Childsplay Day Nursery

Childsplay Day Nursery Clarendon Way, COLCHESTER, Essex, CO1 1XF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/08/2013 26/01/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2

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This provision is good

 The highly dedicated and capable leadership team has a strong commitment to ongoing improvement. Accurate self-evaluation is used effectively to make well targeted and meaningful improvements. Competent and enthusiastic staff work well together as a happy and cohesive team.  Children's safety and security is paramount at the nursery. Staff are clear about their individual roles and responsibilities and safeguarding policies and procedures work well in practice.  Children are sensitively settled into the nursery by caring and attentive staff. Their progression through the nursery and onto school, is well supported to ensure each transition is a positive experience.  Positive and trusting partnerships are established with parents, who are kept well informed about their child's learning and development. Two-way sharing of information is encouraged to promote continuity to meet each child's particular needs.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Sometimes, some activities and resources do not always offer sufficient ongoing interest and challenge for older and more able children as they progress towards excellence in learning.  There is scope to improve and enrich outdoor play and learning experiences, to promote and inspire children's curiosity, learning and discovery 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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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 activities in the play rooms, the outdoor courtyard area and the rear garden and interacted with children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection and discussed activities with them.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector undertook a joint observation with the nursery manager and had a discussion meeting with the manager and deputy.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed a selection of children's learning journal development records and had discussions with key persons.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at planning documentation, the nursery's self-evaluation form and a selection of policies and children's records.  The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and information included in the nursery's own parent questionnaire.

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Information about the setting

Childsplay Day Nursery originally registered in 1999. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is privately owned and managed and operates from purpose-built premises in Colchester, Essex. There are seven play rooms and children have access to two outdoor play areas.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 20 members of childcare staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 2 to level 6. Two staff have early years degrees at level 6 and the manager is training towards a foundation degree at level 5.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is open each weekday, from 7am until 6pm, all year round, except for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. There are currently 132 children attending, all of who are in the early years age group. The nursery supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and the National Day Nurseries Association.

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

 improve planning and execution of activities for older and more able children by offering activities and props, which offer ongoing interest and challenge and motivate and encourage them to become even more active and inquisitive learners

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

 implement plans to improve and enrich outdoor play and learning experiences for children, to ignite and inspire their curiosity, learning and discovery.

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who attend

When a child starts at the nursery their key person has discussions with parents and uses information from 'All about me' documents, plus their own observations, to establish each child's capabilities and starting points. This also helps them get to know each child well and enables them to offer activities and support tailored to children's individual needs and stages of development. Staff work closely with parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to support and accelerate their learning and development. Consequently, all children are making considerable progress and any shortfall in their learning is significantly and effectively reduced.

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who attend

The nursery has revised their monitoring and planning for children's progress, which has, generally, resulted in a more streamlined and effective method. Succinct and relevant observations are clearly recorded by key persons in a learning journal development record for each child. Observations are linked to the areas of learning and supported by photographs and examples of children's work. Any next steps in children's learning are noted and used to inform weekly planning. Termly summaries provide a clear overview of each child's development and progression towards the early learning goals. Parent's contributions and observations of their child's experiences and achievements at home are welcomed and encouraged. Parents can view their child's learning journal at any time. They are also encouraged to attend parent evenings, where there is opportunity to discuss their child's development in more depth with the key person. The progress check at age

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who attend

two is clearly written and shared with parents, who have opportunity to add their own comments or evaluation.

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who attend

Staff clearly enjoy their role and are enthusiastic as they offer a fun variety of play and learning experiences for young children. They have a very good knowledge of how children learn and of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff ensure all areas of learning are covered but promote a good foundation in the prime areas. These are communication and language, physical development and personal social and emotional development, to support children's ongoing learning and help them be prepared for school. Children's physical skills and capabilities are encouraged as they have space to move and explore freely. Ride on toys and balls support their coordination. Children's hand-eye coordination and manipulative skills are developed as they build with bricks and use a variety of tools and resources with increasing precision, for example, threading and stacking bricks and using scissors.

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who attend

Younger children are well supported with practical skills, such as toilet training and personal care and are becoming increasingly independent with self-care tasks.

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who attend

Children's language and communication skills are well promoted. Staff are attentive to children's conversations and use opportunities to extend their vocabulary. Staff use facial expressions, eye contact and simple, expressive conversation with babies and toddlers. They are attentive to babies and toddlers' attempts at communication. Children with English as an additional language are supported well to help them learn English. Staff also work closely with parents to ensure children's own language and culture are valued and reflected within the nursery. Chatter boxes and discovery baskets are available for use throughout the nursery to promote conversation and interest. Staff skilfully play at children's level and enter into their play to enrich their play and learning experiences. For example, staff inspire role play with toddlers, happily ironing together in the home play area and encouraging conversation.

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who attend

Children are offered a variety of textures and media to explore, such as, paint, play dough, sand and water. Toddlers also delight in exploring a range of natural materials, for example, feathers, shells and wooden items. Children are offered an appealing range of books, which are readily accessible to them, promoting their interest in literacy. Cosy areas have been developed and enhanced in the toddler and baby rooms with the use of colourful drapes. Toddlers gather in the cosy corner and are wide-eyed and captivated as a member of staff skilfully tells a favourite story about a bear hunt. She effectively uses facial expression and tone of voice to hold their attention and positional language is accompanied by actions to support children's understanding.

