Mawsley Day Nursery

Mawsley Day Nursery Mawsley Day Nursery, 14 Barnwell Court, MAWSLEY, Nr Kettering, NN14 1FG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/05/2013 14/10/2008

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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

 Management show a strong commitment to the nursery provision and plans for continuous improvement are well-targeted.  The thoughtfully planned playrooms create enabling environments for all ages of children, to promote their independence and engagement in purposeful play.  Children are confident and behave well because staff provide clear guidance about what is acceptable behaviour and consistently praise and acknowledge children's achievements.  A buddy key person system ensures that children have the same staff caring for their individual needs at each session which helps even the youngest children to feel safe and secure, and supports their emotional well-being effectively.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Self-evaluation does not demonstrate or evaluate how improvements impact on children's achievements, so that the drive forwards towards excellence is well- documented.  Toilet training procedures do not clarify how the expectations of parents are managed by staff to ensure that children's well-being is successfully supported during this time.

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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 in all the playrooms and the outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the owner and manager and carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with and observed staff and children participating in activities at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of the staff, the provision's self-evaluation, assessment records, planning documents and a selection of policies, procedures and children's records.

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Information about the setting

Mawsley Day Nursery was registered in 2008 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in two modern adjoining buildings in the village of Mawsley near Kettering and is privately owned. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play at the nursery and an off-site forest school.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 19 members of child care staff. Of these, 16 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including one with Early Years Professional Status. There are also two staff who hold early years qualifications at level 2 who are working towards a qualification at level 3 and one unqualified person who is working towards a qualification at level 2. In addition, the nursery employs two part-time cooks and cleaning and maintenance staff to support the childcare staff.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 153 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four- year-old children. The nursery also operates an out of school club and holiday playscheme. There are 66 children on roll aged between four and eleven years.

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

 clarify toilet training procedures for individual children so there is no confusion between the expectations of parents and staff and so that children are given the highest level of support during this stage in their development

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

 enhance the effectiveness of self-evaluation even further, for example, by evaluating and including the impact improvements have on children's achievements.

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who attend

The management and staff recognise that children learn through play and so provide a stimulating and welcoming environment where children feel, confident, safe and secure. There is a good understanding amongst management and staff of the learning and development requirements and of how to capture children's attention and to engage them in activities. Staff know the children well and undertake thorough observations. They use the information effectively to plan challenging experiences for individuals and groups of children. As a result, children make good progress in their learning through the nursery and develop a good range of skills to support their readiness for school, when the time comes. Parents and carers receive feedback after every session and more detailed termly reports showing how their children are progressing towards the early learning goals. They are invited to attend parent's evenings and most do so. Parents are also provided with

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who attend

easy access to a broad range of information about activities and learning objectives within the nursery. Opportunities for children to borrow story sacks, games and activities to use at home are all in place. There are several initiatives across the nursery provided to help parents engage in their children's learning. Consequently, they are fully included and are helped to understand and support their children's learning.

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who attend

Children's communication, language and literacy are effectively promoted across all areas of the nursery. Children enjoy easy access to books of all types. Very young children enjoy sharing stories with staff and try to repeat the animal sounds that they hear, such as, 'moo' and 'quack'. Older children choose books independently or engage in group story time where they take it in turns to choose a book for the adult to read. Toddlers enjoy favourite books and staff use the opportunity to ask questions and introduce mathematical concepts such as size. For example, they ask if the children have 'big' or 'small' underpants on like the aliens in the story. Children of all ages enjoy listening to music, joining in with action rhymes or simply jigging about. Materials for mark making are widely available throughout the nursery. Younger children use their fingers to spread paint across a sheet of paper, while older children experiment with different sized brushes, crayons and

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who attend

chalks. All experiences contribute to the children's early writing skills. Pre-school children are effectively supported in their transition to school as they begin to give meaning to marks and recognise their name or motif on coat pegs and drawers. In addition, small groups of children participate in letter recognition and word games. During these times, children learn to take turns, listen to others and contribute equally. Those children who are less confident are skilfully supported by staff.

