Brindley House Childcare Centre

Brindley House Childcare Centre 4 Burkes Road, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, HP9 1PB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/10/2013 27/09/2012

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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 happy, safe and well cared for in a friendly, welcoming environment.  Staff are well qualified in early years and use their skills and knowledge to successfully promote good outcomes for children.  The well-embedded key person system helps staff to gain a very good awareness of children's individual needs and the partnerships with parents and others involved in children's care help to promote continuity of care.  Management place a high priority on the training and professional development of staff and good emphasis is placed on the setting's strengths and areas for development. They have developed a broad range of ambitious targets to continually improve.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 While staff use appropriate questions to enhance children's play, they miss opportunities to use 'how' and 'why' questions to further enhance children's curiosity and critical thinking.  While some work has been undertaken to engage parents in helping their children to learn at the nursery and at home, further work is needed to engage all parents.

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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 rooms

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents' through discussions on inspection and written comments

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager and spoke with staff and children at appropriate times  The inspector looked at a range of children's records, policies and documentation

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Information about the setting

Brindley House Childcare Centre registered in 2007 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in purposely adapted premises, on two levels, in the new town centre of Beaconsfield. The nursery is managed by a limited company called Brindley House Properties and serves the local area. There is a fully enclosed area for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 27 members of childcare staff. Of these, 15 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nominated person, who is a senior manager, holds Early Years Professional Status, and the nursery manager has a degree in Early Years. There is also a cook, a kitchen assistant and a cafe manager. The nursery is open all year round except for five working days at Christmas. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The out of school club is open each weekday from 7.30am to 8.50am and 3pm to 6.30pm during term time only. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education sessions for three- and four-year old children. There are currently 102 children attending who are within the early years age group. The nursery supports a number of children who are learning English as an additional language. Children who attend the out of school club are taken to

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Information about the setting

and collected from three nearby schools on foot.

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

 promote the more frequent use of questions such as 'how' and 'why' to further encourage children's critical thinking

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

 explore further ways to engage all parents in their children's development and learning in the nursery and at home

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who attend

Children learn and develop through the wide range of exciting activities provided by staff inside and out. The quality of teaching is good which means children, including babies, develop many new skills and reach the expected level of development for their age. There are ample toys and resources within easy reach so that children can choose what they want to play with. Children take part in a wide range of well-planned activities and there are many varied opportunities for them to initiate their own play. Staff support their learning and development well. For example, very young children learn to crawl, sit and stand with increasing steadiness in the safety of a ball pit, using exciting tunnels, and various soft play blocks for. Children play outside frequently, so they develop their physical skills very well.

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who attend

Children are encouraged to communicate effectively in a variety of different ways. Very young children eagerly grasp musical instruments and make sounds as staff beat a rhythm. Singing familiar songs and rhymes forms part of the children's daily routine, as staff give them opportunities to communicate with others as they play. For example, singing and using finger play as they make pumpkins out of orange play dough. As a result, children are confident at talking and approaching adults to express their own needs and wishes. Children enjoy looking at a range of picture books and sharing familiar stories individually or in small groups. Adults support their preferences very well, actively encouraging them to develop an interest in books and stories. For example, young children learn to turn the pages of the book and point to familiar pictures while making the sounds that animals make. Children develop their early reading and writing skills well

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who attend

because there are reading and writing areas in the classrooms and outside. Staff encourage children to increase their language skills by chatting freely at all times, asking relevant questions and developing their vocabulary with new words such as 'peacock', and 'lily pad'. However, staff sometimes miss opportunities to ask children more probing questions to identify what they understand and present them with further challenge and problem-solving situations.

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who attend

Adults often encourage children of all ages to try new experiences, such as exploring textures and finger painting, as well as older children trying new food at lunchtime. Children develop their imagination well when they are playing roles in the home corner or looking after their dolls. Children play well together and staff encourage them to share toys and take turns. Their behaviour is good, and the staff lead by example. Staff have high expectations of children and praise the children consistently for their achievements and efforts so that they develop their confidence and self-esteem. Staff use positive language to help children of all ages understand how to make good choices, remaining calm and patient with the children at all times.

