Brooksward Day Nursery and Pre School

Brooksward Day Nursery Brooksward Combined School, Tower Drive, Neath Hill, Milton Keynes, MK14 6JZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/06/2013 07/09/2011

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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

 Children are happy, interested in their activities and eager to try new experiences. They show good levels of independence, curiosity, imagination and positive behaviour.  Children benefit from strong continuity of care between the setting and parents. Information gathered is used to plan effectively for all children's needs.  Excellent use is made of the outdoor space and children access a wide range of activities across all areas of learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff sometimes miss opportunities to re-enforce simple counting for children under two.  Children, at times, are not encouraged to find their own solutions to problems.

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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 arrived at the setting and observed a range of activities.  The inspector talked with the manager, staff, children and parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including policies and procedures and children's development files.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager of the pre-school.

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Information about the setting

Brooksward Day Nursery registered in 2007 and is one of a chain of nurseries owned by Kids Play Limited. The nursery operates from rooms in Brooksward School in the Neath Hill area of Milton Keynes. All children have access to a secure, enclosed outdoor play area. Children attend from the local community and surrounding areas. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 101 children on roll in the early years age range. Children attend for a variety of sessions, including those receiving care before and after the school day. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery also supports children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery is open every weekday from 7.30am

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Information about the setting

to 6pm for 52 weeks of the year. The nursery employs 12 staff, who hold a range of appropriate early years qualifications.

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

 encourage young children's awareness of counting through play by, for example, using number words in meaningful contexts

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

 encourage children to find their own ways to solve problems in all areas of learning.

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and use this very well in practice to meet children's individual needs. The planning is based on a secure assessment of what children do and enjoy. The areas of learning are covered in a full range of activities and experiences. The staff record observations on individual children and collate the next steps for their key children. This is then fed into the planning. Each child has a lovely learning journey file, which shows how activities link to the areas of learning and gives a general overview of where children are at in their development. Children enjoy a good balance of adult-initiated and child-led activities. They display good characteristics of effective learning when they are engaged in activities. However, on occasions staff do not encourage children to solve problems. For example, when playing with cornflour and water, children say the mixture is hard. Staff suggest the children add

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who attend

more water, rather than encouraging them to work out a solution for themselves. Children are active learners, whether building towers with large bricks in the garden or sitting quietly on a settee enjoying a story in the book corner. Children are exploring through their senses as they play with sand, water, gloop and even ice cubes. Children's independence is developing well as they learn to recognise their names and discuss the letter it starts with. Children of all ages enjoy books which they can freely access. Staff effectively extend children's learning through their high quality interactions and involvement in children's play. For example, a group of children thoroughly enjoy a fun- filled game of 'What's the time Mr Wolf?', as they count their steps towards the wolf. Although, some opportunities to re-enforce simple counting with children under two, are sometimes missed. For example, when climbing on the slide or playing with ice blocks.

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who attend

Children are offered a wide range of opportunities that promote their physical development. For example, they develop hand to eye co-ordination as they are throw balls onto a circle to match the colours and balance on steps and crawl through tunnels. Partnerships with parents are well established and the nursery staff provide plenty of information through newsletters and daily verbal feedback. Parents feedback they that they receive a good amount of information about how their children are learning and developing; they are aware they can access their child's folder and know who their child's key worker is. They are given information about the Early Years Foundation Stage and know staff carry out observations on the children and why. Parents agree their children thoroughly enjoy their time at the setting and their children are happy and secure. The needs of all children at the setting are given good attention and consideration; including

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who attend

those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This means all children develop the necessary social, emotional and communication skills to be ready to move on to school.

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

Children are settled and happy in the nursery and staff are very caring about the children; staff are quick to respond to children's emotional needs and are down at the children's level, either sitting on the floor or at the tables with them. The children demonstrate they feel secure as they readily move around freely and happily and confidently engage with staff and adult visitors to the setting. Children readily ask for help or show an awareness of when they need to go to the toilet; this means that they are developing self-awareness and responding to their bodies' needs. Staff encourage children's independence, which ensures they are prepared well for their transitions into school. Children independently access the toys and resources with confidence as they explore the well-organised environment. They play in the well-resourced environment and help themselves to materials that are made easily accessible to them. This enables children to direct their own

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

play, which in turn builds their self-esteem and confidence.

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

Effective risk assessments and vigilant supervision by staff enables the children to play and relax in safety and comfort. Staff obtain good information about children's individual needs and requirements from parents and know the children well. They encourage children to play cooperatively together, gently redirecting them and calmly addressing any minor disputes. Staff work very well together and act as good role models for the children. Staff treat each other with respect and encourage the children to do the same. As a result, children behave very well and a happy atmosphere is present in the nursery. Children have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and are mindful of the safety of others. They understand outside equipment must be used with care as staff give gentle reminders to share. Children have the freedom to choose to play indoors or outdoors for fresh air and exercise and this helps children to develop a positive attitude to good health.

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

Children sit together to eat their meals, sharing a well-organised social occasion. Children enjoy healthy, nutritious snacks and meals provided by the nursery, including fresh fruit, and their understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle is well supported.

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provision

The leadership and management of the nursery instigate effective safeguarding procedures for child protection; all staff have a good knowledge of child protection procedures and safeguarding requirements and fully understand the responsibility to protect the welfare of children. Policies and procedures are reviewed centrally and underpin the good practice. Children's welfare is promoted and maintained using effective risk assessments to ensure the environment is safe. The manager and staff demonstrate a good understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The nursery delivers fun and exciting activities across all areas of the educational programmes in order for children to effectively progress towards the early learning goals. Overall, all children are making good progress in relation to their starting points and capabilities. Observations capture children's learning and are effective and

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provision

inform planning for children's next steps. The key person system works well so each child has a special person who cares for them while also getting to know other members of staff as well. This means that children are confident and ready for school or the next stage in their learning. A robust induction programme ensures all staff are clear about their duties and responsibilities. Partnership with parents and carers is good. Staff value parents' contributions regarding their children's progress and they involve parents in the completion of the progress check at age two. There are strong partnerships in place with the host school that effectively support children's move to full-time education. The manager and staff make good use of reflective practice to develop all areas of learning and development through ongoing observation, constant discussion and regular team meetings. Self-evaluation is completed and demonstrates the staff's ability to assess what

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provision

they do well and future areas for development.

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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 EY359706 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 917654

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 83 Number of children on roll 101 Name of provider Kids Play Ltd Date of previous inspection 07/09/2011 Telephone number 01908 607608

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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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