Banana Moon Day Nursery

Banana Moon Day Nursery Manor Farm Court, Manor Road, Lower Sundon, BEDFORDSHIRE, LU3 3NZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/06/2013 12/06/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children make free choices with regard to toys and also enjoy participating in adult-led activities. They have balanced opportunities to play independently and to interact with others. This supports them in developing a positive attitude to play and learning.  Children thrive in their health and physical development because the nursery offers free-flow play indoors and outside where children explore a range of natural materials and learn to take risks in a safe environment.  The nursery uses successful strategies to engage all parents in their children's learning and, thus, learning is extended into, and from, the children's own homes.  The manager employs thorough induction procedures for new staff and good methods of performance management. Consequently, staff are motivated and knowledgeable.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children are, on occasion, not consistently given maximum opportunity to extend their language and understanding as they play and take part in planned activities.  Continuity of learning is not always fully supported because the sharing of information between the nursery and all other settings delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage is not consistently as well embedded 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 compulsory part 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 both playrooms and the outside areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of policies, procedures and information provided by the provision.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the owner, director, staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed a selection of children's observation and assessment development files with key persons.

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Information about the setting

Banana Moon Day Nursery was registered in 2011 and is on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It operates from renovated farm buildings in a rural location on the outskirts of Luton, Bedfordshire.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is privately owned; it is one of several day nurseries who are part of the Banana Moon Day Nursery group. The nursery serves a wide catchment area. It is accessible to all children and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery has a pet hamster and some fish.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs ten members of childcare staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications. The director holds Early Years Professional Status and works within the nursery.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round with the exception of one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 80 children attending, of whom, 41 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.

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

 help children to broaden their vocabulary, and their understanding, by consistently using talk to describe what they are doing and talk with children to help them to make links between their actions and words

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

 develop more effective communication with all other settings delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage, which children attend, to ensure that there are regular opportunities to share information about children's learning and development to support continuity in their learning.

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who attend

Children are happy, secure and motivated in the provision and, consequently, make good progress in their learning and development given their starting points. Staff offer resources and experiences that motivate children to learn and ensure that they are well prepared for their move to school. For example, children enjoy using electronic books and confidently explain to visitors how to insert the story card, and touch the squares on each page to make it work. They listen intently and point out to each other that 'it is rude not to listen when someone tells you a story'. A staff member joins the group, at an opportune moment, and introduces a digital timer to help them to coordinate taking turns. She skilfully uses this tool to incorporate numbers and calculation into the play. Children count confidently and learn that the numbers reduce as the timer counts backwards from two minutes to zero. When the timer rings the children freely offer their book to another child

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who attend

demonstrating social awareness. Children explore initial sounds and letters because the staff member extends their learning by using gentle questioning as they read. Some older children can identify the letters at the beginning of their name and those of their friends. The member of staff takes the opportunity to talk with children about their move to school and how they will practise their letters and sounds each day. Group sessions, such as, these, enhance children's concentration skills and help them to listen to instructions. Hence they are prepared for a move to a new setting and to be part of a larger group.

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who attend

Children confidently initiate conversations with staff and ask questions freely. Staff are skilled at introducing specific learning into everyday activities, such as, numbers and letters, or asking questions to extend conversations. For example, they ask children to think about what they must do before they take part in cooking. However, while the staff are very attentive and talk with the children, they do not, all, consistently use talk to describe what they are doing or help children to make links between their actions and words. For instance, staff support children to complete tasks, such as, climbing across obstacles or building with blocks. They do not talk about, or describe, what they are doing and how they are completing the actions. This means that their communication and language is not always maximised.

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who attend

Staff provide stimulating resources that are accessible and open-ended to invite exploration. Materials for writing are accessible at all times and children are seen to enjoy 'writing', using clipboards, chalk boards, and white boards, indoors and outside. Younger babies and toddlers eagerly explore tactile materials, such as, shaving foam, with their hands, tools and brushes. They enjoy the tactile experience and babble repeatedly as they swirl and squeeze the mixture. They squeal with delight as they clap their hands together and the foam flies into the air. Staff are skilled at managing such activities and closely observe the children to assess their learning. As babies and toddlers enjoy the feel of the foam, the staff member helps them to explore the large wall-mounted texture board, which includes switches to turn on and off. Staff support children's investigation, which means that they confidently try new activities and extend activities themselves. Children

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who attend

benefit from free-flow outdoor play; the nursery ensures that outdoor learning is fully incorporated into the planning. The free-flow area has a soft surface to enable the youngest babies to investigate safely. During free-flow play the younger children also have access to the over two-year-olds play room and they enjoy play alongside the older children. In this way they become confident within the larger room and are familiar with the staff therein. As a result, when they move into this room the change is smooth and children thrive. All children enjoy singing and music. Younger babies and toddler gaze intently at staff as they sing, swaying and shuffling to the singing, and begin to copy the actions made. This helps to enhance communication and language development. Observation and assessment is focused and builds from an initial assessment that parents also contribute to. Ongoing assessment, and tracking of children's progression, makes full

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who attend

use of the guidance document, Development matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Every month an observation sheet and a 'new interest sheet' are completed by parents to help with individual planning. The nursery provide 'special moments in the nursery' observations to parents; they are invited to comment and make suggestions for further activities that build from these achievements. Daily verbal exchange is a key part of the sharing process. The observation of children helps to inform a next step in learning each week for every child. Planning builds directly from the assessments made and shows how each child will be supported to meet their next steps. Close monitoring of all children's progress towards the early learning goals takes place. Children with English as an additional language receive well-planned support to make sure that they make good progress. The staff learn key words in languages spoken in children's homes and ensure

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who attend

that they incorporate those words into daily care, as well as fostering children's confidence in English in preparation for school. Hence, all children make good progress given their starting points and individual needs. A progress check at age two is completed and shared with parents. The staff complete a transition document for each child in preparation for any move to a new setting. This details all learning and development and is provided to parents, and the new setting, and ensures that children's progression is supported very well.

