Hanford Day Nursery

Hanford Day Nursery Church Lane, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 4QD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/08/2013 06/05/2009

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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

 The nursery is very effective and has some outstanding features, particularly in relation to the learning environment, the commitment to working with families and some aspects of teaching.  Children's individual needs are successfully met because staff place great emphasis on valuing parents as partners. This makes a significant contribution to children's care and learning.  Staff take pride in their work and they interact with the children very well. Consequently, children have fun, enjoy their learning and make good progress.  Leadership is very strong and managers show passion for delivering high quality early years experiences for the children. This contributes to maintaining and continually improving good practice.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Monitoring of children's development records is not fully robust, which means there are minor inconsistencies in the information obtained about children's starting points in their learning.  There is scope to expand the arrangements for sharing outstanding teaching skills amongst the team, so that the quality of practice is consistently high throughout the nursery.

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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 play rooms, outside play areas and carried out joint observations with the manager and nominated person.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with staff, children and parents, and held meetings with the manager and nominated person.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, checked evidence of staff suitability and sampled a range of other records and policies.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Handford Day Nursery was registered in 2005. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a converted building in the Handford area of Stoke-on-Trent, and is managed by a limited company. The nursery serves the local area. It operates from four playrooms in the main building, with a separate annex for the pre-school. Some of the indoor and outdoor areas are accessed via a small number of steps. There are enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 33 members of childcare staff, of these; 29 hold appropriate early years qualifications, including two at level 2, 20 at level 3, six at level 4 and one with Qualified Teacher Status.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, from 7.30am until 5.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are 147 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four- year-old children. It supports a small number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and 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 the arrangements for sharing outstanding teaching styles, knowledge and skills amongst the team, so that the quality of practice is consistently high and all children benefit from the very best teaching methods

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

 monitor more closely children's development records, to make sure all staff consistently obtain information about children's starting points on entry to the nursery.

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who attend

Children make good progress in their learning and develop the necessary skills that positively support their readiness for school. The quality of teaching across the nursery is strong and some aspects are outstanding, particularly in the pre-school room. This is echoed by parents who comment that children have 'come on leaps and bounds, particularly with their writing, numbers and social skills'. Staff support children's learning well and key persons are very knowledgeable about children's abilities. They clearly understand how to observe, assess and plan activities that support children's next steps. Overall, children's development files contain accurate and well-documented assessments that show children are working well within the typical range of development expected for their age. However, there are minor inconsistencies in gathering information about children's initial starting points in their learning. Consequently, not all staff gain a full

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who attend

picture of children's prior knowledge and skills on entry to the nursery.

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who attend

The indoor and outdoor learning environment is exceptionally well resourced and highly stimulating, offering many exciting opportunities for children to enjoy. All areas of learning are fully promoted, consequently, children are well motivated and eager to explore. All children thoroughly enjoy playing outside because outdoor spaces offer extensive opportunities for them to investigate. There are plenty of imaginative areas for children to explore, such as, the car wash and the hairdressers, as well as areas for children to dig, grow fruit and vegetables, and practise their balance and coordination skills. The educational programme is further enhanced by active and sensory sessions delivered by outside agencies, which parents and grandparents are invited to join. These provide good opportunities for children to master their physical skills and explore interesting items using all their senses.

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who attend

Babies show their natural curiosity, as they watch with interest and tentatively explore the paint with their fingers. They develop their physical skills, as they roll around the floor and crawl through the tunnels. They enjoy choosing objects from the 'song box' and using their senses to explore yellow objects, as staff sing counting songs and introduce them to simple sign language. The pre-school room is vibrant, highly stimulating and full of chatter amongst the children. It is a hive of activity, where children are busy and fully engaged in their play and learning. For example, they build bridges using spaghetti and dough, and staff use very skilful questioning to encourage children to think, share ideas and problem- solve. Children's learning is further extended in the garden, where they construct bridges on a larger scale, using crates and wooden planks. Children have good opportunities to learn about the natural environment, for instance, when planting flowers they clearly

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who attend

explain why plants must have water to help them grow.

