Sunflower Nursery CambourneOfsted inspection, 23 Aug 2013

Sunflower @ Cambourne 2 High Street, Great Cambourne, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB23 6BJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/08/2013 16/02/2009

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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

 Older children benefit from almost continuous access to the outdoor areas, which encourages their physical development and develops positive attitudes towards active play in the fresh air.  Staff demonstrate a sound understanding of safeguarding and know about the reporting procedures that help to keep children safe from the risk of abuse or neglect.  Children in all areas of the nursery enjoy a good range of media, such as sand, water, paint and pasta. This enables them to use all of their senses and approach new experiences with confidence.

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It is not yet good because

 Children are not consistently challenged because staff skills are variable and sometimes they neglect opportunities to extend children's learning, for example, through skilful questioning. As a result, children do not make better than satisfactory progress.  Although monitoring of practitioners and the educational programme is underway, it is not fully embedded and robust enough to ensure consistency of learning for all children.  Children who are learning English as an additional language, and those who use other languages at home, do not have enough opportunities to see, use and hear their own home languages.

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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 spoke with children and staff and observed their activities.

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Inspection activities

 A range of documentation was examined, including the children's learning records, policies and procedures and other organisational records.

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Inspection activities

 A meeting was held with the manager to look at staff recruitment, self-evaluation and the management of complaints and concerns.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to some parents during the inspection and took account of parental views through the parent survey and testimonials.

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Information about the setting

Sunflower@Cambourne is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery has been open since September 2008 and is one of two nurseries owned by Cambridge Housing Society Limited. It operates from a purpose-built building situated in the village of Great Cambourne, Cambridgeshire. There are various group rooms where children are organised according to age. All the rooms used by the children are on the ground floor. Children all have access to several enclosed outdoor play areas.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is open each weekday from 8am until 6pm all year round, with the exception of bank holidays. There are currently 76 children on roll who attend for a variety of sessions. A small number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and some who have English as an additional language attend the nursery. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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Information about the setting

There are 23 members of staff in total, including administration staff, kitchen staff and a nursery cook, cleaners and maintenance people. Of those working directly with the children, eight staff members hold childcare qualifications at level 3 and two have level 2 qualifications and three staff members are working towards a level 3 qualification. One member of staff holds an early years degree and one other has a teaching qualification at level 5.

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must:

 improve the consistency of the quality of teaching and learning by making the most of opportunities to challenge children's thinking through expert interaction and effective questioning

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must:

 develop the monitoring of the educational programme to ensure that staff implement observation, assessment and planning systems effectively and consistently to shape learning experiences for all children so they make the best possible progress.

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

 increase opportunities for children to see, hear and use their home languages in their everyday play and learning.

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who attend

Children engage in free play for much of the day and enjoy the opportunities this presents to make their own choices and select resources they want to use. This develops their independence and enables them to make satisfactory progress in their learning and development. Staff are mostly enthusiastic and motivated; they support the children adequately in their play and engage them in friendly conversations. As a result, the relationships between children and adults are good, and children play confidently. However, there are some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and the interactions between staff and children. During both free play and more focused adult-led activities staff talk to the children, but some do not promote further thinking through effective questioning. This means opportunities to challenge children and extend their learning are lost.

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who attend

The nursery has suitable systems to track children's progress through observations and assessments. However, these systems are not monitored effectively in all areas and written information, which helps to inform planning for children's next steps, is inconsistent. As a result, although children make satisfactory progress in all the areas of learning, some activities lack challenge. Staff collect information from parents about the activities children enjoy at home. They talk to parents about children's progress at nursery and provide written summaries of their learning experiences, including the required 'progress check at age two'. Parents have opportunities to complete leaves on a 'learning tree', where they inform staff about weekend activities and special events. As a result, parents have a reasonable level of engagement in their children's learning. Children show a developing knowledge of sounds and letters and older children recognise

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who attend

their own names on name cards and artwork. There is a well-equipped, mark making area in the pre-school room that enables children to be independent and enjoy varied writing opportunities. Staff support children as they use chalks and paints to form shapes and letters indoors and outdoors. All this helps to prepare children appropriately for the next steps in their learning, including school. Older children demonstrate good listening skills as they gather round a member of staff to share a story. They freely access a suitable range of books and have a comfortable area where they sit quietly and look through their favourite books.

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who attend

Younger children benefit from activities that adequately develop their physical skills, ready for their early writing. For example, they make lines and swirls in gloop, or scoop and pour sand. Staff provide the youngest children with a broad range of media and materials, such as sensory bottles, play dough and natural objects, in a treasure basket. Toddlers walk around in sand, and get messy with paint. Older children enthusiastically paint fences and explore colour mixing in the garden. They have good opportunities to use other media, such as pasta and play dough. Children use their imaginations as they create three dimensional objects using 'junk', glue and collage materials. They enjoy regular cooking activities, which helps to promote their mathematical skills as they learn to measure ingredients and compare quantities. Staff take children of all ages for regular walks, where they visit the library, have a picnic in the park or explore the wildlife areas. This develops

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who attend

their understanding of their local community. A colony of African land snails in the pre- school room helps to develop children's understanding that different creatures have the same needs as themselves, such as water, food and light.

