Chestnut@Sue Bramley

Chestnut Nursery Schools @ Sue Bramley Children's Centre Sue Bramley Childrens Centre, Bastable Avenue, BARKING, Essex, IG11 0LG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26/06/2013 18/11/2011

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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

 Children are happy, motivated and eager to learn. They show high levels of independence, curiosity and imagination have good relationships with practitioners and each other.  Expectations for children's behaviour are clear. Children do what is asked of them, behaving well and developing their ability to share and take turns.  A strong management team monitor the nursery provision effectively and encourages the staff team's professional development, which benefits children.  Staff provide children with interesting and stimulating activities in the outdoor learning environment to explore living things and their natural surroundings.  Partnership with parents is very well developed and this helps to contribute significantly so that the individual needs of all of the children are being met.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not consistently give children time to talk and think and respond to questions by answering with possible responses.  Children are not consistently encouraged to add to their first-hand experience of the world through the use of information and communication technology.

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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 observed activities in the all three classrooms and the outside learning environment.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with some staff from each room, parents and the nursery manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined documentation, including a representative sample of children's records, development plans and staff suitability records.

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Information about the setting

Chestnut Nursery Schools @ Sue Bramley Children's Centre opened in 2011. It is operated by a private company; Chestnut Nursery School (Newham) Ltd. The nursery operates from purpose built premises on the Thames View Residential Estate and within the site of Thames View Infant School, in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. There is an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery serves the local community and is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm all year round. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. There are currently 110 children aged from birth to five years on roll. There are 14 members of staff, of whom 11 hold early years qualifications to at least level 2. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early years education for two, three and four year-olds.

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

 allow time for children to talk and think when asked questions by valuing their answers without rushing forwards too quickly with a response

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

 encourage children to add to their first-hand experience of the world through the use of information and communication technology.

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who attend

The atmosphere of the nursery is calm and purposeful. Children enjoy a wide variety of indoor and outdoor play experiences, which support their learning and development well. Good staffing ratios enable children to move freely to choose from the different activities staff provide, both indoors and out. Children enter the nursery happily, eagerly choosing what they wish to do from the interesting experiences on offer. Children have plenty of resources to choose from on a daily basis. For example, they can play with a wide range of tools to support imaginative play, such as keyboards and telephones. However, simple mechanical toys to promote technology skills are not readily available to encourage children's first hand experience of using information and communication technology. Attentive staff support and enhance children's learning in all rooms, providing much individual attention.

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who attend

Children practise gaining good hand and finger control in a number of activities. For example, they use different shapes and sizes of magnets competently. They carefully pick up paperclips and little marble type metal balls, describing them as 'sticky'. Children know they can help themselves to the play equipment, such as the small balls if they wish, and learn that these must be used with care and not thrown across the room.

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who attend

Staff plan a particularly strong programme to help children develop their early communication skills. They use good teaching strategies in the daily routines. For example, children use visual timetables and can quickly match song choices to the wall cards or which activity they would like to take part in next. Staff encourage children to recognise their names through self-registration on arrival and use placemats with the children's names on at meal times so that each child can independently find their own seat. Staff are alert to promoting early mathematical language and encourage children to count whenever possible, such as counting the number of children on their table at meal times and the number of cups and plates needed.

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who attend

Children practise gaining good hand and finger control in a number of activities. They use shovels and buckets in the digging pit and they grab shells from water and sand to make patterns. They know they can use all the resources available. Children's interests are used to spontaneously create experiences for the children, such as when placing dinosaurs in paint to create different shapes and textures. Children draw shapes in the paint with the dinosaurs. However, staff do not always encourage children to talk and think as they often rush forward with answers to questions they have asked without giving the children time to respond. Nevertheless, older children are confident to speak to unknown adults; for example, they show their paint pictures to the inspector and talk about them. Additionally, children visit the inviting soft cushioned book area independently, choosing and browsing through books happily. They replace books carefully before leaving the book area. This

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who attend

demonstrates staff place emphasis on care of the nursery environment and children respond well.

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who attend

Staff plan children's experiences, to cover the seven required areas of learning, by using planning documents detailing a broad programme of activities both indoors and outside. The learning environments offer a wide range of materials and resources that add depth to children's experiences. Planning is adapted to respond to children's individual interests, determined by both discussions with parents and useful observations of children's play. Staff establish what children can do when they first start by talking with parents and completing observations while the child plays as they settle into the nursery. Staff record children's achievements frequently, often through photographs and written observations in their 'learning folders'.

