Sunflowers Neighbourhood Nursery

Sunflowers Neighbourhood Nursery Braunstone Leisure Centre, 2 Hamelin Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE3 1JN

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 30/05/2013 20/01/2010

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 1 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

p.1

This provision is satisfactory

 Practitioners have appropriate ways of supporting children's behaviour. Consequently, they get along well together and are learning to share and take turns.  Children's independence and choice is supported because they have free-flow access to a well-resourced outdoor area. In addition, this means they have plenty of opportunity to learn about the benefits of physical activity.  Children form secure attachments with their key person. This helps them to settle quickly and enjoy their time at the setting.

p.1

It is not yet good because

 Risk assessments are not sufficiently robust to ensure that all hazards are identified and minimised. This is with particular regard to the low hanging blind cord in the 'Flowers' room.  Group activities in the two year olds room do not always fully consider the needs and abilities of all children. This means that sometimes children are not fully engaged or able to contribute in a way that is of value to them.  There is scope to enhance the settings self evaluation to more effectively identify priorities for staff development, and ensure changes to practice are consistently implemented.

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

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children during activities both indoors and outdoors.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with one of the deputy managers.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and a range of other documentation.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager and practitioners at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

p.2

Information about the setting

The Sunflowers Neighbourhood Nursery was registered in 2004 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in purpose built premises as part of a leisure centre complex in the Braunstone area of Leicester, and is managed by a not for profit cooperative. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. The nursery employs 24 members of childcare staff. Of these, 19 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, and five hold them at level 2.

p.3

Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 178 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 who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.3

must:

 ensure that all necessary measures are taken to identify and minimise risks; this particularly relates to older children's accessibility to the cords on window blinds

p.3

must:

 review the delivery of large group activities in the two-year-olds room to ensure that they take into consideration the needs and aptitudes of all the children and support each child's engagement and participation.

p.3

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

 use self-evaluation more effectively to identify priorities for staff development, and ensure any identified changes to practice are successfully implemented.

p.3

who attend

Practitioners have an adequate understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and make detailed observations of children's learning, which they record in their individual 'All about me' books. They plan for individual children's next steps in learning on a regular basis, and ask parents for their experiences from home to support their planning. This means that children are making satisfactory progress in their learning and development. Parents are informed about what their children are learning because they are invited to parent's evenings and there are lots of displays and photographs of their children around the rooms. In addition, the nursery shares resources with them so they can extend their children's learning at home. For example, they can take home story sacks, books and treasure baskets. Children generally have choice about the activities they carry out and this means they are mostly motivated to learn. However, sometimes adult-led group

p.3

who attend

activities are too long for some of the two-year-old children. For example, carpet time does not suit the stage of development of all the children in the group. Consequently, they lose interest, concentration and become unsettled therefore gaining little from the experience.

p.4

who attend

Children who have English as an additional language have confidence to learn English because they have their own languages valued in the setting. For example, practitioners use some words in their home language and learn how to pronounce them correctly. They are also provided with a range of dual language books. Children learn about the natural world as they look at slugs and insects under logs outside. Practitioner's extend their learning further by encouraging them to look at them closely through magnifying glasses. Children know how to care for living things because practitioners remind them to put the creatures back where they live when they have finished looking at them. They are also encouraged to water the plants and the vegetables that they have grown. Children of all ages have access to a variety of computers, and quickly learn how to operate simple programmes using the touch screen. They learn about the similarities and differences

p.4

who attend

between themselves and others as they look at 'family' books made with photographs of their families, the traditional costumes they wear, and the celebrations they enjoy.

p.4

who attend

Children develop their imagination as they play in the 'mud kitchen', they enjoy adding water and stirring their 'chocolate mud'. Practitioners extend their mathematical skills because they use language, such as full and empty, and encourage children to count as they stir the mixture. Toddlers learn numbers because practitioners count with them during play and routines. For instance, they count the steps as the children climb onto the baby change unit and up the slide. Children learn to handle a variety of tools appropriately because practitioners show them how to use them and give them time to practice the new skill. For example, they show children how to cut up the vegetables using a small knife and they persevere until they have cut them all into small pieces.

p.4

who attend

Babies language development is supported because practitioners use puppets and props in a 'song bag' as they sing with them. Practitioners keep them interested because they use varied tones of voice and the babies recognise the familiar songs and join in with some of the words and actions. Children's literacy skills are developing as they have access to a range of writing resources both indoors and out. For instance, they enjoy making marks on a chalk board outside. Practitioners also support their literacy skills by emphasising the beginning of words, for example, they say 'u,u,u, umbrella' as children copy letters. There is a large selection of fact and fiction books and practitioners also provide some newspapers in the book area so children can see print in a variety of different ways.

