Parkfield Nursery

Parkfield Nursery 143 Dalston Road, CARLISLE, Cumbria, CA2 5PG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/12/2013 13/10/2009

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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

 Staff use effective techniques to engage children's communication and thinking skills and this has a positive impact upon their learning.  Good leadership and management results in staff being clear about their roles and responsibilities.  Children are cared for by staff who have a firm understanding of safeguarding and are aware of procedures to follow in the event of a concern.  The well-established partnership with parents positively supports the children as they benefit from continuity of care and learning.  Outdoor play provides a wealth of opportunity for the children where learning is active, child-initiated and meaningful.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Occasionally children do not have time to answer questions because staff intervene too quickly and provide the answer before children can formulate a response.  Staff sometimes miss opportunities to target learning intentions during conversations with children.

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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 met with the management team and reviewed information, including suitability and qualifications of staff, safeguarding and self-evaluation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector made observations during play in each of the three rooms of the setting, during outdoor play and at snack and lunch time.  The inspector spoke with parents and took account of their views.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed documentation, including children's assessment and planning records.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the provider of the setting.

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Information about the setting

Parkfield Nursery opened in 1984 and is privately owned and managed. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from a large Victorian semi-detached building in Carlisle. The nursery serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. The nursery opens five days a week from 8am until 5:30pm for 49 weeks of the year. Children have access to the whole ground floor of the building, except the kitchen area. There is a large rear garden and two smaller gardens to the side and front of the building. The grounds are enclosed with tall gates.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 73 children on roll, all within the early years age range. The nursery receives funding for the provision of early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children for whom English is an additional language.

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Information about the setting

There are currently nine staff working directly with the children, all of whom have an appropriate early years qualification. The nursery is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association and receives support from the local authority.

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

 enhance the quality of interactions between staff and children, for example, through allowing children time to think and answer questions, and considering ways questions can be used to challenge and support children's next steps.

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who attend

Staff have a secure understanding of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and how children learn, enabling them to make good progress in their learning and development. Children have a wealth of opportunities to initiate their own play ideas, as well as taking part in a range of interesting planned activities. The key person gathers information from parents regarding children's activities at home and uses this information, and regular observations, to make sure activities meet each child's needs. Staff keep detailed and well-presented diaries for each child. The document includes observations and photographs to map children's progress. Observations are well captured, evaluative and include identified next steps to help the child progress. Staff use their knowledge of the children well, to inform individual planning. All information is shared with parents, enabling them to contribute ideas and be involved in their child's learning. Staff

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who attend

work closely with parents to help them extend children's learning at home. Staff complete the required checks for children aged two years, ensuring those requiring additional support can be identified.

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who attend

Children thoroughly enjoy exploring resources inside and outdoors. They develop their imaginative skills, for example, they pretend to be doctors. Staff ensure children have opportunities to learn across all areas during their role play. For example, children enjoy sitting at the receptionists table to write down appointments and answer the telephone. These wonderful opportunities for purposeful mark making supports children's early writing skills very well. Outdoor play is a particular strength at this setting. Every effort has been made to ensure the garden area is as inviting, stimulating and conducive of children's learning as possible. There is a wealth of opportunity across all areas of learning. Children particularly enjoy exploring in the digging patch. They independently select from a range of tools and use their physical skills to dig, rake and scoop up the mud. One child says 'I'll get the wheelbarrow' as they excitedly fill it up. Other children

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who attend

enjoy playing with crates and cardboard boxes staff make use of. They negotiate space as they decide if the boxes are big enough for them to fit into. They demonstrate excellent problem solving skills as they discover using the crates as steps helps them to climb into the boxes. Staff's excellent resourcefulness results in children becoming active learners and critical thinkers. Children learn about the world around them during fun, real life experiences that stimulate their enjoyment of learning. For example, a visitor to the setting came to play the bagpipes in celebration of Burns Night. Children benefit from learning through these first hand experiences. Staff use good teaching techniques during play to challenge the children and extend their thinking. For example, as children have fun in the role play hospital, a member of staff asks questions about the patients and what they are doing to help them get better. These good quality interactions encourage children

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who attend

to make links in their learning and progress well. Staff encourage children's language development by asking lots of questions and engaging in chatty conversations. However, on occasions, staff intervene a little too enthusiastically, which does not always give children ample time to respond to their questions and comments and questions are not always targeted to children's individual needs.

