Oasis Nursery

Oasis Nursery The Oasis Village & Childrens Centre, St. Michaels Avenue, WISBECH, Cambridgeshire, PE13 3NR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/05/2013 03/12/2009

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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, confident and eager to learn at the nursery. Consequently, they are making good progress towards their early learning goals.  Partnerships with external agencies, other professionals and providers are especially effective. As a result, all children, but especially those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, benefit from a coordinated approach to meeting their needs.  Opportunities for children to engage with technology are well established. As a result, children confidently use computers, tablets and other equipment which ultimately will enhance their future learning.  Monitoring of educational programmes, planning and assessment is strong. As a consequence, children benefit from a wide range of experiences to promote their learning well.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Initiatives to encourage parents to be fully engaged with their children's learning at home are not always successful. As a result, learning opportunities are occasionally missed.  Opportunities for children to explore the natural world are not fully developed and consequently, children's learning is not always maximised.

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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 observed activities in all areas of the nursery and outside spaces.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager and spoke with children and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector took the views of parents and carers into account.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journals, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of practitioners working within the setting, the provider's self- evaluation form and a range of other documentation.

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Information about the setting

The Oasis Nursery which is part of the Wisbech Children's Centre opened in 2008 and is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is run by Cambridgeshire County Council and operates from the Oasis Centre, a purpose built community centre in the heart of a housing estate on the outskirts of Wisbech. A range of childcare services are provided within the building for the local community. The nursery has a separate entrance, which is accessible to all through a staffed reception area. There are two enclosed outdoor areas available to the children for physical play. The nursery is open from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday throughout the year and offers flexible care packages for parents and their children. Currently, there are 61 children on roll. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. There are seven members of

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Information about the setting

staff, six of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least NVQ Level 2 and 3. The nursery manager holds Early Years Professional status.

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

 strengthen and further develop innovative ways to encourage parents to fully engage with their children's learning at home

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

 develop further, the outside spaces to give more opportunities for investigations of the natural world and to encourage children to engage with natural resources.

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who attend

Children are eager and enthusiastic about coming to nursery because staff have a good understanding about how children learn through play. Staff provide a wide range of activities and resources that stimulate children's interest and as a result, they are busy and active throughout their session at nursery. For example, children are curious about lengths of tubing. They fathom out how to form a shoot and experiment with various articles to see which most successfully reaches the bottom. Skilled staff re-shape the activity by suggesting alternative articles and changing the angle of their tube. As a result, children are delighted as they discover that wheeled objects and balls travel the furthest distance. This demonstrates that children are not only thinking critically but are being positively encouraged to become active learners. Children's communication is promoted well by staff who use routines and activities effectively to enhance each child's skills.

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who attend

Occasional use of children's home language, sign language and gestures supports children's understanding well, especially those learning English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and /or disabilities. Role play provides children with good opportunities to increase their vocabulary as staff encourage conversations and introduce words, such as doctor, prescription and stethoscope. As a result, children are making good progress in their communication development, considering their starting points. Literacy skills and children's enjoyment of reading is promoted effectively by a well-resourced library and plenty of examples of meaningful text in the nursery. Children enjoy practising early writing by making patterns and marks in sand trays, on clip boards and paper and using paint. Staff frequently demonstrate writing by making lists, completing registers and up-dating notice boards. Consequently, children are learning that

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who attend

text carries meaning and building good abilities needed for their future learning. Children's confidence in using technology is evident as they are able to independently use computers, cameras and other equipment.

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who attend

Staff complete regular and precise assessments of children and use these effectively to plan suitably challenging activities and experiences. Parents are well informed about their children's progress at nursery during discussions, parent's evenings and sharing of learning journey documents. However, ways to engage parents with their children's learning at home have been less successful, for example, by providing activity suggestions or sharing information about how children learn through play. Nevertheless, children's good progress towards the early learning goals are well documented and children benefit from the experiences and activities on offer at the nursery.

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

An effective key person system helps children form secure attachments with staff and their friends at nursery. Key staff work hard to develop strong relationships with parents and gain a secure understanding of individual children's care needs. As a consequence, children demonstrate their feeling of security and confidence by moving freely around the nursery and following their own interests. Staff are deployed well throughout the nursery and respond to children's care and learning needs effectively. Children's behaviour is generally good because staff offer consistent and timely interventions to those needing support in understanding what is, and what is not appropriate.

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

Staff ensure that meal times are both a sociable and beneficial time for everyone. Children delight in the routine of laying tablecloths and collecting their own cutlery, plates and cups. Children pour their own drinks and where possible, serve their own food. Staff enhance this routine by sitting with the children, encouraging social conversations and talking to children about healthy foods and drinks. This not only promotes children's understanding of the importance of nutritious foods but also develops good self-help skills in all children. Independence is further promoted as children attend to their own personal needs according to their ages and stages of development. Children are able to access free flow of activities to outside spaces where they enjoy plenty of opportunities to enhance their physical development. For example, they ride bikes, balance across small assault courses, play basketball and explore the climbing frame. These activities also help children

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

to experience risk and to challenge their own abilities safely. As well as at least two members of staff always deployed when children are playing outside, there is high fencing, secure gates, CCTV and a recent alarm system added to promote children's safety in this area.

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

The nursery provides a stimulating and well-resourced environment that supports children's all-round development and well-being. However, opportunities for children to engage with natural resources are less well developed. This is because plans to include areas where children can plant vegetables, observe wildlife and build shelters are not fully implemented. Staff plan children's transitions to other settings and school carefully. They share information and organise activities and visits, which helps to lessen the stress for young children at this very important time.

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provision

The manager has a good understanding of the needs of children and families at the nursery. Self-evaluation captures the views of staff, parents, children and all concerned with the nursery and is used effectively to identify areas of strength, and areas in need of development. As a result, plans for the future focus strongly on improving children's achievements over time. A particular strength of the nursery is the monitoring of educational programmes, planning and assessment. This means that children's progress is understood and where needed interventions to support their learning and development are well targeted. Consequently, children make good progress compared with their starting points.

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provision

Recruitment procedures are effective and include background checks and an induction period. Good procedures for performance management are in place including supervision, appraisals, team meetings and peer observations. This means that staff are well supported and remain suitable for their roles. Staff are keen to improve their knowledge and skills and access training both 'in house' and with the local authority. As a consequence, children benefit from current childcare practices to support their development. Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and know how to identify and report concerns they may have about children. The inspection took place following notification that a child managed to leave the outside area alone. The inspection found that the staff were fully aware of their responsibilities and took all the necessary steps following the incident including informing parents and the relevant authorities. The manager carried out

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provision

a full review of the outdoor area and put in place additional arrangements for supervision and security. In addition, the manager routinely reviews these arrangements with the staff team to make sure children cannot leave the area alone. Staff are supported by clear policies and procedures which are reviewed appropriately. Partnerships with outside agencies and professionals are particularly strong. This means that children's needs are well supported and there is a coordinated approach to their care and learning. Parents offer positive feedback about the nursery. They are particularly pleased with the progress their children have made, especially in their confidence and communication skills. Parents say how much their children enjoy coming to nursery and appreciate the warm welcome they receive from staff.

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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 EY381650 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 908107

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 61 Name of provider Cambridgeshire County Council Date of previous inspection 03/12/2009 Telephone number 01945 428 660

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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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