Beech Hill Nursery School

Beech Hill Nursery School 22 Beech Hill Road, SHEFFIELD, S10 2SB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/08/2013 15/11/2011

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early years provision

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

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children form secure attachments with their key person. This helps them to settle quickly and enjoy their time at the setting.  There is a stimulating and well-resourced environment, which provides a range of suitable experiences to support children's growing independence and cooperation.  Secure and trusting partnerships with parents have been developed, which make a significant contribution to children's individual care, learning and development.

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It is not yet good because

 Documentation does not consistently show a record of children being cared for within the setting and their hours of attendance.  The outdoor area is not used regularly enough to promote children's all-round development.  Children's individual interests and stages of development are not always considered to ensure that they all receive a challenging experience.  All children are not fully prepared for their next stage in learning as the setting does not fully prepare all children for their move on to school.  Monitoring and evaluation of practice lacks rigour and, as a result, there is no robust improvement plan in place that fully supports children's achievements over time.

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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 children during activities indoors and outdoors.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the owner-manager, deputy and practitioners at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

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

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Information about the setting

Beech Hill Day Nursery was registered in 1995 and re-registered in 2010 following registering as a Limited company. It is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The setting is privately owned and managed. It operates from a large victorian building in the Broomhill area of Sheffield. The pre-school children and toddlers are cared for on the ground floor level of the property, while the babies are cared for on the first floor of the property. This floor is accessed by a staircase. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There are 2 large and secure outdoor areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 24 members of childcare staff. Of these, 2 hold appropriate early years qualifications at Level 2, 18 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, one holds an appropriate early years qualification at Level 4 and 2 hold appropriate early years qualifications at Level 5.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm and from 7.30am by special arrangement. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 90 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for 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.

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must:

 ensure that a daily record of names of the children being cared for on the premises and their hours of attendance are recorded consistently

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must:

 ensure the individual interests and the stages of development of each child are carefully considered, to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for every child.

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

 support children's all-round development by increasing the amount of time spent in the outdoor environment, in order to improve opportunities for learning

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

 support further children's move into school through effective partnership working

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

 use self-evaluation more effectively to clearly target areas for improvement that will enhance the provision and improve the outcomes for children and develop methods for ensuring any changes are successfully implemented.

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who attend

Staff generally have a satisfactory understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and share information regarding children's learning with parents. Children enjoy their time in the setting and are eager to play with a range of games, resources and activities with their friends. Children and staff engage well with each other as staff interact and observe children in their play. Observations are clearly recorded and staff plan a range of activities on a daily basis. Next steps in learning are planned for and discussed with parents and staff encourage parents to observe children at home and report on their progress. However, not all children's individual interests are taken into consideration during the nursery day and therefore opportunities for learning are missed. Children with special educational needs are appropriately supported as advice is sought from outside agencies.

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who attend

The key person system supports engagements with all parents and children's assessments are freely available for parents to read and report on. Practitioners know the children well and provide parents with a verbal update at the end of each day. Daily diaries also contain information about the child's day and contribute to sharing information effectively. Parents are encouraged to share information about their children's learning at home and some parents contribute by completing home observation sheets for their children. 'Progress checks at age two' are carried out and parents are provided with a short written summary of their children's progress, which, they are asked to read, comment on and return. Noticeboards throughout the nursery share information and keep parents up-to-date with up and coming events. Good relationships exist with parents and staff, and parents and carers interviewed at the time of the inspection are very complimentary about the care

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who attend

and learning their children receive. They describe the setting as being 'a home from home' and praise the staff for their support.

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who attend

Children enjoy a variety of activities and help themselves to a range of resources as they independently choose the environment within the setting in which they wish to play. Babies, toddlers and the pre-school children have a range of play areas in which to explore, supported by staff, and enjoy the opportunity to flow between these areas. Children play cooperatively as they engage in role-play and enjoy making dens, sharing ideas and laughing as they play. They enjoy exploring natural objects such as shells and stones and talk about their colour, shape and weight. Staff interact well with the children and support them with open-ended questions to extend their learning further. For example, during a baking activity staff encourage thinking skills through asking 'what do we need to do now?' after each stage of the baking process. Children are confident communicators and enjoy both speaking and listening. For example, children of all ages

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who attend

listen to stories and enjoy the close contact with staff. Older children engage in a range of conversations and are keen to tell staff what they know. For instance, children discuss what they have been doing with their families and recall past events. Children with English as an additional language are supported as staff have a repertoire of words in home languages that they can refer to in order to help support children in their play. Younger children are supported by staff to develop their counting skills as they play with a range of construction equipment and count as they build. This supports their mathematical knowledge as well as their physical skills. Babies enthusiastically explore a range of toys while staff sit close to support their investigative skills. They engage in creative activities, such as painting, and enjoy washing their hands in the low level sink in the baby room. Staff support the development of baby's language skills because they comment on their

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who attend

play continuously and this helps the babies learn to link the words with their actions. Children of all ages are developing some of the attributes that will support them as they move onto their next stage of learning, whether it is to the next room in the setting or to school.

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who attend

Children are offered opportunities to play and learn outside in the large outdoor spaces with a range of high quality resources. For example, they enjoy climbing into the playhouse, ride sit-and-ride toys, explore sand and water and enjoy throwing and kicking balls. They also enjoy looking after the nursery pet rabbits. However, the setting's outdoor area is not used effectively throughout the day, as routines currently limit children's opportunities to make independent choices between playing indoors and outdoors. As a result, this restricts where and what they play with and consequently limits their opportunities for learning.

