Eversley Nursery SchoolOfsted inspection, 13 May 2013

Eversley Nursery School 32 Penkett Road, Wallasey, Merseyside, CH45 7QN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/05/2013 18/10/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Staff understand about the value of following children's interests to support their learning and development, and implement this in practice.  Partnership working with parents and other professionals ensures staff meet children's individual needs.  The key person system contributes effectively to children gaining confidence and developing their independence skills.  Children's understanding of a healthy lifestyle is nurtured because staff provide a balanced diet and develop children's enjoyment of physical activities.

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It is not yet good because

 The monitoring of the assessment is not sufficiently robust to identify inconsistencies in the quality and accuracy, to ensure planning is appropriately pitched to build on and extend children's learning.  Staff do not always extend children's language development to support their creative and critical thinking.  Outdoor learning is not sufficiently well planned for babies to further promote their physical development.  At times the background noises distract children in activities which are intended to support their listening and attention skills.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in each play area and the outside play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the provider and the manager, talked to staff and carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records and a sample of the required documentation.

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Inspection activities

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

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Information about the setting

Eversley Nursery School was registered in 1999 on the Early Years Register. It is situated in a converted church in the Wallasey area of Wirral, and is managed by the registered providers. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from three designated play areas and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2, and seven hold level 3. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 69 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. It supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 monitor the accuracy of the initial assessment and the quality of the planning in order to build on and extend children's learning and development.

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

 extend children's language development by increasing the use of effective open- ended questioning and by staff talking more about what they are doing and describing actions and processes

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

 plan areas that allow babies maximum space to move, roll, stretch and explore outdoors in order to extend opportunities for them to practise their growing skills

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

 keep background noise to a minimum when children are pursuing activities to fully promote their listening and attention skills.

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who attend

Staff have satisfactory knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage which they use to support children's learning and development. They have a generally sound understanding of how children learn, and apply teaching strategies to help them to acquire skills and attitudes they need to be ready for their next stage of education. For example, children gain confidence to make independent choices in their play and they show deepening levels of concentrate as they follow their interests. However, at times their interaction with children does not fully maximise their learning opportunities. For example, staff do not always make good use of open-ended questions or talking out loud about what they are doing to support children's understanding and critical thinking. Staff use signing to support the communication and language skills for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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who attend

Staff plan to support children's individual progress across the seven areas of learning. Planning is informed through the key person's observations and assessment of their key children's progress. However, there are inconsistencies in the completion of the initial assessment when children start, which means planning for children's learning is not as effective. The individual children's record of learning is shared with parents, and they are invited to contribute to the observation and assessment process. Information is also exchanged between parents and staff verbally and in the daily diary. These communication systems provide parents with information to guide their child's learning at home. Staff work in partnership with external agencies to make sure they plan and provide the necessary support to meet individual children's specific needs. Key persons complete the required progress check at age two. This helps to support children's progress

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who attend

or identify if there are any concerns so that further support can be put in place.

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who attend

The continuous provision of a satisfactory range of play materials and resources gives children opportunity to play at their own pace and return to equipment to practise skills. The toddlers enjoy expressing their own ideas as they explore play dough and paint. In the role play area their play represents their observations of the world around them as they show care and attention to the dolls and talk on the play phones. Staff respond to the children's chosen activity and ask if they want to bath the dolls. The children express their excitement about this idea. During the activity they demonstrate their developing social skills as they take turns to bath the dolls. In the babies' area, staff sing songs to the babies and have one-to-one time to share books that promote their language development. Children who speak English as an additional language are given suitable support. Staff find out key words from parents and provide dual-language books to

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who attend

Babies explore musical instruments and with staff's guidance they discover how to make sounds. All babies are included in this activity and are stimulated to express themselves by moving their bodies to the sounds. Toddlers select the story sack they want for their story session. The staff use the story sack props to engage children's listening and attention. However, the noise level from other activities within the open-plan nursery distracts children's attention and the activity loses its learning value. Pre-school children eagerly participate in the storytelling as they predict what is going to happen next and quote familiar lines. Some older children show an interest in writing and are able to link sounds to letters and write their names. Children enjoy outdoor activities and express their delight as they prepare to go outside. Staff have adapted the outdoor role play area to create a construction site with resources

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who attend

to support children's imaginative play including large building blocks and role play clothes. Children carefully position the blocks on the grassed area to create their own design. They use their problem-solving skills as they move and re-position the different shaped and sized blocks to complete the task to their satisfaction. The children use their construction to walk along and balance on. As they step onto the separate blocks they count, showing their interest in numbers. Equipment, such as riding toys and the slide, contributes to developing children's physical skills and self-confidence. The outdoor area offers children the space to be physically active and use large movements as they run, hop and skip. Staff plan for babies' physical development. For example, they ensure the younger babies have opportunities to spend time on their tummies and backs, encouraging them to stretch, grasp and roll and strengthen their muscles. However, the outdoor learning is not

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who attend

well planned for this age group to promote this area of learning and to increase their opportunities to explore and investigate.

