The Right Track Children's Nursery

The Right Track National Express, Hertford East Railway Station, Mill Road, HERTFORD, SG14 1SB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/07/2013 30/11/2012

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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

 Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how children learn. They creatively use incidental opportunities to extend children's thinking.  Children are happy and enthusiastic about participating in nursery activities. This is because the staff provide interesting and imaginative learning experiences based on a detailed knowledge of what each child knows and can do.  Staff give high priority to ensure that children are safeguarded at all times. They are all fully aware of their individual responsibilities to protect children and keep them safe from harm.  Children have formed secure attachments and bonds with their key person, which gives them a secure base from which they develop confidence and self-assurance.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to improve the support given to children moving onto schools outside the local area, so their learning is continued during transitions.  The process of self-evaluation is not fully effective in providing a clear plan for improvement that identifies strengths and overcomes weaknesses.

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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 held a meeting with the manager and talked to staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff and children interacting in activities in the two rooms and outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff practice, looked at a selection of policies and assessed staff's knowledge of safeguarding procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

The Right Track nursery was registered in 2010 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is operates from a converted railway station building close to the centre of Hertford, Hertfordshire and is privately owned. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 49 children attending who are within the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three-, four- and five-year-old children and supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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

 expand links with all schools to which children transfer so that children, who move outside the local area, receive enhanced support

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

 continue to improve the effectiveness of self-evaluation to ensure that a clear and successful improvement plan identifies strengths and overcomes weaknesses. Including strong links between identified priorities and planned improvements.

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who attend

Children are motivated to learn in this good quality nursery. Staff have a very good knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements and they have a good understanding of how children learn. Children benefit from a stimulating and well-organised environment, indoors and outside, which supports their good progress towards the early learning goals. Children are busy and inquisitive, they display high levels of confidence as they independently choose activities and resources to explore and expand their play and learning.

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who attend

Children show perseverance and concentration as they are asked to do up their own shoes, persisting with threading the strap through the buckle before fastening it with a satisfied smile. Staff praise children and give them 'well done' stickers for every achievement. Children's communication and language are extremely well supported by staff. For example, children who speak English as an additional language benefit from their key person's knowledge of key words in their home language. This enables the key person to understand every day requests, such as toilet and drink. The key person then repeats the request in English to ensure that children understand. This good practice results in children making good progress in their communication and language, understanding and speech.

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who attend

Children's personal, social and emotional development is very good. Babies learn to be independent in feeding themselves and wiping their own face and hands. Children are consistently given encouragement to try and 'have a go' themselves. Staff are skilled in their timely interventions, giving the children as much or as little support as they need to achieve. Babies, toddlers and children are happy and sociable, they interact with each other and staff confidently.

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who attend

Children's physical skills are very well supported. Babies are given the praise, encouragement and tools to enable them to pull themselves up into a standing position. Any unsteady moments or accidents are addressed quickly by staff who comfort and attend to the children, while giving them the encouragement to try again.

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who attend

Children are making good progress in the prime and specific areas of learning. They attain the key skills which enable them to move from the baby and toddler room to the pre- school room confidently and at their own pace. Older children are well prepared for school and are active learners. Staff are effective in supporting children's interests and curiosity by making the most of incidental opportunities to extend children's thinking and learning. For example, a garden spider is spotted making a web. Children who are not confident near spiders are enticed into looking at the spider. The staff member chats away about how clever the spider is and making it friendlier by linking it to 'Incey Wincey Spider'. Children's curiosity and interest, inspired by staff, leads to children asking to be picked up to get a closer look. Children and staff discuss the pattern on its back, if they are stripy or spotty or zigzag and how many legs it has. Older children building towers with bricks,

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who attend

easily know which one is taller or shorter, staff challenge them further, asking which is the second tallest. Children show excitement as they work out the correct answer and light up with praise from staff.

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who attend

Regular assessments for all children are clear and sharply focused. Parents share information about their child as soon as they start. Key persons ensure that routines and preferences are respected. Good partnerships with parents ensure that the monitoring of children's progress is a shared process. Parents are fully informed of what the children have been doing. For example, daily communication books, shared between key persons and parents, record detailed information about children's care and welfare, and information about their milestones and achievements. Key persons show a comprehensive knowledge of the children's interests, abilities and backgrounds. They use an effective system for assessing and monitoring children's learning and progress. This information is then successfully used to provide interesting and exciting learning experiences for children. This results in children making good progress in relation to their starting points.

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who attend

Effective monitoring ensures that any children who are, or could possibly fall below their expected levels of development, receive targeted support quickly. Children's progress records clearly show that any gaps in children's learning are closing rapidly.

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who attend

The outdoor environment is accessible daily and enables children to explore, be physically active and have first-hand experiences of the changing seasons and weather. Children develop their large muscle control and coordination as they pedal, climb, run, slide and balance.

