New House Nursery School

New House Nursery School 9 New House Lane, Canterbury, Kent, CT4 7BG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/09/2013 06/05/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The owner/manager and staff show a clear ambition to provide exceptional care and education for all children. Strong partnerships with parents and outside agencies support this vision.  A highly effective key person system ensures children's care, welfare and learning is significantly enhanced. Children show a great sense of security and belonging, so are ready to learn through explorative play.  Staff are skilled in motivating and engaging with children, who are all happy, busily occupied and making quick progress in this welcoming and friendly nursery school.  Staff make full use of the extensive outdoor space to help children learn about the natural world. They respond quickly to children's interests, capitalising on spontaneous opportunities to help children learn about themselves and others.  The provider and staff team set realistic challenges for driving improvements through the continuous monitoring and self-evaluation systems.

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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 children's play and staff interactions in all play rooms and in the outdoor environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector scrutinised records and a sample of supporting documents including: children's development and progress; safeguarding; self-evaluation; local authority visit reports and daily registers.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager of an adult directed activity outdoors.  The inspector checked evidence of staff appointment systems.

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Information about the setting

New House Nursery School is a privately owned nursery. The provision is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It has been under its current ownership since January 2000 operating from three purpose-built rooms attached to the owner's house. The owner is also the nursery manager. Children have access to an enclosed garden for outdoor play. The nursery is situated on the outskirts of Canterbury, in Kent. It is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 50 weeks of the year, closing for two weeks at Christmas. The nursery has pet rabbits.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 74 children in the early years age group on roll from the age of two years to under five years. The nursery also offers care to children aged over five years to eight years. The nursery currently supports children who learn English as an additional language. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds.

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Information about the setting

There are nine members of staff working with the children, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least National Vocational Qualification at level 2. The owner/manager holds a relevant qualification at level 4. A cook is also employed.

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

 consider extending opportunities for staff to conduct peer-on-peer observations, to enable them to discuss their practice and share their knowledge and experience of the most effective ways in working.

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who attend

Children are extremely happy, settled and confident in this welcoming nursery. They play happily with great respect for each other and very few disagreements were seen. The staff team is enthusiastic and experienced in ensuring that the children's interests are at the heart of all they do. A highly effective balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities allows children to be the instigators of their own learning. Staff have a clear understanding of the learning intentions of planned activities and know which children will benefit from these. For example an activity for children identified as being keen on moving or transporting objects around was planned to transport logs in wheelbarrows. This play overspills into setting out the logs to make a house to continue a previous interest in the 'Big Bad Wolf' story initiated entirely by the children. Adult followed the children's lead, resulting in children working together and discussing where to best place each log, using

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who attend

their imaginations too as they recalled the story.

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who attend

'Learning journals' records show children's achievements and interests as well as identifying planned next steps for children's learning. Parents contribute to these sharing their thoughts about their children's interests and progress at home, so all involved have equal knowledge of children's development. Summary reports are completed for all children in line with the statutory check for children aged two years. Staff retain the same format for reporting for all ages. These reports are provided throughout the year and are discussed with parents, who include their input. These reports give an accurate summary and show the quick progress children are making in all areas of learning and development.

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who attend

Staff use skilled questioning techniques to stimulate children's critical thought processes such as 'Tell me about?.' and 'What might happen if?.'. For example, while playing in the sand pit children are encouraged to predict if they will have to pull gently or hard on the pulley rope to lift various sized containers of sand. The conversation continues to talk about exercise and building muscle strength.

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who attend

The children independently select books and enjoy stories together, both indoors and out. Staff choose stories carefully that relate to children and either their interests or discoveries. A group of children had started screaming because they have found a large spider web, so the story was linked to spiders . Staff talked about things people sometimes do not like, helping children to rationalise fears and dislikes, and learn to appreciate that people differ.

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who attend

The raised beds give children real experiences of growing, tending and harvesting a variety of crops, so learning about the natural world in practical ways. Children sit on the edge of these boxes and pulling out weeds and chatting to others as they do so. They show themselves to be keen to make use of the well resourced and extensive gardens. Staff make full use of these to promote children's learning. Staff seize on chances to promote learning, responding immediately to children's interests in order to maintain motivation to learn.

