Southlands Creche

Southlands Creche St. Margarets C of E Junior School, Knutton Road, NEWCASTLE, Staffordshire, ST5 0HU

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/07/2013 25/05/2011

p.1

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

p.1

This provision is good

 Staff are passionate about the specialist care they provide for very young children at this nursery. They fully understand the importance of secure relationships between children and staff as the underpinning of effective learning in babies and toddlers. Consequently children grow in confidence and happily take part in activities in the cosy welcoming atmosphere.  Children access a very broad range of interesting activities both inside and outside on the premises and on numerous trips out. This provides challenges and experiences which support their learning in all seven areas.  Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their families are very well supported. Staff work with other professionals to meet their needs and parents praise the fact that staff see their child as a 'whole person' rather than focusing on their disability. This supports children to develop all aspects of their abilities.

p.1

This provision is good

 A strong leadership team are fully committed to ensuring the highest standards are implemented. They constantly review practice and are quick to make changes and improvements where necessary.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to strengthen staffs' identification and use of children's next steps in learning to support and monitor their already good progress in a more sharply focused way.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the main playrooms.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the owner of the nursery and undertook a joint observation with her during the afternoon session.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation and a selection of policies and children's records.  The inspector reviewed the suitability checks for staff working with the children.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

p.2

Information about the setting

Southlands Creche was registered in 1991 and is registered on the Early Years Register. It is one of two nurseries run by Southlands Nurseries Ltd. Children normally attend this creche until they are rising three and then transfer to the other Southlands Nursery for pre-school care. Southlands Creche operates from four rooms in the old school house building in the grounds of St Margaret's School, Wolstanton, Staffordshire. There is an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery serves the local community and children attend for a variety of sessions for a minimum of two days a week.

p.3

Information about the setting

The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one also holds a qualification at level 6 and Early Years Professional Status. It opens Monday to Friday, for 49 weeks a year. Sessions are from 7.50am until 5.45pm. There are currently 44 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 with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.3

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

 enhance further the identification and dissemination of children's next steps in learning, to help with differentiation of tasks in activities and the support of the most able children in the specific areas of learning.

p.3

who attend

The nursery promotes children's learning and development well. The calm, but industrious environment has a very child-centred philosophy, which puts the children and their parents at the heart of what the nursery does. The well-established staff group get to know the children very well. They consider their learning styles and activities, which will sustain their interest. They have adapted the environment to provide children with interesting and extensive indoor and outdoor spaces and children can access the outdoor learning environment for a high proportion of the day. The children are confident from a young age to choose activities and follow through on their ideas or investigations. For example, children enjoy retelling a story to themselves after hearing it read by a staff member. At the start of the placement, parents provide information about their child's abilities through a questionnaire. Once children start attending, observations are undertaken to

p.3

who attend

ensure staff quickly establish children's abilities. Ongoing observations are used to periodically inform the tracking sheets, which measure children's progress across all areas of learning and set next steps in their learning. There is scope to sharpen the identification of children's next steps and tracking of progress. This is so that activities, such as craft activities focusing on numbers and colours, can be adapted for individual children's abilities or specific areas of learning can be supported for the more able children. The staff ensure a summary of children's development is produced for parents in time for the progress check at age two. Any areas of concern that staff identify as potentially needing to be addressed with the help of external agencies are shared with parents. This is so that the nursery can fully support parents through any referral and assessment processes, which may be necessary for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.4

who attend

This ensures children with additional needs are well supported to make the best progress that they can. Parents are also encouraged to add their own observations to children's tracker files and discuss any issues that may concern them with staff. Staff have taken considerable effort to support parents in developing their understanding of how to help and support their child's learning at home. This includes other parenting issues, such as information about toilet training or problems with biting.

p.4

who attend

The children are making very good progress in their communication and language skills with all children developing into confident communicators. Toddlers are well engaged at story time due to the animated way the staff member reads the book and helps them join in with telling the tale. They also enjoy joining in songs and rhymes and are given the opportunity to express their views and make choices about what to sing next. Numbers, shape, colour and volume are introduced as part of play activities, which allows children to develop a deeper understanding of the concepts. For example, playing with dough allowed children to create a circle shape spontaneously. Children delight in experimenting with water, the babies enjoy splashing in bowls inside and toddlers in puddles outside. They enjoy the vibrant outside area even in heavy rain because the nursery ensures they have appropriate capes and footwear. Children are well prepared for the transition on to a pre-

p.4

who attend

school group as they grow in confidence. They learn to join in with small groups and develop their self-care skills, for example, learning to dress themselves after swimming sessions.

