Becket Hall Day Nursery

Becket Hall Day Nursery Becket Hall, St Thomas St, Bristol, Bristol, BS1 6AA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/09/2013 24/11/2010

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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

 Children settle quickly, play happily and enjoy their time in the nursery, particularly in the spacious outside area.  Staff support children's developing needs appropriately and plan effectively for their future learning.  Children develop sound levels of confidence and independence, which prepares them suitably for school.  Staff plan a variety of play experiences which enable children to explore and investigate, promoting their progress soundly overall.

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It is not yet good because

 Systems to ensure cleanliness of some toys and areas that children use lack rigour and compromises children's well-being.  Whilst the nursery is a nurturing environment, staff do not fully embrace opportunities to develop children's further awareness of their personal safety.  Systems to inform parents about children's routines and progress lack consistency.  Staff, on occasion miss opportunities to ask open-ended questions to further support children's mathematical understanding.

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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 and manager toured all areas that children use.  The inspector spoke to parents and carers to gain their views about the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled children's information, assessment records and planning documents, as well as policies and procedures.  The inspector had discussions with the manager and staff during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in both indoor and outside environments and undertook a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Becket Hall Day Nursery is privately owned and registered in 2010. It operates from Becket Hall, a converted 19th century church building in the centre of the city of Bristol. The nursery uses the hall and mezzanine floor of the property. The enclosed outdoor space includes a paved area and a garden for children's outside play. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays. It is registered on the Early Years Register and provides funded early education for three and four-year-olds. There are currently 59 children in the early years age group on roll. The nursery currently supports a number of children learning English as an additional language. The nursery employs 13 members of staff and a housekeeper. The 12 members of staff who work directly with children hold appropriate early years qualifications. Of these, two members of staff hold degrees in childcare.

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must:

 ensure there are systems in place to maintain the cleanliness of toys and areas that children use, to fully promote children's health and well-being.

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

 strengthen the systems that inform parents about children's routines and their progress and encourage them to contribute children's home successes to support developmental records

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

 provide greater explanations and guidance for children as they play, to promote their awareness of safety

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

 develop the use of everyday opportunities to extend children's thinking skills, for example by enhancing the use of open ended questioning and mathematical understanding.

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who attend

Staff have a suitable understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage educational programmes. They complete appropriately detailed observation and assessment diaries which show the positive progress that children make from their starting points. Each week key persons evaluate children's progress and plan activities that soundly support their future learning. For example, older children begin to show an interest in writing their name, so staff prepare 'join the dot' activities. Staff support babies' co-ordination skills suitably by encouraging them to handle toys. They use words such as 'shake', up and down' to describe the movement that babies make with the resources, positively supporting their communication and understanding. Older children talk confidently about models that they make. Staff encourage children to describe their designs and repeat the word tree-house, for example, with clarity, which appropriately supports language

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who attend

development. Inclusivity has a positive focus within the nursery and staff support children's individual needs suitably well. For example, they make picture cards to help children with English as an additional language understand routines and identify familiar objects. Children of all ages enjoy looking at books and older children are beginning to make connections between print and meaning. Babies try to turn pages independently. Staff engage enthusiastically with children as they play, such as helping older children to build a train track, introducing mathematical language, such as big and small to describe the size of trains. However, staff do not extend this further by using words such as long and short to compare the lengths of the track. Additionally, on occasions, staff miss opportunities to extend children's thinking and learning by asking questions, such as 'how', 'why' and 'where'.

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who attend

Children of all ages join in enthusiastically with rhymes and songs. Babies enjoy a bouncing song, whilst older children sing confidently along to well-known tunes, such as Twinkle, twinkle little star. The environments, both indoors and outside are spacious and suitably organised, enabling children plenty of opportunities to be active learners. Babies crawl from toy to toy and happily investigate their surroundings. They enjoy exploring the sounds that musical instruments make and concentrate well as they persevere to complete simple puzzles. In the outside area, older children work together on deciding how to build a wall from wooden bricks and pretend to make cement. A stimulating variety of opportunities enable children to be creative, such as painting or making chocolate cakes with leaves and sand. They enjoy digging in the dirt area, using spades and rakes competently. When children fill the holes with water, they talk excitedly to one another as

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who attend

the water is absorbed, explaining that it is because the soil is dry. These experiences help children to develop positively in confidence and independence, preparing them appropriately well for their transfer to school.

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who attend

Staff have suitable relationships with parents and carers. Regular meetings enable parents appropriate opportunities to discuss their child's work with the key person, including feedback following the two-year-old check. Parents have easy access to developmental diaries and acceptable opportunities to contribute towards assessment records if they wish. However, systems which inform parents about children's daily routines and progress are inconsistent. Whilst parents speak positively about the nursery's caring staff and progress children make, they find that occasionally the busyness at the end of the day causes difficulty in the transfer of information. Whilst staff positively interact with parents on a daily basis, they sometimes miss opportunities to encourage children's continued home learning find out about their home successes. New children to the nursery settle smoothly into the routines because of effective systems that are in place, such as taster

