Hawes Side Nursery

Hawes Side Nursery Hawes Side Primary School, Pedders Lane, BLACKPOOL, FY4 3HZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/06/2013 08/05/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 4 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children develop effective habits for learning as staff actively encourage children to have a go and keep trying, knowing staff are nearby for support.  The environment both indoors and outdoors is safely maintained. This ensures children play safely and securely.  Children develop confidence and independence skills as they choose from a wide range of toys and equipment. They are developing their self-care skills as they independently serve food and put coats and hats on.

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It is not yet good because

 Observations of what children can do are not detailed enough and activities are planned according to a pre-planned topic, not children's individual needs and interests to ensure the best progress for all children.  Children do not always have the opportunity to complete activities to their own satisfaction. Such as, playing outdoors in the light rain when staff are not dressed appropriately for the weather.  Appraisals and supervision meetings do not fully promote staff's continual professional development because practice is not regularly monitored and they are not given clear guidance for progression to ensure a consistently good experience 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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Inspection activities

 The inspector toured the setting with the deputy manager.  The inspector spent time observing children's play in all rooms of the nursery.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of children with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with staff about the setting's procedures and children's learning and development.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation including policies and procedures, children's learning records and the provider's self-evaluation form.

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Information about the setting

Hawes Side Nursery has been registered on the Early Years Register since August 2007. It is situated in a purpose-built premises in the south shore area of Blackpool, in the grounds of Hawes Side Primary School. The registered provider is the owner, who also has four other nurseries in Blackpool. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is open Monday to Friday all year, apart from bank holidays and Christmas. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. There are currently 89 children on roll, who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children, who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 use thorough observation and assessment to establish the individual needs, interests and stage of development of individual children and use this information to plan challenging and enjoyable experiences for each child to support their learning and development

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must:

 improve procedures to monitor staff performance and provide support, coaching and training for staff by providing clear targets for development, to promote the interests of children.

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

 ensure staff model appropriate dress for the weather conditions and allow time for children to pursue their learning without interruption and to complete activities to their satisfaction.

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who attend

The staff have a reasonable understanding of promoting children's development and they plan a variety of activities to support their learning. Observations are done periodically on children and linked to the appropriate development bands to establish what children can already do. However, these are not always in depth or specific enough to fully ensure accurate next steps are targeted. Next steps are planned to fit in with pre-chosen topics rather than children's changing interests and development.

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who attend

Information is obtained from parents when children start in the nursery, and this contributes to an initial assessment of their developmental stage. The assessment of children's development is accurate and includes the progress check at age two, as required. They follow the guidance of external agencies to deliver activities with specific targets to assist children's progress. For example, children with speech and language delay are supported through large group activities, such as stories and songs that focus on improving pronunciation through correct tongue positioning in a fun way.

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who attend

Kindergarten children learn how other people live as they share their stories about their bear named Paddington. Paddington goes home with children regularly and his diary shows the many exciting adventures he has had with the families. They sing together exploring vocabulary and joining in with familiar lines. Pre-school staff help children develop fine physical skills, such as cutting with scissors. They demonstrate safe use of tools and encourage children in small steps to build confidence. For example, when a child says he cannot do it because it is 'wobbly', staff offer to draw a line to follow with the scissors. They construct elaborate slides with bricks and demonstrate how the 'person' has to navigate up the ramps and down the slides to the other side. Therefore, the critical thinking of children preparing to go to school is reasonably promoted.

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who attend

A wide selection of good quality resources is available indoors and outside to support children's play experiences. Older toddlers are developing their skills in mathematics as they help each other to build very high towers, counting the bricks as they go. Staff ask them how many bricks there will be if they add one more each. Children respond correctly and demonstrate a clear understanding by calculating and predicting what comes next. Planned activities include daily outdoor play for fresh air and exercise that also helps children to develop their large muscle skills. For instance, children ride around on wheeled toys, backwards and forwards, resulting in their growing spatial awareness as they avoid others. They learn about textures through sand play and develop understanding of scientific concepts as they measure and mix ingredients and mix them to form play dough.

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who attend

The staff provide a welcoming environment in which children generally make steady progress towards the early learning goals. This helps to prepare them appropriately for the next stage in their learning. Staff discuss and share information relating to children's learning generally well with parents. This means parents are appropriately placed to support children's ongoing development at home.