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who attend

Parents are held in high regard and staff really value their input. Relationships with parents are excellent and staff use many creative ways to involve parents in children's learning. For example, they provide imaginative 'phonics boxes' for parents to use at home, to support children's understanding of sounds and letters. The manager confirms that this has had a significant impact on children's language skills. Parents receive a wealth of information about their children's ongoing achievements, and parents and grandparents are invited into nursery to share their skills with the children and take part in activities. Staff successfully support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language. For instance, staff create personalised visual timetables for the children, to enhance communication and support their understanding of nursery routines.

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

Staff provide good quality care for the children and show sensitivity in meeting their needs. Children are well supervised to ensure their safety and parents highlight that they 'feel comfortable knowing that children are in safe hands'. Children have strong bonds with the staff and develop positive friendships with their peers. This has a positive impact on their emotional well-being and sense of security. Staff give children important messages about how to keep safe in the sun, for instance, as they explain why they need to apply sun cream and wear sun hats. They make sure children are closely monitored, as they sleep comfortably in cots or on low level beds. Children have good opportunities to take risks in a controlled environment, for example, when they build pirate ships using the crates. Visits from the local police also enhance children's awareness of safety issues and how to keep themselves safe.

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

Priority is given to maintaining good hygiene standards to safeguard children's health. Staff demonstrate hand-washing routines well, so that children learn how to wash their hands thoroughly. Nappy changing procedures are very hygienic, therefore, helping to reduce the risk of cross infection. Staff also encouraged children to wash their hands after their nappy change, which helps them to adopt good hygiene routines from a young age. Health professionals attend the nursery each month to offer a baby clinic service. This is open to all children and is particularly useful for parents who may be unable to attend appointments. As a result, children's health and welfare is effectively monitored.

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

Children have regular opportunities to exercise in the fresh air, as they ride on wheeled toys and play ball games in the garden. They benefit from eating well-balanced and freshly prepared meals. Mealtimes are sociable and well-organised, and staff positively encourage children to serve themselves, therefore, effectively supporting their self-care skills. Staff reinforce positive behaviour well. They provide lots of encouragement and frequently tell children how well they are doing, which helps to boost their confidence and self-esteem. Children's transitions are well supported as they move in and around the nursery. Family photograph books are used to support and reassure children during the settling in process. As children move rooms, key persons complete transition forms and share valuable information about the children. They also stay with the children until they feel fully settled and secure.

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provision

The manager's expertise in early years practice is a real asset to the nursery; a view which is also highlighted by parents. She shows very strong leadership skills and provides good direction to the team. Senior managers work very closely together to make sure the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are met to a high standard. Recruitment, vetting and induction procedures are robust, and managers maintain accurate records to demonstrate staff suitability. Children are well supervised and kept safe through effective policies, procedures and risk assessments. This contributes to maintaining an efficient and well-organised nursery.

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provision

The vast majority of the team are well qualified and managers value and encourage ongoing professional development. There is an effective programme of supervision, appraisal and regular team meetings to support and monitor practice. Daily senior staff meetings are extremely useful in sharing information about the children and ensuring required staff-to-child ratios are consistently maintained. Managers closely track the progress of individual and groups of children, so that any gaps in their learning are quickly identified and addressed. They conduct regular observations of staff practice to further support and develop the skills of the team. However, they do not always make the most of coaching and peer observations, in order to establish a whole team approach to sharing outstanding teaching skills and maintaining consistently high quality practice right across the nursery.

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provision

Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of how to safeguard children from abuse and neglect. They confidently explain how they would report any concerns about children's welfare and they fully understand the procedures to follow should an allegation be made against a member of staff. Self-evaluation is thorough and the views of staff, children and parents contribute well to reflecting on practice and setting targets for improvement. Staff also make good use of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scales to assess the quality of their playrooms and devise useful action plans to make further improvements. Consequently, experiences for children are constantly improving.

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provision

There is a real commitment to working in partnership with parents and extended family members, so that they feel valued, fully involved and included in the children's learning. Parents are highly complimentary about the nursery and express many positive views. For example, they say the 'nursery is brilliant; staff are so nice and go out of their way to help'. Partnership working with other professionals is also very strong. Children benefit significantly from the managers fantastic links with a school in Uganda, which provides great opportunities for children to learn about cultural differences, for instance, by exchanging pictures and letters and helping to raise funds.

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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 EY317448 Local authority Stoke on Trent Inspection number 915458

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 94 Number of children on roll 147 Name of provider Day Nurseries Ltd Date of previous inspection 06/05/2009 Telephone number 01782 641212

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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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