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

The nursery's welcoming approach helps children settle quickly. The children happily talk to staff about toys they have brought in from home and about places they have visited on the weekend. Staff listen carefully and smile encouragingly, which positively supports children's self-confidence. Each child has a key person, who supports their individual needs appropriately. For example, staff understand that some children need time to settle and prefer to watch quietly, rather that joining in immediately with activities. After time, staff gently encourage children to take part in an activity. This supports children's emotional well-being appropriately. When babies need reassurance because of a visitor in the room, they confidently approach staff for a quick cuddle. Staff respond warmly to their needs. Staff work together supportively as a team and know all the children well. They make suitable use of positive praise, such as 'well done' and ' clever girl' which acceptably

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

supports children's self esteem. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

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

Children of all ages confidently move around the surroundings and make choices between the activities. Older children keenly help adults during routines, such as organising cups and plates at meal times. Staff appropriately encourage children to be independent in their self care, such as putting on clothing. At lunch times, older children serve themselves food and clear away their own plates, whilst babies hold their own cups. These skills help children to become self-sufficient. The nursery's positive approach to behaviour management helps children to develop sound social skills. When children overstep boundaries, such as not sharing toys, staff explain the importance of being good friends and encourage children to hug and make up. Babies develop their social awareness through staff encouraging them to help each other to fill containers with objects and look at storybooks together. Older children enjoy initiating their own imaginative play. They

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

work co-operatively together, organising cushions to make a burrow, pretending to be the rabbits who live in it. Older children are developing a positive sense of responsibility, such as explaining to younger children the importance of lining up before going outside and help them to pin paper on the painting easel. These skills positively support children's personal development, helping them to become socially confident in preparation for their educational transitions.

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

The nursery is a safe environment for children to enjoy. All exits and internal doors are appropriately secure, with finger guards and safety edges on protruding surfaces. However, the condition and cleanliness of some areas and toys lacks sufficient attention, both in the indoor and outside area. For example, toys outside are uncovered and subject to environmental elements and additionally, systems lack rigour in ensuring regular cleaning. In the indoor area, some surfaces are unclean and toys soiled. Staff have an adequate approach to promoting children's understanding of safety, such as descending the slide in a safe manner. However, on occasions, staff miss opportunities to promote this further, such as explaining to children the importance of not putting toys in their mouth or climbing on apparatus. Children are developing a sound understanding of the importance of personal hygiene and explain that washing hands after toileting stops germs

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

hurting them. In the baby rooms, staff change children's nappies regularly to ensure their good health and observe acceptable standards of hygiene during the routines. They record this information appropriately for parents to see, including the need for nappy supply replenishment. There is an ample supply of clothes to change children when the need arises. Children enjoy the nutritious meals and snacks that the nursery provides and staff ensure that hands and faces are hygienically cleaned after eating. Children have acceptable daily access to fresh air and exercise in the spacious outdoor area. They enjoy the company of their friends and staff alike, which contributes positively towards their overall well-being.

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provision

The manager has a sound understanding of her responsibilities towards safeguarding children. She has undertaken designated training and ensures that staff receive annual update training, alongside attending courses provided by external agencies. During discussions, staff explain the procedures to take if they have any concerns about children in their care. An acceptable range of policies and procedures further safeguard children's welfare and help to create an environment that is welcoming, safe and stimulating. Parents have easy access to all the documentation. The manger informs them about changes to routines through the notices on information boards and electronic communications. The nursery has strong recruitment and vetting systems in place to ensure the suitability of new staff to work with children. Adequate systems for the risk assessment of the premises and monthly emergency evacuation drills, in case of fire, help

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provision

to further ensure the safety of children. Staff undertake daily assessments of areas before children use them, although attention to the cleanliness of the resources is less rigorous, impacting on the provision for children's overall well-being. Records for accidents, registration, medication and incidents are comprehensive and positively support the provision for children's welfare. Staff always inform parents about any incidences that involve their child while they are in the nursery.

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provision

The manager effectively fulfils her responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements. She regularly reviews the planning and assessment records and observes staff as they interact with children. This helps ensure that the nursery is appropriately supporting children's individual needs and providing learning experiences of an acceptable quality. The manager regularly has supervision meetings with staff individuals to support their practice. Annual appraisals for staff help to identify future training needs. The manager is proactive in encouraging staff to continue the professional development and practice knowledge. A local authority advisor also supports the setting providing further support and guidance.

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provision

The nursery has a sound focus on improving its practice to support the best outcomes for children. The recommendations made at the previous inspection have been met. A detailed self evaluation plan helps the nursery to identify its strengths and areas for further development. A recent review of children's development diaries now includes a parents voice section, so that they may express comments about children's progress. Monthly whole staff meetings enable staff to evaluate the effectiveness of the provision. Parents have ample opportunity to contribute their views towards the improvement of the nursery provision through daily contact with staff and periodic questionnaires. For example, the nursery has built an enclosure, complete with rabbits, following a recent parental suggestion about pets in the outdoor area. The setting has acceptable links with other nurseries and local schools. When the need arises the nursery seeks the support of

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provision

external specialists to support children's needs, such as for speech and language development. With the permission of parents, staff share children's progress information, which enables their smooth transfers between phases in their 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 EY402789 Local authority Bristol City Inspection number 933823 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 36 Number of children on roll 59 Name of provider Becket Hall Day Nursery Date of previous inspection 24/11/2010 Telephone number 0117 929 2575

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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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