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

The small group numbers, primary and secondary key people working with children, ensures that all children form secure attachments. Settling-in procedures are thorough and include detailed care plans for children. Staff model good social behaviour for children and offer praise frequently. The children carry out activities that focus on feelings and behaviour, and staff help them to consider 'nice words' to use to help them to consider the feelings of others. Children learn that they are respected as individuals and they share each other's culture. They complete celebrations of the culture of all children attending and, each year, have a whole month enjoying foods from around the world. They also enjoy celebrating local community events, such as, a carnival. In this way the staff ensure that children learn about and respect each other's culture, and they ensure that the involvement of parents assists children's sense of security in the setting.

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

Children show that they are developing good self-care skills and an understanding of healthy eating. Children are very well nourished; meals are cooked freshly at the nursery each day. Some children enjoy helping to cook elements of the main meal. For example, they prepare dumplings to add to a stew. Staff skilfully talk with them, as they cook, about their health and also introduce basic instructions and mathematics as they talk about more and less of some ingredients. All children enjoy a sociable mealtime. They hand out plates and cups to each other, pour their drinks, and serve their own lunch. This promotes their independence in preparation for a move to school. Children learn to take risks within a safe environment when they use the physical equipment outdoors, such as the obstacle courses that they make from tyres. Road safety is discussed and practised when moving between the nursery and the playing field within the grounds. They dig and prepare mini

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

allotments, and pots, for planting vegetables and herbs, and begin to make links between physical exercise and health. Children enjoy outdoor play all year round and benefit from fresh air and large physical play. They begin to develop awareness of their own safety. Some children take part in basic assessments of risk; they use a clipboard and follow staff around marking off the safety precautions that are in place in the nursery. Consequently, children explore practical methods that help them to understand risk and their own safety.

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

Transitions are managed extremely well and, as a result, children's progression within the nursery and to other settings is smooth. Younger children spend time in the over two- year-old's playroom and have regular contact with all members of staff. Transition summary forms are prepared and provided to the new key person and this helps their move to be managed smoothly. The new teacher for every child moving to school is invited to visit the children at the nursery to help children to get to know them. This also helps them to understand how the children learn within a familiar environment. A detailed summary report is provided to the new setting, together with the on-going development file. As a result, the transition process is positive and children thrive.

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provision

The director and manager have high expectations for the quality of care that is offered to children and families. Regular and robust reviews of all paperwork and procedures takes place to ensure that all requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage are met. Arrangements to safeguard children within the setting are robust. All staff have received safeguarding training and this is reviewed at staff meetings. A 'policy of the month' and a policy questionnaire offer a concrete structure to challenge and ensure existing policies are fit for purpose. It helps to make sure that staff understanding is up-to-date. As part of the safeguarding procedures, there are thorough recruitment and suitability checks which result in a detailed induction and probationary period for new staff. The induction includes a detailed questionnaire pack with modules on all aspects of their work. Staff must complete it to show their understanding of the

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provision

importance of the areas addressed. As a result, the nursery ensures that children are protected. Staff create an environment where children engage in a broad range of activities within small groups. The environment is very safe; the complex is protected by gates, opened only from inside, and the building has biometric finger scan access. These measures demonstrate the regard that the nursery has for the safety of children. The nursery staff carry out comprehensive risk assessments, which cover all areas of the premises and any excursions off-site. Consequently, children are safe.

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provision

Good quality professional supervision is provided. Each staff member takes part in an annual appraisal, together with a supervision meeting every six weeks, to identify areas of strength and targets to meet. They feed into a programme for professional development and training programmes. The process is supported by peer observations, which take place by the manager. The room meetings and whole staff team meetings help to ensure that all staff are working well as a team and result in good care for children. Parents are involved in the practice of the nursery. For instance, daily diaries, questionnaires and newsletters all help to involve them. Open days and events, for parents, help to provide information on how children learn, and offer ideas for learning in the home. Staff have set in place procedures and preparations to work with other agencies where required. The provision works with schools to which children move and has established a relationship

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provision

with some other settings that children currently attend. However, the sharing of information with all other settings, including childminders, is not yet fully embedded. This means that consistency of learning is not promoted as well as possible for children.

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provision

The nursery staff implement reflective evaluation, which includes the review of all areas of practice and involves all staff members. The manager invites feedback on each section of the evaluation from staff members each month to help build a detailed aims and objectives plan for the nursery. This also helps to monitor the educational programme. Training needs are identified using the performance management meetings that take place; this helps to identify the training that will have the most benefit to the improvement of the setting. This means staff have an accurate view of the setting's strengths and continually strive for improvement. Children are very happy, enjoy their learning and play, and are self-confident in the care of the staff. Consequently, children embark on their learning career ready to seek out new experiences and learn.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY430621 Local authority Central Bedfordshire Inspection number 875949

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 34 Number of children on roll 80 Name of provider Susanna Frances Elizabeth Glenister Date of previous inspection 12/06/2012 Telephone number 01525 874 114

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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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