Woodside Children's Nursery

Woodside Children's Nursery 2-4 Hazel Grove, SLEAFORD, Lincolnshire, NG34 8BG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/11/2013 06/06/2011

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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 form secure emotional attachments with their key person and show good levels of confidence and independence in the setting.  Children's learning is effectively promoted as they engage in an interesting range of activities, which are planned around their interests and developmental needs.  Children are safeguarded well in the setting due to the strong partnerships that have formed with families and outside professionals, who work closely together to meet children's needs.  The setting is led and managed effectively. The manager demonstrates clear focus and vision for the future with clear areas for improvement identified which will strengthen practice.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Occasionally during activities some staff do not skilfully question children enough to develop their critical thinking and extend learning.  There is scope to improve the large outdoor area regarding the cleanliness and stimulation of the environment as a whole and the resources provided.

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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 children's activities in the baby room, pre-school room and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager and spoke at appropriate times to staff throughout the sessions.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Woodside Children's Nursery was registered in 2005 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a two storey building in the middle of a housing estate in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, except for a week at Christmas and bank holidays. Sessions are from 7am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 81 children attending, of whom 57 who are within 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 and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 enhance opportunities for children to develop their communication, language and critical thinking skills by ensuring the best use of questioning and modelling of language is consistently used during activities

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

 develop further the organisation of the outdoor play areas to provide a stimulating, clean and attractively resourced environment to enhance children's all round development.

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who attend

Staff have a clear understanding of how children learn through play and overall, teaching is good. Children are engaged, motivated to learn and supported well in their chosen activities. For example, when older babies use safety knifes to cut pieces of carrot to feed the guinea pig. The staff member supporting this, helps the children move the knife back and forth safely. She extended learning further by encouraging children to count the pieces they had cut as they placed them in the bowl and introduced mathematical language, such as small and half into their vocabulary. Staff talk meaningfully to children about what they see and do and in general promote a rich language environment that supports their early communication skills. However, on some occasions with the pre-school children, some staff do not make enough use of skilful questions to allow children to fully develop their critical thinking and extend learning. For example, during a play dough

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who attend

activity, conversation about what the children were making was not effectively encouraged and their spontaneous learning not fully explored, such as when a child showed an interest in comparing the size of their play dough ball with their friends.

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who attend

Staff demonstrate clearly through discussion that they know their key children well and plan activities based on their interests and individual needs. Children's prior knowledge, skills and understanding are gathered from parents when children start at the setting and the information used to plan effectively from the beginning. A computer based system is used well to track and assess children's progress towards the early learning goals and ensure gaps are not missed. It is also used effectively to monitor learning within the environment as a whole by identifying those areas of learning which are less well promoted than others in the setting so that this can then be better enhanced. Records are regularly monitored for effectiveness to ensure that children are making good progress towards the early learning goals and gaining sufficient skills for the next stage of their learning, such as starting school. Progress is shared with parents through daily

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who attend

conversations, diaries with the youngest children and parent meetings. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities attend the setting and are well cared for by caring and experienced staff. There are several special educational needs coordinators at the setting who work very closely with parents, health care professionals and other outside agencies to help children learn and develop to their full potential. For example, they hold regular meetings to discuss progress and set precise individual targets which are implemented well by all staff.

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who attend

Staff play with babies at their level and give them good opportunities to explore the toys and resources available. Those learning to walk are provided with good support to perfect this important skill, which helps them gain independence to access the toys of their choice. Children of all ages spend time in the outdoor area on a daily basis and visit places of interest in the local community to extend their learning. For example, during the inspection pre-school children visited the library to look at books and listen to a story read by the librarian. A bilingual member of staff is used well to support children and their families who speak English as an additional language. There are good opportunities for children to see and hear their home language in their play and information, such as a two- year-old progress check and important letters are translated into different languages for parents. Suitable multicultural resources and celebrations of festivals supports children's

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who attend

understanding of the diverse society they live in.

