Eaton Mill Nursery

Eaton Mill Nursery Saffron Street, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK2 3AH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/10/2013 10/07/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 1 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Children excel at the nursery because the staff are highly skilled in supporting their learning and providing engaging activities.  Staff monitor children's development through timely observation and thorough assessments. This clearly identifies their next steps in learning and ensures children make rapid progress.  Older children are excellent role models for young children. Their nurturing and caring attitudes help young children to gain a sense of community and security within the nursery.  Children behave extremely well because of the clear boundaries staff put into place. Children moderate their own behaviour and are considerate of others during their play.  The dynamic leadership of the nursery communicates their shared vision for excellence to all staff. Consequently, they strive for continuing high quality in the care they provide for children.

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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 learning activities in the main room and garden area.  The inspector talked to children, parents and staff throughout the inspection.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at required documentation such as safeguarding procedures, children's progress files and self-evaluation.  The inspector held meetings with the Head of Early Years and manager.

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Information about the setting

Eaton Mill Nursery and Out of School day care Limited registered in 2005. They operate from within The Premier Academy, Bletchley, Milton Keynes. This nursery is registered on the Early Years Register, and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery unit has use of their own rooms with direct access to an outside play area. The after school club use designated areas within the school. The holiday club operates from within the nursery rooms during school holidays. Children attend from the school and the nursery. The nursery is open from 7.30am to 6pm for 50 weeks of the year, and the breakfast and after school club opens 7.30am to 8.55am and 3.15pm to 6pm respectively, five days a week during term time. The holiday club operates between the hours of 7.30am and 6pm. There are currently 108 children attending the nursery unit within the early years age range. The nursery is in receipt funding for the provision of free

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Information about the setting

early education for children aged two, three, and four years. The after school club has 95 children on roll between the ages of four years and 11 years of whom nine are in the early years age range.

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Information about the setting

Staff in the after school club are recruited from teachers and qualified teaching assistants in the school. There are 12 staff working with the children in the nursery. All staff, except one are suitably qualified to level 3, with the nursery manager holding a foundation degree. The Head of Early Years has a degree in Education. There are three administrative staff who work with the nursery.

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Information about the setting

At the time of inspection the holiday club was in operation.

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

 increase further children's excellent sense of identity by finding ways for them to express their own ideas; for example through taking photographs of people and places which are important to them to share at nursery.

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who attend

The nursery provides exceptional care for children where attentive staff provide them with opportunity to flourish. Children gain superb skills which enable them to fully benefit from the vast range of activities on offer for their learning. For example, children draw pictures of a ginger bread man, following on from a story they have heard. This develops into a role play activity where children pretend to bake their drawings in the oven. They carefully cut out their pictures and place them on a tray, carrying them across the room. This helps children to develop their physical skills as they negotiate difficulties, such as how to carry the gingerbread men without dropping them and how to fit the tray into the play oven. They use tools such as pens, scissors and glue sticks with great control to achieve the effects they desire. Children are rightly proud of their work and talk confidently about their

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who attend

Staff encourage children to be strong communicators. They model the use of language and ask children open-ended questions. Staff ask children to anticipate what will happen, helping them to develop their critical thinking skills. Staff use talking programmes to assess children's abilities and swiftly put into place intervention when children need further support. Staff use available resources to support families and children who learn English as an additional language. Children listen carefully when playing music on a stereo. They recognise differing sounds and tempo, expressing their ideas about the music. Therefore, children are acquiring listening skills which help them to understand. As a consequence, children make rapid progress in their communication and language. Children's love of music and ability to programme technology boosts their mathematical development. They look at compact disc covers and ask adults to choose a song they would like. They ask

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who attend

adults what number the song is and then use the buttons on the stereo to match the number. Children are able to express their understanding of 'three more' when they are nearly at the right number. This application of counting and numerical recognition demonstrates children's superb understanding and the creative ways in which staff help children to learn. This means that children are extremely competent and show high levels of engagement as they lead their own play. These essential skills mean that children leave the nursery fully ready for entry to school.

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who attend

Children play team games together outside. They crawl, climb and slide as they move around the exciting activities on offer in the garden. Young children take great delight in playing team games with older children and begin to understand about moving in ways that are safe. They coordinate their movements to catch and kick balls with staff developing their large muscles.

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who attend

Staff are skilled practitioners who know when to intervene and when to allow children to persevere for themselves. Children development resilience as they try and fail, before achieving their aim, such as making a paper plane which flies successfully. Staff know children extremely well because they undertake unobtrusive observations of their play. They use these to plan children's next steps in learning. Staff communicate successfully with parents through photograph books and regular discussion. Staff write regular summaries of children's learning, helping to consolidate what children can do and identify their rapid progress. Parents are able to readily support children's development at home and share their observations. This two-way flow of information means that children benefit from a consistent approach in their care and development.

