Into-Play @ The Quays

Into Play At The Quays 24 Llanthony Road, GLOUCESTER, GL2 5HQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/06/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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

 The newly refurbished building good quality accommodation and well-furnished areas providing a secure and welcoming learning environment for young children.  Children make good progress in their learning and development because staff provide a stimulating range of enjoyable and interesting activities, and have developed strong trusting relationships with them.  A strong partnership has been established with parents through regular and effective communication about their children's learning and well-being.  Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those children for whom English is not their first language, make good progress because they are well supported in their learning and in their overall development.  Good progress has been made in starting up this new nursery and the experienced manager has a clear vision for its future development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children do not have free access to activities in the outdoor area throughout the day.

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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 spoke to the children and staff.  The inspector held discussions with parents and took account of their views.  The inspector reviewed a sample of the nursery's documentation.  The inspector held discussions with the manager and line manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector made a number of observations of activities, including undertaking a joint observation of an activity with the nursery line manager.

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Information about the setting

Into Play At The Quays is one of two nurseries run by Into Play Limited. It registered in 2013. It operates from two base rooms in a converted building. The nursery is situated in the docks area, near to the centre of Gloucester. Children have access to enclosed outdoor play areas, including all weather and decking surfaces. A wilderness outdoor area is being developed in line with forest school provision. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year, except for bank holidays. Children can attend all day or for a variety of sessions. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 68 children in the early years age range may attend the nursery at any one time, including 18 children under two years. The nursery employs five members of staff, of whom one has a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at level 6, one has an NVQ at level 4, two have an NVQ at level 3, and one is currently unqualified but studying for an

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Information about the setting

NVQ at level 2. The nursery receives funding for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those children for whom English is not their home language.

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

 enable children to have as much give as much opportunity as possible to move freely between indoors and outdoors.

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who attend

Good use is made of the spacious refurbished accommodation to make it an effective learning environment for children. The rooms are comfortably furnished and organised into areas catering for children of different ages. Well-resourced rooms have a wide range of good quality toys and equipment stored accessibly to children. Staff greet children warmly on arrival and this helps them quickly settle to engage in the activities set out for them. Children are eager to attend and parents confirm this and say they look forward to coming and love being there and want to stay. Parents praise the good level of care and the safe environment provided. They appreciate the regular sharing of information and have free access to children's learning folders.

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who attend

The activities provided enable children in each age group to access all areas of learning. There is an appropriate balance of activities that are led by an adult and those that children can choose for themselves. The outdoor area is well resourced to encourage children's physical development, and a covered area that enables other activities to be provided regardless of the weather conditions. However, children do not have free access to outdoor activities throughout the day. Consequently, children who learn better outdoors have fewer opportunities to do so.

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who attend

Children under two are well provided for with a colourful and stimulating environment. The room is comfortably carpeted and soft mats are provided for babies who are not yet walking. Staff engage well with them through talk and encouraging their involvement in play. Attractive resources enable children to handle and explore them by touching and shaking because of their sensory nature. Push-along toys encourage their physical development as the older children sit astride them and scoot across the room. Good progress is evident as children handle a variety of shaped blocks and fit them correctly into the posting box, and showing recognition of basic colours. Staff encourage children to develop counting skills as they get them to repeat one, two and three.

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who attend

Children between two and four years of age enjoy choosing from the good range of activities that includes games, floor toys and construction equipment. A large cardboard box attracts the interest of children as they use it imaginatively and fill it with a large number of plastic balls as they play together. Creative activities encourage small muscle development as children use spreaders to help glue paper shapes. Children use brushes to apply paint, and use chalkboards to make lines and shapes, developing their early writing skills. Staff reinforce the names of colours and shapes during these activities and children become confident in developing their knowledge and recognition of them. During a hand printing activity staff allow children to explore their use of paints and make choices of colours, and to talk about the feel of the paint.

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who attend

The nursery uses effective ways of supporting children whose home language is not English. Close collaboration with parents enables a basic selection of words in the home language to be used to dual label essential parts of the nursery and resources. This helps children and families to feel valued, and assists basic communication. Due to good support provided these children are making good progress and developing in confidence. Elements of sign language are also being developed to enable all children to communicate with staff and with each other.

