Camrose Early Years Centre

Camrose and Sure Start Children's Centre Camrose Centre, Streatfeild Road, NORTHAMPTON, NN5 7DE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/08/2013 22/10/2012

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early years provision

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

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This provision is good

 There is strong capacity for continuous improvement. The management team accurately identify their strengths and areas in which the service could improve. This ensures positive outcomes for children and their families.  Management and staff monitor the educational programmes for the prime and specific areas of learning effectively. Staff ensure that children participate in purposeful play and exploration, and children are consistently challenged to reach the next stage in their development.  The partnership with parents is strong. Effective arrangements are in place to ensure good working partnerships are established at the onset of care. Staff also work effectively with external agencies or services. Therefore, this ensures every child gets the support he or she needs.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is room to improve the opportunities for children to see their home languages in print in the learning environment.  There is scope to improve opportunities for children to develop their self-help skills and become fully independent.

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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 activities in all the playrooms and the outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the head of the nursery, the nursery manager and staff at appropriate times throughout the day.  The inspector conducted joint observations with the head of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at the nursery's self-evaluation document and a selection of policies, procedures and children's records.  The inspector spoke with parents throughout the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Camrose and Sure Start Children's Centre was registered in 2004 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is located in the Spencer Ward area of Northampton, and operates from purpose-built premises in the children's centre. Children attend mainly from the local area and are able to attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery comprises of a dining room and five base rooms with free- flow access to outdoor play areas.

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Information about the setting

The nursery operates from 8am to 6pm each weekday for 50 weeks of the year. It receives funding for the provision of early years education for three- and four-year-olds, and funding for priority children across all ages. There are currently 136 children on roll in the early years age range. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

A management board governs the operation of the children's centre, and the head of centre is responsible for the management of both the children's centre and the nursery. The nursery employs 33 members of childcare staff, the majority of whom hold early years qualifications from level 2 to level 6. In addition, three hold Qualified Teacher Status and one holds Early Years Professional Status. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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

 enhance opportunities for children to see their home languages in print and, for example, invite parents and other adults to contribute so that children's literacy skills are fully promoted

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

 extend opportunities for children to develop their self-help skills and become fully independent by, for example, encouraging them to use tools and equipment to prepare and cut up their fruit, pour their own drinks and clear away at snack time.

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who attend

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how young children develop and learn. They know the children well and effectively support them, knowing when to withdraw allowing them to lead their own learning. Effective observation and assessment of children's learning ensures planning for their next steps is tailored to their individual needs. Staff have a good understanding of children's preferred learning environments and therefore plan many experiences outdoors, which is a particular favourite. Both the indoor and outdoor learning environments are well organised and stimulating. Suitable arrangements are in place to encourage parents to share their observations of their children's learning at home, for example, through discussion during progress meetings or with staff on arrival or collection. In turn, staff provide parents with lots of information about their children's current stage of development. Parents are also effectively helped to

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who attend

become familiar with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. For example, during initial visits staff refer to this guidance, and displays in the nursery explain the seven areas of learning. Consequently, parents are kept fully informed and children are making good progress in relation to their starting points.

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who attend

Children participate in fun activities that challenge and extend their overall development. For example, they participate in role play and act out a wedding ceremony. They are enthusiastically encouraged by staff to improvise and create many resources for themselves. For example, the children make their own confetti, write cards and invitations and make wedding bands from tissue paper. Their learning is wonderfully extended by staff, who ask them questions that make them think. For example, they are asked 'why do people get married?' children think about their response before they reply. Staff then ask the children further questions, such as 'what is love?' Therefore, children are learning to be creative, express themselves and understand feelings and emotions. These developing skills help to prepare children in readiness for school.

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who attend

Children's personal and social development is exceptionally well promoted. Babies are warmly supported by staff who are always at their level and in close proximity to them. They encourage them to participate in many experiences, such as finger painting, looking at books and playing with balls. Staff fully understand their natural curiosities as learners and encourage them to fully explore their surroundings. Older children participate in small group times with their key person, who monitors their engagement. They ensure that all children have opportunities to speak and socialise with children of a similar age. For example, at snack time staff ask less-confident children questions that engage them in discussion. Therefore, inclusion is effectively enhanced and their communication skills are being developed.

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who attend

Children have access to an excellent range of toys and resources. They often make choices for themselves about what they would like to do and who they would like to play with. For example, children decide if they would like to be included in role play or music sessions. These sessions include access to violins where they learn how to pluck a violin before progressing on to a bow. Therefore, they are learning how things work and having fun with notes and sounds. In addition, all ages of children regularly decide where they would like to play. This is encouraged as the nursery effectively promotes a free-flow environment between indoor and outside spaces. Some opportunities are also presented to children to help them become independent. For example, staff encourage children to try and put on their socks after they have had a nap. However, at snack time children's self- help skills that enable them to become independent are not always fully maximised. For

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who attend

example, their snacks are pre-prepared, their drinks are poured for them and staff clear away their plates and cups after the children have left the table. Consequently, children are not consistently developing strong self-help skills.

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who attend

Children are beginning to learn about the wider world and our differences. They participate in interesting activities, such as looking in the mirror and creating self-portraits. Children who are learning English as an additional language are well supported by the staff, some of whom are bilingual. They converse with children in their home language and also translate many words into English. Therefore, language diversity is effectively embraced in some areas, and children confidently use their home language in their play and learning. The whole nursery environment is wonderfully presented and generally rich in print. However, children who speak English as an additional language do not have as many opportunities to see their home language in the nursery to further promote their literacy skills. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully included in the life of the nursery.