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

Children arrive happily, showing they feel secure in the care of the staff having developed secure, trusting relationships with their 'key person'. Key persons know the children and their families, for which they take special responsibility, well. They discuss and record children's starting points for learning, individual care needs and parents' preferences, in great depth when children join the nursery. Each child has an 'I like box?.' which contains a treasured possession from home which is available to the child at any time. This item provides a secure link with home and helps children to feel a sense of belonging.

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

A significant strength of the nursery is that a member of staff from each room moves with a group of children as they progress through the age groups. This is reassuring for the children helping them to feel confident and safe during times of change. This system also results in staff broadening their experiences to enhance their knowledge when supporting different aged children. When children move on to school, reception teachers visit the nursery in summer term with nursery staff visiting schools in the autumn term. This reciprocal arrangement gives children the chance to welcome familiar adults to their new environment. The nursery staff do well to link with a substantial number of different schools to which children transfer.

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

During the day there are many times when children of different ages come together, for example at lunch time and for outside play. These occasions allow siblings to play together and for older children to nurture younger ones. The younger children benefit as they learn new skills by copying others. The nursery have recent experience of supporting a number of children with complex needs seeking the support of the specialist teaching service provided by the local authority.

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

As well as providing information for parents about the healthy and nutritional meals served, staff help children grow a variety of vegetables in the garden, such as runner beans and courgettes. The nursery's cook incorporates these into freshly cooked dishes. This practice helps children understand where food comes from, having been involved in the process from when the seeds were planted.

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

Fresh air and learning outdoors are an integral part of nursery life with older children enjoying free access to the patio areas all day. Younger children also enjoy outdoor play and are taken out though a dedicated exit with a decked area they use as a base point. The decked areas extend to a large garden area which all children may use for most of the morning and again for a large part of the afternoon. Resources provided both indoors and out are plentiful and varied, providing challenge and stimulation. The emphasis on outdoor learning supports those children who learn best outdoors extremely well. They are able to do this with maximum effect and with a great sense of freedom. Risk assessment and providing an element of challenge in activities is an integral part of daily procedures, with children being supported or left to their own devises in manoeuvring around an extensive assault course of planks, logs, scramble netting and climbing equipment.

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provision

The owner/manager provides inspirational leadership and management having a clear vision for maintaining excellent quality of care and education. Being a 'hands-on' manager involved in all aspects of the nursery, ensures staff are learning from the owner's own excellent example. She has high expectations and inspires staff to want to develop their knowledge and skills through in-house training or by supporting them to achieve relevant and up to date qualifications in early years and childcare. This helps all understand and implement the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage to a high standard.

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provision

Room meetings and staff team meetings occur weekly, which support consistent practice, such as in implementing hygiene routines. These are used to review children's progress in line with the learning and development requirements and to plan to meet and extend the learning needs of individual children and for groups of children with similar interests. These monitoring systems drive children's progress. Individual staff supervision meetings include discussions from observations and talks with children. However, the owner/manager does not extend staff opportunities to review each other's practice through observation colleagues at work, in order to provide more support for the less experienced to improve practice further. Concerns about children's progress and well- being also include safeguarding procedures or concerns, showing the priority placed on children's welfare

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provision

Recruitment procedures are robust; vetting and a comprehensive induction are in place to ensure only suitable staff work with children. Children's safety is paramount. They are well protected from harm because all staff have an in-depth knowledge about the nursery's and local authority's safeguarding procedures.

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provision

As well as completing an Ofsted self-evaluation process with input from the staff team and incorporating parent's views, the owner/manager continues with the evaluation processes operated by the local authority, from achieving Kent Quality Mark. Currently, staff are working hard to include elements of a national literacy scheme in the outdoor learning environment. Resources for this include musical instruments to tap out syllables in names and rhymes in a designated quiet corner of the extensive gardens. Quiet places to further promote a love of books are being provided outside by the provision of a willow tepee, which provides a comfortable, cosy place to share a favourite story from the selection of books available. These on-going improvements indicate the owner/manager's determination to drive the continuous development of the nursery.

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provision

Parents were keen to express their views and feel exceptionally 'at home', well informed and fully involved in all aspects nursery life. It is a testimony to the nursery that they have not had a complaint from a parent in thirteen years.

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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 127403 Local authority Kent Inspection number 937913

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 55 Number of children on roll 74 Name of provider Jane Lesley Hicks Date of previous inspection 06/05/2009 Telephone number 01227 765 413

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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

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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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