University Nursery Edwinstowe Close

Edwinstowe Day Nursery Edwinstowe Close, off Chaucer Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 7EB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/08/2013 26/01/2010

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early years provision

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

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This provision is outstanding

 Inspirational leadership and management offer staff high quality mentoring, support and supervision. This enables them to use all their varied abilities and interests to great effect and provide high quality learning experiences for all children.  The partnerships with parents, carers and others involved in the care of children are exceptional. This helps to create a highly positive and nurturing environment, where children's individual needs are very well met.  Communication and language is given a very high priority through a vast range of activities. As a result, children's progress is outstanding.  Children's independence is developed extremely well by the rich and exciting learning environment, which is superbly organised, so they have every opportunity to extend and enhance their own learning. This leads to excellent learning outcomes and prepares children superbly for school.  Staff implement meticulous systems to ensure all children play in a very safe, healthy

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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 toured the nursery to look at rooms used by children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the managers of the nursery to discuss underpinning systems, such as, staff recruitment, induction and self-evaluation.  The inspector observed children as they played and their interactions with the staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection to gain their views on the quality of the provision.

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Inspection activities

 A range of documentation was checked, including risk assessments, accident records, policies and procedures and children's learning journals.

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Information about the setting

Edwinstowe Day Nursery has been operating for over 20 years and is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. Since 2009 it has been managed by Child Base Limited, a national nursery chain. The nursery is exclusively for staff of Cambridge University. It operates from purpose built premises close to Cambridge city centre, Cambridgeshire. Children are grouped according to age in various ground floor rooms and there are several enclosed outdoor areas.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 67 children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age group. The nursery supports several children, who are learning English as an additional language. Opening times are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round, including some bank holidays.

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Information about the setting

The setting employs 24 members of staff; of these 20 have appropriate early years qualifications. Two members of staff hold early years degrees and two hold foundation degrees in early years, there are 14 staff, who hold childcare qualifications at level 3 and two at level 2. Three staff are currently working towards higher qualifications. The nursery employs a number of ancillary staff, including a nursery cook, administrator and cleaners. Six bank staff are retained to cover for staff absences.

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

 enhance the already excellent outdoor provision by providing children with further opportunities to explore the natural world, for example, by extending the grassed areas and providing habitats for wildlife.

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who attend

Staff make this nursery an enjoyable place to be, consequently, children become highly motivated and enthusiastic learners. As children grow, they are encouraged to become active participants in their own learning and be as independent as possible. Staff sit with them to plan and review their activities and interests and decide which resources might be needed. Plans are flexible and fluid, responsive to children's ongoing interests. The rich and exceedingly well planned environment gives children every opportunity to independently extend their learning and explore new experiences. Children become engrossed in their chosen activities, such as pouring water mixed with paint down a chute. Staff support these activities with enthusiasm, skilfully providing meaningful questions and unobtrusively directing the play. All of which means children are thoroughly prepared for the next stage of their learning, especially school.

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who attend

Children's learning journals provide a broad range of high quality information about what they enjoy and can do. Staff evaluate activities to ensure each child gets the most from their experiences. Next steps become part of the everyday planning, therefore, ensuring all children make the best possible progress. Parents are fully involved in their children's learning and make frequent contributions to the learning journals. Some parents come into the setting to contribute their own skills and experiences, such as celebrating Chinese New Year or by reading a favourite story. Staff summarise children's progress and share these regularly with parents. Any areas of possible concern are thoroughly explored and individual focused learning plans are implemented if necessary. This contributes to the outstanding progress achieved by all children. The progress check at age two is completed in partnership with parents before children move into pre-school. This helps to ensure

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who attend

Children's communication and language is promoted exceptionally well in all areas of the nursery. Babies get plenty of eye contact and lots of attention to stimulate their responses. As they babble and begin to use their first words, staff echo what they say and play interactive games, such as peekaboo, to develop their understanding of conversation. Songs and music are an everyday part of the provision. Staff sing with children spontaneously, encouraging them to join in. Children show enormous pleasure as they move to the rhythm of popular nursery songs or listen to music on the compact disc player. They see print and numbers all around them, which develops a practical understanding of notices, posters and labels. All children demonstrate a love of books as they settle alongside staff to listen to stories. Younger children turn the pages of board books and delight in pushing buttons to hear the noises made by characters in the story.

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who attend

Writing materials are easily accessible and children delight in chalking colourful designs on pavements in the nursery garden. Younger children are introduced to paint and dough to help them develop the physical control they need for when they begin to write. Older children have many opportunities to display their attempts at early writing. Staff encourage them to write on their artwork, annotate photographs and record their ideas on the electronic whiteboard. All of this helps them to be extremely ready for the future challenges of school.

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who attend

Photographs of children are cheerfully displayed to promote their self-esteem. Home-made family books are well used by staff to help children share their individual differences and similarities. Staff are highly adept at supporting children who have English as an additional language. They routinely use sign language to enhance early communication and show a very good understanding of key words and phrases. Children's home languages are celebrated through visual displays, music and everyday usage. For example, children are greeted in their home language when they arrive. All this promotes their sense of belonging extremely well.

