Building Blocks Day Nursery (NW) LTD

Building Blocks Day Nursery Building Block Nursery, Sutherland Road, HEYWOOD, Lancashire, OL10 3PN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/10/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

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

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This provision is good

 Children receive high levels of support and consistency of care. This enables them to form secure attachments with practitioners, who are loving and sensitive to their individual needs, which promotes their well-being and sense of belonging.  Children are welcomed into an exciting learning environment, both indoors and outdoors, which offers a range of stimulating resources. As a result, children take an active interest in their surroundings and engage happily in their chosen activities.  Children's safety is given high priority. All practitioners demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of comprehensive policies and procedures, which are implemented effectively and consistently in all areas of practice.  Practitioners and the management team are committed to improving the nursery provision. They continually take into consideration the views of children and parents, and plans for improvement are well targeted to strengthen their practice.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to provide more opportunities to support older children's growing understanding and investigation of technology and how things work.  Opportunities to develop children's understanding of the value and roles of other professionals and groups within the local community, are not fully established.

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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 carried out observations during adult-led and child-initiated activities and opportunities throughout the day, in all areas of the nursery and the outside play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation and discussed these with practitioners.

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Inspection activities

 A joint observation was made by the inspector and the manager, of a practitioner who was leading a group activity for the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of the inspection and information included in questionnaires.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager of the nursery and discussed the self- evaluation process and looked at a range of documentation, including risk assessments, safeguarding policies and procedures, evidence of performance management of staff and vetting procedures.

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Information about the setting

Building Blocks Day Nursery was registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in converted premises in the Darnhill area of Heywood, Rochdale and is one of two nurseries operated by Building Blocks Day Nursery (NW) Limited. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from four rooms on two floors. The first floor room is accessible by stairs, and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. Practitioners take and collect children from the local school.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm, all year round, with the exception of bank holidays and one week closure at Christmas. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. There are currently 43 children in the early years age range on roll. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. There are a total of five childcare practitioners, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The manager holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 6. The nursery currently receives support from the local authority.

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

 enhance children's understanding of the wider world further by increasing the range of equipment available to children, in order to support their interest in exploring and investigating and using technology to find out more

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

 extend partnership working further by, for example, inviting members of the local community into the setting to share their expertise, such as fire fighters and police, local artists and other community members.

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who attend

Children are greeted by friendly, caring practitioners; they arrive at the nursery, happy, confident and full of enthusiasm. They make independent choices from the wide range of toys and equipment and are provided with lots of opportunities to instigate their own play. Babies and young infants show high levels of curiosity and are motivated to be mobile because they are provided with interesting toys to investigate. They explore treasure baskets, which contain everyday objects, such as, sponges, cones and whisks. They enjoy selecting objects of their choice, which they handle and explore with keen interest. They enjoy looking at their reflections in low-level mirrors, which helps them to develop an awareness of themselves and others. Toddlers eagerly hold, tip and turn small transparent bottles filled with water and glitter. They excitedly observe stars floating in the water and discover that different bottles have different properties, such as visual stimulation and

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who attend

ones that make sounds. Babies enjoy feeling jelly and cooked spaghetti by squelching it in their hands. They explore their environment with interest as they play with water, sand and cornflour, enabling them to experience different textures using their senses.

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who attend

All children are provided with a range of interesting and challenging experiences that meet their needs, as all practitioners demonstrate a good understanding of how to engage and capture the children's interests. For example, as a result of interest expressed in a favourite cartoon, children create their own dinosaur habitat using a range of dinosaurs and materials. Pre-school children develop their hand and eye coordination skills as they play with dough. They use a variety of tools to create different effects, such as, rolling and cutting. They demonstrate their knowledge of shapes as they identify they are going to make a square or a circle and locate the correct cutter. They are encouraged to problem solve as they sort a variety of transport into different colours, and identify different groups, such as, boats, lorries and cars. Children learn to work cooperatively together as they create a water slide using drain pipes and a variety of materials and express interest

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who attend

in each other's creations and offer solutions to problems encountered. Practitioners make every effort to ensure all areas of learning are available to children. However, the provision of information and communication technology resources, such as, digital cameras and computer access, is not maximised for pre-school children to develop their investigation skills for the future.

