Sunflowers at Grafton

Sunflowers at Grafton Sunflowers at Grafton, East Grafton, MARLBOROUGH, Wiltshire, SN8 3DB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/08/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children are confident and happy; they form positive relationships with staff and so are ready to learn.  Staff have a good understanding of how children learn and develop. They provide good support to extend children's learning so children progress well.  The staff provide a good range of stimulating activities both indoors and outside, which capture children's interest.  Children are kept safe as staff and management have a good knowledge of child protection and prioritise children's well-being.  Children make good progress and are developing skills that will prepare them for starting school owing to the educational programmes planned by the staff.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children do not have access to many toys or resources that reflect equality and diversity to help them learn about the wider world as well as possible.  The provider does not consider the views of all involved with the nursery when evaluating staff practice, for example by taking children's views into consideration.

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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 at play in each of the play rooms and outside areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with a co-chair of the management committee; the manager, staff, some parents and children.  The inspector read a sample of parents' questionnaires to gain their views.  The inspector examined records and documents provided by the manager and staff.

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Information about the setting

Sunflowers at Grafton re-registered in 2013 and is run by a 'not-for-profit' charitable company of the same name. It is situated in a small village near Malborough, Wiltshire. It operates from former school premises providing three ground floor playrooms with related facilities for children in the early years age range. In addition, a first floor loft room is available for children attending out of school hours. There are several enclosed outdoor play areas, including a section housing guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens. The community- led nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and has 61 children on roll in this age range. It is also registered on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates on weekdays from 8am until 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. It is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education. The nursery employs 12 permanent staff, of whom eight hold National Vocational Qualifications at Level 3 and one

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Information about the setting

at Level 4. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language.

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

 extend the programme to help children understand the world and the ways people differ, for example by providing a wider range of relevant resources and planning specific experiences

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

 extend self-evaluation processes in order to drive continuous improvement as well as possible, such as by taking into consideration the views of all those who use the nursery, including the children.

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who attend

Children enjoy a good range of stimulating activities overall. Staff encourage children to play with a variety of sensory and creative resources, such as sand and shaving foam. They talk to the children while they play, encouraging them to explore the textures. Staff take advantage of such experiences to extend children's knowledge and thinking skills. They listen carefully to what children say and encourage further thought and discussion. When a child says that the foam will dry up in the sun, staff ask, 'Why do you think it will dry up in the sun?' and both talk about this in further detail. The children learn about the natural world in the interesting outdoor areas planned by staff. They grow vegetables and help to look after chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs. They also benefit from being surrounded by natural resources such as a willow dome to hide or rest in and raised beds for digging. There are also interesting plants and trees to explore.

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who attend

While the indoor and outdoor environments are stimulating and well resourced, there are few toys that reflect equality and diversity to help children learn about the differences between people as part of the wider programme for understanding the world.

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who attend

In each of the play rooms, children freely play with puzzles, stacking rings, sorting shapes, building bricks and other construction toys. These resources, along with bright colourful displays, help children's mathematical understanding of shape, space and number.

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who attend

Development of children's communication and language skills is supported through the daily use of stories and songs. In addition, the youngest ones' pre-verbal sounds are encouraged by staff as they learn to talk. Visual timetables for used for some children to help them understand the day's routines.

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who attend

Each of the play rooms is thoughtfully laid out to encourage children to explore and choose activities to play with. Resources are well organised and clearly labelled, so helping children to become independent learners. Older children play cooperatively with each other; they are learning to share and take turns. They are learning the skills that they need to be ready for school.

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who attend

Children are making good progress, taking into consideration their starting points and individual needs. Staff show a good understanding of how children learn and develop. They use this knowledge to plan interesting activities. Staff are skilled at developing children's learning by extending their play. A child enjoyed splashing in water and patting her wet hands on the bench to make marks. Staff provided her with a paintbrush so that she could develop her physical skills by making marks on the patio. Staff then showed her how to make letters with the wet brush, again in preparation for going to school.

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

There is a well-established key person system, which helps to build positive relationships with parents. This system helps staff to gain a good understanding of each child. Staff make accurate observations of children's play and use these to plan interesting activities to meet children's individual needs. They form positive relationships with children, so children feel emotionally secure and separate from their parents easily. They are happy and confident to play and explore, showing that they feel safe and secure.

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

The youngest children have made secure bonds with their key persons. They are happy to explore their play areas, reassured that a familiar adult is nearby. They accept comfort from their familiar adult. Consistent daily routines help them to understand what is happening next, such as learning that singing comes before lunchtime. Staff are consistent in their management of children's behaviour, which helps children to understand what is acceptable. All staff remind children of the 'golden rules' and how to be kind to each other. Children generally display good behaviour and play together well, sharing and taking turns.

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

All staff give a high priority to the safety of children. They are deployed well and effectively supervise all play areas. When outside, children have the freedom to explore within the enclosed areas. Staff are vigilant and give support when necessary, for example by showing a toddler how to hold a long stick so that he does not hurt himself or his friends. In such ways, staff teach children about how to keep themselves safe. In hot weather, children talk about the three things they must remember; 'sun hats, sun cream and drink water'.

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

All children take delight in their outdoor experiences. The youngest children especially love to feed the chickens and visit the rabbits and guinea pigs. Children of all ages spend long periods of time playing and learning outdoors. They benefit from having plenty of fresh air and physical exercise. There are many enjoyable, outdoor, physical play resources and activities, including a challenging climbing frame and slide for the more physically able children.

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provision

Children's well-being is a priority throughout the nursery. All staff have undertaken safeguarding training. They demonstrate a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures and understand what to do if they have concerns about a child. The childcare manager has attended specialist safeguarding training. The nursery has clear policies and procedures which are implemented consistently by staff. There are robust systems in place for the recruitment and induction of new staff, ensuring that any person appointed is suitable for their role. Staff benefit from regular staff meetings and an annual appraisal, through which they are encouraged to develop their knowledge and skills through training opportunities and gaining professional qualifications. The childcare manager works with staff in the play rooms, monitoring staff performance and providing support as necessary. Children benefit from skilled and enthusiastic staff.

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provision

Staff understand how to implement the planned educational programmes. Observations, assessments and planning are carried out consistently across the age groups. Staff use effective observations to identify children's individual stages of development and plan stimulating activities, and as a result, children make good progress. Children are encouraged to become independent learners which helps them to be ready for school.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are positive. Staff value parents' views and share information with them regularly. Staff work well with parents and other professionals to identify children's individual needs and ensure that children receive additional support when needed. Staff give good daily feedback to parents, which can be written or verbal, and keep parents informed about their child's progress at parents' evenings twice a year

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provision

The management team reflect on the care and education given to children. They identify appropriate areas for development to bring about improvements. However, they do not take into consideration the views of all those who use the nursery in order to drive improvement as well as possible. In particular the thoughts and feelings of children are not sought.

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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 EY457829 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 905748 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 61 Name of provider Sunflowers at Grafton Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01672810478

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Setting details

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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