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

Children with English as an additional language are gaining support as an audit of all languages spoken at home has identified areas to target. For example, parents have been asked for basic words in their home language to help staff support children as they also learn English. World maps, made at pre-school show where in the world children's family come from. This helps children understand their place in the world and that people come from diverse backgrounds.

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

A gradual settling-in period allows children to feel at ease in the nursery, and this supports them and their parents in forming strong relationships with key persons. Staff cuddle children if they are unsettled, providing a sense of comfort that contributes positively to their happiness. Staff regularly praise children for achievements and efforts, such as completing tasks. Children are generally well behaved as staff give clear guidance during activities and routines. Owing to the use of age-appropriate methods of managing behaviour, children learn what is acceptable.

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

Physical activities, such as outdoor play, riding and climbing, help children to develop an understanding of the effects of exercise on their bodies. They develop a sense of personal safety as they learn to take risks under supervision. Children take responsibility for aspects of self-care, such as putting on coats with little or no assistance before going outside. However, staff do not always wear coats outdoors in the rain. This does not present a good example of appropriate self-care for children to follow. This also means outdoor play was ended early despite children being appropriately dressed and happy playing in light rain.

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

Children confidently interact with staff and their peers, demonstrating their sense of security in the nursery. Children ask for help when they need it and staff do not interfere. This means children are demonstrating the characteristics of effective learners as they are confident to have a go and keep trying, knowing that support is available. Staff work closely with school regarding children's transitions. They have regular visits before they start to help to support the move and ensure the teacher knows their needs before starting.

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

The nursery provides nutritious and well-balanced, freshly-cooked meals daily, resulting in children's awareness of healthy choices as they eat fresh fruit and access drinks. Their independence is suitably promoted as children are provided with child-size cutlery and learn to use knives to cut their food. Staff sit with children while they eat in a well- practised social routine and encourage their social skills during conversation. The nursery is maintained in a clean condition throughout and children are aware of good hygiene practices, such as hand washing after messy play and before meals. This ensures children are appropriately protected against infection.

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provision

The inspection was prioritised due to a concern raised with Ofsted regarding staff ratios, child supervision and injury to a child. The pre-school was found to be complying with requirements for numbers of staff and levels of qualification at the time of inspection and during the previous weeks. Correct procedures were followed at the time the child was injured, and reports made to the required authorities. Staff understand the safeguarding policies and show a reasonable understanding of the procedures to be followed if they have concerns about children in their care. Risk assessments are carried out and daily checks are made. These are generally effective in ensuring children's safety. Policies are updated regularly for the group of nurseries and shared with parents, through the parent notice board that carries multiple copies of all policies. Parents are made aware about the responsibility of the nursery to protect children at all times.

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provision

The manager has a suitable understanding of the learning and development requirements and her responsibility to monitor the staff practice and the effectiveness of teaching. However, this is not yet rigorous enough to ensure all children's needs are met. For example, staff are not always given specific targets during appraisals and supervision meetings to ensure they continue to improve their practice. Most staff have a good enough understanding of the prime areas of learning to support children's development. This helps children develop a foundation for future learning as they move on to school. Recruitment and induction of new staff is adequate. They receive an initial induction which ensures staff familiarise themselves with the policies and procedures know their role and responsibilities within the setting.

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provision

On the whole, staff evaluate activities fairly well to identify where changes can be made to improve the learning experiences for children. They successfully adapt child-led activities to maintain children's interest and stimulate learning, such as sparking children's interests in sand play by suggesting they add water to the sand. The children notice that it now sticks together and sticks to their hands.

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provision

The ongoing self-evaluation of the nursery is achieved through a variety of contributions. Parents comment that they have opportunities to make suggestions for improvement through questionnaires and daily chats with staff and management. Parent suggestions regarding meals and safe parking access to the setting have been evaluated and acted upon. A written development plan is in place and demonstrates that management and staff can assess strengths and some weaknesses. Since the manager took over nine months ago, they have identified several areas for development. For example, an identified weakness in children's communication skills has been identified. This was addressed by arranging a communication course for parents and staff. Previous actions and recommendations are being addressed, such as improving the support for children with English as an additional language through training and closer links with parents.

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provision

Actions raised around staff qualifications and safe ratios of adults to children have been addressed and each room now has appropriate staff levels at all times.

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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 EY362182 Local authority Blackpool Inspection number 925080

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 89 Name of provider Sarah Louise Sloane Date of previous inspection 08/05/2013 Telephone number 01253 839397

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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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