Pebbles Nursery

Pebbles Nursery White Cliffs Primary College for the Arts, St. Radigunds Road, DOVER, Kent, CT17 0LB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/09/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The leadership and management team are highly effective in striving to promote excellent provision to meet the needs of all the individual children attending the nursery.  Children's personal, social and emotional needs are exceptionally well supported and promoted by the key person system to support their well-being and self-esteem.  Excellent provision to support children's communication and language, in partnership with outside professionals, enables children to achieve well.  Children play in a welcoming, highly stimulating environment where they make choices about where to play, using easily accessible resources both indoors and outdoors.

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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 compulsory part of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The majority of the inspection was spent observing the children and staff interaction.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed leadership issues with members from the management team, including the principal.  Documentation was reviewed and sampled.  Parents views were obtained through discussion and their views taken into account.

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Information about the setting

Pebbles Nursery registered in 2013. It operates from a single classroom in White Cliffs Primary College for the Arts in Dover, Kent. The classroom forms part of the foundation stage and is an integral part of the everyday life of the college. There is an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 9am until 3.30 pm, term time only. Sessions are available from 9am - 12, lunch club from 12.00 - 12.30 and an afternoon session from 12.30 - 3.30pm.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and supports children who speak English as an additional language. There are 39 children on roll in the early years age range. The nursery provides funded early education for two, three and four year olds.

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Information about the setting

There are six members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least NVQ level 3, with the lead person in charge of the day-to-day holding an early years teaching qualification.

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

 extend opportunities for labelling both indoors and outdoors, using numerals in purposeful contexts.

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who attend

Children play in a well-resourced, welcoming environment that enables them to make choices, both indoors and outdoors. Children make very good progress in their learning and development, taking into account their initial starting points on entry to the setting. Staff are very well qualified and teaching exemplarily. The team, led by a qualified teacher in early years, provide a tailored programme through the careful planning of activities. Consequently, staff identify and address children's individual learning styles and next steps and this means that the children flourish and achieve. Observations and assessments are used exceptionally well, from identifying children's initial starting points to recording assessments for children's progress checks at the age of two through to the end of the foundation stage. Each child's learning journey is shared with the parents, enabling them to contribute to the process of meeting their child's individual needs. This secure, robust

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who attend

system enables staff to identify any learning difficulties or additional needs children may have and to plan specific programmes for them.

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who attend

Children arrive confidently and settle exceptionally well, with support from the excellent key person system in place. Each key person knows their key group of children extremely well and shows enthusiasm and commitment to enabling each child to achieve to their fullest potential. As a result, children develop confidence and self-esteem through encouragement and praise from the staff. Children learn to be independent, making choices of activities, moving around the setting and accessing resources from around the room. Children learn to put their own aprons on for painting, or coats when going outside, developing good personal independence.

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who attend

Communication and language is an area that staff place high emphasis on. Highly effective systems are implemented to support children in their speech development. For example, staff plan activities specifically to promote labelling of objects, listening to sounds and discussion. As a result, those children who are reluctant to talk are able to build their confidence with support from the experienced, knowledgeable staff. Books are freely accessible and staff ensure these are accessible both indoors and outdoors. Staff sit with children in small and large groups to read to them, further promoting children's vocabulary and listening skills.

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who attend

Children have exciting opportunities to develop their physical skills using a wide range of resources. Staff provide daily opportunities for children to ride the tricycles, experiment with balls and develop their balance using the 'trim trail'. They have different areas to play in, exploring their environment, including opportunities to use the large school field. Children problem solve with skill. They show enthusiasm as they pour water down the bamboo pipes into the water tray, stretching to balance the pipe, for example. They balance on the textured stepping stones and have opportunities to dig in the garden when planting and tending to the vegetables. Children are beginning to use mathematical language in their play as they count how many brushes on the easel. They talk about needing more water and remarking there are too many buckets in the sand. Sand play enables children to experiment with natural materials, with several children planning on

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who attend

building sandcastles and understanding the idea of banging the bucket with the spade to release the sand.

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who attend

Children enjoy and benefit greatly from developing their imagination both indoors and outside. They sit in the brick trolley, pretending it is a boat, then a bed, to acting out familiar roles from home in the role play area outside. Staff promote children's ideas and provide excellent support, allowing children to transport the various materials to where children want to play with them. This positive interaction greatly supports children's ongoing progress and learning through play.

