Cranbrook Independent Nursery and Preschool

Cranbrook Independent Nursery and Pre-School: Buttercup Barn Buttercup Barn, Haywards Heath Road, BALCOMBE, West Sussex, RH17 6NL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/09/2013 19/08/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 1 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Staff are kind and caring and have formed positive relationships with the children.  Children are happy, confident and comfortable in their surroundings.  Partnerships with parents are strong due to good systems for sharing knowledge through effective communication.  Safeguarding requirements are met effectively and as a result, children's welfare is promoted well.

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It is not yet good because

 The manager does not receive appraisals and supervisions are not extended to management, which limits continuous improvement for the setting.  Assessments of children's progress are not monitored accurately to enable staff to plan for children's next steps so they make more effective progress.  Self-evaluation is not robust so strengths and areas of weakness are not consistently identified to improve children's learning and development.  Staff do not always encourage babies' early language development consistently.

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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 inspection was carried out by two inspectors.  The inspector observed activities in each of the group rooms and outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had discussions with the manager, staff and children and also took into account the views of parents who were spoken to on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined documentation including a sample of children's records and staff suitability records.  The inspector and the manager carried out two joint observations.

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Information about the setting

Buttercup Barn was registered to its current owners, Childcare and Learning Group Ltd in 2006. Buttercup Barn consists of two converted barns, the Main Barn and Bumpkin Barn and is located near the village of Balcombe, West Sussex. The two barns are purpose- designed and both have toilet/nappy change facilities. Children have access to a fully enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery serves the local area. It is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery opens from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year and provides full and sessional day care. There are currently 88 children aged from under one year to five years on roll. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for three- and four-year-olds. The nursery employs nine full time staff; of these all nine hold National Vocational Qualifications at level 3, with the manager holding a qualification at

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must:

 make sure staff supervision and appraisals include the manager and foster mutual support, teamwork and continuous improvement for the setting

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must:

 ensure assessments are used effectively to monitor children's progress accurately; use assessment and monitoring to plan for the next steps in each child's learning, and gain extra support for children when necessary

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must:

 improve the programme for communication and language so staff take all opportunities to constantly talk to babies, repeating sounds and noises to develop early language skills.

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

 improve self-evaluation so it identifies strengths and areas for future development and monitor the effectiveness of the provision for children's learning and development.

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who attend

Children are comfortable in their surroundings and enjoy their play. They quickly settle into play as they leave their parents. Most children are making adequate progress in all areas of learning and development. Staff are confident in their knowledge of their key children and other children in the nursery. Through observation and assessment some staff are able to plan activities around children's interests. For example, children in the pre-school were pretending to make cakes in the role play area. Staff recognised this interest and got ingredients from the kitchen and made cakes with the children. However, staff's assessments of children are not always accurate and thorough. This does not allow all staff to consistently identify where children are developing well, and their next steps in learning or seek support for children who are working below expected levels of development. This means children are not making the best possible progress.

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who attend

Most staff interact well with the children, offering praise and encouragement as they play. Some practice in how to promote learning is good but not all staff are challenging children to further their learning and development. Staff in the baby room miss some opportunities to support and develop babies' early language development. Staff do not always pick up on young babies' verbal and non-verbal gestures or respond to these. When young children babble, staff do not always mirror children's attempts to communicate, to fully encourage and support children's language and communication skills.

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who attend

Children learn skills that help prepare them for their move to school or pre-school. Older children confidently use descriptive words and demonstrate a suitable understanding of number. Some staff challenge children appropriately through use of questioning. Some staff encourage children to think and problem solve by introducing them to simple subtraction questions, for example, during cooking activities.

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who attend

Staff have appropriate systems in place to gather information from parents about their children when they join the nursery. Key persons keep parents regularly updated with their children's daily routines. Key persons give daily handovers and encourage parents to share knowledge from home. Parents are also kept informed about daily activities via the nursery blog. Staff complete reports each term so parents can see the progress their child has made.

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

Children are happy, comfortable and demonstrate they feel safe and secure in their surroundings. The youngest children are secure, forming attachments with their key person and other staff. Babies receive reassurance and comfort when required. The settling-in process ensures that babies, toddlers and young children are able to settle quickly into the nursery. Their routines are followed closely, which means that they are able to sleep, eat and play according to their individual needs. Staff help children through their moves in the nursery through regular visits to the next age group, which ensures they settle quickly when they finally move. Staff also support children's transitions to local schools through activities based around going to school. For example children get to dress up in uniforms from the local schools and go there on visits.

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

Children are learning about healthy lifestyles. They eat nutritionally balanced meals and understand about personal hygiene routines. Staff remind children to wash their hands before eating and when preparing for a cooking activity. The pre-school children are able to access toilet facilities independently and they confidently talk about why they need to use soap when hand washing. For example, children speak about using soap gets rid of the germs. Toddlers' independence is supported as staff encourage them to find their own drinks at snack time.

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

Children go outside regularly and, whatever the weather, children can choose to play indoors or to play in the outside area. Staff always supervise the outdoor area to ensure that children are not accessing the outside gates. The children enjoy digging up worms and looking at insects, following on the theme of animals that they were discussing during circle time. For example, the toddlers found a 'big' dragonfly. This helps develop children's understanding of the world.

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provision

The management has an appropriate knowledge of their responsibilities in delivering the learning and development requirements. Staff observe and assess children's progress, however, this is not always accurate or consistent for all children. Planning and assessment are not monitored thoroughly to ensure that children's development is being correctly assessed and plans for children's future learning are implemented consistently. This means that children do not make the best possible progress.

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provision

Staff have effective procedures in place to protect children from harm. Recruitment procedures are thorough. Staff are vetted to help ensure they are suitable to work with children. Staff all attend safeguarding children training. Child protection is given priority and staff demonstrate a good awareness of the policies and procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child. Staff take security seriously, for example, they have a camera on the external door so that they can see who is at the door before opening it. All members of staff hold first aid qualifications. Staff deal with accidents well, for example dealing with a bump to the head with a cold compress, and have good systems in place to record and inform parents of such incidents.

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provision

Self-evaluation is not robust or monitored closely by manager and the provider. This means they do not always identify strengths and key weaknesses in the provision or act upon these ongoing, to improve children's achievement over time.

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provision

The manager monitors staff practice through appraisals and the new implementation of supervision sessions. However, supervision does not extend to the manager herself at present. This impacts on the improvement the nursery can make and therefore on the provision and attainment for the children.

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provision

There are strong partnerships with parents in place. Parents receive regular information about their child's progress. Regular parents' evenings, questionnaires and an 'open door' policy by the manager keep parents involved in their children's learning. Detailed notice boards around the nursery keep parents fully informed about recent events. Parents comment about how happy they are with the nursery, and the information they receive. They also speak highly about the staff and manager and the care provided. The nursery has some links with other professionals and share information about the children in their care.

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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 EY330756 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 827330 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 58 Number of children on roll 88 Name of provider Childcare and Learning (Cranbrook) Limited Date of previous inspection 19/08/2009 Telephone number 01444 811 202

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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. Inspection report: Cranbrook Independent Nursery and Pre-School: Buttercup Barn, 09/09/2013 10 of 10

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Type of provision

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, safeguarding and child protection.

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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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