Field House Day Nursery

Field House Day Nursery Munro Street, STOKE-ON-TRENT, Staffordshire, ST4 5HA

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/11/2013 11/07/2012

p.1

early years provision

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

p.1

This provision is outstanding

 Children make excellent progress in all areas of their learning and development. This is because staff continually assess their abilities, and plan a rich variety of interesting and challenging activities to support their identified next steps in learning.  Emotional security of the children is given an exceptionally high priority by all staff. Consequently, children are happy, settled, secure and relationships are excellent. This fosters a sense of belonging and ensures that children are confident learners who are emotionally well prepared for the next stages in their learning.  Staff are extremely enthusiastic, clearly enjoying their play and interactions with the children. They expertly support and extend children's learning and development at every opportunity, encouraging them to develop critical thinking skills and become active learners.  Leadership is inspirational. Meticulous focus on self-evaluation and reflective practice

p.1

This provision is outstanding

ensures that staff, parents and children are highly involved in the setting's continual improvement, in pursuit of excellence. As a result, staff are highly motivated and have high expectations of the children and themselves.  Partnerships with parents, other settings and professionals are excellent. This ensures that children's needs are quickly identified and that they receive targeted support appropriate to their individual needs.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed a wide range of activities indoors and outdoors.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation of an outdoor play session with the setting manager.

p.2

Inspection activities

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

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed a wide range of documentation including planning and assessment, staff suitability, child protection policies and procedures and the setting's self-evaluation.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection and written feedback through nursery questionnaires.

p.2

Information about the setting

Field House Day Nursery registered in 2006 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is privately owned and operates from a renovated school building in Stoke-on-Trent, on the outskirts of the town centre. Children share access to two enclosed gardens for outdoor play. Local schools, parks and other amenities are close by.

p.3

Information about the setting

The nursery employs 15 members of staff. Most of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. The manager holds a foundation degree in early years. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am until 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. There are currently 62 children in the early years age range on roll. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

p.3

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

 enhance the existing excellent partnerships between the setting and parents, by further encouraging the sharing of observations about children's learning at home and celebrating these through displays to encourage more hard to reach parents to participate.

p.3

who attend

Staff plan and provide an exceptionally varied range of activities and experiences for the children, both indoors and outdoors. This helps them make rapid progress in their learning and development. Each member of staff is very confident and knowledgeable about child development and how to support children, using every opportunity to promote and extend the children's learning. Staff provide an excellent balance of support, giving children the opportunity to work things out independently. For example, older children are tasked with drawing a road on the playground outdoors, which they skilfully work together to complete. This is significantly enhanced by the skilful teaching of staff who ask the children where the road leads to. This prompts further thinking skills as the children decide that it leads to the beach, resulting in further creative additions of waves and dolphins. Teaching is exceptional, as staff are constantly attuned to what the children are

p.3

who attend

doing and when it is appropriate to intervene to support and extend their learning opportunities.

p.3

who attend

Staff continually observe children to note their current interests and abilities. Observations are sharply focussed on what children can do now and the next steps to move learning forward. These are used by staff to plan purposeful learning opportunities, which challenge children constantly, to help them think and develop new ideas and achievements during their play. Staff organise a wide variety of inspiring activities for children both inside and out, so children have plenty of choice in either environment. As a result, children are confident, motivated learners who are developing excellent skills for the future.

p.4

who attend

Children are very well prepared as they get ready to move on to other settings and into school. Staff engage parents, carers and others in children's learning and development, providing regular opportunities to discuss children's needs and progress. They are fully aware of the requirement to provide parents with a progress check when their child is aged two years and complete these where necessary. These positive partnerships and relationships ensure that there is effective information sharing and consistency for the child, and that those in need of additional support receive this to ensure that their needs are fully met.

p.4

who attend

Outside, children have an exciting range of resources and equipment to explore and further their learning and development. They build dens, use real building materials for construction and explore a range of resources and equipment to challenge their developing physical abilities. Children's understanding of the natural environment is supported through planting and exploring the sensory garden and its herbs. They learn about life cycles through experiences, such as, incubating eggs until the chicks hatch and developing caterpillars into butterflies, which they release into the environment. Staff talk to children about the snails and worms they find, encouraging the need to be gentle towards them. Children learn to take care of all creatures and use the outdoor bug hotel that they have built to keep them safe. The enthusiastic staff and their high levels of interest and engagement with the children in their play, results in children being very

p.4

who attend

All staff understand the importance of supporting children's communication and language skills at all times, especially for those children learning English as an additional language. Staff use visual timetables to enable children to understand the daily routines and activities. Parents are asked to provide key words from children's home language to reassure and reinforce their understanding, and support their child's needs. Staff provide excellent commentary and open questions to children during their play, to engage children in practising their language skills. Children are not hurried to give a response and are clearly given time to think about what they want to say. Staff sing songs and read stories with enthusiasm, which captivates children's attention. The environment is rich in print and staff encourage children to draw and write both inside and out in the garden. This supports children's developing literacy skills, in readiness for the next stage in their

p.4

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

There is an excellent and flexible settling-in procedure in place which supports children in a smooth transition into the setting. This, alongside the outstanding key person system in place, ensures that children quickly and happily settle into the setting. This reflects the superb relationships which develop between the staff, children and their parents. Staff place a high level of importance upon children being happy and utmost priority on their emotional security which they acknowledge is vital to enabling children to flourish in their learning and development. Parents comment that they have excellent relationships with all staff. They share information with staff about their child's care needs, interests and achievements. This enables staff to appropriately support the child's needs and provide for their interests from the outset. Parents feel reassured that the staff know each child remarkably well, enhancing their sense of trust and security in the quality of their child's

p.5

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

care. As a result, children have strong and secure emotional attachments with the staff. This enables them to enjoy their time and make excellent progress in all areas of their development and learning, in a safe and secure environment.