p.4

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

Children have formed attachments with practitioners and are generally happy and settled because there is a suitable key person system in the nursery. Practitioners find out about children's individual needs, interests and development from their parents during settling in sessions. This helps children with their transition from home and means they are confident and self-assured from the start. Children are adequately prepared for transitions to other settings, such as school, because they visit them with their key person before they move. This helps to reassure children about the next stage in their learning and helps their new teachers gain a valuable insight into the children's needs and personalities. Children play well together and have good behaviour because practitioners have consistent strategies to support them. For example, they explain to children about the need to share with others and find duplicate toys for toddlers to reduce conflict. Toddlers show they are learning to

p.5

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

share as they pass the bell onto their friends during a singing activity and practitioners praise them for 'good sharing.'

p.5

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

Children are learning to keep themselves safe because practitioners explain the reasons for the rules and boundaries in place. For example, they remind children 'be careful not to push or you might hurt someone.' Children have free-flow access to the large outdoor area where they learn about the importance of being active and the benefits of physical exercise. They enjoy climbing up the tower and over the bridge and riding around on wheeled toys. Practitioners encourage younger children to take risks as they support them to climb the high steps and praise them when they try new things of their own. For instance, they tell them 'you are such a big boy, going over the bridge on your own'. Children learn about the importance of a healthy diet because the cook prepares healthy meals for them, such as roast dinner with vegetables. Older children also have access to a snack bar where they enjoy a variety of healthy snacks. Meals times are a sociable

p.5

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

occasion and some practitioners eat with the children to role model healthy eating. Children develop their independence as they are encouraged to serve themselves and pour their own drinks. Children are also encouraged to wipe their own hands and faces after meals and to clean their teeth.

p.5

provision

Children are safeguarded in the nursery because all practitioners have had appropriate child protection training and know what to do if they have concerns about the children in their care. In addition, the recent appointment of an additional safeguarding officer to work alongside practitioners and other agencies means that procedures are thorough and children and their families are well-supported. Practitioners undertake monthly safety checks throughout the premises to ensure that all toys, equipment and areas that are accessible to children are safe and suitable. However, these checks are not always completed as rigorously on a daily basis. As a result, some aspects of children's safety are compromised, with particular regard to the loose cord on a blind to a window in the 'Flowers' room. There are adequate processes in place to make sure everyone in the nursery is suitable to care for children and comprehensive induction is carried out with all new practitioners

p.5

provision

before they start work. Consequently, they understand their roles and responsibilities as soon as they start working with the children. Suitable supervision arrangements are in place throughout the year to monitor practitioner's performance. However, observations of practice focus mainly on practitioner's individual interactions with children and sometimes opportunities to observe the effectiveness of routines and group activities in the two-year- olds room are missed. Therefore, the manager does not always identify that sometimes practitioners are providing activities which are not best suited to all the children's needs and aptitudes of learning. The deputy managers have a sufficient overview of the children's progress towards the early learning goals because they monitor their tracking sheets. This means they identify any gaps in children's learning and support practitioners to make necessary changes to planning so they can reach their full potential. There is a

p.6

provision

commitment to ongoing training and development and practitioners attend regular training courses to improve the provision for children. For example, the whole team recently attended a 'Lets get going with communication' course. The setting is also accredited to the Every Child A Talker programme.

p.6

provision

The nursery has established appropriate relationships with parents to make sure there is a two-way flow of information to support children's needs. They are made to feel welcome in the nursery and receive adequate feedback about their children on a daily basis. They speak highly of the nursery and feel it is 'a really lovely place' that they often recommend to others. The nursery works with a variety of other professionals to support children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery has a special educational needs coordinator who works in a supernumerary role. Therefore, she has plenty of time to spend with other professionals who come into the setting, and they plan appropriate interventions to ensure children are reaching their full potential. Practitioners have made links with other settings that children attend and share information about their care and learning, which means there is a joint approach to meeting their needs.

p.6

provision

The manager has completed a self-evaluation form and works in partnership with practitioners, parents and children to drive further improvement. For example, the outdoor area has recently been improved and a 'forest' area has been added. Parents, children and practitioners reviewed the existing area, visited a forest school to gain ideas and worked together to provide a stimulating, natural environment for the children. However, some of the practice stated as being commonplace in the self-evaluation form is not consistently applied. For example, children are potentially at risk of harm because daily checks of the environment do not always take place.

p.6

The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

p.6

actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

p.6

To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that all necessary measures are taken to identify and minimise risks; this particularly relates to older children's accessibility to the cords on window blinds (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that all necessary measures are taken to identify and minimise risks; this particularly relates to older children's accessibility to the cords on window blinds (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)

p.7

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.8

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.8

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.9

Setting details

Unique reference number EY295699 Local authority Leicester City Inspection number 915803

p.9

Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 72 Number of children on roll 178 Name of provider Braunstone Childcare Co-operative Ltd Date of previous inspection 20/01/2010 Telephone number 0116 2559258

p.9

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.9

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.9

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.9

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.9

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.10

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.10

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.11

Type of provision

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

p.11