Hollins Wood Childcare

Hollins Wood Childcare Hollins Lane, Marple Bridge, Stockport, Cheshire, SK6 5BB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/03/2013 29/01/2010

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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

 Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and this is used well to ensure that children make good progress in their learning.  The key person is fully embedded and children feel safe and are keen to learn. Partnerships with parents are strong, which ensures that children receive relevant support and consistency in their learning and development.  The high quality indoor and outside learning environment and effective planning and assessment provides children with an interesting and stimulating range of activities that builds on their natural curiosity and interests.  There is a very good overview of the curriculum through the robust monitoring of educational programmes to ensure a broad range of experiences help children to make good progress. Effective management strongly drives improvement that supports children's achievements over time.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to provide more opportunities to enable children to become more independent at mealtimes.

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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 all rooms and spent equal times within each area, observing staff and activities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the manager, group leaders, staff in all rooms, the two owners and parents at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of staff suitability, staff training records, risk assessments, registers and policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

Hollins Wood Childcare was registered in 2009. It operates from a large old school building and is privately owned. Children have access to 11 playrooms. There are three enclosed outdoor play areas. The nursery is situated in a residential area in the Marple district of Stockport. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are 295 children on roll and of these, 255 are in the early years age group. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. It is open from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 51 staff. All the staff are highly qualified. The manager holds an early years degree and there is an early years professional also in place. The majority of staff are qualified at level 3 to level 6 or are working towards level 3 and above. There is an accountant, cook, cleaner and caretaker also on-site. The two owners deal with the business management. The setting also provides care during school holidays and on a before and after school basis. Pre-school and after school collections are available from local primary schools. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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

 allow children to have better opportunities to encourage their independence skills during mealtimes.

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who attend

Staff know the individual children very well in this friendly setting. Children are enthusiastic and curious learners, who are supported by staff, who have a very good understanding of how children learn. Teaching is strong across the setting for all children, so that they are engaged and captivated in meaningful play activity. Interaction between staff and every child is effective. Procedures for monitoring children's starting points are robust in tracking the progress children make. Staff provide interesting and challenging experiences that meet the needs of all children. Consequently, children make good progress in their learning.

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who attend

Robust procedures are in place to observe and plan for children's next steps of learning. Each child has a 'learning journey' that clearly focuses on their learning and development. A qualified early years professional gives additional support to staff in all rooms. Activities and opportunities are planned around children's interests, while taking into account their next steps in development. Staff work effectively together and combine their skills and knowledge efficiently to plan an environment with a great emphasis on the prime areas of learning. Staff are knowledgeable about each child's stage of development and accurately identify the developmental age bands for each child.

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who attend

Children's language and communication is fostered efficiently by staff extending children's vocabulary and thinking as they ask open-ended questions and listen carefully to the children's responses. They support children's language development very well during circle time and throughout planned activities, constantly asking children about their families, the type of weather and the days of the week. Children enjoy making marks with a freely available range of resources, including crayons, pencils and paper in each room. They learn to recognise letters as they register themselves into the setting and in each of their play areas with their name cards. Children understand that words carry meaning as staff show that books are pleasurable to look at and read. Furthermore, children can recall favourite stories and the good use of props keeps children further occupied.

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who attend

Children express their creativity as they access free painting and they handle tools carefully and show respect for resources and equipment as they carefully put things away when they have finished. Staff promote children's imagination and exploratory skills very well. Children play with the dolls and play food in the home corner with their friends. Furthermore, children's love of pirates involves them hiding objects in the treasure chests of cornflakes. They dress-up, decorate biscuits, splash in paint and pasta and use small world resources. Staff encourage very young children to think, investigate and negotiate how to do something, as they provide a good amount of programmable toys. Children display a great enjoyment as they sit with a jigsaw puzzles and babies confidently try to communicate with visitors. They have access to areas to rest and relax throughout their busy schedule. Staff take them out into the community to post a letter and feed the

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who attend

ducks. Regular meetings with the older children ensure that their voices are heard and opinions respected. This results in children contributing to their learning.

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who attend

Children's physical development is good and staff provide a variety of different activities to promote, moving and handling. For example, children roll out different coloured play dough and pour water from the jugs in the messy play area. The outdoor environment has been greatly improved to include interesting learning opportunities for children. There are lots of opportunities for children to throw a ball to each other and there is a variety of large fixed equipment to help them to balance and climb. They have great fun as they take turns on the wheeled toys and bounce on the sit on ride toys. Furthermore, a singing rhythm group visits the nursery to promote movement and dance. Consequently, children become ready for school as their key skills emerge and progress develops.

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who attend

The nursery offers an inclusive setting where children begin to value diversity. Staff work closely with other professionals and children, who need additional support receive input through comprehensive, individualised plans, which ensures that they make progress to the best of their ability. Partnerships with parents are strong. They are invited to stay and play sessions twice a year where activities are set up and gives parents an opportunity to see their children play in the nursery environment. Parents are encouraged by experienced staff to make comments about their children's development. Furthermore, the staff act on parents' questionnaires quickly to create a better environment for their children. This highlights good involvement to support consistency in their children's learning at home.

