Early Birds Neighbourhood Nursery

Early Birds Neighbourhood Nursery Birdwell Primary School, Hollis Close, Long Ashton, BRISTOL, BS41 9AZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/10/2013 11/03/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The nursery's practice consistently reflects the highest aspirations for all children and staff and enables children to make very good progress in relation to their starting points.  There are rich, diverse and challenging activities that are highly relevant to children's needs. As a result, there is outstanding learning and achievement and, particularly where children have additional needs, progress is good and rapidly improving.  The integrated teams of staff skilfully teach children, using focused planning and an extensive range of learning opportunities to fully engage children in and out of doors.  Highly effective and continually developing partnerships between parents, providers and a myriad of other agencies ensure individual children's needs are meticulously met and their protection assured.  Leadership and management are inspirational and the sharing of best practice is most effective in the drive for continuous improvement.

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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 the two play rooms and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had discussions with the manager and her line manager, staff, children and parents.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with a staff member outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation including the self-evaluation form and improvement plan, children's records, planning, safeguarding procedures, policies and information from a parents' survey.

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Information about the setting

Early Birds Neighbourhood Nursery re-registered in 2009 and is run by the North Somerset Council. The nursery operates from purpose-built premises in the grounds of Birdwell Primary School in the village of Long Ashton, North Somerset. Children are based in two rooms and share access to an enclosed outdoor play area, including a wooded area. The nursery opens each weekday during term time from 8am until 6pm, except for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. It is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are 92 children on roll aged from three months to under five years. The nursery also provides care for children aged four to 11 years during school holidays. It currently supports a small number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free

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Information about the setting

early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 15 members of staff including the manager, and all but one hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above. Of these, one has Early Years Professional Status and two hold Qualified Teacher Status. There is currently one staff member working towards a further qualification.

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

 maximise children's observing and learning by enhancing the range of living and real items available for their exploration.

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who attend

Children are extremely happy and confident in this welcoming and friendly nursery environment. The staff are experienced, enthusiastic and child-focused. They have an excellent understanding of the areas of learning and plan a very good range of activities that inspire and challenge children's interests and abilities. A highly effective system of observation and assessment enables staff to plan specifically for the individual needs and interests of each child. An effective balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities ensures that children take the lead in their own learning. Learning diaries include what children need to learn next and parents willingly take these home to add their thoughts about their child's progress. As a result, children make exceptional progress in their learning and development. Staff have a very strong knowledge and understanding of the requirement to complete a progress check for two-year-old children. They link their

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who attend

written documentation to that for the transfer to the pre-school to make sure they include all of the required information for parents and others, such as health visitors. This enables them to accurately assess two-year-old children's development and promptly secure additional support to close any gaps in learning.

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who attend

Children's social skills and ability to communicate with others rapidly develop. Staff interaction with children is excellent. All adults listen carefully to what children say and give them plenty of time to respond to interesting prompts and comments. Staff further promote communication and language through the use of symbols and speech, which enables younger children to share their thoughts, choices and emotions. Older children are confident talkers and are extremely happy to share their thoughts and ideas with others, initiating and engaging in many worthwhile conversations. Staff engage purposefully with children and make excellent use of open-ended questioning. Queries such as 'What did you do with it?' and 'What do you think?' extend children's critical thinking and problem solving and develop language skills. For example, while helping to set out a modelling activity, children discuss how to make the dough less sticky and suggest 'powder' for flour

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who attend

There are very good opportunities for children of all ages to develop a love of books. Children independently select and look through books and enjoy singing and story sessions, especially when these are continued by acting out the storyline outdoors. Children routinely recognise their names as they self-register and there are in-depth discussions and games based on letters and sounds. Staff fully encourage writing for a purpose by providing a range of exciting media, such as mark-making in dried oats and chalking on paving stones. Older children 'write' shopping lists in role play and say they are going shopping but won't need any money because 'here you don't have to pay'.

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who attend

As children play, staff talk to them about numbers and counting, shape, size and colour, asking questions that make them think and developing their mathematical skills. From an early age, children have extensive opportunities to explore different textures, including squeezing water, oats and jelly through safe plastic bags and feeling the difference. Children's understanding of the world is fostered extremely well. They explore nature by looking closely at the features of small creatures they find, including a snail's eyes on stalks. However, staff have not fully explored ways for children to use 'real' resources, such as food in the home area and live bugs on the 'natural' table. Young children are fascinated to wash, dry and dress the dolls and older children eagerly learn about features of space. Children show great pride in their achievements. They confidently share their models, including describing the complicated workings of a canal lock fashioned from logs