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who attend

Children make good progress given their starting points because staff know each child very well. They make a variety of regular observations to assess children's progress, taking photographs and keeping examples of children's work within their thorough folders. They make a written summary for two-year-olds and continually assess children's progress so that they are well-prepared for transfer to school when they leave the nursery. Staff use their assessments of children to plan specific and stimulating activities to meet children's individual needs and to plan precisely the next step each child needs. This helps to ensure that all children make as much progress as possible, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents are kept up to date with their child's progress through daily conversations, daily diaries, parents' evenings and formal reports. However, staff are not proactive in asking all parents to contribute to their children's

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who attend

assessments and ongoing learning. Parents say they appreciate and value the direct feedback from their child's key carer each day.

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

Children develop secure and trusting relationships with staff at the nursery which results in them feeling happy and settled. The nursery has a consistent and well-organised approach to settling in new children. To help with this, children have several visits prior to starting to help them to adjust and to begin to form new relationships. Parents know the name of the key carer in advance and the first visit is spent learning as much as possible about each child's preferences, routines and interests. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Children enjoy plenty of cuddles and praise to raise their self-esteem from the caring, and enthusiastic staff. Children are very secure in the routines of the nursery from a very young age and are able to predict what happens next, such as nappy changing and nap time. This increases their independence skills and confidence.

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

Staff encourage good manners, for example, at mealtimes when they say 'please' and 'thank you'. Older children are encouraged to use knives and forks to help develop their independence and to prepare them for going to school. Children play in a safe environment where risk assessments of the nursery are carried out daily and steps taken to reduce any hazards from affecting children's play. For example, when the fallen leaves create a slippy surface outside, the area is cordoned off to protect children.

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

Children's self-help skills are developing well as they serve themselves and sit around the table to eat together. They enjoy this time as older children help themselves to drinks of water, pouring from a jug. Staff ensure that this is a social time for children of all ages as they sit with them and help them to become more independent. If children prefer a healthy option of fruit for dessert, this is provided for them. The premises are well- maintained and the nursery provides a bright and colourful environment for children to learn. Their work is displayed well. There are many posters, displays, books and toys which show positive images of people from a variety of cultures, religions and other languages to encourage and celebrate cultural diversity.

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provision

The manager and her staff evaluate the provision regularly because they are ambitious and keen to make further improvements. Questionnaires are sent to parents three times a year and the team respond positively to any ideas for improvement. Staff continually look for ways to improve their practice. Action for improvement has been taken in response to recommendations made at the last inspection and the manager shows determination to drive improvement. Staff feel they are very well supported and are given good opportunities to extend their expertise through performance management and peer observation. They work well together as a team in each room, sharing good practice and communicating about children's individual needs. The manager and staff have developed the educational programme to include opportunities for children to develop their skills in all areas of learning. They provide an exciting and stimulating curriculum for children of all

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provision

ages so they are well motivated to learn. Staff plan activities, and provide resources such as toys and books which are used to develop the children's early understanding of different cultures and beliefs. Staff use the expertise of the local authority service for example, to further improve the approach towards celebrating cultural diversity. Staff and parents can access information about the nursery's policies and procedures easily, including those relating to safeguarding, complaints and behaviour management.

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provision

Children are safeguarded and protected well in the nursery because the provider carries out a robust recruitment procedure. Staff are very experienced and many are well qualified. There are robust procedures with regard to vetting which includes checking the suitability of all staff who work in the nursery. Staff fully understand the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child in their care. Management place a high priority on professional development including ensuring that children are well supervised at all times of the day. There are clear systems in place to ensure that ratios are exceeded at all times, which promotes children's safety. For example, the manager carries out daily checks which means that children are safeguarded and protected effectively. These staffing arrangements are displayed on a white board in the main office each day. Furthermore, parents feel that children are kept safe because staff keep effective records

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provision

of accidents and incidents in each room.

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provision

Parents are extremely happy with the service provided by the nursery and are full of praise for the staff who they feel are very nurturing. During the inspection, parents commented that they were confident that any concerns would be addressed rigorously and swiftly by managers and key carers. Parents are well-informed about the provision through a range of written and verbal communications with staff, including their key carer. Staff work very successfully with parents to provide continuity of care but are not as good at involving all parents in their children's learning. Parents feel that their children make good progress in the nursery. Effective relationships with other provisions and professionals involved with the children are firmly established and contribute well to supporting children's welfare and learning. Staff ensure that children learning English as an additional language are supported well. Staff show they value the use of other

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provision

languages in the nursery using books and poster displays. This is appreciated by parents of these children because it helps the children to make good progress with their communication.

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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 EY366378 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 938404 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 85 Number of children on roll 102 Name of provider Brindley House Properties Ltd Date of previous inspection 27/09/2012 Telephone number 07890968612

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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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