Heron Day Nursery

Heron Day Nursery St. Johns Centre, Brick Kiln Lane, WIGAN, Lancashire, WN1 1XH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/06/2013 07/11/2011

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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 have a good knowledge of how to support children's learning and development. They use this knowledge to effectively plan activities that engage children in learning.  Robust planning and assessment procedures are in place, which ensure that children are fully supported as they move towards the early learning goals.  Children are settled, confident and happy. They access resources independently and explore the environment with enthusiasm, which enhances their learning and development.  Comprehensive partnerships with parents and a range of other multi-professionals ensure children's needs are effectively supported through times of change and transition.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children to explore mathematical language and develop awareness of number, shape, space and measure are still developing.  The outside area is under development and does not yet offer experiences and play which support all areas of learning and development as comprehensively as the indoor environment.

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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 and children at play throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with children, parents, staff and the management team throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation to ascertain children's progress in achieving the early learning goals.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at self-evaluation processes to ensure that they supported quality outcomes for children.

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Information about the setting

Heron Day Nursery was registered in 2007 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in self-contained premises in the town centre area of Wigan, and is owned by a private individual. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from the ground and first floor and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs thirteen members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds appropriate early years qualification at level 6, two hold qualifications at level 5, one holds qualification at level 4, six hold qualifications at level 3 and three hold qualifications at level 2.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 63 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 strengthen the opportunities for children to use more mathematical language, for example, by demonstrating the language for shape, position and measure in discussions and by using number language, such as 'lots' and 'hundreds', to increase children's understanding, awareness and recognition of number, shape, space and measure

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

 enhance the use of the outside area to offer play opportunities that support all areas of learning.

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who attend

Staff have a good knowledge of how best to support children's individual needs. They use this knowledge skilfully to support children so that they make good progress towards the early learning goals. Regular observations are undertaken by staff whilst children play, this allows staff to identify where children are in their development and plan for the next steps in children's learning. Planned activities support children's interests and individual developmental needs. Staff plan and provide developmentally appropriate activities which are evaluated to ensure that children are challenged. Staff use a range of strategies to support children. Staff pose problems and ask children questions. For example, as children explore sensory play and think about textures, staff ask 'how does it feel?' and 'does it feel soft or hard?' This supports children's reflective thinking and supports their language skills.

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who attend

Educational programmes cover the seven areas of learning, offering a depth and breadth of learning opportunities. For example, babies explore sensory play, toddlers explore texture whilst creating collage pictures and pre-school children are asked to write their name on artwork and identify the letters in their name. The nursery uses a range of strategies to support learning. For example, the nursery offers 'Island time' for babies which involves exploring sensory play through treasure baskets. Older children are supported by teaching interventions, such as a daily letters and sounds session and the Every Child a Talker initiative which encourages early language development so that children are confident and skilled communicators. However, opportunities for children to use a range of mathematical language are less well developed, and this impacts on their ability to fully develop a secure understanding of number, shape, space and measure.

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who attend

Children are confident speakers and make their needs known very well. For example, babies copy adults and babble as they explore their early language skills. Older children make verbal requests and inform staff of their individual needs. Children have multiple opportunities to explore early writing and drawing skills. For example, children use pencils, use chalk to make large scale marks and draw patterns in dry sand using a variety of tools. Children are building their knowledge of shape by using shape sorters, jigsaws and a variety of construction resources. These resources help children with their problem solving skills. The nursery promotes children's understanding of the world through a variety of imaginative activities. For example, the nursery invites the police in to discuss stranger danger, children use magnifiers to look at mini-beasts and children take part in regular baking activities. Staff encourage independence and self-care skills throughout the

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who attend

nursery. For example, at lunchtime children choose their own cutlery, pour their own drinks and place waste in a designated bin. The nursery celebrates different cultures and festivals, offering activities which engage children. For example, at Chinese New Year children taste different food and at Diwali children make diva lamps. A range of resources support children's understanding of the wider world, such as, dual langue books, dressing- up clothes and dolls from different ethnicities.

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who attend

The nursery is well resourced and children independently access their own resources and self-initiate their own play. Resources are of good quality and are age- and stage- appropriate, offering a range of quality learning experiences. There is effective storage, which allows staff to alternate resources to engage children in learning and present learning opportunities in a variety of ways. Resources are stored in low-level baskets for babies, whilst older children access resources from open shelving.

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who attend

Staff place a strong priority on involving parents in children's learning and keeping parents informed about their child's development. For example, parents complete an 'all about me' document before starting at nursery which contributes to baseline assessments, parents contribute to the progress checks carried out when their child is aged two and are encouraged to undertake observations at home. Communication is enhanced through using 'home link books' and by using 'Firm Foundations' bags for pre-school children. These contain activities and games for children to undertake at home which enhances children's learning and development. This provides a consistent approach between staff and parents so that children feel well supported by all adults who encourage them in their learning.

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

Staff are nurturing and care for children well which makes children feel settled and secure. Staff identify and meet children's individual needs very well. For example, staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities by offering targeted individual education plans and liaising with a range of professionals. There is a special educational needs coordinator in place who attends regular training and works with other professionals, such as health visitors, to ensure that children's needs are skilfully supported. Children who have English as an additional language are supported through staff using interventions, such as visual symbols, picture cards, dual language books and key words in children's home language.