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

The successful implementation of the key person system and the effective deployment of motivated and enthusiastic staff ensures that all children form very secure emotional attachments. Staff interact well with the children and their families. The planned parents' evening twice a year is a further opportunity to discuss their child's learning and development with the key person. The indoor and outside learning environment encourages children's creativity and imagination and enables them to play an active role in their learning during routine sessions for self-chosen play. Children show a strong sense of belonging and demonstrate that they feel safe. They gain high self-esteem quickly and learn to make friends with their peers from an early age. Children also take part in an end of term production before moving onto to school, giving them further confidence as they display their talents. Furthermore, they follow routines by tidying away after each play

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

session and hanging up their own coats. Resources are easily accessible to children, which fosters their choice and independence. Although, staff encourage young children to feed themselves, there are missed opportunities for the more able children to become more independent during mealtimes and take further responsibility for their younger peers, for example, by handing out cutlery or acting as 'monitors'.

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

Children settle very well because staff become familiar with them quickly. All staff have a good knowledge of their individual likes, needs and routines. Staff offer reassurance if they need to but also allow children opportunities to explore their environment individually, under close supervision. Good systems are in place to enable a smooth transition when they move rooms according to their age and ability. In this way, their early investigative skills are promoted through the use of a wide range of resources, including treasure baskets filled with different items and mark-making resources in all areas. Children develop good self-care skills, for example, they choose when to have a drink and when to attend the bathroom. There is a well-experienced cook in the kitchen, who respects all children's dietary requirements. The cook works closely with management to cater for the individual needs of the children at all times, offering a wealth of daily

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

choice. Children's behaviour is good. They are learning to respect and tolerate each other's differences and staff are encouraging them to share and take turns.

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

Children have access in all weathers to a large, well-resourced outdoor play area where they have regular daily exercise. Furthermore, children have opportunities to plant seeds in the vegetable garden and sell them at the summer barbeque. This further contributes to promoting children's health and well-being. Children's safety is consistently dealt with as the highest priority. They are reminded not to run indoors and good procedures are in place as babies crawl around in their rooms. The caretaker and training co-ordinator have attended fire safety training through the local authority and all staff are trained internally by the training co-ordinator on fire safety. Staff cascade this comprehensive programme to the children as they participate in regular emergency evacuation procedures, which means that they have very good opportunities to learn how to protect themselves in the event of an emergency.

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

The nursery has a highly effective relationship with the local school. Staff are invited in to ensure a smooth transition. They pass their individual reports on to the other professionals and this ensures that children are secure because the transition to the next setting is sensitively handled.

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provision

The leadership of the setting sets high targets for the quality of the nursery. The management and staff have a very good understanding of how children learn and develop. Staff working within the setting have received training in the Early Years Foundation Stage and are, therefore, able to offer children interesting, varied activities that promote their progress and development well. The early years professional spends a considerable amount of time in the rooms carrying out regular observations to enhance practice. Furthermore, room leaders are confident to address areas of weakness within their own team of staff in each area. The management team ensure that regular assessments are carried out to ensures that children are developing in all areas of learning. Each child becomes a focus at regular intervals throughout the year for extra observations, attention and support. Furthermore, staff are very aware of their

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provision

responsibilities and fulfil their roles as special educational needs coordinator, training officer and staff induction well.

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provision

Staff provide a good understanding of their responsibility to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They know how to keep children safe and have an effective understanding of the procedures to follow if they have a concern. The managers keep a detailed range of policies and procedures, which staff implement effectively to promote children's health and welfare. Their recruitment and vetting procedures are robust in checking the suitability of all adults working with children. Ratios are maintained at all times, including when using the outdoor play areas and staff are deployed effectively to ensure children's safety. Staff receive an induction when starting the nursery. Also, management are quick to take on board new ideas to ensure that staff fully understand the operational plan of the nursery.

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provision

Risk assessments are thorough, which ensures that children are protected effectively within a safe, welcoming and stimulating environment. Comprehensive policies and procedures are regularly reviewed, understood by staff and are implemented with care and forethought. The managers have a clear and successful improvement plan in place. There are clear links between identified priorities and planned actions. The owners involve themselves with the staff team and other stakeholders, such as the local authority. The nursery ensures that improvements are targeted to deliver the maximum benefit to children. This results in the good progress that children are making. A robust management plan is in place, which clearly sets out the timelines for the scrutiny of teaching and learning, assessment and planning, which enables managers and owners to monitor the impact of the setting on children's progress and attainment.

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provision

There is a strong committed staff team, who care deeply for the children, who attend. A regular system of annual appraisals and supervisions is in place. This ensures the continuous professional development of staff to continually improve the provision for children. Staff are establishing good relationships with parents and those spoken to speak highly of the support and experiences their child receives. They add comments to their children's progress reports, receive regular newsletters and staff hold structured meetings to discuss their children's development. This helps them gain a better understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage to enable them to promote consistency in their children's learning. Self-evaluation is rigorous and all the staff strive towards the same vision, which is to continuously improve the service they offer. All staff members are part of the audit process to ensure improvements are realistic but challenging and monitored to improve

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provision

the provision for children. Effective partnership working arrangements with external agencies, such as, the local school, dental hygienist and the local authority, are well established and contribute strongly to meeting children's needs.

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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 EY395123 Local authority Stockport Inspection number 910227

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 150 Number of children on roll 295 Name of provider Hollins Wood Ltd Date of previous inspection 29/01/2010 Telephone number 01614498800

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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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