Kindercare Day Nursery (Hgte) Ltd

Kindercare Day Nursery (Hgte) Ltd Hornbeam Business Park, Hookstone Road, Harrogate, Yorkshire, HG2 8QT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/09/2013 08/03/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, are supported very effectively in developing their language skills through conversation and stories.  Children are interested in the activities provided, keen to learn and know what is expected of them in the nursery. Consequently, they are fully engaged and behave well, which produces a calm and harmonious atmosphere in all areas.  Partnerships with parents are good because high priority is given to the sharing of information and involving them in the life of the nursery. This means children settle very well and parents have confidence in the staff who care for them.  Staff give high priority to safeguarding children and providing a very safe and secure environment for them to play and learn. This means they are well protected and kept free from harm.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Occasionally, the organisation of activities for younger children is not fully effective in enabling them to comfortably play a full part in the learning experience.  There is scope to develop the partnerships with other early years settings children also attend, to ensure their transitions between providers are fully supported.

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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 had a tour of the premises and observed children playing in the play rooms and the outdoor areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager and spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and discussed the provider's improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's records, planning documents and policies.  The inspector undertook a joint observation of a printing activity with the manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Kindercare Day Nursery Limited, Harrogate was registered in 2002 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is privately owned and is part of the Kindercare group of nurseries, based in the north of England. It operates from purpose built premises situated in the Hornbeam Business Park, on the outskirts of Harrogate in North Yorkshire. Children are cared for in nine rooms over two floors and there are three enclosed areas available for outdoor play. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 25 members of childcare staff. Of these, 14 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, three at level 2, one has Early Years Professional Status and one has Qualified Teacher Status. The nursery operates Monday to Friday all year round from 7.30am until 6.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 157 children attending, all of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. It receives support from the local authority.

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

 develop further the organisation of some activities for very young children, so they can consistently play a full and active part in all learning experiences provided

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

 enhance the sharing of information with providers of other early years settings children also attend, to ensure their transitions between provisions are supported fully.

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who attend

Staff provide children with a very bright and inviting environment that has a good range of toys and resources which they can access independently. This enables them to make choices and decisions in their play and direct their own learning. For instance, an older child freely accesses paper and crayons, which she uses to draw an intricate map of how to get to the seaside. She then confidently discusses the route she needs to take and traces this with her finger, which inspires other children to follow her lead and draw their own maps too. This shows children are confident in having their own ideas and are able to critically review the success of these. Staff also provided focused activities that are linked to seasonal events to broaden children's learning. For example, a group of young children become fully immersed as they learn about tropical fruits as part of a theme about harvest time. The member of staff leading the activity skilfully uses props alongside a story so

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who attend

children can play an active part in the experience. For example, they take turns to find different soft toy fruits and put them in the fruit basket. They then explore and taste real items, such as a banana, orange and passion fruit. This means children maintain their focus, become deeply involved and make clear connections in their learning. Consequently, they make good progress and are well prepared for school when the time comes.

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who attend

Staff caring for very young children provide good opportunities for them to use their senses and learn through exploration. For instance, several children delight in exploring the texture of rice and dried pasta and using this to fill small pots. Staff give children time to explore the products on their own and know the right time to join in to extend their learning further. For example, a member of staff shows one child how to separate the rice from the pasta and put it in a pot. She then tips the rice out and suggests to the child that this sounds like rain. Older children have good opportunities to develop their creativity during painting activities. For instance, they confidently use brushes as they paint pictures of their favourite fairy tale characters. They then enhance these by carefully placing dabs of glue which they sprinkle with glitter. Younger children also have opportunities to explore paint. For instance, staff provide halves of pear and apple and show them how to

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who attend

dip these in paint and then press on to paper to make a print. Children are keen to be involved in the activity and to try this for themselves. However, they are not able to do so comfortably as the size of the pear and apple halves are too large for them to pick up easily in their small hands. This means that they do not benefit fully from the experience.

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who attend

Staff give high priority to promoting children's development in communication and language. For instance, older children are taught to recognise letters of the alphabet and to link sounds to these which lays the foundations for decoding words. Staff skilfully enable young children to develop and extend their vocabulary during activities, such as stories. For example, they introduce them to more complex words, such as guava and antelope as they read a story about different animals and fruit that can be found in Africa. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported very well. For instance, staff ask parents for and learn key words in the child's first language, to aid communication initially. They then provide good one-to-one support to build up children's vocabulary in English. This means children soon gain confidence in expressing themselves and communicating with their peers and carers in English. Consequently, they can then

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who attend

make their needs know easily and play a full part in the activities. Staff make effective use of observation and assessment to track children's progress. They keep a learning record for each one, which is shared regularly with parents to ensure they are fully informed of their child's development. Parents are actively encouraged to share what their children have learnt at home with staff, which means they have a full picture of their development. Information about current activities and how parents can further children's learning at home is prominently displayed.

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

Children's transitions into the nursery and as they move rooms are managed very effective. For example, good information is gathered from parents about children's individual needs before the placement begins and this is reviewed before children move rooms and amended as necessary. This means children's key persons can provide care that is consistent with that they receive at home. This is endorsed by parents who state that they really appreciate the way staff value and treat their child as an individual. Staff respond quickly to children's needs, which means they feel safe and secure in their care. For instance, when one baby becomes unwell, his key person make him comfortable and contacts his parents to inform them of the situation. She provides reassuring words and gently strokes his forehead to soothe him, whilst waiting for his parent to arrive.

