Rocking Horse Day Nursery

Rocking Horse Day Nursery Rocking Horse Day Nursery, 2 Freemans Way, Greens Norton, TOWCESTER, Northamptonshire, NN12 8FR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22/08/2013 28/01/2009

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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

 Children enjoy a wealth of stimulating and exciting activities delivered by highly skilled and enthusiastic staff. As a result, children are making excellent progress in their learning and development.  Robust systems for observation, planning and assessment are in place. This ensures that challenging, age and stage appropriate activities are available for the children, to support their individual learning and development.  Exceptionally secure attachments are forged between children and their key person. This supports children's increase in confidence and self-esteem. As a result, children are highly motivated and explore the environment with great enthusiasm.  Highly effective partnerships between the nursery, parents and the local schools ensure that children are extremely well-supported in their preparation and transition to school.  Managers and staff show clear ambition to maintain high quality care and education for

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This provision is outstanding

children. Excellent self-evaluation and exemplary practice is in place, which identifies consistent developments that improve quality even further.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the provider and the manager of the nursery and spoke to staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of inspection.  The inspector observed activities in all rooms and the outdoor learning environment.

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Inspection activities

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

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Information about the setting

The Rocking Horse Day Nursery registered in 1997 and is on the Early Years Register. It operates from purpose built single storey premises in the village of Greens Norton and serves the local area. Babies and toddlers are based in group rooms with associated toilet and changing facilities in the main building, the entrance to which is accessed by four small steps. Pre-school children are based in the porta-cabin with its own toilet facilities, the entrance to which is accessed by a number of small steps. There is an enclosed outdoor play area for outside play. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm all year round with the exception of bank holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 79 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 children with special

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Information about the setting

educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

A total of 19 staff work directly with the children, including two with Qualified Teacher Status and Early Years Professional Status, and one qualified at level 4. Eleven staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, and four members of staff hold qualifications at level 2. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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

 enhance the already attractive baby room, for example, by creating a cosy area for staff to sit to look at books with young children in comfort.

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who attend

The staff have an excellent knowledge of how children learn and develop. They help children to settle at the nursery by gathering a wealth of information about their interests and individual needs from the parents when they first start. This helps staff to ensure that activities are tailored to meet the children's individual interests and learning needs. Regular and well-focussed observations of the children and precise assessments are used to plan for their individual next steps in their learning. As a result, children make rapid progress in readiness for school. Parents are effectively encouraged to be involved in their children's learning in many ways. They are invited in to the nursery to discuss their children's 'learning stories' and share their children's 'wow' moments so that these can be included in planning. In addition, parents' join in 'play days 'and attend various performances that their own children take part in. Parents are also provided with a 'story

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who attend

sack' so that they can read with their children, and have the option of taking home the 'travelling pony' toy. All of these methods are highly effective in helping parents to fully support their children's learning and development in nursery and at home.

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who attend

Staff have an exceptionally good understanding about the characteristics of effective learning and they use expert teaching methods to highly motivate and extend children's learning. They are extremely attentive and respond to children as they go about their play, offering support when needed and stepping back to allow children to try for themselves. For example, they teach young children how to complete simple jigsaws and enable older children to work out how to fit pieces of a train track together. Staff are highly skilled at using open-ended questions to help children think and problem solve. For instance, children think about how many triangle shapes they will need to make a square and work out whether this shape will be 'bigger' or 'smaller'. The first class environment is bright, imaginative and significantly enhances children's learning as they freely select resources and engage in independent play.

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who attend

Children become skilful communicators who fully understand the importance of listening attentively and taking turns in speaking. As a result, children extend their vocabulary and become articulate speakers. Children choose books and carefully listen to their favourite stories, enthusiastically joining in. They are encouraged to write about the story in their own words and their interpretations are proudly displayed for all to see. As a consequence, children have high self-esteem. Babies sit on their key persons lap so that they can look at books together. There is scope to further enhance the already attractive book area in the baby room so that staff and babies can sit in comfort to truly enjoy this experience. Pre-school children recognise their names as they self-register on arrival and when they sit down for meals. There is an excellent use of print in the environment, such as signs and labels on storage boxes and baskets. This helps children to develop their

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who attend

understanding that words have real meaning and supports their very good early literacy skills. Children learn to write for a purpose as they use clip boards to record information when they are in the garden and write 'appointments' in their role play.

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who attend

The environment is rich in numerals and shapes displayed on the walls and in various number games. When playing with construction toys, children learn that two semi circles make a circle and two triangles can make a square. They calculate how far they throw bean bags and learn positional language. Toddlers learn to count a row of beads and put half into one tin, and the other half into another. These activities support children to make very good progress in their mathematical skills. Children's creativity and imaginations are also promoted well as they help themselves to craft resources to create 'shiny' and 'sparkly' pictures. Babies explore natural items in the treasure baskets, such as shells, cones and ribbons. This helps to develop an interest in different textures.

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who attend

Children immensely enjoy outdoor play in the vibrant, stimulating garden. They confidently move, balance and climb on a wide range of apparatus, including more challenging adventure play equipment. Children thoroughly enjoy yoga and dancing, therefore, learning that exercise has a positive effect on the body. Babies use their physical skills and developing coordination as they pull themselves up to standing on sturdy furniture. They experience lots of fresh air as they regularly access their own garden, using sit and ride toys and walkers to aid their mobility. There is a strong emphasis on outdoor learning, which children relish. Toddlers laugh with delight as they try to catch the rain that's falling from the drain pipe and eagerly splash in puddles. Children collect eggs from the nursery's chickens and grow vegetables from seed, which they harvest to be cooked and included in their meals. In addition, children thoroughly enjoy running through the 'sweet corn jungle'

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who attend

that the local farmer makes for them and they are intrigued to watch the combine harvester do its work. Children are very familiar with their local community. They regularly visit the bakery and make their own sausages with the butcher. Consequently, children have first-hand experiences to effectively learn about food production.