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

Babies and children are happy and confident because they have formed very close bonds and attachments with their key person. Staff have a detailed understanding of the individual needs of each of the children in their care. They provide a nurturing approach to reassure and bond with children. This leads to children settling quickly and happily. They eagerly explore and investigate their surroundings, babies and toddlers reach out for a cuddle and gurgle and chat to their familiar key person. Older children freely hug staff and receive reassurance, as well as sitting on their laps to share a storybook.

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

Individually tailored visits and activities, carried out by knowledgeable key persons, ensure that children are very well prepared for the next stage in their learning. Before starting at the nursery, parents and children visit and meet their allocated key person. Staff effectively use these opportunities to share detailed information about the children, and build positive relationships with the children and their families. Parents say that they are well informed and they feel involved in all aspect of their children's welfare, learning and development. They comment that their views, comments and opinions are valued and they are very happy with the nursery. Children who are moving onto full-time school engage in planned activities to ensure they are confident and capable and ready for school. Babies and toddlers are well supported in their move to their next stage within the nursery. Parents and key workers decide together when the children are ready, how long

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

the visits will be and, when possible, move children together with another familiar child.

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

Children are taught how to behave well and to have a good awareness of their personal safety. For example, they use all equipment safely, wait their turn to prevent accidents and learn to share toys and resources. All children behave well due to consistent management methods, understood and practised by each member of staff. This enables children to receive clear and dependable messages about behaving safely while having fun. Children's health is well promoted, they put on their own sun cream and all wear hats in the garden. Children ask and are regularly reminded to drink, especially in the very hot weather. Staff ensure that water is freshened with cooled water regularly. Dark curtains in the baby room and safe electric fans help circulate the fresh air from open windows. Children routinely wash their hands before eating and after messy activities and using the toilet. They use toothbrushes to clean their teeth and are encouraged to cool down with

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

cooled fresh flannels on exceptionally hot days.

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

Children enjoy a balanced selection of nutritious snacks and meals and their individual dietary needs are known by all staff. Robust procedures are in place to ensure that children are only given foods which contain appropriate ingredients to meet their individual requirements. Babies are supported with their individual weaning progress as their key person works closely with parents to ensure continuity and consistency with their dietary needs and routines.

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

Babies have cots and older children have sleep mats in a cosy area where children can rest and sleep if they want to. Staff adhere to parent's requests for individual children's routines, including preferring to sleep in their buggy or being stroked gently on their back till they fall asleep.

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

Children show their rapidly developing independence and social skills as they help with tasks. For example, dressing for outdoor play, getting their own drinks and choosing where to play and who to play with. They wait their turn and give out plates, spoons and cutlery at mealtimes. Staff encourage children to chat with friends and staff about their home and family and interests, using snack and meal times as social occasions.

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

Good professional partnerships between adults and professionals involved in the children's lives, promotes children's well-being. This successfully enables children to be confident and ready to embrace new challenges in their lives. However, there is scope to enhance the support given to children transferring to schools outside the local area, in order to ensure continuity in their very good learning.

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provision

All members of staff have received training on how to safeguard children and they are very clear about the procedures to follow if they have a concern. Managers and staff are very clear about their fundamental role and responsibility to protect children. They take immediate action to minimise any potential hazards ensuring children are safe and well cared for in the nursery. This results in children having the freedom to choose and explore in a safe environment. Robust procedures, detailed risk assessments and staff vigilance protect children. Any accidents, incidents, possible risks and any complaints are reported and addressed promptly. Robust procedures are in place for employing staff and checking their suitability to work with children. Staff are regularly observed by the manager to ensure their practice is of good quality at all times. This enables the manager to identify any strengths and weaknesses in staff practice and they are supported to improve their

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provision

practice through professional development training. Regular supervision and discussions ensure that staff feel valued and staff turnover is low.

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provision

Effective partnerships between the nursery, parents and other professionals ensure that children's needs are quickly identified and support is given. These effective partnerships ensure that accurate information about the children is shared and that collective responses enable all children to achieve and make good progress in relation to their starting points.

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provision

The manager effectively monitors all aspects of the nursery's good implementation of the learning and development requirements to ensure all children make good progress. Staff are well deployed and ratios are met. Efficient procedures ensure that any staff absences are covered by experienced and qualified bank staff. The manager ensures that the premises and equipment are organised to meet the needs of the children, this includes meeting the indoor space requirements.

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provision

Improvements since the last inspection are ongoing. The process of self-evaluation is evolving; however, there is room to improve by expanding methods to establish an effective system of identifying areas for improvement and monitoring the effectiveness and the impact on children's good progress.

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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 EY407680 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 927445

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 19 Number of children on roll 49 Name of provider Alexandra Marina Byrne Date of previous inspection 30/11/2012 Telephone number 01992 500455

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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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