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who attend

Children delight in using the outdoor play areas, which helps them to extend their physical skills well, such as through climbing and ball control. Children who prefer to learn outdoors do so daily, as they have freeflow use of the outside area. All children benefit from open- door flexibility, so allowing them to decide for themselves when they wish to play outside.

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

Children move around the playrooms happily, including those who only started recently, owing to the trusting relationships established with staff through the key person system. Staff know each child well and they form particularly close bonds with the children and families for whom they take special responsibility. Establishing secure emotional attachments helps children feel safe, so they quickly develop confidence and independence, readily exploring their surroundings. Staff adapt settling in procedures to respond to the needs of the individual child.

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

Staff in all rooms take a consistent approach in their expectations for children's behaviour, so children quickly learn what is acceptable. Children who are familiar with the nursery play alongside others well. If necessary, staff intervene quickly and positively, resolving issues amicably. Staff organise themselves effectively so someone is always available to provide support for children's care needs. For example, by providing a lap on which to have a cuddle or someone to help with nappy changes when needed. Older children become independent in their personal care, competently drying their hands and putting paper towels in the bin.

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

The nursery provides healthy balanced meals for children. They have a cooked meal and are aware of healthy eating, knowing about the importance of eating the vegetables with their meals. Children chat about their health with staff, discussing what they ate for breakfast and what they might be having for dinner. They talk about their vegetables they are eating and link this to the vegetables that are growing in the garden. Children's independence is further promoted at mealtimes, as they serve their own food and pour their own drinks at the table.

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

Children's understanding of safety is threaded through the daily routines. They learn that some resources, such as sand, must be used with care and they know that they must not run around when inside the nursery or walk up the outdoor slide. Complying with expectations, making friends, learning self-care skills and being interested in their activities, means all children enjoy their pre-school experiences and gain good skills and attitudes to underpin their eventual move to school.

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provision

Safeguarding arrangements for children's well-being are well established and effective. The staff team demonstrate a commitment to promoting children's safety and undertake regular safeguarding and first aid training. They understand their individual responsibilities and the need to provide safe play environments for children. Individual room risk assessments are undertaken. Staff practise fire drills with the children, making sure they all children have an understanding of what to do in an emergency. Children are taught to be safety conscious without being fearful. They show a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe; for example, children know they can run around more freely in the garden than they can indoors, as this can cause accidents.

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provision

The staff team closely liaises with parents from the start through clear settling procedures and by asking them to provide information about their children's routines likes and dislikes. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their children's learning as they are informed through daily diaries and verbal feedback about activities their children undertake. Partnerships are well established and make a strong contribution to children's achievement and well-being. Parents are constantly encouraged to be involved in their children's learning and are provided with ideas continue their child's learning at home, such as through the book lending scheme. Parents express appreciation of the staff's work, finding everyone approachable and friendly. They state that they particularly enjoy the mother and father morning breakfasts where they can come to nursery and sit and relax with their child. They receive a pack of useful information about the nursery before

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provision

their children start, including settling visits. The staff team work closely with parents, not only helping them settle children, but also assisting in such things as potty training, so everyone takes a consistent approach. Partnerships with other agencies, such as the local schools, supports the care of older children. Transition plans are in place to support children's movement throughout the nursery rooms and for movement to school. The management and staff are aware of the importance of partnership working with external agencies to secure appropriate interventions and have established these partnerships very well.

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provision

Each child has their own development learning profile and parents have open unlimited access to these. Staff plan the children's profiles to meet each child's individual needs and interests, linking these to the seven areas of learning. Each key person makes sure that their observations of what each child is learning are recorded and which developmental age band they are working within. This helps them to then plan each child's next steps, ensuring that they are able to move them forward and track their progress.

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provision

Thorough self-evaluation takes into account the views of staff, children and their parents. The manager carefully monitors the provision and regularly consults with staff, parents and children ensuring their views are taken into account. The drive for improvement is demonstrated by a clear action plan that supports children's achievements over time. Strengths and weaknesses are effectively identified. Planned actions to overcome weaknesses have been targeted with the outcomes they would like to achieve. There are strong links between identified priorities and plans for improvement. For example, as a result of a recommendation from the previous inspection, all staff recently attended 'Every child a talker' training, (ECAT), to help extend their use of language and vocabulary with the children. This training has improved the ways staff support children's language development, although there is room for further improvement in their use of questioning

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provision

techniques, as staff are not always fully consistent in their approach.

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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 EY429067 Local authority Barking & Dagenham Inspection number 907799 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 56 Number of children on roll 110 Name of provider Chestnut Nursery Schools Limited Date of previous inspection 18/11/2011 Telephone number 02087 241 360

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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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