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who attend

Children's understanding of mathematics is effectively promoted as staff introduce counting and comparing through games and during routines. For example, pre-school children count the steps as they walk up and down to access the garden from their-play room. Children enjoy being physically active and have regular access to the outdoor play area. In addition, they do exercises to music, improving their balance and co-ordination and learning to move their bodies in a variety of ways. The nursery also has an off-site forest school facility which children experience in small groups after a short ride in the nursery's minibus. Here, they learn about the natural world and about the skills required to tend the land.

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

The effectiveness of the buddy key person system across the nursery ensures that children form secure emotional attachments with their carers. Children show a strong sense of belonging and settle well because staff have a good knowledge of their individual likes and needs. Settling-in sessions are negotiated and planned with parents and are reflective of the individual needs of the child. In addition, transitions within the nursery are managed well to ensure that children are emotionally ready before they move up. Firms relationships with the local school also ensure consistency of care and learning for the reception year children as they join the school and later when they return to the nursery to attend the out of school club.

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

Children are looked after in a caring atmosphere. Careful consideration is given to the presentation of resources which ensures children are able to make independent choices about what they wish to play with. For example, pre-school children help themselves to aprons and paint pots and if the colour paint they need is not there, a member of staff helps them to mix it. Babies are well-supervised as they choose to play in the water tray, often splashing water over themselves and their carers. Staff provide positive role modelling as they laugh while they change the children and themselves into dry clothes.

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

Children behave well throughout the nursery. Room rules vary slightly across the nursery depending on the children's level of understanding. In all rooms children are encouraged to be kind to their friends and as they get older, to take responsibility for their actions and learn to understand what is expected of them in preparation for school. For example, the pre-school children have rules when using the stairs to minimise the risk of injury to themselves and others.

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

Children's understanding of healthy practices is well-supported. They have frequent opportunities to enjoy outdoor play and are provided with a good balance of meals and snacks which are all freshly prepared on the premises. Information is shared with parents and children about healthy food choices and their comments about menus are taken notice of. For example, there is a four week rota so that children attending one or two sessions a week do not have the same meals each time. Children start to learn good self- help skills early as younger children are supported to feed themselves. Toileting issues are discussed with parents and usually operate well. However, due to a recent confusion, the written procedure is being reviewed to ensure parents and staff have the same expectations and staff are therefore, able to offer the highest level of support during this stage of development. Children throughout the nursery are given the time and space to

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

learn to do things for themselves. For example, pre-school children are now proficient at putting on their outdoor clothes after some simple guidance.

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provision

Management has a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. The safeguarding and welfare requirements are clearly understood and when required, used effectively. All policies and procedures are reviewed and updated at least annually, with individual procedures having an additional review following an incident. This shows that management and staff learn from their experiences and are constantly reviewing and updating their practice. Risk assessments are carried out on both buildings, the outdoor areas including the forest school and for outings venues. This ensures that risks to children's safety are minimised. For example, children and staff wear hi-visibility vests when they are on outings including the out of school children as they walk to and from school, to ensure other road users can see them clearly.

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provision

Strong recruitment procedures mean that staff complete the required suitability checks, induction and training. Regular team meetings ensure that any gaps in knowledge or understanding are identified and addressed through in-house discussion or external training. Staff are effectively deployed throughout the nursery and children are well- supported. Additional staff are employed to cover room staff breaks ensuring continuity of care for the children.

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provision

Partnerships are well-established. Parent questionnaires suggest that parents are pleased with the level of care their children receive and feel they have a full and active role in their children's learning. Wider partnerships with appropriate professionals and other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage effectively support individual children to make the best progress they can.

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provision

Management and staff work very well together and share a joint vision to continue to develop the nursery provision. Systems for ongoing self-evaluation effectively highlight areas for development although do not later reflect on the effect those improvements have had on children's achievements. Comments and contributions from staff, parents and children are used when deciding on future projects and a plan of action devised. Planning, assessment and teaching are monitored effectively by management to make sure it is consistent and precise and action is taken to support staff when necessary. For example, the manager uses staff with good teaching skills to model good practice to others.

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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 EY362003 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 918885

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 103 Number of children on roll 219 Name of provider Katrina Jayne Mahla Taylor Date of previous inspection 14/10/2008 Telephone number 01536 791609

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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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