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

Staff are caring and create a welcoming environment for children and parents. The key person system contributes to children's needs being met and in developing their confidence to separate from their parents. Children show confidence and express their needs well. For example, babies lift their arms up to show staff they would like to be picked up, while older children use verbal requests to make their needs known. Procedures are in place to support children's smooth transition through nursery.

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

Daily routines help to develop children's positive attitudes towards a healthy lifestyle as they follow personal hygiene procedures and benefit from nutritionally balanced snacks and meals. Snacks consist of a variety of fruits to encourage children to try new tastes and textures. The meals are freshly prepared and cooked by the nursery cook. Menus are displayed for parents' information, and key persons record what the children have eaten in their daily diaries. Drinks are available for children to access at all times, encouraging them to learn to respond to their bodily needs and to drink when thirsty. Children's involvement in physical activities is further enhanced through their participation in regular exercise and dance sessions delivered by external instructors. There is comfortable furniture in each area, giving opportunities for children to rest and have quiet time. The babies have a separate room where they sleep undisturbed. Staff check sleeping babies on

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

a regular basis for their well-being. Displays and leaflets are available for parents' information regarding healthy lifestyles and safety issues.

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

Staff support children's personal, social and emotional development as they teach them to take turns and share, encourage them to be independent and to consider the feelings of others. They offer gentle reminders to children to help them understand the importance of appropriate behaviour. Consequently, the children behave well and develop friendships with their peers. Staff teach the children about keeping themselves and others safe, for example, by using cutlery and scissors carefully. Staff recognise that children have limited opportunities to go on outings from the nursery to extend their understanding of the world around them. In view of this, visitors are invited to the nursery to talk to the children to help broaden their understanding of the role of members of the community. These experiences help to prepare children for the transition to pre-school or school.

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provision

Children are safeguarded well as staff have a secure understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse or neglect and the action they must take to ensure children are protected. The safeguarding policies and procedures include the action to be taken if an allegation is made against a member of staff or volunteer, and the use of cameras, mobile phones and social networking. The designated safeguarding officer has undertaken relevant training to offer leadership regarding child protection issues. Recruitment procedures ensure that persons appointed are suitable to work with children. The induction procedure makes sure that staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities and the nursery's policies and procedures. Staff are suitably deployed to ensure children are supervised. Risk assessments are in place and daily safety checks of the premises are carried out to minimise hazards to children. Legally required records for

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provision

children's welfare are accurately maintained, and all policies and procedures are available to parents, including the complaints policy.

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provision

The manager demonstrates a commitment to improving the quality of the nursery provision. The action and recommendations from the last inspection have been fully met to ensure children's safety and welfare is fully promoted. Self-evaluation processes are in place to reflect on practice and to identify strengths of the provision and areas for improvement. Parents' views are sought using questionnaires and the suggestion box. Parents' comments have been implemented, including increasing the amount of vegetables in the children's diet. Staff appraisals help to determine staff training requirements to continue their professional development. However, monitoring procedures are insufficiently rigorous to evaluate the accuracy of the children's assessment and the inconsistencies in the quality of the planning. For example, some planning lacks challenge or is not appropriately pitched to match children's stage of learning and development.

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provision

Partnership working with parents and other professionals is a strength of the nursery. Parents talk very favourably about the nursery provision and the progress their children are making. Several parents have been involved with the nursery for a number of years because their older children attended, which indicates their confidence with the provision. Parents who have moved out of the area have decided for their children to continue attending this nursery because they are so happy. Parents referred to the special relationship children have with their key persons. Partnership working is established with a wide range of professionals, such as local authority development worker and other provisions delivering the Early Year Foundation Stage. This appropriately promotes children's continuity and progression. The nursery has established links with the schools the children will attend to support their transitions.

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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 306385 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 914404

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 43 Number of children on roll 69 Name of provider Hwfa & Jennifer Jones and Paul & Judith McCarthy Partnership Date of previous inspection 18/10/2011 Telephone number 0151 638 0004

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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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