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

Children's personal, social and emotional development is effectively supported. Key persons work with children and their families, ensuring their best interests are served at all times. Each key person has a buddy who knows the child and their family equally well. Consequently, they can support them in their key person's absence. Excellent arrangements are in place to support children effectively in the transition from home to the nursery and as they move up to new rooms. In addition, staff invite reception class teachers from local schools are to visit children in the nursery. This enables them to begin to build a relationship in surroundings the children are familiar with. Key persons are sensitive towards the children's individual needs and those of parents as they move on to the next stage in their lives. As a result, the emotional security of children is maintained.

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

Relationships are very good between staff and children, and they share warm relationships with their peers. Children of all ages learn to share and take turns because staff use good behaviour management strategies. Therefore, the children are happy, confident and settled in the nursery environment. Children's self-esteem is addressed well because staff praise and encourage their achievements regardless of how big or small these may be. For example, staff praise the children for answering questions in small groups and for making suggestions about what materials they can use to create a wedding band. Good organisation of resources encourages children's independence as they are able to choose and select resources for themselves.

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

Staff support children in understanding the importance of being healthy and managing their own hygiene needs. A high priority is given to providing healthy meals and snacks, with a high emphasis on using fresh produce. For example, children regularly tuck into fruit loaf, vegetable crudites and chunks of cheese. Use of the large outdoor learning environment is fantastically promoted. Throughout the day the children move between areas and spend vast amounts of time outside in the fresh air. Children are encouraged to be physically active and exercise their bodies by moving in different ways. For example, they have many opportunities to steer and manoeuvre wheeled toys, and climb and balance on a range of good quality equipment. Children learn about their own safety through being involved in practising the emergency evacuation procedure.

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provision

Children's safety is effectively protected by staff. However, this inspection took place following notification from the provider that a child left the nursery unsupervised. Ofsted was informed immediately of this incident. A full review of the security of the premises and safety policies and procedures has since been completed by management and staff. Secure arrangements are in place to monitor children's presence inside and outdoors, in order to ensure staff know children's whereabouts at all times. Children are observed to be supervised at all times and their safety is fully addressed. Posters and newsletters remind parents about how they can support overall security and safety of the children. Procedures for recruitment, selection and induction are clear, and vetting procedures for staff are robust. Staff are recruited through interviews, and a thorough induction programme is in place to ensure they are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities.

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provision

The majority of the staff are qualified, and staff development is given high priority. Staff understand the need for confidentiality and are discouraged from discussing any nursery business on social networking sites.

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provision

All staff fully understand their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding requirements. They attend training to keep their knowledge up to date, and discussions about protecting children regularly feature as an agenda item in staff meetings. Information on the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures is easily accessible and the written safeguarding policy contains all of the required information. This policy and a range of other policies and information for parents are easily accessible. No staff (irrespective of their role), student or volunteer commences their post at the centre without a DBS check having been completed and returned. A comprehensive record of all staff's individual Disclosure and Barring Service checks is maintained. Designated staff have responsibility for checking the environment on a daily basis prior to the arrival of the children to make sure all areas they use are safe. In addition, children's safety is assured throughout the day as staff follow

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provision

the nursery's procedures. For example, they make sure all visitors are monitored and recorded in the visitors log.

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provision

Inclusion is effectively addressed as secure arrangements have been established to work alongside other professionals and other providers in the event of children attending more than one setting. Good arrangements are in place to share information with parents about the children's overall care and stage of development. Regular communication through a variety of methods helps them support their children's learning at home. Parents speak extremely positively about many aspects of the nursery. They share that their 'children are always happy to come to nursery and they have great opportunities to play outdoors in large open spaces'. They also share that they are exceptionally well supported as parents, for example, through difficult times and changes in their lives, and matters such as potty training their children. A wealth of detailed information is provided for parents in this very welcoming environment. Displays include information on how to 'help your baby enjoy

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provision

being on their tummy'. Information is also attractively presented to make parents aware of different countries, cultures and religions. Parents are involved in fun events, such as quizzes to test their knowledge from these displays. As a result, parents feel part of the nursery and can share their knowledge with their children.

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provision

There is strong capacity for continuous improvement. Management and staff are keen to continually develop this high quality nursery. They use their experience and skills effectively to monitor the educational programmes. As a result, children's care and learning needs are well met. Staff are successful in ensuring that all children make good progress. They seek to improve outcomes for children and their families through regular reviews of their practice. Management welcomes support from local authority development workers with regard to improving practice. Current priorities for improvement are accurately identified. For example, management are continuing to develop the space available for outdoor play for babies. Management are also heavily monitoring the security of the premises, ensuring staff are fully vigilant at all times. Parents and children are also involved in the self-evaluation process. They are encouraged to share their views on many

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provision

aspects of the service. For example, they are asked to share their thoughts about the forest schools programme. This enables management to look at the effectiveness of this programme.

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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 EY281304 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 931736

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 109 Number of children on roll 136 Name of provider Northamptonshire County Council Date of previous inspection 22/10/2012 Telephone number 01604 585219

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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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