Heathcote House Nursery and Pre-School

Heathcote House Nursery School The Green, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 5AA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/06/2013 01/05/2009

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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, settled and engage well with the variety of activities.  Children make good progress in their learning because staff provide a good level of support.  Staff work together well and there are effective systems to make sure staff are suitable to work with children.  Strong partnerships are established with parents, which enable children to benefit from good continuity in their care and learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 At times children are not fully supported in making independent choices in their choice of resources.  The staff team do not have regular opportunities to develop their practice through observing other practitioners.

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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 children in the nursery present during the inspection, both inside and in the outdoor play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the staffs' practice and talked to them throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documents presented including staff suitability documentation, policies and children's records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the principal and completed a joint observation of an group activity.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to during inspection and from a parent survey provided by the nursery.

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Information about the setting

Heathcote House Nursery registered in 2002. It is a privately owned nursery situated in Devizes. It operates from an easily accessible detached house, which has been adapted to cater for children aged three months to five years. Children are cared for in four groups largely dependent on age. The baby unit has three rooms upstairs dedicated to play and a room downstairs for rest. Older children are cared for in three base rooms. There are two additional rooms; one is currently used for older children to sleep and the other for additional activities. There is a fully equipped kitchen where meals are prepared for the children. There are also toilet and washing facilities and a staff room. There is a large garden for outdoor play. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 80 children on roll, of whom 29 receive funding for nursery education. Children attend from Devizes and surrounding villages. The nursery is open from 8am to 6pm all

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Information about the setting

year round except for bank holidays and a week at Christmas. The nursery cares for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 13 staff that work directly with the children, including the principal. All but three have relevant child care qualifications. The nursery also employs a cook.

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

 support children's increasing independence in selecting resources and carrying out activities by organising equipment and routines to enable greater freedom of choice

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

 enhance staff's professional development, for example by introducing opportunities for them to observe and reflect on the practice of other practitioners.

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who attend

Children are happy and ready to learn because staff understand how they learn through play and give them frequent individual attention. Staff offer a variety of activities including some adult directed activities. The needs of different children are well met as the staff adjust their support accordingly. For example, a child who is new to the nursery sits with a familiar member of staff and watches the other children while gaining confidence to explore further. Another child who is learning to climb holds a hand when negotiating the steps Staff are careful to plan activities which interest children and cover all areas of learning. Children spend extended periods engaged in their play. They use water and brushes to clean the toy cars. They use their imaginations and carefully post stones into the petrol tank to give it 'fuel'. Staff offer helpful suggestions, ask questions and give encouragement. Young children show an interest in the wider world. They listen carefully

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who attend

to the sounds around them and are keen to see the horses pulling the cart past the nursery gate. A member of staff develops this interest and they look around and discuss other sounds they can hear and consider where the motor bike has gone. Older children show an interest in using technology. Staff help them link this interest with exploring natural objects and some children create a landscape, using leaves and twigs, for a robot to negotiate. The older children thoroughly enjoy the time spent visiting the local woods and develop their imagination when they build a shelter. Children's understanding of early mathematics is promoted through every day tasks and play. Children enjoy learning to solve problems as they use a puzzle, and count how many cups and plates are needed for snack time. These activities help children prepare for the next stage of learning at school.

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who attend

Staff have a clear understanding of what children can do. Observation and assessment systems are focussed; this includes the progress check for two-year-olds and regular assessments are shared with parents throughout the year. Targets for children link well to the different areas of learning. Overall, children make good progress. They enjoy their time at the nursery and develop positive attitudes towards learning.

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

The familiar nursery routines and good staff ratios means that children quickly settle into nursery life and grow in confidence. Staff give lots of support to children who are new to the nursery so that the transition between home and nursery is as smooth. Children confidently seek staff out for reassurance whenever needed. Staff help children to develop skills in sharing toys and confidence to speak with their friends.

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

Staff maintain a safe environment and help children identify the risks they may encounter. Children assist the staff in assessing the risks in the outside play area and know for example, that their parents must shut the gate when they leave. Children manage their own behaviour well, learning manners and sharing toys. Older children enjoy the responsibility of being the leader and helper of the day. Babies chose freely from the toys arranged around the room. A series of pictures help older children learn the sequence of their day. They sit together and choose what to play with at the start of each play session. Most resources are stored within easy reach in the rooms. The older children are sometimes limited by what they play with as some resources are not always easy to see, which does not encourage children to freely choose and combine resources in a variety of ways.

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

Staff support children well in developing routines, which support their good health. For example babies are given a wipe to use after their snack so they start to learn about washing their face and hands. Older children are reminded to wash their hands as they wait for their lunch. Children sit together and talk with each other during their snack and meal times and these occasions are relaxed and sociable occasions. Children eat the food provided by the nursery. Under the supervision and guidance from staff children learn to manage their cutlery and show a sense of achievement when they cut their food without help. Throughout the children's time at the nursery, they are well supported and grow in confidence. This successfully helps them to move forward in their learning within the nursery or as they leave to join other settings or move on to school.

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provision

The management team has a good overview of the skills of their practitioners and their ability to provider good care and support for children's development. Planning, observation and assessment skills are precise and incorporate targets for individual children. This ensures children receive a broad range of activities within the educational programme.

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provision

Arrangements for safeguarding children are strong and embedded well. The management team has a robust recruitment process. This includes effective vetting procedures and systems to manage the performance and development of staff. All staff receive training on safeguarding children. Practitioners understand their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. The premises are secure and the effective implementation of risk assessments ensure the premises and resources are fit for purpose. There is a good range of policies and procedures, which underpin the nursery's practice. For example, systems to manage the specific diets of children are robust. Staff liaise with parents so that they know what foods the children are permitted to eat. The most up-to-date information is shared with all staff caring for the children and clearly displayed for reference. Staff check the information provided by parents before the food is served to children. This system

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provision

ensures that children's dietary needs are well met.

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provision

The senior managers monitor staff to ensure practice is good throughout the nursery. However, there are few opportunities for staff to enhance their practice through sharply focused evaluations of their peers and other professionals. The management team seek the views of staff about the quality of provision to drive improvement. Partnerships with parents are strong. They engage well with the staff regarding their children's care and learning. There is a high response rate from the annual parent survey and parents offer much praise and some helpful ideas about the development of the nursery provision. The senior managers consider these responses carefully, take action to improve and in turn offer feedback to the parents about developments in the nursery. This helps the parents to keep informed about the developing quality of the provision for their children. Staff work in partnership with others involved in the children's care to provide a consistent

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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 EY232048 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 924190 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 7 Total number of places 63 Number of children on roll 80 Name of provider Keith Hudson and Jean Hudson Partnership Date of previous inspection 01/05/2009 Telephone number 01380 725 080

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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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