Grange House Day Nursery

Grange House Day Nursery Ltd Smithy Lane, Little Sutton, Ellesmere Port, CH66 3RP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/10/2013 08/02/2011

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early years provision

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

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This provision is good

 Children are very happy, interested and motivated to learn. They show high levels of curiosity and independence and develop strong relationships with the staff who care for them.  Children make good progress from their starting points because experienced staff provide rich learning opportunities through play and playful teaching across all areas of learning.  Children have consistency and continuity as there are effective partnerships between the nursery and parents and carers. Parents and carers have a high degree of trust in the staff of the nursery.  The environment and activities for children provide rich, varied and imaginative experiences, both indoors and outdoors, that help children make good progress across all areas of learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The nursery's procedures for the progress check at age two are not fully in place. As a result, sometimes children's progress in the prime areas is not highlighted to parents.  The very good, daily written observations of children do not always fully indicate the specific area of learning observed to enhance their progress even further.

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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 outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a meeting with the manager/owner of the nursery and undertook a joint observation with her.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of practitioners working in the nursery and a range of other documentation, including self-evaluation records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents and children spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Grange House Day Nursery was established in 1989 and is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a large converted house, which is situated in Little Sutton, near Ellesmere Port. The nursery is privately owned. It serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff. Of these one holds appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and nine at level 3, one person has Early Years Professional Status.

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Information about the setting

The nursery operates each weekday from 7.30am to 6.15pm all year round. There are 70 children on roll. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children and receives support from the local authority. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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

 develop the nursery's procedures for the progress check at age two so that all parents of children aged between two and three years receive a short written summary of their child's progress in the prime areas

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

 make the daily written observations of children even more effective by indicating the areas of learning observed so children's very good progress is even more thoroughly monitored.

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who attend

Children are cared for in rooms according to their age and ability and staff meet their individual care needs well. An effective key person system means that staff know the children very well and help all children to feel fully included. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported well to help them learn English alongside their home language, which is also effectively valued. Children are happy, confident and increase their independence well. For example, toys in the baby room are placed on the floor or low down so babies can freely choose their play things and staff sit on the floor to support their play.

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who attend

Staff recognise children's progress, understand their needs and plan a good range of activities to support and extend their learning. The environment and resources, both indoors and outside, are used well to capture the children's interest. As a result, children show good levels of involvement and sustained concentration in their chosen activities. Parents and carers contribute to the initial assessment of children's starting points on entry to the nursery and are kept very well informed about their children's progress. However, while staff assess children's progress frequently, systems for the progress check at age two are not fully in place. As a result, sometimes children's progress in the prime areas is not highlighted to parents. Daily observations of children are carried out and are used well to inform planning and identify next steps for children. However, these observations occasionally lack information about which areas of learning and development

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who attend

are specifically being covered. As a result, some children's overall progress in specific areas is not fully recorded. Children take home 'Petey the parrot' at weekends and record his activities. This, plus a parental comments box provides regular opportunities for parents to be involved in their children's learning and strengthen links between home and nursery.

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who attend

Children's communication and language is supported well, because staff use positive teaching methods, such as asking open ended and challenging questions to make children think. Children develop spoken language and their listening skills through opportunities to share conversations with staff, who show a genuine interest in their play and interactions. Staff caring for babies make good eye contact and use their voice and touch to communicate with them. As a consequence, babies enjoy being physically close to the staff caring for them. Story telling sessions and singing are used well to further promote children's language development.

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who attend

In the pre-school, staff place good emphasis on providing a range of resources for children to explore and investigate and become active learners. For example, children and staff collect fallen leaves outside and then put them in a large shallow tray so that children can explore the texture and colour in a variety of ways. Children self-register on arrival, they choose their name and complete the weather board and consider the initial sounds within words. As a result, children are helped to build good foundations for early literacy and develop skills for the next stage in their learning. Staff use books and stories well to reinforce children's learning and their understanding of topics, and consequently children develop a fondness for books. In the toddler room staff provide a variety of opportunities for children to develop an interest in making marks. For example, children use black paper and chalks to draw and staff ask the children about their drawings, adding appropriate

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who attend

annotations. Staff ask children what they want them to write and whereabouts on the drawing. This helps children develop an understanding of the written word.

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who attend

Children's understanding of the world is supported well by staff. Regular visits to the local library and garden centre provide opportunities for children to learn about their local community. Children begin to gain an understanding of diversity through themed activities and range of multicultural resources, such as books, dolls, small world people and dressing up clothes. A range of resources, such as telephones, iron, toys with moving parts and laptop computers help children develop their understanding of technology. Younger children have good opportunities to explore and find out how things work, as they use a varied range of programmable toys and resources with knobs, flaps and moving parts.