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

Children are happy and settled; they demonstrate an exceptional sense of belonging and high levels of self-esteem. This is because they have excellent relationships with adults around them. The key person system is strong, enabling children to feel safe and secure. Staff speak knowledgeably of children in their care and show clear affection for their charges. Children's move into the nursery is handled sensitively in partnership with parents, enabling a gradual introduction to their new carers. Transitions between rooms are handled equally carefully, so that children approach the next stage of their learning with confidence. As older children identify their new schools, staff display photographs of their new teachers and school buildings. They provide uniforms to try on and encourage children to mix with others, who will be attending with them. Where possible teachers are invited in to meet children, so a familiar face is present on their first day of school. These

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

meticulous preparations help to ensure children are fully prepared for their new learning experience.

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

Staff manage children's behaviour very effectively and a behaviour management policy is shared with parents to ensure consistency. Staff are polite and respectful, acting as positive role models for behaviour and they are consistent in their expectations, which are age and stage appropriate. Older children are involved in deciding rules and boundaries, so they feel an extremely strong sense of responsibility as they learn about good behaviour. Staff working with babies are highly accomplished in caring for them. They work closely with parents to follow home routines, so babies feel secure. Babies and toddlers show clear attachments for their carers and move confidently around the play areas. They enjoy affectionate cuddles and benefit well from the warm and happy atmosphere. Babies crawl and toddle in safety around the baby room. Supported by their attentive adults, they access an extremely broad range of resources and enjoyable activities that encourage all

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

aspects of their development. Babies and toddlers have their own dedicated outdoor areas, where they play in complete safety. Covered areas and a fantastically equipped outdoor classroom enables them to be outdoors in all weathers, enjoying the fresh air and exercise.

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

All children thrive on the first class opportunities presented by the continuous access to the outdoor areas. Older children participate in active games and practise their physical skills by climbing, balancing and running. Staff are vigilant about children's safety, but allow them space to learn about risk and promote physical challenge. Children access natural materials outdoors, such as sand and water. They have a digging area and happily transport water to it to make mud for their play. Trees are littered with objects that swing and sparkle in the wind, enabling children to learn about the effects of the wind. Staff use very skilful questioning to help children develop effective learning, for example, they examine a slug together and consider where it lives and how it moves. There is still some scope to extend their very wide ranging explorations of nature. For example, by enhancing children's already excellent access to grass and natural planting, or by introducing wild life

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

habitats that attract more insects and birds.

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

Meals and snacks are freshly prepared each day on the premises. Staff sit with children to eat main meals together in social groups, which sets up good habits for the future. Children learn about healthy eating in practical ways, for example, they help to prepare and cook some of their snacks, such as pizza or fruit salads. The nursery cook plays an active part in the nursery day and works with parents to meet any dietary needs. Staff help children develop high standards of cleanliness as they teach them about proper hand washing and encourage older children to clean and prepare the meal tables. Activities that link to good health are carefully explained, for example, why children need sun cream and why water is essential. All this results in children having an exceptional awareness of healthy lifestyles.

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provision

The management team adopts a very 'hands on' approach to monitoring the provision. Each member is a visible presence in the rooms and they take great pride in knowing each child and family within the nursery very well. There is a clear culture of mutual responsibility and support, which means all staff feel an important part of the team. As a result, morale is high and consistently high standards are maintained. Each room in the nursery has its own self-evaluation process, so they can consider specific aspects of practice that need improvement. This feeds into wider reflections on the quality of the provision that includes a thorough analysis of the views of parents and children. As a result, there has been a strong and steady increase in quality since the last inspection.

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provision

There are excellent systems to support staff professional development, including team meetings, supervisions and a constant open door policy. Staff are firmly encouraged to access training they enjoy and cascade their learning to others in the setting. This enables them to share ideas and promote consistency across the nursery. Additionally there are strong links with other providers in the area, so they can further extend and share their experiences of good and outstanding practice. All new staff benefit from thorough induction and quickly develop a very confident understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Effective mentoring and buddy schemes provide excellent support. Learning and development 'champions' lead on observation and assessment to ensure each child has their progress securely monitored. This enables all children to develop to their full potential and make outstanding progress towards the early learning goals.

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provision

All staff attend safeguarding training and demonstrate a full understanding of the reporting procedures if there are concerns about abuse or neglect. Child protection procedures are regularly reviewed and updated and there is always a staff member on site, who holds advanced level safeguarding training to offer effective and immediate support if children should be at risk. Comprehensive risk assessments help to ensure children play in a safe and secure environment. Older children involve themselves in checking for hazards, which effectively develops their ability to keep themselves safe. Any accidents or incidents, including those that happen elsewhere, are carefully recorded in confidential logs. These are then reviewed, both by the nursery and the company, to identify and implement any preventative measures. As a result, risks to children are minimised. The partnership with parents is a key strength of the nursery and makes a significant

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provision

contribution to children's wellbeing. Parents report excellent relationships with their children's key person. They say staff and the management team are very friendly and welcoming, they feel positive that their children are well known and understood by everyone. The nursery involves parents well in social events and regular newsletters keep them very thoroughly informed of forthcoming activities. A parent committee gives parents a real voice in the running of the setting, enabling them to easily add their views and ideas. Well-developed partnerships with many of the numerous feeder schools prepares children very well for their next learning environment. Staff work extremely well with other professionals, such as specialist teachers. They are proactive in seeking guidance from other agencies and have a firm relationship with their local authority advisors. All this helps to ensure all children receive exceptional support.

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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 EY396228 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 915208

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 67 Name of provider Childbase Partnership Limited Date of previous inspection 26/01/2010 Telephone number 01223 353068

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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

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’.

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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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