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who attend

Staff promote children's self-esteem well by taking numerous photographs of the children as they play and they display these prominently around the nursery. A rolling screen in the main foyer enables parents to view the previous day's enjoyable activities. Children have some opportunities to share their family experiences with others, for example, staff help them to make homemade books about special holidays. These are made available in the book area, so children can access this easily and learn more about each other. If children are learning English as an additional language staff obtain key words from parents that children use at home. This helps them to settle and feel valued. However, staff do not extend this further by providing frequent opportunities for children to use and view their home languages and learn about other scripts. For example, through labels, books and visual displays.

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

Relationships between children and staff are warm and affectionate. Children benefit from secure links with their key person and play confidently in their care. Staff work closely with parents when babies join the nursery and gather information that enables them to offer a consistent and homely experience for each child. Recent reorganisation of the rooms within the nursery now means children have to transfer fewer times, which means they have more time to build emotional links with staff. In addition, new key persons are allocated in good time, so they can help to prepare children for their transitions. All this gives children a positive outlook to change. Children going to school are well-prepared because staff talk to them about their new teachers and classrooms and help them to build friendships with their future classmates.

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

Staff support children to learn good behaviour and provide them with appropriate explanations to teach them to be respectful of other children's needs and feelings. Older children are encouraged to share through the use of suitable resources, such as sand timers, which helps them develop a sense of fair play. Staff encourage younger children to play sharing games, and take turns with equipment, such as the sand tray, so they begin to learn about acceptable behaviour. Staff benefit from bespoke training in behaviour management and policies are shared with parents, so there is a consistent approach. As a result, children, mostly, behave well and treat each other with respect.

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

Meals at the nursery help to promote children's nutritional health because they are well- balanced and appealing. Older children help to prepare their snacks, and serve themselves with drinks, which suitably promotes their self-care skills. Staff plan activities that help children learn more about the benefits of a healthy diet, and encourage the children to grow some vegetables in the garden. This builds children's awareness of where their food comes from. Children demonstrate a sound understanding of safety, for example, as they become involved in planning outings. Staff talk to them about their boundaries so that children understand the necessity of the rules that keep them safe, such as walking together and holding hands.

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

Children in all areas of the nursery benefit well from almost continuous access to the outdoor areas. They enjoy a good range of healthy activity that promotes their physical development well. For example, they learn to move with control and coordination on large climbing equipment. The outdoor areas are well-resourced, and some children have independent access to additional equipment in storage sheds. Interesting features, such as child sized gazebos, give children places to sit and play quietly and provide a pleasing alternative to energetic play. Large sand pits enable older children to have much enjoyment digging and building. Staff allow them to take risks and support their ideas, for example, they encourage children to play in a large puddle created by recent heavy rainfall. However, staff overlook opportunities to comment on children's actions and pose challenging questions. For example, although there are friendly conversations, staff do not

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

extend children's understanding by asking them about the effects of mixing paint with sand and water.

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provision

Parents spoken to at the inspection feel positive about the nursery. They say they are happy with the care arrangements and work well with their children's key person. Through written testimonials parents indicate their children enjoy their time in the nursery. The provider conducts a parent survey annually, and this shows the vast majority of parents believe their children are safe and well-cared for. The nursery manager keeps parents well-informed about events and changes and is a visible presence in the nursery to talk with parents. Social events are organised regularly to keep parents involved and informed. White boards outside the group rooms give parents daily information about their children's activities and routines. Termly meetings are held to share information about children's progress and parents have easy access to their children's learning journals. This enables them to share in and review their children's learning experiences. Links have been

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provision

developed with other providers and primary schools in the area so children can be appropriately prepared for their move into reception classes. Staff help children learn about their new schools and teachers and prepare a summary of their progress, which helps to ensure continuity of learning. There are appropriate arrangements to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery offers one-to-one support where necessary and there is a trained special educational needs officer who works with parents. Sound links have been developed with other agencies, such as speech and language therapists and the local children's centre. This helps to ensure any additional learning needs are appropriately met.

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provision

Recruitment is effective in ensuring staff working with the children are safe and suitable to do so. The provider has comprehensive processes that mean all necessary checks are completed and references are followed up. Staff undergo a suitable induction so they have a working knowledge of the policies and procedures that promote children's safety and welfare. All staff attend regular safeguarding training so their understanding of child protection is kept up-to-date. Several of the senior management team have attended the training for the designated person for child protection, which means there is always a responsible, well-informed individual to handle any possible child protection issues. All of this helps to ensure children's safety. Regular staff meetings remind staff of key policies, such as whistle blowing and the use of mobile phones, to further enhance children's safety. Daily checks of the premises, equipment and activities, along with underpinning

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provision

robust risk assessments, mean that children play in a safe and secure environment. Any accidents or incidents are scrutinised so risks to children can be effectively minimised.

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provision

The managers have implemented some appropriate systems to manage staff performance, for example, they conduct regular appraisals and one-to-one supervision meetings. They are aware of the variability of staff skills, and have instigated strategies to bring more consistency, such as mentoring and encouraging further targeted training. Staff work closely with the local authority early years' advisors to develop their skills in supporting two-year-olds and improve the observations and assessments of all children's achievements. However, some of these initiatives have not had time to impact on practice and children's progress towards the early learning goals is satisfactory, rather than good. The manager uses her local authority quality process and involves staff and children in assessing the provision. Parents contribute their views regularly through the parent questionnaires and open evenings. The resulting action plans demonstrate the nursery is

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provision

making steady progress towards addressing areas for development, such as the reorganisation of the rooms to reduce children's transitions.

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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 EY382126 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 915264

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 100 Number of children on roll 76 Name of provider Cambridge Housing Society Limited Date of previous inspection 16/02/2009 Telephone number 01954 719440

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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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