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

There is an effective key person system in place which helps children form secure attachments. Children invite adults to join in with their play. For example, children play 'going to the shop' whilst the key person discusses an imaginary shopping list. This shows that children are settled and that caring relationships are in place. Children participate in a wide variety of fun and challenging activities. For example, children use bikes in the outdoor area, play with dinosaurs in a shallow tray filled with cornflakes and explore music through using recycled bottles filled with different objects. Staff consider enhancements to learning. For example, children recently explored the topic of 'holidays' by visiting a travel agents and then created a holiday camp site in the role play area. Children are well behaved and staff provide positive role models. Staff praise children and celebrate children's achievements, which supports self-esteem and positive behaviour. All areas of

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

learning are promoted throughout the nursery, but the outside area is less well developed and does not support children's learning in equal measure to the indoor area.

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

Children are encouraged to learn about healthy lifestyles through daily outdoor play, walks in the local environment, music and movement sessions and eating healthy foods. There is a designated cook in the nursery who provides a range of home-made meals, incorporating fresh fruit and vegetables. Parents are asked for their opinion on menus which are regularly changed and updated. Children develop their self-care skills through accessing drinking water, washing their hands and independently using tissues. Children learn to be safe through discussions and by safety procedures, such as taking part in regular fire drills and using scissors appropriately. This allows children to begin to develop an understanding of risk and safety.

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

Children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning through purposeful transition procedures. For example, when children move from room to room this is done gradually, when children move to school the nursery invites school teachers in to meet the children, holds parents' evenings to keep them informed and completes a transition document to pass over important information about children to the school. This allows parents to be kept well informed and children to be effectively supported during their move onto full time education.

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provision

Safeguarding practice is good in the nursery and, as a result, children are well protected. The inspection took place following a notification from the setting which identified a breach in requirements. This involved an accident, whereby, hazards caused from children sleeping in the book area had not been assessed and the risk minimised. The setting took immediate and appropriate action to meet this requirement. The inspection found that staff were fully aware of their responsibilities and took all the necessary steps for appropriate treatment, informing parents and the relevant authorities. The manager reviewed arrangements for children when sleeping and devised a written risk assessment. In addition, the manager routinely reviews risk assessments to make sure risks are minimised or eliminated. All staff have attended safeguarding training, have a good understanding of procedures and are aware of who to contact should they have a

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provision

safeguarding concern. Staff are vigilant about children's safety and ensure that children are well supervised. For example, the nursery uses thumbprint entry for staff and parents which means that strangers cannot enter the nursery, a secret password is used in the event of an unknown adult collecting a child and daily safety sweeps are undertaken. In addition, written risk assessments are in place for the indoors, outdoors and while children are on outings, which help to minimise risks. This means that children are cared for in a safe environment where staff give a high priority to children's safety. In addition, a thorough record of accidents, medication and attendance are documented to further protect children and promote their welfare.

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provision

The nursery environment is bright and stimulating. Children's artwork and learning displays are used throughout all rooms, which engage children in learning. For example, topic displays include keywords so that children can identify letters and give meaning to print. Children are cared for in rooms which cater for different ages, this ensures that children are provided with age-appropriate activities which engage them in learning and develop their skills. The staff understand their responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements and consistently assess and monitor learning programmes and children's progress to ensure that children progress well towards the early learning goals.

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provision

Self-evaluative practice in undertaken and the nursery identifies strengths, weaknesses and areas for development on a regular basis. Staff have a proactive attitude to improvements and work well to ensure that practice is evaluated to bring about continued improvement. The nursery takes into account the views of children and parents. For example, the nursery has developed their practice to ensure all parents are aware of children's key persons, an electronic thumbprint entry system has been installed and the nursery has introduced daily diaries. These have been a direct response to parents' requests gained from the nursery's annual parent questionnaire. This shows that staff welcome and act on parents' suggestions for development.

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provision

The manager supports continued professional development through staff appraisals, supervisions and staff meetings. Effective procedures for selection and recruitment of new staff are in place. Induction procedures ensure that new staff are fully aware of the nursery's policies and procedures. All staff undertake statutory training and attend 'refresher' courses where appropriate, such as training on the revised Early Years Foundation Stage and undertaking the 2 year progress checks.

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provision

Strong partnership working with a range of multi professionals is evident through the nursery. The nursery works with the local authority advisory team and attends network meetings to share practice with other professionals. These partnerships enhance all aspects of children's care, learning and development. Staff have effective partnerships with parents, facilitated through daily verbal exchange, newsletters and parents' evenings. Parents are complimentary about the nursery and make comments, such as 'My child wouldn't be the polite young man he is today without attending nursery', and 'I'm really pleased with everything, my child is becoming more confident and the staff are lovely.'

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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 EY358603 Local authority Wigan Inspection number 921312

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 118 Number of children on roll 63 Name of provider Heron Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 07/11/2011 Telephone number 01942202198

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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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