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who attend

Systems to assess children's starting points on entry are secure. Practitioners work closely with parents during the settling period, obtaining detailed information to establish what children can do and define initial targets linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, the methods used to assess the children are good. Regular progress reports are shared with parents, with identified targets to support children's progress, along with a variety of photographs, illustrating the children engaged in a broad range of activities. Parents are provided with daily opportunities to contribute information about what their children are doing at home. They are able to borrow resources from the nursery, such as 'Talking Ted', who goes home with the children with a diary. Children take great delight in sharing 'Talking Teds' adventure on their return to nursery. This enables them to share their home experiences and ideas and helps parents to support their children's learning at

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who attend

All children are secure in communicating their needs and preferences. Visual pictures and use of gestures enhance their early language skills. Practitioners skilfully help to enhance babies' vocabulary by encouraging their babbling through copying their sounds. They explain what they are doing and repeat words back to them, so they can hear the words clearly, developing their familiarity. Children of all ages are provided with lots of opportunities to mark make and develop their early writing skills. Young infants are encouraged to use their fingers to create patterns in a variety of media, such as, sand, paint and dried food. They have access to chunky paint brushes and crayons which they can hold easily. Pre-school children choose from a wide selection of writing materials, which they use around the environment in a variety of activities. Older children confidently write their own name and are able to recognise a range of letters. They access a well-

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who attend

resourced book area where they discover that print has meaning. They happily engage in story sessions with their peers and look at books together and tell their own stories, using facial expressions and different voice tones. They engage in singing a variety of songs as they enthusiastically explore rhyme boxes, containing a variety of props and pictures. They demonstrate how they sing different songs, performing the actions with confidence. Babies enjoy snuggling up to practitioners as they express interest and curiosity in colourful pictures in books that provide tactile and sensory experiences. All of these activities ensure that children gain a good range of skills in readiness for school when the time comes.

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who attend

Teaching techniques are consistently strong across the provision resulting in all children being effectively supported to acquire the skills and capacity to learn and develop effectively. They learn about nature as they dig for worms and observe snail trails. They are encouraged to observe seasonal changes and experience different weather conditions. Children are enthusiastic learners and are provided with a wide range of opportunities to experience a balanced variety of adult-led and child-initiated activities. For example, children are encouraged to follow their own ideas and thinking. Toddlers use their imagination as they play in the home-corner and introduce a selection of small world animals, which they place on the table. They eagerly use cooking utensils to prepare dinner for the animals. They quietly explain that the animals have gone to sleep and lay them down carefully. Pre-school children engage in a variety of role play developing their

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who attend

imagination and social skills. They use plastic tools and build with bricks and gather conkers in a variety of containers. They explain the conkers feel smooth and use them as pretend food for their dolls.

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

The nursery environment is equipped with a wide selection of good quality toys and resources that are suitable to meet the age and stage of development of all children attending. Low-level storage units are attractively labelled in pictures and words. This enables children to make independent choices, allowing them to express themselves creatively and use their imagination. Children of all ages are enthusiastic and confident to explore their environment from the moment they arrive. Pre-school children help themselves to pens and paper and walk around the environment writing what they see. They create models with recycled materials and enjoy using glue and paint to enhance their creations. Young infants explore their surroundings from different positions. Low- level furnishings enable them to pull themselves to standing and push-along toys help them to develop their confidence in walking. Large areas of space provide lots of

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

opportunities for young infants to stretch, roll and crawl, enabling them to reach items of interest, such as interactive toys. They enthusiastically turn knobs, press buttons and discover that their actions produce different sounds, lights and movement and eagerly bounce up and down and sway to the sounds they have created.

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

All children show a strong sense of belonging within the nursery. They are welcomed into a colourful, stimulating environment by friendly attentive practitioners. An established key person system ensures that every child and family is provided with the opportunity to have a 'special' relationship with one practitioner. This enables children to form secure attachments, which promotes their well-being and confidence. Practitioners work closely with parents from the point of entry. They effectively use detailed information obtained to establish what children can do, and define initial targets linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, practitioners know children well and are able to meet their individual needs effectively. All children enjoy quality time they spend with their key person and engage in a variety of activities. For example, young infants move to simple action songs, where they sway back and forth and clap their hands. Older children happily

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

engage in a game of building towers with their key person, where they take turns to add additional bricks and proudly exclaim their tower is nearly as high as the ceiling. All practitioners are loving and affectionate and delight in children's achievements, embracing them with cuddles and praise, which promotes children's personal, social and emotional development and self-esteem.

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

Sensitive care provides a strong foundation for children who have recently started at the nursery. Children are supported well during the settling in process and when moving into different rooms. Key person groups are based on what each child can do. Effective support is provided by practitioners to ensure that pre-school children are effectively prepared for their progression onto school. For example, they are provided with opportunities to meet their new teachers, who are encouraged to visit the nursery to observe children in their familiar environment. Younger children and older children are provided with daily opportunities to eat their meals together and play in different areas. As a result, all children are familiar and confident with their surroundings and learn to form close relationships with their peers.

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

Children explore feelings and express themselves through the use of stories and are encouraged by practitioners to treat each other with kindness and respect. They understand the expectations of appropriate behaviour and follow simple rules of the setting. Practitioners act as positive role models, treating children with respect and providing gentle prompts to promote positive behaviour. Children proudly show off their stickers after helping to tidy away and show care and concern towards each other. Practitioners are committed to including all children and treat them with equal concern. They provide opportunities for children to appreciate different cultures and religions through participating in the celebration of a variety of festivals and by accessing a variety of toys and resources that reflect diversity. This enables them to respect each other's differences.