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

Children learn to behave very well because staff act as good role models for them to follow and provide secure boundaries, so children know what is expected of them. For instance, when a member of staff asks a group of older children what they need to do when coming together on the carpet for story time they respond promptly with 'sit on our bottoms, so the person behind can see'. Staff reward children's efforts and achievements with meaningful praise and to acknowledge any acts of kindness they record children's name on an apple and display this on the 'kindness tree'. The act is then shared with the whole group at discussion time. This means children develop high levels of self-esteem and learn to value one another. Children are clearly proud of the nursery and are keen to share what it is they like about attending. For instance, one child tells the inspector 'I can paint lots of pictures here'. Staff give good attention to helping children learn about

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

personal safety. For instance, they teach them about the importance of using pedestrian crossings when crossing the road and enable children to act out real life experiences they have observed safely in their play. For instance, one member of staff reminds a child to be careful as she pretends to pour 'tea' from a pot as this may be 'hot'. Children have good opportunities to take part in learning experiences outside the nursery, such as baking activities at a nearby college led by students. This enables children to interact with adults other than their normal carers, which further prepares them for school.

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

Children's health is promoted very effectively. For instance, they have very good opportunities to access the outdoor areas each day. This means they benefit from lots of fresh air and have freedom to move around and play on a larger scale. All areas have a very good range of equipment which enables children to develop good physical skills. For example, older ones demonstrate good control of their bodies as they confidently use wheeled toys. Younger children soon become proficient in scooping up sand with a spade and transporting it to a bucket as they have lots of opportunities to practise this skill. Babies delight in exploring their environment as they crawl around and test out their walking skills on a safety surface, whilst slightly older ones enjoy exploring the space as they 'hide' in a willow shelter. These activities are complemented by walks and outings in the local area. For instance, very young children are taken out in a 'bus' pushchair that

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

can accommodate six, so they can experience sights and sounds outside the nursery environment very safely. Children are provided with nutritious meals and these are adapted according to their individual needs, such as accommodating the various weaning stages for babies. Staff also enable children to take part in food tasting activities, so they can try more unusual items, such as passion fruit, to develop their tastes and learn about healthy food.

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provision

The nursery is led and managed very effectively. For instance, all staff attend training in safeguarding, which means they are well-informed about procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child. The nursery is kept safe in all areas because staff are vigilant in carrying out daily checks and the manager constantly reviews the effectiveness of the nursery's risk assessments for the premises, equipment and outings. An intercom system is in place at the main entrance and parents know not to let anyone following them into the building, even if they are known to them. This means there is no unauthorised access to the building. Thorough recruitment and selection procedures are in place and there is good support for new staff through the comprehensive induction process. This ensures staff are suitable to work with children and fully understand their roles and responsibilities. Consequently, staff are well deployed, which means children are well-supervised at all

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provision

Partnerships with parents are good because there is a very good two-way flow of information about children's individual care and learning needs. For example, parents are invited to consultation evenings to discuss their children's progress in detail and to 'fun' days, so they can meet up with other parents. They have daily chats with their child's key persons who show genuine interest in the family as a whole. For example, staff delight in learning about special family events, such as the birth of new siblings. Parents also receive lots of information through interesting displays, regular newsletters and a website. Parents' comments about the nursery are very positive. For example, they say 'staff are so approachable' and their children 'learn lots of interesting things'. The nursery has strong links with outside professionals, such as speech and language specialists, to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, which enables them to reach

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provision

their full potential. The nursery works well with schools children move on to, which makes their transition a pleasant experience. For instance, teachers visit the nursery to meet children before they move into their care and to discuss their progress with their key person. They also find out about friendships children have made and take this into account when allocating classes. Teachers also implement some of the nursery's teaching strategies into their practice, to help children with the initial settling in process. However, the nursery's links with other early years settings children also attend are not fully developed. This means information about their care and learning is not always shared effectively on an ongoing basis, so staff have a full picture of children's learning and development across both settings.

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provision

The registered person and the manager are committed to providing a high quality service and making continuous improvements. They have a good understanding of the nursery's strengths and areas to develop. The recommendation for improvement raised at the last inspection has been addressed successfully and a clear development plan is in place to move the service forward. Parents complete an evaluation sheet each time their child transfers to the next room and any ideas for improvement are responded to promptly by management. This ensures the nursery's practice reflects the views of its users. The performance management of staff is good. For instance, each member has an annual appraisal to ensure they have ongoing opportunities to reflect on their practice and access further training, to develop their skills. Whole staff meetings, head of section and room meetings are held regularly and these enable staff at all levels to review the service,

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provision

contribute ideas for improvement and share information. The manager makes sure she visits each room in the nursery several times throughout the day to monitor the effectiveness of routines and staff's practice. She is readily available, along with the nursery's Early Years Professional, to offer advice and act as a mentor where necessary if any weaknesses are identified. Staff are actively encouraged to evaluate children's responses to focused activities to identify where extra support or challenge may be needed to move children's learning on. The manager makes regular spot checks of children's learning records to ensure these are kept up-to-date by staff and scrutinises children's 'on track' record to ensure there are no gaps in the educational programme or children's learning.

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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 EY239049 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 910371

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 146 Number of children on roll 157 Name of provider Kindercare (Harrogate) Limited Date of previous inspection 08/03/2011 Telephone number 01423 815990

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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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