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

The setting's key person system is effective in meeting children's needs as strong attachments have formed between staff, children and their families. This enables children to feel safe and secure when attending the setting. Babies seek out familiar staff for cuddles when tired or feeling a little unwell and all children are confident to approach staff for help when needed. Babies and young children's individual routines are adhered to, such as, sleep, nappy changing and feed times which meets their immediate needs. Daily written and verbal information is exchanged with parents of children under three years so that changing needs are constantly met. Relationships have developed well with several local schools children attend which aids a smooth transition. Teachers visit the setting and staff take children to visit their schools during the summer term. Staff talk to children about starting school and during the inspection children independently chose to dress up

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

in a number of different school uniforms. They looked at pictures with staff taken at local schools, which enabled them to explore and ask questions about the different aspects of school life.

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

Play spaces are organised effectively, especially with the youngest children to support active learning and children of all ages are able to choose resources independently. Since the last inspection the baby room has been refurbished to provide a more welcoming and stimulating environment. Plans are in place to replicate this throughout the setting to provide a fresher, more welcoming feel. Children's independence skills are promoted well during routine activities. For example, during snack, babies helped to give out bowls of fruit to their friends and enthusiastically helped to sweep up sand from the floor at tidy up time. They show clear familiarity with routines and understand rules that help to keep them safe. For example, children understand why it is important to hold the banister when walking downstairs. Behaviour management among staff is consistent and children are spoken to appropriately at all times. Children demonstrate good behaviour and through

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

gentle reminders learn to play cooperatively with their peers, sharing resources and working together as a team. For example, when building a tower of bricks.

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

Children's awareness of developing a healthy lifestyle is encouraged through activities that promote healthy eating and through outdoor physical play opportunities. For example, a wooden climbing structure provides good challenge for older children. Outdoor play is incorporated into the daily routine so all children spend time enjoying the fresh air. However, there is scope to improve the main outdoor play area as some areas have become tired and uninviting. Due to the presence of bark chippings on the floor throughout the surfaces in this area, some toys and resources look worn and tired and children's clothes easily become dirty as they play. Children eat a good variety of meals and snacks which promote a balanced diet and help themselves to drinks throughout the day when they feel thirsty.

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provision

Robust recruitment processes ensure staff have the necessary skills to offer children effective support. Clear induction procedures ensure staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities and the general running of the setting. Staff have a robust understanding of how to protect children in their care. Arrangements for safeguarding children within the provision are good and staff are confident to report concerns if required. The setting is very securely maintained with electric gates, finger print recognition and CCTV used to keep children safe. Staff to children ratios are met at all times and an effective process of daily risk assessment is followed to ensure potential hazards are identified and minimised quickly. The owner and manager of the setting is firmly dedicated to providing a high quality provision for all. They have a good knowledge of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The manager is fairly new to the setting and has spent time

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provision

initially getting to know children, staff and parents as she has settled into the role. However, she is very experienced in childcare and uses clear self-evaluation methods, demonstrates clear vision and focus for the future and has clear plans in place that will enhance children's experiences in the setting. Staff have developed a clear understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements and strive to provide all children with an effective and enjoyable learning experience. Their practice is regularly monitored to ensure children are effectively supported to make good progress. Staff are encouraged to develop professionally and attend regular training that will benefit the children in their care, such as the forest school approach.

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provision

Positive relationships are in place with parents and they are encouraged to share their views in questionnaires verbal discussions and through their children's daily diary. Regular newsletters ensure parents have a good overview of the setting at all times and are well informed of events taking place. Parents feel staff are lovely and approachable and they are well informed of children's progress. Clear procedures are in place when children attend other settings so that information is shared to support children's learning and welfare across both establishments.

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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 EY299627 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 939130

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 81 Name of provider Woodside Childrens Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 06/06/2011 Telephone number 01529 307500

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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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