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

Children behave exceptionally well at the nursery because of the very clear boundaries staff provide for them. Older children moderate their actions to take into consideration younger children. Younger children understand about timeframes and changes in routines as they use sand timers to understand when things will happen. Children are extremely content and display very high levels of self-esteem. This is because children play very successfully together. Older children are nurturing and caring towards younger children and support them in their everyday tasks, such as washing their hands and finding a chair at snack time. When young children are tired, older children lay with them for comfort. This means that children form close bonds with each other and they all play together very well. The secure bonds children develop with their peers and staff creates a happy environment where children thrive. Staff take time to talk with children, giving them each

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

individual time and attention. When children arrive, staff help them to settle and talk to parents about how they are feeling. Children express their own feelings very well and talk about things which interest them. There is scope to further develop children's excellent sense of identity as they settle at the nursery. For example, by enabling children to contribute their own ideas by taking photographs of people and places which are important to them to share at nursery. Staff plan for children's move into the next room at the nursery and school by ensuring that they have ample time to visit and meet the staff who will care for them. Children seamlessly move into the reception class because the staff work closely together and share information about children individual needs.

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

Children learn about how to keep themselves safe because staff guide them. The staff have high expectations for what children can do and trust them to manage small risks for themselves. As a result, children become adept at managing small risks, such as using tools and organising their own play outside. Children have abundant opportunities to develop their own independence. They serve themselves snack and drink, dress themselves for playing outside and choose the equipment and materials they need. They know not to be wasteful and use resources sparingly. Children care for their environment and tidy away after themselves gaining a sense of responsibility.

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

Key people know their children very well and plan for their individual needs. They work with parents to help children master important milestones, such as toilet training. Children go to and from the garden as they please, enjoying fresh air and exercise as part of their routine. They enjoy the social aspect of eating together as they have breakfast and lunch. They learn about their own needs by eating when they feel hungry as snack is available for them throughout the morning. Children learn about food and healthy eating by making their own pizza and talking about different foods. This helps children to gain an awareness of how to live healthy lifestyles.

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provision

Children's safety is given the highest regard at the nursery. Staff have a thorough understanding about how to recognise signs and symptoms which might cause them concern about children's well-being. There are comprehensive policies and procedures in place which underpin staff practice. The senior staff review the policies on a regular basis to ensure they are fit for purpose. This means that staff are fully aware of how to meet the welfare requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. When new staff begin at the nursery they undergo rigorous checks to confirm their suitability to work with children. The nursery inducts new staff to be certain they are fully aware of their responsibilities and understand their role. Staff monitor the environment where children play by carrying out risk assessments. They maintain vigilance in monitoring children as they play to ensure that the ratios of adults to children are

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provision

The newly appointed Head of Early Years works closely alongside the nursery manager. Together they communicate their ambitious drive for excellence to the staff team who share their vision. The Head of Early Years conducts audits of the nursery to test, evaluate and monitor quality. The nursery also works with local authority development workers to reflect upon every aspect of the nursery. This uncompromising approach to continual rising of standards means that the nursery does not stand still and improvement is significant and measurable. The nursery identifies local need for the provision for two year olds and develops resources, space and staff knowledge to invest in the youngest children. Parents share their views through questionnaires and staff consult with children for their ideas. Consequently, the nursery sustains the highest possible standards for children and demonstrates an outstanding capacity for continual improvement. The staff structure at

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provision

the nursery means that there are clear lines of leadership and very well-defined roles. Regular appraisals help to provide staff with support and set targets for professional development. Supervision of staff enables them to develop their role and take on additional responsibilities. The staff team is very secure and highly effective in meeting children's needs. For example, senior staff review staff deployment to assess the impact upon practice. Staff are well qualified, but seek to further fine tune their knowledge and skills through regular training opportunities.

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provision

The nursery builds highly effective relationships with external agencies, such as speech and language therapists. This means that they are able target support for children with excellent effect. The accurate observations and assessments staff undertake identifies children's individual progress. Therefore, they are able to monitor children's development to ensure that they make the best possible progress given their individual starting points. The nursery staff discuss children's progress check at the age of two and complete these in consultation with parents. Staff continue to summarise children's progress for parents as they grow to inform them of the achievements children make. This helps parents to feel very confident in the nursery staff and their ability to help children to settle and enjoy their time at the nursery.

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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 EY319429 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 827298 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 89 Number of children on roll 108 Name of provider Eaton Mill Nursery and Out of School day care Limited Date of previous inspection 10/07/2009 Telephone number 01908 373621

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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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