubes that have been put with the dinosaurs. Practitioners fully understand how children learn as they play and support them well. They follow the children's interests and follow their lead. For example, younger children pick up shells and put them to their ears, when they talk to the staff they respond in the same way. Independence is fostered well as children can select resources to play with. They learn to recognise letters and sounds and staff work hard to develop language acquisition. For example, pre-school children

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who attend

spend dedicated time on focused activities based on letters and sound. Pre-school children also enjoy time spent looking for objects that begin with a certain sound then using their imagination to create a story about them. This means their learning is reinforced by a strong staff team. However, there are missed opportunities for the younger children to develop language. For example, staff do not consistently communicate with the children when dealing with their personal care in order to maximise their language development.

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who attend

Practitioners observe children throughout the day; they record observations and link them effectively to the seven areas of learning and characteristics of effective learning. Practitioners track children's developmental levels and current interests, and feed this information into the weekly planning. Children are progressing well and working within expected age bands, and tracking documents show clearly where children are in their learning. The good organisation, planning and practitioners' knowledge of children's current interests mean that activities are enjoyable and are used to help promote children's development. Children's early numeracy skills are well-promoted through specific activities and daily play opportunities. For example, children count the number of heads on dragons while playing with knights and castles and add them together. Younger children are supported in developing numeracy as they participate in songs and are

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who attend

beginning to recognise numbers through activities on offer. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. Key persons understand their needs well and work closely with parents to ensure activities are tailored to children's abilities.

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who attend

Practitioners work well with parents to gather information and assess children's starting points. They complete home visits prior to the children starting nursery to start building relationships with the family and to observe children in their own environment. This gives them a clear overview of their individual needs, developmental stages and interests. This information is used to inform the planning of initial activities and resources. Good communications mean that parents have opportunities to share updates about their children through home observations and regularly view their child's assessment files. Regular newsletters, emails and coffee mornings enable the management and staff team to share information about the nursery and to help parents develop an understanding of the early years foundation stage. Parents are encouraged to continue their children's learning at home through well-organised home activities. This means parents are

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who attend

supported well in understanding how to promote their child's learning at home.

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who attend

Children are offered a wide range of opportunities that promote their physical development. For example, they learn to handle small tools and implements, such as investigative tools, when playing in sand and water, and cutting tools when playing with play dough. The provision of appropriate equipment outside also helps them to develop further skills, such as, balance, control and coordination. For example, they enjoy the challenge of climbing various ladders and ramps and using the tyre swings to walk along. Younger children enjoy playing with treasure baskets and exploring items, such as, shells, small pans, scarves and wooden reels. This encourages the children to be imaginative and to develop skills, such as coordination.

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

Children are settled and happy in the nursery because they are supported well by their key person. They approach practitioners for help and support as required, demonstrating that secure attachments are in place. Practitioners encourage children's independence, which ensures they are prepared well for their transitions into school. They play in the well- resourced rooms and help themselves to materials that are made easily accessible to them. Pre-school children enjoy accessing different rooms for a variety of play opportunities, such as investigation and crafts. Younger children can move around a large room which is well-resourced and accessible. This enables them to direct their own play, which in turn builds their self-esteem and confidence.

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

Practitioners know the children well and are on hand to guide and extend their learning by questioning and confirming knowledge. Children have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They understand outside equipment must be used with care and that they must wait their turn on the obstacle course. Children develop their social skills and consideration for others and are mindful of the safety of others. They show concern if other children are upset and work together when participating in activities.

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

Children enjoy healthy, nutritious snacks and meals provided by staff, including fresh fruit and vegetables. Pre-school children can self-serve meals and access fruit throughout the day, younger children feed themselves with the support of staff. Mealtimes are a social occasion and conversation is consistent, as children sit with practitioners to eat their meals and share stories of days out and trips with their families. The needs of all children at the setting are given good attention and consideration. Practitioners obtain good information about children's individual needs and requirements from parents and ensure these are given the highest regard.

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provision

The leadership and management of the nursery are effective in implementing safeguarding procedures for child protection and for recruiting suitable practitioners. The named child protection officer has a good knowledge of child protection procedures and fully understands their responsibility to protect the welfare of children. All practitioners have a good understanding of the safeguarding requirements. They know the possible signs and symptoms of abuse and understand fully what to do if they have any concerns. Training sessions have reinforced their knowledge. A strong whistleblowing policy means staff are confident to raise concerns should they have any. Policies and procedures are reviewed regularly which ensures they are up-to-date. Risk assessments are carried out to ensure the environment is safe and daily checks help to identify maintenance issues.

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provision

The manager, deputy and practitioners demonstrate a good understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The manager has introduced effective peer observations to monitor staff performance and identify areas to develop their skills further. This is complemented by effective supervision and appraisal to address training and professional development needs. A thorough induction programme ensures all new practitioners are clear about their duties and responsibilities. Partnerships with parents and carers are good. Practitioners value parents' contributions regarding their children's progress and they involve parents in the completion of the progress check at age two. Health visitors also feed into the progress checks to enable the staff to get a full picture of the child's development. Parents receive feedback at the end of each session to ensure they know what their children have been learning through the

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provision

day. Practitioners foster sound partnerships with other early years settings to provide continuity of care for children who attend both settings. There are strong partnerships in place with the local schools that effectively support children's move to full-time education. For example, staff visit the schools to observe sessions which are then fed into the activities on offer to prepare children. Role play areas are also changed to reflect a school, with the various school uniforms available for the children to explore. This means that children are well-prepared for the transition. Progress reports are sent to the schools for each child to support the move by offering information about the stages of development and interests.

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provision

The manager and practitioners make good use of reflective practice to develop all areas of learning and development through ongoing observation and regular team meetings. A self-evaluation form is completed that takes account of children's feedback and parental input through regular service reports. This demonstrates a good ability to accurately assess what they do well and future areas for development to continually improve the provision for children.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary 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 EY295898 Local authority Wigan Inspection number 908560

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 102 Number of children on roll 132 Name of provider Brooklands Childcare Ltd Date of previous inspection 22/06/2009 Telephone number 01942 760066

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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

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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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