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who attend

Children's mathematical understanding is fostered well and they show a keen interest in shape, pattern, size and number during their play. For example, pre-school children enthusiastically play a game on the computer, matching different shaped and sized cakes. This also helps to develop and extend their understanding of mathematical concepts. Staff count fingers, toes and spoonfuls of food as they interact lovingly with younger children.

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who attend

Children enjoy a good range of experiences, which enable them to express their creativity and imagination through a variety of arts and crafts materials and by engaging in role play. All children, including babies, respond well to what they hear, see, smell and touch, such as listening to the rain on the conservatory roof.

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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 very effectively supported within the nursery and this enables them to form very good relationships with their peers and adults. A well-embedded key person system means that adults know the children very well. Babies form close and loving attachments with their key person and familiar staff and show a real sense of belonging, they feel, safe and have developed a sense of trust.

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

Behaviour throughout the nursery is very good, children willingly take turns, share and co- operate with each other. For example, when children are playing on the computer, they wait for their turn to move the cursor. Staff are positive role models for the children. They treat them with care and respect and calmly reinforce boundaries within the nursery that ensure children are safe and well-cared for. Children's understanding of safety issues is demonstrated well through their play and as they move around the building. For example, pre-school children understand why they need to hold on to the brightly coloured bannister rails as they go up and down stairs. All staff create a calm environment and children are given time and space to complete tasks, such as putting on wellington boots, at their own pace.

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

Staff support children very well to develop good hygiene practices to prevent the spread of infection. For example, children respond well when they are reminded to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. Children are provided with breakfast, lunch, tea and snacks, which are freshly prepared on site and are healthy, balanced and nutritious. The daily routine includes time for children to go outside in all weathers, run about and benefit from fresh air.

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

Staff work very well as a team to share information about children's care needs and progress. Therefore, children are well prepared for transitions within the nursery. In the toddler and baby rooms, staff complete daily home to setting diaries. As a result, parents are very well informed about their child's care and well-being and they can add additional information to ensure consistency of care. Staff ensure that they tailor the children's care according to their needs and place good emphasis on getting to know children's preferences. Consequently, children are involved, busy and motivated by the range of interesting opportunities on offer to them.

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provision

There are very rigorous and clearly written policies and procedures in place to ensure the safeguarding and welfare of children. All of these, plus forms for recording concerns and actions taken have been very recently reviewed. Policies and procedures are implemented effectively to ensure children's safety and welfare. All staff know and fully understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding children and this has been the main focus of recent staff meetings. The manager and staff of the nursery are very vigilant regarding keeping children safe and closely observe all children in their care. There are very effective recruitment, vetting and induction procedures in place, to ensure adults caring for children are suitable. All the required records, policies and procedures, including risk assessments and emergency evacuation practices are in place. These have been reviewed, evaluated and modified within the last month.

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provision

The manager of the nursery is also the owner and she is supported by an assistant manager and deputy. The effective use of professional supervision and training, results in an enthusiastic staff team who work well together. All staff and the manager have a, generally, good overview of the educational programme and ensure the inviting, well- equipped environment and positive teaching methods contribute to children making good progress. High expectations and good standards are embedded across all areas of practice. There are clear and achievable improvement plans, which are accurate, realistic and challenging. These are developed through discussions with staff, children, parents and outside support agencies. This demonstrates a strong capacity for further improvement.

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provision

Staff performance is monitored through an appraisal system, regular staff meetings and frequent informal discussions. This means that staff feel well-supported and their professional development is important. Staff have a secure knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which enables them to support children in making good progress in their learning. They maintain records of daily observations undertaken on each child and identify the next steps planned for them. Children's achievements are consistently tracked against the early learning goals, to monitor their progress and as a result, children achieve well.

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provision

Parent and carer discussions with available parents on the day of the inspection indicate that they are highly satisfied with the service provided. Parents are well informed about the setting, their child's needs and the educational programme through daily discussions with staff, home to setting diaries and informative notice boards. In addition, parents are invited to parent evening sessions throughout the year to discuss their child's progress and care and see the resources offered to them. There are effective arrangements in place for sharing information with other providers, schools and other professionals, to identify children's needs and help them make good progress. As a result, children develop confidence and are well prepared for the next stage of their learning.

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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 305075 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 937124

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 51 Number of children on roll 70 Name of provider Grange House Day Nursery Company Limited Date of previous inspection 08/02/2011 Telephone number 0151 339 9175

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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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