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who attend

Staff provide regular opportunities for children to develop their number skills throughout the day. Children can count to ten and match the number to the written numerals with confidence. Staff use questions effectively to help children develop their thinking and understanding. Children work and play socially together at times and independently at others. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported and this ensures they make progress in their learning and development. The nursery's documentation shows that the majority of children are making good progress and reaching the expected level for their age. They are being prepared well for the next stage of their education.

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

The meeting of children's individual needs is a key focus for the nursery. Home visits and information sharing with parents establishes clear starting points, interests and routines. Relationships are strong and trusting, and evident in the way in which children relate to staff with confidence. Staff in turn engage encouragingly with children and share in their play. Staff plan weekly and daily activities and carefully evaluate to ensure children's needs are being met, and to plan what children need to do next in their learning and development. Activities are well-resourced and thought out to make them appealing and interesting to children. Key persons work closely with their assigned children and carefully monitor and record their progress. This information is regularly shared with parents, especially the 'WOW' tree celebrations of achievement.

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

Strong relationships have been established with parents and children, and parents are confident that their children receive a high level of care in a secure environment. Children, including the youngest are developing in confidence due to warm relationships and level of care provided for them. Children behave well because they feel secure because positive attitudes are encouraged as part of the nursery's ethos.

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

A healthy eating programme is delivered and is reflected in the nutritious meals and healthy snacks that are made available. The meals are cooked at the sister nursery a short distance away and the varied menus are readily accessible to parents. There are regular opportunities for the children to engage in active pursuits, usually in the well-equipped outdoor play area. The 'Stretch and Grow' programme supports their physical development well. Children are encouraged to develop independence and to make decisions for themselves, and to attend to their own personal needs. Good encouragement ensures children know when and how to wash their hands. Staff follow good hygiene procedures to ensure children are kept free from infection. At meal and snack times, the younger children are encouraged to feed themselves. Older children put their shoes on for themselves, dress in readiness for out play, and put on aprons when they are ready to

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

paint. They put their water bottles away after snack time and know where to find them when they need a drink. Children come from a range of different backgrounds and cultures. Staff promote positive attitudes to diversity and this means children mix well and play together happily. The nursery has plans to extend their cultural awareness further through the celebration of major religious festivals throughout the year.

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provision

Since the nursery opened a few months ago, rapid progress has been made in establishing good quality provision that is enabling children to learn and develop well. The manager is experienced and brings some good practice to the nursery from her previous managerial background. A strong team of practitioners provide good quality experiences for children. There is a clear understanding by all staff of how to safeguard children because they have been trained in child protection. They understand the procedures to follow in the event of any concerns being raised. A clear and strict policy on the use of mobile phones and cameras is in place, and daily risk assessments help to ensure the accommodation and resources are safe for children to use. An explicit policy on the appointment of staff is rigorously followed, including criminal record checks and the taking up of references. Senior staff are trained in safer recruitment practices and a nursery safeguarding policy is

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provision

in place. An appropriate number of staff hold certificates in paediatric first aid, food safety awareness and sun awareness. A good range of detailed policies and procedures are in place to ensure the safe running of the nursery and to ensure all statutory requirements are met. Effective evacuation procedures are in place in the event of fire or other emergency.

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provision

The majority of staff are experienced and benefit from opportunities to undertake further training. Although these are not yet linked to their performance, it is an area the manager has identified for implementation. One member of staff has embarked on training in order to be able to provide additional support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Links with support services and other agencies have been established as a consequence, and this is having a positive effect on the support provided for these children.

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provision

Relationships with parents are extremely positive because of the information sharing that exists and the good level of care provided for their children. Parents particularly like the daily chats at handover time, the home visits and the induction process when children first attend. Open access to children's learning records enables parent to follow their progress regularly. They appreciate that staff are always available for them, and that there are opportunities for individual discussions.

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provision

The manager has a good overview of the educational programmes to ensure they are meeting individual needs, and that they are closely linked to children's interests. Room leaders hold monthly meetings to review planning, practice and to assess children's progress. The manager and her team complete an effective evaluation of the nursery. They review developments since opening, and identify where improvements need to be made. The improvement plan includes the provision of an outside area for children under two, and the development of an email communication system with parents. The manager demonstrates amply that she has the capacity to carry out her plan of improvements and to maintain a programme of continuous development.

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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 EY451292 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 900367 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 68 Number of children on roll 26 Name of provider Into Play Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07774197197

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Setting details

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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