Fairfield Nursery

Fairfield Private Day Nursery 72-78 St. Helens Road, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 4HW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/10/2013 12/12/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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

 Emphasis on communication development is very strong. Staff always get down to the child's level and make eye contact, ensuring they speak clearly and are understood. Many schemes and initiatives to boost children's speech and communication development are employed. Consequently, all children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress.  Children form very strong bonds and attachments and turn to staff for support. The well-established key person system ensures that transitions are managed well at every stage, so children always feel secure and confident, enabling them to learn and develop effectively.  The senior management team make very good use of outside support, such as the local authority early years team, to tackle developments needed to raise standards overall, so children benefit from a strong commitment to improvements and a forward-thinking ethos.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The range of resources includes fewer open-ended play resources, such as items and materials that are found, recycled or natural, so children have fewer opportunities to use their problem-solving skills and creative thinking by imaginatively exploring this type of resource.

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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 interacted with children in the playrooms and in the outside play areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the provider and the manager, room leaders and other staff, and carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed a sample of documentation, including evidence of staff checks, some policies and children's development profiles.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to during the inspection and in returned surveys completed in advance.

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Information about the setting

Fairfield Private Day Nursery Opened in 2001 and is on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is one of two nurseries owned by Cheshire Care Limited, and operates from a converted residential property in Leigh, Lancashire, serving the local and wider community. A separate building to the rear of the premises is used to provide care for young babies. Children have access to two outdoor play areas.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 7am to 6pm throughout the year, except for Bank Holidays. There are currently 114 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. The nursery offers funded early education places for two-, three- and four- year-olds. It 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

The nursery employs 27 members of staff, of whom 20 work directly with the children and hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, with two at level 5. 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:

 make greater use of a wide range of natural and found materials, indoors and outside, to develop children's problem-solving skills and creative thinking through open-ended play.

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who attend

Children make good progress towards the early learning goals and develop the skills, dispositions and attitudes that will underpin their future learning. They are cared for in age-grouped rooms with dedicated staff, who are positive and enthusiastic, helping to maintain a busy and productive ambiance throughout. Staff share a sound understanding of the areas of learning they are planning for, and of how children learn. By using this knowledge, and basing activities on children's interests and seasonal topics, they can create an imaginative range of activities and learning opportunities. For example, the nursery is decorated throughout with bunting made by the children and images of pumpkins, bats, spiders and ghosts to explore ideas around the Halloween season, with additional stories and craft activities. Children make links with the natural world as they find a spider in the garden and look closely at its web. This approach encourages children

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who attend

to learn new vocabulary and gain an understanding of the sequence of seasons and the rhythms of nature and life cycles.

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who attend

The baby cottage provides a very homely feeling unit with two rooms and an attached outdoor area, so babies are cared for in relaxed and natural surroundings, much as they would be at home. There is room for them to move around freely, exploring the toys and play materials offered. Staff have recently introduced a movement programme which promotes babies' physical development well by providing safe challenge and free, imaginative movement around the room.

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who attend

Babies' language development, as with all other children at the nursery, is very well promoted as all staff have a clear understanding of how to effectively communicate with children. They get down to children's level and speak clearly, giving children time to answer. The pre-school children gain an understanding of how they use their senses as they go on a listening walk around the grounds. They later take part in a listening game, identifying sounds from a compact disc and making connections with their own experiences. Two-year-olds enjoy a relaxed book sharing session with a staff member. She sits comfortably on the floor and reads to the children, pointing out pictures and asking them questions about the story to ensure they understand.

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who attend

All children use the outdoor areas at different times of day to enjoy a range of activities. They can use water and brushes to paint and make marks, and a variety of wheeled toys to scoot and ride around, learning to negotiate space safely. A giant 'target' game with balls is popular with a group of three-year-olds who enjoy aiming at the different numbers. They know that they have to line up and take turns, and enjoy collecting all the balls up to start the game again. Staff cheer and encourage them and praise their efforts, making children beam when they get close to their target. A grassy area with a tree is used in fine weather for picnics and circle times, and children take part in some activities which include growing plants from seed, mainly during the summer months. Children collect specimens, such as leaves, conkers and fallen fruit, which they examine closely back inside their rooms. They start to understand about life cycles and seasonal changes

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who attend

by looking at the trees and plants in the environment. There is scope to increase the range of open-ended play offered to children by providing, for example, a greater range of natural and recycled items and materials which will stimulate children's imagination and creative thinking.

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who attend

Children use a computer to explore a range of interactive educational games, such as shape matching, puzzles and maths games to aid number recognition and early calculation. Staff ensure that children have the skills they need, such as mouse control, so that they get the most out of the activities.

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who attend

Every child has a development profile containing photographs, observations and clear and precise next steps in learning. Staff compile these and use them as the basis of regular assessments to check that children are on course and reaching expected levels. Parents have the opportunity to view these and discuss them in detail at regular consultation evenings. A highly successful venture is the introduction of 'wow' moments, a slip of paper which parents can complete when they see their child do something significant or reach a milestone. These are incorporated into the development profile and, along with samples of work, form a very good record of children's all-round achievements.

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who attend

Children aged two have a detailed progress check, linked where possible to the checks carried out by their health visitor. This means that concerns about any aspect of their development can be addressed at an early stage, and support provided to help them catch up and make full progress.