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who attend

Excellent opportunities are provided for children to learn about the similarities and differences in the world around them. The staff are committed to providing an inclusive environment where everyone is welcome, valued and respected. Children understand about different festivals and cultures and play with multicultural toys. Pre-school take part in the 'schools 4 schools' programme and are twinned with a nursery school in Gambia. Children share photos of the activities they take part in and send correspondence about their way of life. Staff have donated toys and equipment to the nursery school to further support their learning. In this way, children develop an excellent understanding of the similarities and differences between people and their diverse backgrounds. Children have numerous opportunities to use technology, as they competently and independently use the computer, remote controlled, and various programmable toys. This excellent range of

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who attend

activities and learning opportunities means that children are extremely well-prepared for their future learning in school.

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

Children thrive in this welcoming, dynamic and vibrant nursery. They enjoy extremely secure and warm relationships with their key persons and the staff team as a whole. Children's individual needs are very well-known because the staff work extremely closely with parents. This approach ensures the transition from home to nursery is smooth, resulting in, children settling easily and happily. Successful handover systems within the nursery ensure children are introduced to their new key person and spend time visiting their new room which enables them to build close relationships. Wherever possible children move with their existing key person for continuity of care. Babies' emotional development is exceptionally well-promoted as they develop secure, trusting relationships with staff. For example, babies are cuddled closely when they are tired or upset and this ensures their emotional needs are effectively met.

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

Children are extremely well-behaved and thrive on the individual attention they receive from the staff, who consistently boost their confidence and self-esteem. They follow consistent boundaries and rules. For example, they learn to walk indoors and to share and take turns with popular toys. Staff are excellent role models, constantly encouraging children to say please and thank you. As a result, children have impeccable manners and are very polite. Staff have high expectations of the children and encourage their independence by giving them appropriate responsibility to undertake tasks, such as being 'helper of the day'. Children are increasingly independent as they manage their personal care, serve themselves at snack times and dress themselves in waterproof clothing and wellingtons for outdoor play. The learning environment is exceptionally well- organised so that children can choose resources and move freely between indoor and outdoor areas.

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

Children are well-nourished because they are provided with a balanced, varied diet which includes a very good selection of fruits and vegetables. Mealtimes are social occasions as the children sit chatting to their friends, eating freshly prepared meals and snacks. Children have a lovely rapport with the nursery chef, gathering around him as he brings the food. In addition, he often spends time in the nursery reading stories to the children and joining in their play. Consequently he is a good male role model. Children grow their own vegetables, such as courgettes and this produce is then included in the menu, which effectively promotes children's understanding of healthy eating. Children are encouraged to take risks and learn about safety through everyday experiences. For example, they learn to climb large equipment safely in the garden and during 'forest school' activities, developing a good understanding of fire safety as, under supervision, they toast

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

Children, who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language, are provided with extensive support. Staff are skilled at working with outside agencies and increasing their own skills, so they provide support that is clearly focussed on children's specific needs. Children are very well-prepared for managing new situations, including moving on to school. This is because of the abundance of resources and opportunities available to children, and the expert support provided by staff which equip all children with excellent skills for their next stages in their learning and their transitions to school.

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provision

There are highly effective safeguarding arrangements in place that protect children from harm. The management team and all staff have attended safeguarding training and so have a thorough understanding of their roles. Rigorous recruitment systems are in place to ensure that all staff are vetted and deemed suitable to work with children. All staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities because they have a thorough induction. Comprehensive risk assessments are carried out on a regular basis both for the whole nursery and outings, to ensure that children are kept safe.

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provision

The provider is fully aware of staffing ratios and deploys staff effectively throughout the day so that staffing ratios are always well-maintained. The provider and manager are effective leaders, setting high aspirations for quality. They monitor staff practice through room meetings, appraisals and performance reviews. The provider and manager spend time in each room to observe staff interaction and model good practice, on an on-going basis so that all staff are aware of how to act appropriately around children. In addition, all staff are aware of the whistle blowing policy and when to use it, so that they can highlight any aspects of practice they feel are inappropriate. As a consequence, the nursery is extremely well-managed by the provider, who offers clear guidelines to the whole staff team, with the aim to continually provide children with high quality care. The provider and manager have an excellent understanding of their responsibilities in

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provision

meeting the learning and development requirements. Their drive for excellence is supported by highly effective monitoring and evaluation. The management and staff team consistently and accurately review the impact of the educational programme and resources on children's learning and development. The manager has Early Years Professional Status, she rigorously tracks and monitors each child's progress while they are at nursery so that any gaps in individual learning or the curriculum are promptly identified and addressed. Professional development of all staff is supported extremely well through regular supervisions and appraisals. As a result, all staff work hard to provide high quality care and learning opportunities for all children.

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provision

The partnership with parents and others involved in the children's care is outstanding. Parents and carers receive extensive information through policies, procedures, communication books, verbal discussion and children's progress records. Information displayed on the noticeboard as well as regular newsletters and the nursery website, provide an abundance of useful information to keep parents fully informed about the nursery. Parents are consulted regularly through discussion and questionnaires about the service to help the staff consistently meet children's individual needs. They are highly complimentary about the care and education their children receive, commenting on the excellent care and range of activities provided, as well as the extremely good sharing of information. Highly successful links with the local school mean that expertise is shared in order to fully support pre-school children's needs, including those who need additional

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provision

support. Consequently, all children make smooth transitions into full-time education.

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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 219974 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 930771

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 64 Number of children on roll 79 Name of provider Victoria Poole Date of previous inspection 28/01/2009 Telephone number 01327 351600

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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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