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

Children have formed sound attachments with staff and are happy and settled because there is a suitable key person system in the nursery. They arrive happily at the nursery, say goodbye to their parents and go off to play with the other children. Staff find out about children's individual needs, interests and development because parents are encouraged to share information about their child on entry. This helps children to settle and means that they are confident and self-assured from the start. As children move around the nursery, staff work hard to ensure that they feel settled and are prepared for change. Visits to new room bases and sharing of information with staff ensures that this process is smooth. However, the setting does not have links with all the schools that children will be moving to. This means not all children are supported for their next stage in their learning.

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

Children play cooperatively with their friends and staff take a consistent approach in their expectations for children's behaviour, so children quickly learn what is acceptable. They use positive behaviour management strategies and children's self-esteem is enhanced as they receive praise for good behaviour, effort and achievement. For instance they are praised for 'good listening' and helping to tidy away.

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

All resources are age and stage appropriate and meet the needs of the range of children who attend the setting. They are of generally good quality and are easily accessible to the children. The environment is bright, colourful and well-organised. There are displays of children's artwork, children's families, weather and number charts on the walls, and children have their own named coat pegs. This helps children to have a good sense of belonging, which builds up their self-esteem.

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

Staff support children's understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle that involves physical exercise and a healthy diet. They gain an awareness of the importance of exercise and physical activity as they participate in activities, such as action rhymes and outdoor play. Nutritious snacks and meals, which include a variety of fruit and vegetables, are provided and their dietary requirements are met. Parents are consulted in relation to the setting's menu and are asked to share ideas regarding their child's favourite foods. Children are learning about the need for good hygiene practices as they routinely wash hands before touching food and after visiting the toilet. Practitioner have instilled the importance of good hygiene. Children instinctively and independently wash their hands following a baking activity and tell each other how important it is to wash the raw egg off their hands. Younger children visit the toilet area frequently during potty training and clear

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

care practices ensure that all children's care needs are suitably met. Children are given time and are encouraged to complete a self-chosen task, such as trying to put on their own jacket before going outdoors. As a result, children achieve independence in hygiene and managing their personal care.

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

Children develop an appropriate understanding of safety through daily routines. For example, they know the nursery rules and are encouraged to tidy after themselves. The sound of a tambourine signals 'it's tidy up time' and all children stop what they are doing in order to listen to the staff member's instructions. Children are reminded of the importance of walking whilst inside and are talked to about the dangers of using scissors during creative activities. The setting carries out regular fire drills, which helps children to be aware of keeping themselves safe in an emergency. Children have opportunities to learn about road safety as they visit the local parks and museums in the local area. As a result, children can practice crossing the road safely.

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provision

There is a designated person for child protection and clear systems are in place to safeguard children. However, following a reported incident with regards to the safeguarding and welfare requirements, procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff where found to be inconsistent. Since this time, steps have been taken to ensure that the safeguarding policy and procedures are fully implemented within the setting and at the time of the inspection the nursery was found to be fully compliant. For example, the setting's safeguarding policy has precise details of the procedure to follow in the event of an allegation against staff and how to notify the relevant agencies of any concerns, without delay. All staff are aware of the procedures to be followed should they have any concerns about a child in their care. Parents have been included in this process and policies are shared.

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provision

There are robust processes in place to make sure staff members are suitable to care for children, and that all members of staff who work directly with the children have appropriate checks completed. Following an incident where a member of staff's suitability was reported upon, the setting took appropriate action and investigated the incident thoroughly. The manager and deputy carry out a sound induction procedure with all new staff before they start work and ensure that all probationary staff are not left unsupervised. Regular supervisions and annual appraisals are carried out and training opportunities are sourced to improve practice within the setting.

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provision

Overall, a sound range of policies and procedures are in place, which protect children from harm and assist in the smooth running of the setting. These include the use of mobile phones and cameras. Comprehensive accident and incident reviews and risk assessments are carried out. All policies are available for parents to view and are reviewed regularly. However, documentation regarding children's attendance is not always consistently maintained and therefore impacts on the setting's ability to monitor children's hours of attendance throughout the day. While this means a requirement has not been met, the impact on children's safety and welfare is reduced as staff carefully supervise the children during their play. At the time of the inspection, all requirements with regard to maintaining required ratios, appropriate supervision and staff deployment were met.

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provision

The setting works with parents appropriately to ensure that children's needs are known and met. All essential personal information is collected, and staff show that they understand any additional needs, such as allergies or special dietary arrangements. This ensures that there is a satisfactory understanding of children's welfare and learning. The setting collaborates appropriately with other agencies and early years professionals to share information about children's learning and individual needs. This enables staff to appropriately complement and extend activities for children whose care is shared. Satisfactory systems are in place to support the ongoing evaluation of the setting. For example, staff and parents are asked for their views through daily discussion and a suggestion box, and training needs have been identified for staff. The staff have a commitment to make improvements and have addressed the recommendations from the

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provision

last inspection. However, self-evaluation, through careful monitoring and analysis, is not yet rigorous enough. Therefore, the manager and deputy do not secure the in-depth focus the setting needs to identify for themselves further ways to improve the overall quality of the provision. As a result, they cannot demonstrate how they will sufficiently target and sustain improvement that will fully support children's achievements over time.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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

 ensure that a daily record of names of the children being cared for on the premises and their hours of attendance are recorded consistently (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that a daily record of names of the children being cared for on the premises and their hours of attendance are recorded consistently (compulsory part of the Childcare Register).

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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 EY423110 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 915594

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 68 Number of children on roll 90 Name of provider Beech Hill Nursery School Limited Date of previous inspection 15/11/2011 Telephone number 01142 670518

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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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