p.5

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

Children quickly develop their independence in self-help skills. This is because staff know the children exceedingly well and recognise when they are ready to take responsibility, such as managing their own hygiene needs of hand washing. Babies are supported as soon as they are ready to drink from open cups and older children to serve their own snacks and meals. The learning environment enables children of all ages to independently select resources of their choice, supporting them to extend their play and their developing imagination. Displays celebrate children's creativity and the many photographs of children engaged in activities; celebrate the skills they have used and the learning gained from these experiences. This, alongside the 'family trees' containing photographs of every child in each room, supports their developing self-esteem and sense of belonging in the setting.

p.5

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

Positive behaviour is highly evident and children happily play together. This is because staff understand the importance of ensuring that children are actively engaged in play, to prevent them from becoming bored, and support children to work together. The setting has simple rules, such as, sharing and taking turns, and these are reinforced throughout the sessions. Staff provide exceptional role models in being kind and respectful to one another and welcoming visitors into the setting. This results in children who are polite and respectful, and curious to find out by asking questions. These personal skills in managing their emotions and developing positive relationships support children extremely well towards the next stage of their learning, such as school.

p.5

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

Children enjoy fresh air and exercise, developing physical skills and confidence as they play on large equipment in the outdoor area. Staff supervise children in using real builders materials outdoors, showing them how to hold and carry these safely so that they do not hurt themselves or others. At snack time, staff explain the dangers of the sharp knife used to cut their fruit and children competently share their knowledge of this with staff. These opportunities enable children to take risks under adult supervision and support children in understanding how to keep themselves safe. Staff support children well in understanding the importance of a healthy diet through discussions about foods that are healthy and those which are not. This supports children in making healthy choices.

p.5

provision

The manager of the setting is truly inspirational, continually focussing on the pursuit for excellence in everything that takes place in the setting. She provides strong effective leadership, enabling her staff to feel empowered and inspired by her example. This results in staff being highly professional and dedicated to their role in meeting the children's learning and development needs. The meticulous focus on self-evaluation and reflective practice ensures that staff, parents and children are highly involved in the setting's continual improvement. As a result, staff feel valued that their contributions are acknowledged and are extremely motivated and enthusiastic, having high expectations of themselves and the children in their care.

p.6

provision

Each staff member is confident and has a thorough understanding of the policies and procedures that underpin the exceptional practice in the setting. Robust recruitment and suitability processes are in place to assess and continually appraise staff suitability. Continual monitoring by the manager and effective and frequent supervision ensures that all staff maintain high standards of professionalism and integrity. All staff have a thorough understanding of their role and responsibility in safeguarding and promoting children's welfare. Staff receive refresher training and policies are frequently updated, so staff members are fully familiar with the child protection procedures in the local area, and have confidence to follow these. The manager is highly pro-active in ensuring the safety and well-being of all who use the setting and frequently reviews policies and procedures to ensure robust practices are in place. All of the required documentation is in place and is

p.6

provision

Staff continue their professional development by attending training and sharing what they have learnt with others in the setting. Training is used as a springboard for further developing practice, based upon identifying the potential impact on the children's learning and development. For example, staff attend a course about promoting language development. They identify that they would like to create a listening room in the setting as a result, highlighting the potential benefits of this for the children's progress in communication and language development. This involvement in driving the provision further motivates and inspires the staff and enhances the already excellent practice in the setting. Effective monitoring systems used by the staff ensure that children's needs are identified early and support is quickly implemented. The manager has excellent systems in place to monitor all areas of practice and all children's achievements, to ensure that all

p.6

provision

children are making rapid progress and that those who are not receive high quality support to meet their identified needs.

p.6

provision

Partnerships with parents, other settings and professionals are excellent. This ensures that children's needs are quickly identified and that they receive targeted support appropriate to their individual needs. The information obtained from parents on their child's individual care and learning is outstanding and communication between the staff and parents is excellent. Parents highly value the positive relationships they have with the staff and their welcome involvement in the setting. This ensures that they work exceptionally well together to meet the children's needs. The setting has an established parent champion group and seeks and welcomes parents' views on the provision in order to continually review and improve practice. Staff also ensure that links with other professionals are strong in order to ensure a fully cohesive approach to each child's care and learning.

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

Setting details

Unique reference number EY332404 Local authority Stoke on Trent Inspection number 939738

p.9

Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 70 Number of children on roll 62 Name of provider Field House Day Care Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 11/07/2012 Telephone number 01782 844 863

p.9

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.

p.9

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.10

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,

p.10

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’.

p.11

Type of provision

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

p.11