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who attend

Children have some opportunities to learn about the world around them as they go on outings in the local community. A volunteer has been helping to extend children's understanding of living things by growing fruits and vegetables with them in the garden area. Children are keen to help water the plants but some learning opportunities are missed, for example, to capitalise on their interest in a large, yellow courgette. There is scope to develop and improve the garden area further to enrich children's learning and provide activities to offer increased challenge and interest, particularly for older and more able children. Some adult initiated activities are not always sufficiently well planned or considered to maximise their potential benefit to children. For example, only a small number of children can access a mark-making paint activity due to lack of space and resources.

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

Children are introduced sensitively into the nursery and settle well. Each child is allocated a key person to support them and liaise with their parents. This helps to ensure each child's transition from home into the nursery is a smooth and positive experience. Parents complete an 'All about me' leaflet about their child and have discussions with their child's key person. This helps staff to understand and meet children's individual needs. Babies' and toddlers' individual routines are maintained as much as possible, which helps them feel more secure. Warm and caring staff are attentive towards children and get to know them very well as individuals. Positive bonds are established between children and their key persons and there are frequent exchanges of smiles and warm cuddles.

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

The bright and happy staff are positive role models and treat children with kindness and respect. Children's diversity and individuality are valued and celebrated. This is reflected in the activities and the resources and through displays in the nursery. They use positive strategies, such as clear explanations and reinforced routines, to encourage good behaviour. Therefore, children are learning how to manage their own behaviour, for example, waiting their turn and sharing toys. Older children develop close friendships with their peers and know one another by name. Plentiful resources indoors are readily available at low level, enabling children to make their own selections and encouraging their independence.

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

Children have daily opportunities for fresh air, daylight and exercise in the outdoor areas, promoting their health and physical development. They have some opportunities to learn to assess risks and their own capabilities and how to keep themselves safe, as they climb on the apparatus, under the watchful eye of well-deployed staff. Road safety is also promoted and reinforced on outings. A good variety of snacks and meals is provided by the nursery and children are encouraged to try a variety of tastes and textures. Children's independence is encouraged as they pour their own drinks or spread their own margarine. Staff are acutely mindful of any dietary needs and they work closely with parents to provide suitable alternatives for meals. Children's understanding of good hygiene and managing their own needs are well promoted and they are developing positive habits. For example, older children independently access the toilet and wash their hands afterwards.

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

Children are growing in confidence and independence, thus developing skills to support them with future transitions onto school.

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provision

The highly dedicated and experienced leadership and management team of the nursery have a strong commitment to ongoing development, in order to improve the quality of care and learning for all children. Self-evaluation is ongoing and used effectively, ensuring any weaknesses, or areas for improvement, are promptly identified and addressed. The manager has completed an Ofsted self-evaluation form, with input from staff. The views of parents and children are also sought and used to guide improvements. The form offers an accurate overview of the nursery, highlighting strengths and achievements and improvements made. It also identifies well-targeted plans for future development. The manager closely monitors the educational programmes to ensure they meet children's needs and promote their progress. She reviews learning journals on a termly basis to ensure that children's individual skills and abilities are accurately assessed and planned

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provision

for. Regular team meetings are held to review practice, promote team working and discuss planning and assessment. Regular one-to-one meetings and comprehensive annual appraisals promote staff's personal and professional development, to improve daily practice with children.

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provision

All staff understand their responsibility to protect children from harm and more than half have attended safeguarding training. A highly competent safeguarding coordinator links and liaises with other professionals, as required, to ensure the wellbeing of individual children. Safeguarding policies and procedures are understood and effectively implemented to protect children. Robust recruitment procedures work effectively in practice to ensure the suitability of staff. There is a thorough induction and probationary period and new staff are supported by a mentor to promote good practice. There is a very secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage throughout the nursery and staff work as a cooperative and cohesive team to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements. All documentation is extremely well maintained and readily available for inspection. Risk assessments are rigorous and effective. Staff are very well deployed and

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provision

are vigilant regarding safety and security, enabling children to play freely. Emergency evacuation routines are undertaken effectively and promptly in practice. This was clearly demonstrated during the inspection when the fire alarm was unexpectedly triggered.

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provision

Highly positive and trusting partnerships are established with parents and carers. Regular discussions are encouraged between staff and parents to ensure children's individual needs are met. Staff and the special educational needs coordinator work particularly closely with parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This ensures they receive appropriate and focussed support to enhance their level of progress and achievement. Onward links are established with schools children will attend, to share aspects of their individual learning and development to promote their ongoing progress. Comments received from parents, on the day of the inspection, are very positive. They are extremely happy with the warm care and attention their children receive and comment on how well they settle. Parents find staff very approachable and value the regular feedback and open communication, particularly with their child's key person. They are pleased with

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provision

the progress their children are making and express that they feel very well informed and involved with their child's learning, development and welfare.

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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 650059 Local authority Essex Inspection number 908103

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 114 Number of children on roll 132 Name of provider Gary Mark Seward & Karen Valerie Seward Partnership Date of previous inspection 26/01/2009 Telephone number 01206 368 368

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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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