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

Children demonstrate that they feel settled and secure at the nursery because they can choose their own activities for a large part of the time and so remain absorbed and engaged well throughout the session. They clearly trust and have confidence in the adults caring for them, asking to have their needs met and responding positively to instructions and cues. For example, when it is time to get ready for outside play, children competently change into their outdoor shoes and put on their coats. They listen to instructions to line up and take care on the stairs. Those needing support with self-care, or to access a piece of equipment, ask the staff to help them, knowing they will receive cheerful assistance.

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

Staff model good manners and acceptable standards of behaviour, helping children learn right from wrong and to take account of the feelings of others. For example, they remind children to take care when using the scooters outside, and to say 'please' and 'thank you' at snack time. Staff understand that it is important for children to work out solutions to situations they encounter, so they encourage them to negotiate and take turns, or share.

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

Children enjoy a nutritious, healthy snack, which always includes fruit and milk or water, midway through the session. Children can have a freshly prepared hot meal or bring a packed lunch. By asking parents to submit favourite recipes for warming winter casseroles and bakes, children have hearty food that they enjoy and are familiar with. Children sometimes help to prepare the food and serve it, and those who wish to, and are able, are encouraged to pour their own drinks. When they finish, children clear away their own things, developing independence and a sense of responsibility. Babies and younger children who need to rest or sleep during the day have space provided in calm, darkened rooms. Babies have cots when very little, and progress on to floor mats, with their own set of bedding, as they grow. Sleep routines, along with food consumed, nappy changes and any observations made by staff are communicated daily in a diary, which parents can

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

choose to take home and also contribute to if they so wish. This aids the two-way flow of information so staff can care for children correctly and understand their unique needs.

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

Staff work in partnership with parents in terms of developing children's independence in using the toilet. Nappy changes are recorded and parents informed at the end of the day. Staff always discuss with parents how to manage children's transition from nappies to grown-up clothing and realise that all children are individual in their approach to this. For example, while some parents prefer to use pull-ups, others choose to skip this process and provide changes of clothes. Children are never hurried or made to feel awkward by staff if they have a little accident. Spare boots and outdoor clothing are available so no child misses out on the opportunity to play outside or enjoy a trip to the local playground and open space a short walk away. These outings are well planned, and fully supervised, so children can learn to manage challenge and risk as they explore their local surroundings.

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

Children benefit from the well-established key person system as the excellent communication between staff and parents ensures that their care and development needs are always well met. They are emotionally well prepared for transitions at every stage. For example, when moving rooms, children have a series of pre-visits and the key person always spends time explaining the child's stage of development, preferences and style for learning to the next key person. When it is time to move on to primary school, their key person takes time to talk to them and discuss the changes they can expect. Children have the opportunity to meet their new teacher, many of whom come into the nursery to introduce themselves, so they can make connections and start to think about what is going to happen when they start to attend school.

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provision

This established, busy nursery has made huge strides since the last inspection and has embraced all changes and updates in the childcare and education field very professionally. Overall, it offers a good standard of care and learning to children. The success is due in part to the provider's commitment to continuous improvement and willingness to recognise areas that need development and tackle these effectively. Children are at the heart of everything, their safety and welfare is paramount, and the provision of a child- centred, exciting and above all stimulating environment enables them to make good progress. All staff are dedicated and enthusiastic, and committed to delivering a high quality care, teaching and learning experience to children through guided play and exploration, and well-planned routine care. The staff team work well together, take on the challenge of new ways of planning and teaching, and continually reflect on and evaluate

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provision

what they are doing. Regular monitoring and supervision of staff, including an annual appraisal which addresses any training needs, gives staff the opportunity to reflect on how well they are doing and follow a personal path of professional development. This is seen as key to maintaining and improving standards overall.

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provision

Safeguarding responsibilities are clearly understood. The manager has attended training to enable her to take a lead role in child protection matters. All staff have completed training to ensure they can spot and respond to any signs or symptoms of abuse or neglect, keeping children safe free from harm. All staff and volunteers or students are checked and vetted for their suitability to work with children, and no child is ever left unsupervised with an unvetted person. Comprehensive risk assessments make sure that the premises and equipment are safe, secure and well maintained. Routine procedures, such as door safety and regular fire drills, are part of the day-to-day practice.

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provision

Advice and guidance from outside professionals, such as the local authority development team, is welcomed and acted upon, so the environment and practice is constantly evolving. Staff seek to update and improve their knowledge by reading and researching child care and education related matters, and keep abreast of changes and developments in the field. They make excellent use of guidance documents and local initiatives, for example, when tracking children's progress. Because of this, assessments are accurate and reflect what children can do and need to do next, and any gaps or discrepancies across the different groups of children can be identified and remedied.

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provision

The partnership with parents is very effective. All parents spoken to during the inspection are very happy with the quality of care and the very good progress they see their children making. They understand the key person system and know how to take forward a concern or express their views when they wish to. Regular monthly newsletters and daily informal feedback, as well as the planned parent consultation meetings, ensure that parents are well informed and the two-way flow of information is maintained. The available wall space and a table near the entrance are filled with information and useful guidance for parents. For example, details of the baby movement programme are displayed in the main building so all parents can gain ideas from it to use at home.

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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 501156 Local authority Wigan Inspection number 915460

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 84 Number of children on roll 114 Name of provider Cheshire Care Limited Date of previous inspection 12/12/2011 Telephone number 01942 684 251

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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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