Putteridge Community Nursery

Putteridge Community Nursery c/o Putteridge Junior School, Putteridge Road, LUTON, Beds, LU2 8HJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/11/2013 20/11/2009

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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

 Teaching is good because staff have high expectations for children's achievements and planning is closely linked to their interests and observations. Children lead their learning in a stimulating environment and, as a result, make good progress.  Successful strategies that engage all parents, support and extend children's learning at home.  Children are emotionally secure because staff use everyday practice and group work to help them to form friendships, to care for others, and to feel valued.  The partnerships established with other agencies and settings are strong and help to support every child to learn and develop to the optimum level.  Robust induction and performance management for staff, which includes safeguarding reviews each term, means that staff are knowledgeable and can support children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Some staff do not consistently give sufficient time for children to organise their thoughts and respond to questions, or make the optimum use of open questioning during children's play.  Children do not have broad opportunities to judge risks for themselves in the premises and during everyday routines.

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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 both playrooms and the outside area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of policies, procedures and information provided by the provision.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager, staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed a selection of children's observation and assessment development files with key persons.

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Information about the setting

Putteridge Community Nursery was registered in 2005 and is on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from a modular building in the grounds of Putteridge Primary School, Luton. The nursery is managed by a committee and serves the local and wider community.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is accessible to all children because there is a ramped access. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 7.45am to 6pm with breakfast clubs, lunch club and after school club. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 62 children attending of whom all are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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

 help children to extend their language skills by using more open questions and giving them time to respond without rushing toward answers too quickly

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

 improve children's understanding of safety by providing opportunities for them to take responsibility for assessing, judging, and minimising risks during everyday activities in the premises.

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who attend

Children are happy and motivated in the nursery and, consequently, make good progress in their learning and development given their starting points. Staff offer resources and experiences that support children to learn and provide opportunities for them to practise their emergent skills and knowledge. This ensures that they are well-prepared for a move to school. For example, children enjoy using the outdoor 'post office' where they practice mathematical concepts talking about quantity, weight, and cost. Staff incorporate good teaching by joining the play but allowing children to lead their own learning. Children explore role play indoors and outdoors. Groups of children develop imaginative games using what they have seen and heard, and work cooperatively. For instance, children use bricks and sand with which they purposefully use scoops and builders floats, to erect a wall and platform. They tell staff, 'we have made a wall and a bridge for the Billy Goats

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who attend

Gruff!'. They go on to re-tell this popular story extending their language, their recall of events, and appreciation of literacy. In such simple activities, children solve simple problems and show a good deal of concentration and purpose as they develop their game.

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who attend

Observation and assessment, and the tracking of children's progress, are focused and build from an initial assessment that parents also contribute to by completing an 'all about me' form and through face-to-face discussion. Each child has a learning journey in which observations are evaluated and matched to show progression. Next steps are identified and, together with a record of daily interests for children, feed the planning for the nursery. Face-to-face daily contact with parents plays a key part in the communication about children's learning and development. A parents' evening each term enables parents to view and discuss children's files, although these are freely available to them at any time. The staff ensure that children and parents are fully involved in planned activities and provide information on forthcoming topics with ideas for home. They request feedback on what the children know about the subject, what they like best about the subject and what

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who attend

activities they would like to do related to the subject. In this way, the staff make sure that children's opinions and views are valued and that learning is fully shared with parents. In addition to the activities in the nursery, in response to parent requests, the staff provide 'play-boxes', such as, farm boxes or baby-care boxes, to be taken home, equipped with themed activities and suggestions for how they can be used to support learning at home. This initiative further enhances the shared learning between the parents and the nursery. A progress check at age two is completed and shared with parents. This is monitored closely by the managers, and, as a result, progression for all children, given their starting points, is good. Children with English as an additional language receive well-planned support to ensure that they make good progress. Signing, daily timelines, key words and resources, in addition to using the 'group time' to introduce activities and information

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who attend

about religious celebrations and cultures, all help to include and support children. Hence, all children make good progress given their starting points and individual needs.

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who attend

All children work with materials that help them to make choices and use their senses. For example, children experiment with cooked noodles and a range of related props, differentiated appropriately for younger and older children. Some children show an interest in the Chinese menu, pointing out letters and sounds in the text, while others develop a restaurant. They proudly present meals that they have 'made' to staff and visitors, and use simple terms, such as, 'more' and 'less' with confidence. Sand and soil trays, some equipped with model dinosaurs and other toy models, direct children's attention to both trips they have taken to museums, and to story books that they have enjoyed about dinosaurs. Staff support these activities well and follow children's emerging interests as the play develops. However, some staff do not always use questioning techniques fully to allow children to explore their language because they ask questions

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who attend

with limited responses, or fail to allow sufficient time for children to think about what they want to say. This means that on some occasions children's communication is not optimised.