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

Children thrive as they actively participate in an extensive range of stimulating play experiences in the calm, child-centred environment. The staff highly encourage their independence so that children take an active role in routines and play activities. Children confidently dress warmly to play outside and spontaneously help to clear away after meal times. They are very familiar with routines and so demonstrate a strong sense of security. Highly positive relationships with the staff enable children to be self-assured and confident. Through home visits and carefully planned settling periods, children form close bonds with their key persons, buddies and room staff, showing they are extremely happy. Children's behaviour is exemplary because they are engrossed and highly motivated in their play. Older children help younger children on their settling visits and are always polite. The staff's meaningful praise and encouragement enables children to develop high

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

levels of self-esteem and tackle tasks they find more difficult. Children eagerly talk about their achievements, for example offering to sing the recently learnt alphabet song on their own.

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

Staff offer significant support to help children learn about how to keep themselves and others safe. In the quiet, calm atmosphere, children move around carefully and considerately. They use a wide range of tools with deliberation and great care, including fruit knives. Children set themselves their own challenges that they successfully meet. For example, they safely negotiate complex and challenging physical equipment outdoors, such as nets and ropes.

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

The staff very effectively ensure children learn to meet their own care needs. Their exceptional guidance and support enables children to gain an excellent understanding of health and hygiene. Children become independent in their personal care. At circle times, they watch short film clips and talk about where they might find germs and about how to wash properly to kill germs. They always choose from nutritious drink and food options and often discuss their favourite foods for healthy eating. Children choose to spend plenty of time in the fresh air where exercise keeps them fit and develops their confidence in all aspects of physical development. They learn that physical activity is very good for them and is great fun. For example, they join in spontaneous team games, dig in large walk-in sand pits and enjoy extensive climbing and balancing activities. Children hugely benefit from the highly stimulating environment and choice of abundant, creative resources that

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

offer appropriate challenge, both in and out of doors.

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provision

The provider has a wealth of experience in all aspects of childcare. The manager and her staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Their acute focus on the educational programme, and its monitoring for individual children, is exemplary. As a result, they continuously review the very detailed planning and assessment to be fully consistent in meeting children's learning needs. Key persons have an excellent awareness of what each child needs to learn next. Staff have abundant knowledge and in-depth experience of working with others to empower children with very wide ranging abilities. This means they provide particularly focused support to enhance children's skills, including the communication of those learning English as an additional language. The manager and her staff outstandingly fulfil their responsibilities in meeting the

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provision

safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They implement these consistently and imaginatively to create environments inside and outside that are fully welcoming, safe and stimulating. Through regular training and experience, they demonstrate an excellent knowledge of child protection procedures, including how to respond if they have a concern about a child. The staff supervise children very closely at all times so that children feel free to develop their own play. They risk assess both the premises and venues for outings very carefully so that hazards are minimised for children. The manager has a secure knowledge about how many children the nursery can care for and is entirely clear about when to notify Ofsted and other authorities. She revises the superbly detailed policies and procedures continuously, including about accidents, and always shares these with parents to support their in-depth understanding of the provision.

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provision

Highly effective systems for self-evaluation inform the nursery's priorities and the management uses the information gathered to set extremely challenging targets for improvement. Staff take account of children's views and preferences meticulously and the management values and acts upon views of parents expressed through in-depth conversation and searching questionnaires. The local authority development officer's action plan is indicative of already high quality provision and staff act on the suggestions immediately. Systems for staff induction and professional development are of the highest order. Management revises these continuously in the light of consistent and sharply focused evaluations of the impact of individual staff's practice. Staff have implemented recommendations from the previous inspection fully so that children have excellent opportunities for mark-making and are routinely involved in preparing their snacks. The

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provision

nursery has abundant plans for continuous development. These include monitoring the effectiveness of planning changes and further enhancing the provision for communication, language and literacy using staff knowledge gained through recent training.

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provision

The staff have exceptional knowledge and understanding of the importance of partnership working. As a result, children receive all the support they need from many other agencies, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There is a speech therapist based on site so she is always available to talk to and reassure parents. Key persons consistently liaise with other early years providers. They obtain parents' permission to exchange learning diaries with other providers to ensure children's care is continuous and complementary. The manager and her staff establish excellent partnerships with parents and carers. Families receive extremely detailed information about the provision and are fully involved in their children's learning and development. Parents and carers are very appreciative of the provision for their children. They say the adults are 'always very open, communicative, very professional and willing to listen'. They

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provision

fully commend the nursery, whose staff 'are very intelligent, very kind and loving and in tune with what we are doing'.

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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 EY344801 Local authority North Somerset Inspection number 930983 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 62 Number of children on roll 92 Name of provider North Somerset Council Date of previous inspection 11/03/2009 Telephone number 01275 888 580

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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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