p.4

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

The process to help children settle into the nursery are highly effective. Staff understand that building a relationship with both the children and their family is vitally important. They encourage parents to lead the transition process from home to the nursery by them deciding how many visits they need before their child starts and for how long. Children and their parents quickly build strong, happy relationships with staff. This means children are ready to explore and learn. Staff understand that events at home will have an effect on children's confidence and how settled they are. So they ensure they build good links with parents to develop ways to support families. Parent's praise the way staff recognise children's personalities and see each child as a 'whole person'. For parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, they find it uplifting that staff see what their child can do, rather than focusing on what they can't do. They feel the staff go above and

p.4

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

beyond what would be expected, to provide a fantastic service. Where children are identified as having additional needs the help and advice of other professionals is sought to ensure their well-being is maintained and their needs are met. Transitions between rooms in the nursery and over to the sister nursery for pre-school care are well managed, this ensures children are well prepared when they are ready for these moves. Children's behaviour is very good, staff help children think about other people's feelings and they learn to negotiate and share equipment with their play mates. The atmosphere is warm and cooperative.

p.5

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

All children are able to enjoy and explore the natural environment in the inspiring outdoor provision. They have ample opportunity to enjoy exercise in the fresh air because they have easy free flow access to either inside or outside environments from the ground floor for good proportions of the day. Babies also enjoy outdoor play whatever the weather with frequent walks in the community. Toddlers are encouraged to join in with the regular swimming sessions and trips to local parks, which provide opportunities to learn new skills.

p.5

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

Children's dietary needs are met through the provision of freshly prepared meals created by the nurseries enthusiastic chef. Toddlers develop their self-care skills as they serve themselves at lunchtime or make choices about their snack or breakfast meals. All children are encouraged to develop their ability to manage their hygiene needs, such as washing their hands before meals. The layout of the rooms allow children to make choices for themselves from a range of equipment and children show confidence as they make decisions about their own play activities. Children are shown how to keep themselves safe through discussions, which carefully support them to think through how to manage risk.

p.5

provision

The children benefit from a nursery, which has a strong management team lead by a fully involved owner. The nursery staff and leadership team are very committed to providing a high quality service and the owner and her nursery manager pro-actively monitors the quality of care and teaching to ensure best practice is encouraged. The inspection took place following notification of an accident to a child involving a cleaning bucket. The inspection found that staff took all necessary steps to provide appropriate treatment following the accident and informed parents and relevant authorities. The owner promptly carried out a full review of cleaning processes, policies and risk assessments, as well as staff induction, following the accident and put in place additional guidance for staff. In addition, the owner routinely reviews staffs' understanding of all policies to ensure their ongoing compliance, this means risks are minimised or eliminated.

p.5

provision

Appropriate recruitment procedures and strengthened induction processes ensure staffs' suitability is established when they are employed. Ongoing appraisals and supervision sessions are undertaken with all staff members to help drive improvement and identify training requirements, which are quickly addressed through staff attending courses or in- house training session conducted by highly experienced external trainers. Children are also safeguarded through the implementation of clear policies and procedures, which ensure staff can identify child protection concerns and take appropriate action to protect children. The building and grounds are secure, which ensures that children cannot leave unaccompanied and helps staff manage the entry of parents and visitors.

p.5

provision

The staff are committed to developing the service for children and their whole family. A culture of reflective practice, which involves all members of staff and parents has been developed. The nursery also draws on the expertise of the local authority advisor. They are keen to be involved with new ways of working and are piloting some children's tracking forms in conjunction with the local authority. Further improvements continue to be implemented. For example, annual appraisals are undertaken with staff and the small size of the team means the owner knows the key strengths of all her staff members. However, she has also introduced interim supervision sessions to drive improvement and monitor suitability between appraisals. Where she has concerns about a staff members work she is able to increase support and mentoring to ensure rapid improvement. The owner and the manager monitor room activities and to a lesser extent the completion of

p.6

provision

assessments of children's progress to ensure no group of children is progressing less favourably than others.

p.6

provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are good, because, staff developed a number of ways to help parents and carers feel comfortable and welcomed. Parents exchange information with staff at the beginning and end of the day and use a daily diary sheet. They also have parents' notice boards, newsletters and surveys to gather parents comments. Social events allow parents to visit the nursery at a more relaxed pace and learn more about their child's learning environment. Partnerships in the wider context are used to develop the quality of education. The nursery links with other professionals to help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities as the need arises. They realise the importance of early intervention for children with additional needs ensuring that services are in place to support a child when they transfer to school. The nursery is well aware of the importance of developing links with the other providers of the Early Years

p.6

provision

Foundation Stage where children attend more than one setting and links with its sister nursery to ensure a smooth transition for children and parents. They support children on visits to the sister nursery, which provides pre-school care and allay any fears or answer questions parents may have.

p.6

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.

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number 218489 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 921043

p.8

Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 44 Name of provider Southlands Nurseries Ltd Date of previous inspection 25/05/2011 Telephone number 01782 714465

p.8

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.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

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,

p.9

Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.10

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10