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

The key persons are attentive and form good relationships with children. Parents report that they are offered taster sessions before children start in the nursery to discuss all aspects of children's care and routines. This means that children are forming secure bonds and attachments, which supports their feelings of being safe and secure. Younger children move freely between the playrooms but routines are adapted to meet their needs. For example, smaller group play is offered until such time that children are emotionally ready to join the larger story and group sessions. These methods help children to settle into the nursery, reinforce their stability, and prepare them for future moves.

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

The manager monitors the deployment of staff to ensure that it is managed in the best possible manner to meet the needs of all children. Staff are enthusiastic, model good social behaviour for children and offer them frequent praise throughout the day. The staff use initiatives for fostering social understanding and personal awareness that support children's self-esteem and confidence. For example, the staff and children develop a 'friendship tree' displaying photographs of their friends and exploring what it is to be a friend. They share a session each day that they call 'parliament time' where they review what they have done, discuss what they have enjoyed, and listen to each other's opinions. In addition, children share simple signing that reinforces basic rules and they frequently talk about kind and caring hands towards others. These methods ensure that all children are emotionally secure. Children enjoy being the 'milk monitor' and helping to prepare and

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

serve snack to their friends. They are encouraged to carry out simple tasks, such as putting their own coats on, this helps them to meet their own needs. Children are well- nourished with staff providing fresh fruit for snacks and helping to enjoy packed lunches prepared by their parents. As a result of these steps, children are independent and emotionally prepared for a move to school or new setting.

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

Children develop good physical health. The garden area, while compact and offering only a hard-standing surface, is used freely by children at all times. Staff thoughtfully plan and prepare all equipment and resources each day to provide learning across all areas of development. Comprehensive risk assessments mean that children are safe. Children learn to keep themselves safe through practical daily routines and staff guidance. They take part in regular evacuation procedures to learn about keeping themselves safe in the event of a fire. However, they have fewer practical play activities that support them to make independent judgements with regard to personal risk or risks in the environment. Consequently, children do not fully explore practical methods that help them to understand risk and are dependent on the staff to minimise risk for them. As a result, their own understanding of safety and how to manage risks safely is not maximised.

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provision

The manager, and her deputies, have high expectations for the quality of care that is offered to children and families. Regular reviews of all paperwork and procedures take place to ensure that all requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage are met. Arrangements to safeguard children within the nursery are robust. All staff have safeguarding training, which is renewed each three years and the manager undertakes a safeguarding supervision meeting with every staff member each term. Safeguarding is also an agenda item at staff meetings each month and this is used to review practice and procedures. There are clearly mapped procedures for monitoring any safeguarding concern within the nursery. All staff demonstrate an understanding of the role and responsibility, with regard to referral to the appropriate authorities, when necessary. As part of the safeguarding procedures there are thorough recruitment and

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provision

suitability checks, which include a detailed induction and probationary period, of three months, for new staff. During that time they are closely monitored by a line manager. As a result, the nursery ensures that children are completely protected.

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provision

Professional supervision is provided in the form of regular peer observations by the line managers. Each staff member has an annual appraisal at which clear objectives are identified for their continued professional development. These objectives are then reviewed at the mid-year point. The manager is present during daily sessions and provides feedback to staff. This provides very clear guidance to staff to help their understanding of good practice. Thorough reflective practice includes input from all members of the staff, parents and carers, and children. For example, a written self-evaluation form is produced using information gathered through questionnaires completed by parents, and audits for welfare and quality, assisted by external professionals. The reviews, by the manager, of all children's learning and development files also informs the self-evaluation and identifies further areas for development. The staff team evaluate children's engagement in learning

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provision

by using a 'wellbeing and involvement scale' to guide further improvements. As a result of these clearly embedded procedures, the information helps to drive the continuous methods that maintain, and build on, the good levels of achievement.

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provision

The nursery works closely with other settings, including childminders, to promote continuity in learning by sharing assessment files and agreeing next steps. The staff are instrumental in settling children at new schools because they facilitate visits from new teachers throughout the year, and work with those schools to prepare children through a regular exchange of information. Although there are currently no children attending with special educational needs and/or disabilities, the nursery does frequently work with children and families with additional needs. The nursery works extremely closely with other professionals involved with children to identify and fully support individual needs. Parents provide information that details how the staff adapt the environment for children with specific needs, works closely with other professionals, and seek training for all staff where there may be a medical need. Staff develop clear health care plans for children that

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provision

enhance their privacy and self-esteem in the event of personal care or medical intervention. Parents comment that they are fully involved in the detail of individual education plans. Children are secure and confident, and clearly enjoy their play and learning. Consequently, they embark on their learning career ready to seek out new experiences and learn.

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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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY312393 Local authority Luton Inspection number 873134

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 62 Name of provider Putteridge Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 20/11/2009 Telephone number 01582 480734

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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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