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who attend

As a result of the strong emphasis placed on working with parents and ongoing partnerships with other professionals involved, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their families, receive very good support within the setting. The special educational needs coordinator and room leader's work together with other relevant professionals to ensure the needs of the children are identified and discuss consistent care and development arrangements, including the implementation of Individual Development Plans. Children learning English as an additional language are supported in their move to the setting. Staff seek key words and phrases in their home languages to aid communication and help children to settle. Children enjoy playing in their home language as they sing songs and have access to books and other print they can recognise. Staff help children learn to be independent and encourage them to manage their own personal

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who attend

needs. For example, children brush their teeth after meal times and older children competently use a knife and fork to cut up their food. Children also show a desire to help with putting on their coats and shoes for outdoor play. They know where their coats are and attempt to put on their wellington boots. This priority on supporting children's independence skills prepares the children for the next stage of their learning.

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

Children share positive relationships with the staff that care for them, as a result of the well-established key person system in place. Key persons are closely involved in their key child from the point of settling-in, promoting their emotional well-being and feelings of security. Children's behaviour is impeccable. All children demonstrate a thorough understanding acceptable behaviour, as a result of the consistently approaches by staff. Wonderful friendships develop as children play harmoniously together. Older children show concern for the younger children and in turn, the younger children display excellent social skills relative to their age. For example, younger children are heard asking to join in with their older peers, often promptly establishing a role in the game.

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

Children are emotionally prepared for school as staff take great care to ensure they feel a sense of familiarity. For example, children visit the schools they will go on to attend, teachers are invited in to the setting and photographs of the school are taken to be displayed in the setting for children to refer to.

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

High priority is placed on children learning about and leading healthy lifestyles. Children enjoy healthy snacks and freshly cooked meals. Menus are devised by the setting's cook, taking into consideration nutritional value and children's dietary requirements. Information regarding healthy choices is provided for parents. Staff put together healthy living home bags that include story books, a digital visual disc, and ideas for getting active and other novel items. Children have wonderful opportunities to develop their large muscles as they use a range of equipment in the garden. They explore the effects of running around as staff encourage children to feel their heart beats.

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provision

Robust safeguarding procedures help to keep children safe. All staff have attended safeguarding training, which results in them having a clear understanding of the action they need to take if they were to have any concerns about a child. Staff discuss safeguarding at each team meeting; further ensuring staff are vigilant to issues regarding safeguarding children. There are clearly organised systems of recruitment and vetting procedures to check staff suitability. Risk assessments are carried out on all areas used by children and for outings undertaken. Staff conduct a new risk assessment each time a potential hazard is recognised. For example, large construction bricks in the garden area assessed to ensure they are stacked and positioned correctly and safely. This helps to ensure the ongoing safety of the children. The environment is well-organised, enabling children to freely access resources and make choices in their play.

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provision

The professional team works well together, which reflects in the happy and welcoming environment. The leadership team is effective in supervising and supporting staff using individual and team meetings along with staff observations. This allows the management team to ensure staff are effective in their roles and supporting children's learning appropriately. Staff's professional development is given high priority and regular training opportunities result in a skilled and knowledgeable team who are keen and eager to improve their skills. This reflects positively on practice and outcomes for children, as they are supported effectively to make steady progress in their learning. A culture of reflective practice is apparent at the setting. The whole staff team work collaboratively to self- evaluate and implement positive changes around the setting. The setting has been proactive in seeking available support and guidance where possible, for example, from the

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provision

local authority and other private companies. There is clear drive and commitment from the entire staff team, who have made many improvements since the last inspection, impacting positively on practice. For example, development of the system used to assess children's progress.

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provision

Staff share positive relationships with parents, who speak highly of the setting and the support their children receive. Parents reveal how quickly their children have settled and others share how effective the setting has been in working with other professionals. Parents are made to feel welcome in the nursery, and are kept informed through the wealth of information available. Partnerships with other providers and external agencies are equally well established. The setting works closely with other early years settings the children attend, supporting the continuity of care and learning for the children. The setting also facilitates meetings for parents and other professionals involved in the care and development of particular children, forging close relationships and effective sharing of information.

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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 317393 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 865119

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 28 Number of children on roll 73 Name of provider Anne Hooper-Brown Date of previous inspection 13/10/2009 Telephone number 01228 543 034

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

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

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