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

The key person system is exceptionally well embedded into the ethos and daily routine of the nursery. Children demonstrate a feeling of security as they approach their key person for support or for guidance, reflecting the excellent relationships established. These strong relationships enable children to develop their confidence and behave well. Staff provide excellent support for those children who find sharing the toys and taking turns a challenge. All children are treated with respect and valued as individuals, and are offered praise and reassurance. Staff use many methods to support positive behaviour management including certificates, stickers and stars to show parents their good behaviour. Daily routines within the setting enable children to begin to develop their personal independence skills, pouring drinks and cutting up fruit. They learn to dress themselves and take themselves to the toilet, learning the importance of personal care.

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

Children feel exceptionally safe and secure within the nursery setting. Staff are vigilant and promote children's safety through highly effective routines and procedures. For example, parents bring children into the nursery setting and the children self-register, finding their name to identify their coat peg. A member of staff takes responsibility for recording the child into the setting in the daily register and to sign them out at the end of the session, providing secure methods of arrival and departure. Staff are informed if someone different is collecting the child and a password system is in operation to fully safeguard the children. Children learn about taking controlled risks and how to keep themselves safe whilst playing on the larger play equipment outside. For example, they learn about holding onto the rails or using two hands to balance or pull themselves up. Children develop spatial awareness, pedalling round on the tricycles, learning to steer and

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

avoid obstacles, such as other children.

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

Staff promote children's healthy lifestyles exceptionally well, reflecting their secure understanding about why this is important. Children have daily opportunities to benefit from fresh air and exercise in the outdoors, enjoying being active. They are able to make choices from an excellent range of healthy snacks and well-balanced meals for lunch if they choose a school meal. Staff sit with the children to eat and promote meal times as social occasions, supporting children in learning table manners and about the importance of sitting to eat. Staff carefully nurture children's well-being by obtaining children's dietary needs and implementing excellent hygiene procedures. Consequently, providing a good role model for the children.

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

Children access an excellent range of resources that inspire their interests and meet their individual needs. These are all stored in low level storage trays and containers that are labelled with pictures and words. Children freely move around the setting, selecting those resources that interest them. Staff divide the room into stimulating areas of interest, enabling children to make informed decisions about where to find resources. The room layout and equipment are reviewed regularly by the staff team to expand and adapt to meet children's ever changing interests.

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

The nursery prepares children exceptionally well for their move to school because the curriculum forms part of the college foundation stage. The early years teacher leads the foundation stage and as a result, provides a smooth transition between nursery and the reception class. She guides the staff in planning activities to help children develop skills they will need to support them in their move, such as listening skills, following instructions and personal care. Children have opportunities to develop their understanding of number, although labels using numerals are not always used effectively, in purposeful ways. Children are beginning to recognise their name and to listen to the initial letter sound, showing a developing awareness of letters and sounds.

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provision

The leaderships and management of the nursery is exceptional. Leaders implement excellent systems to provide high quality supervision, training and guidance to support staff. As a result, staff are enthusiastic and motivated to provide excellent care and learning and development opportunities for the children. The leadership and management team strive to promote high quality provision and have implemented effective procedures that quickly identify children's individual needs. Excellent partnerships with outside agencies clearly underpins this aim. Thorough monitoring procedures to track children's progress are in place, enabling staff to identify any weaknesses or particular groups of children needing additional planning. Consequently, gaps in achievement between various groups of children are narrowing significantly.

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provision

Safeguarding has high priority within the school and nursery. The nursery implements highly impressive systems with specific roles allocated to designated members of staff. A well written policy is implemented effectively by all the staff who attend training on a regular basis. A mobile phone policy and whistle blowing policy further enhance safeguarding procedures within the setting, protecting children's well-being. The highly effective, robust procedures for practitioner's recruitment provide good security measures. This, alongside the ongoing suitability checks through regular supervision and the annual appraisal system ensures children are well safeguarded.

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provision

Self-evaluation is a whole team effort, with all members of the team and a secure management involvement. This enables a reliable, highly reflective document to be established, identifying further areas to develop. The nursery uses this document to devise plans and formulate ideas to drive improvement across the setting. This is further supported through continuous review, evaluating and adapting the provision. Consequently, achievement levels for children are continually improving and developing.

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provision

Partnership with outside agencies is given high priority to meet the needs of the children and families attending the nursery. Excellent systems implemented mean staff can share information in consultation with parents to support individual children's requirements. This means they provide highly effective systems and programmes that meet children's additional needs. This includes corresponding with other early years providers that share the care of the children.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY458784 Local authority Kent Inspection number 906424 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 21 Number of children on roll 39 Name of provider The Dover Federation For The Arts Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 0134206174

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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

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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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