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

Children's understanding of safety is enhanced through controlled opportunities provided for them to take risks. They use tools carefully, whilst participating in creative activities, such as, using scissors to cut out pictures and gardening equipment as they dig for worms. Babies are supervised closely enabling them to explore their environment safely. Children attending before and after school sessions understand the importance of staying together; as they walk from nursery to school. They wear high visibility jackets and are encouraged to use the 'Green Cross Code' when crossing the road. Pre-school children develop a range of self-care skills, for example, as they help themselves to resources and are encouraged to talk about what they want to do. They are encouraged to manage their personal needs, such as, visiting the toilet, washing their hands and wiping their nose, enabling them to become familiar with personal hygiene routines. They actively help to

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

tidy up their environment by putting resources away. Children learn about healthy lifestyles as they are offered a wide range of healthy snacks and meals, which are made from fresh produce. Babies and young infants are effectively supported during mealtimes and are provided with opportunities to feed themselves using their fingers and spoons. Children are able to rest in accordance to their needs and happily help themselves to their comforters, enabling them to feel fully refreshed when they awake and face new challenges and learning experiences. Children enjoy engaging in a variety of physical activities as they discover the value of physical exercise. They develop their co-ordination skills as they move their bodies in a variety of ways and explore wide open spaces and climbing apparatus.

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provision

All practitioners are motivated by the drive for improvement and are continually seeking ways to improve and develop the service they offer. The management team have effective procedures in place for identifying clear strengths and weaknesses. Practitioners' performance is monitored formally through regular discussions and appraisals and informally through observations of practice by the manager. Observations of practice are used to inform the appraisal system and highlight strengths and weaknesses. As a result, any perceived underperformance can be dealt with so that practitioners understand the high standards expected from them. Daily observations and discussions with children ensure their views and preferences are taken into account, such as providing activities and resources that children have requested. For example, pre-school children expressed an interest in cleaning, so role-play cleaning resources have been purchased to enable

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provision

children to follow their interests. Views from parents and practitioners are obtained through daily discussions and regular meetings. Planned actions are implemented effectively to overcome any areas of weakness. For example, the manager and practitioners have identified they would like to enhance the outdoor play area to provide more learning opportunities for children. The area is currently being developed to include an allotment. This will enable children to grow fruit and vegetables and develop their understanding about where food comes from and teach them responsibility for caring for plants. The nursery also liaises closely with the local authority early years team, implementing advice and guidance to enhance their service.

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provision

Overall, practitioners have developed effective relationships with a range of professionals, such as local schools and professionals within the local authority. This has enabled them to implement robust systems for monitoring and evaluating children's progress and support their transition into school. However, there is scope to develop partnership working with members of the community. This helps to support children's understanding of the value and roles of other professionals and groups within the local community. Practitioners have good relationships with parents who speak very highly of the service and the care their children receive. They report that they are delighted with the progress their children are making and the dedication, sensitivity and commitment of the whole nursery team. Children benefit from the close working relationships between practitioners and parents. Daily verbal communication and regular meetings, ensure that parents are

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provision

consulted at every stage of their child's care and development. A 'sharing tree' interactive display also enables parents to record their comments, home observations and suggestions, and the information is used to inform activity planning, continuity of care and enables practitioners to meet the individual needs of children. Additional information is provided for parents through displays and regular newsletters, keeping them fully informed about events. Effective communication systems ensure that parents are kept fully informed of their children's progress. Close liaison with local schools and sensitive support provided by practitioners ensures that children are prepared for their moves, both within the setting and on to school.

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provision

Practitioners are committed to providing an environment that is welcoming, safe and stimulating, where children develop their confidence and enjoy their learning experience. Effective systems are implemented to identify and assess possible risks and practitioners take appropriate steps to prevent accidents, while enabling children to have the freedom to explore and learn safely. For example, daily checks of the premises, inside and out are conducted and recorded and any potential hazards are removed. Resources and equipment are in good condition and checked and cleaned on a regular basis. Arrangements for safeguarding children within the provision and through work with families and outside agencies are highly effective. All practitioners prioritise children's safety and have a secure knowledge and understanding of how to protect children in their care. Management effectively implement robust systems to monitor practitioner's

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provision

knowledge and ensure they attend regular training, promoting their awareness of current procedures to follow, in event of any child protection concerns arising. Robust recruitment, selection and induction procedures are in place to ensure the suitability of practitioners to work with children. Documentation, policies and procedures are used effectively to underpin practice and comply with the statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which demonstrates the managers understanding of her role and responsibilities. The manager effectively monitors the educational programmes, which ensures she can easily identify any gaps in the children's learning and source any additional support the children may require.

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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 EY461027 Local authority Rochdale Inspection number 914057 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 99 Number of children on roll 43 Name of provider Building Blocks Day Nursery (NW) Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01706620025

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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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