Brooklands Childcare Ltd

Brooklands Childcare 137b, Market Street, Hindley, WIGAN, Lancashire, WN2 3AA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/10/2013 26/10/2010

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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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 The key person system ensures that children receive high levels of support and consistency of care. Practitioners are loving, sensitive and attentive to children's individual needs and know them exceptionally well. Therefore, even children who have recently started the nursery feel very safe, secure and happy.  All practitioners are highly committed to the continuous improvement in the quality of care they provide through the self-evaluation process. This leads to improvements, that are well targeted, resulting in better outcomes for children.  Children's safety is given the highest priority. All practitioners demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of comprehensive policies and procedures, which are implemented effectively and consistently in all areas of practice.  Excellent working relationships with parents and other professionals are effectively established, ensuring that children's needs are quickly identified and well met.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Occasionally, some practitioners intervene too quickly in younger children's play and do not provide them with maximum opportunities to explore and carry out activities in the way in which they would like to.  The arrangements for supporting babies to investigate a range of media are not maximised, in order for them to explore and experiment using their senses.

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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 during adult-led and child-initiated opportunities presented in the four playrooms and outdoor play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation and discussed these with practitioners.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation of a teaching and learning activity in the outdoor play area with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and information included in questionnaires.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the managers of the provision and checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with the children, vetting and recruitment processes, safeguarding procedures and discussed the self-evaluation and improvement plan.

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Information about the setting

Brooklands Childcare was registered in 2003 and is one of five childcare facilities run by Brooklands Childcare Limited. It is situated in a purpose-built two storey premises in the Hindley area of Wigan and serves children and families from the local area. There are four playrooms on the ground floor; the two largest rooms are divided by low-level partitions to create smaller play areas. The pre-school room, staff room, kitchen and training room are located on the first floor. All children share access to a large, enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens each weekday from 7.30am until 6pm for 51 weeks of the year, with the exception of Christmas and bank holidays. It supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children are able to attend a number of sessions. There are currently 189 children on roll. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery employs 27 childcare practitioners; of whom all have appropriate early years qualifications from level 2 to level 4. The manager has an early years degree and Early Years Professional Status. The training manager has a BA (Honours) in Children's Schools and Families and the assistant manager has a BA (Honours) in Early Years Practice. The setting receives support from Wigan Sure Start. The nursery has been awarded with Healthy Early Years status and a Healthy Business Award from the local authority. It has a healthy business rating of 5 from

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

 extend opportunities for younger children to play and explore resources and activities without taking over or over directing how resources can be used

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

 review and enhance the educational programme in order to provide babies with more opportunities to explore a variety of media; such as cornflour, paint and sand, to enable them to explore and experiment using their senses.

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who attend

Children arrive at the setting happy, confident and full of enthusiasm. Their strong sense of security is highly promoted by the sensitive, caring, friendly practitioners and the stimulating atmosphere. All children are provided with a range of interesting and challenging experiences that meet their needs, as all practitioners demonstrate a good understanding of how to engage and capture their interests. For example, as a result of interest, toddlers expressed in dinosaurs, a dinosaur area has been created, comprising of large artificial palm plants, drapes, leaves and natural materials. This enables children to role play and use their imagination as they engage in dinosaur games. They excitedly explain that the dinosaurs have 'big teeth' and 'roar loudly'. Babies and young infants show high levels of curiosity and are inspired to be mobile when they are provided with some fascinating items to investigate. They enjoy looking at themselves in low-level

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who attend

mirrors, crawl through tunnels and they sway and rock to different sounds. However, although practitioners make every effort to ensure all areas of learning are available to children, the provision of tactile play, such as paint, corn flour and sand, is not maximised for babies in order to fully support their sensory exploration.

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who attend

Systems to assess children's starting points on entry are secure. Practitioners work closely with parents during the settling period, obtaining detailed information to establish what children can do and define initial targets linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage. Regular progress reports are shared with parents, with identified targets to support children's progress, along with a variety of photographs, illustrating the children engaged in a broad range of activities. Parents are provided with daily opportunities to contribute information about what their children are doing at home. They are able to borrow resources from the nursery, such as 'resource bags' and activity cards. Toddlers enjoy taking home 'Holiday Ted' and enthusiastically share what Ted has been doing with them. This enables parents to understand how to support their children's learning at home. Sensitive support is provided by practitioners, to ensure that pre-school children are

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who attend

effectively prepared for their progression onto school. For example, they are provided with opportunities to engage in role play activities, where they dress-up in school uniform and listen to stories about going to school. They are provided with opportunities to meet their new teachers, who are encouraged to visit the nursery to observe children in their familiar environment. Practitioners also accompany children on visits to schools, providing familiar support during the process of change.

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who attend

Every opportunity is used to make full use of the indoor and outdoor environment to maximise opportunities for children's progress and enjoyment. For example, pre-school children enjoy their time during a visit to the wood. They enjoy playing hide and seek and develop their team working skills as they help to create dens for bears, using branches, wood, canes and string. They weave string between the trees at different levels, which they crawl under and learn to become more independent. They explore a variety of living things from plants and trees and discover a variety of insects, developing their understanding of the natural world extremely well. They take photographs of insects that they find interesting and engage in research, as they are involved in identifying what they have found, with the support of their peers and family.

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who attend

Overall, teaching techniques are consistently strong across the provision and exceptional in pre-school, resulting in children being effectively supported to acquire the skills and capacity to learn and develop effectively. Children are enthusiastic learners and are provided with a range of opportunities to experience a balanced variety of adult-led and child-initiated activities. However, occasionally, some practitioners intervene too quickly in younger children's play and do not provide them with maximum opportunities to explore and carry out activities in the way they would like to. Pre-school children are effectively encouraged to follow their own ideas and thinking. They make puppets to create characters from their favourite story, which they enthusiastically use to tell the story in sequence, using familiar rhyming sentences. They discover the meaning of new words from stories as they create their own bog and use small world resources enabling them to

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who attend

express themselves creatively. Pre-school children demonstrate their critical thinking skills when they consider what might happen when they mix different colours as they paint. They eagerly use paints to produce leaf pictures and explore the effects that different methods of painting can create; such as painting with brushes and printing using sponges and leaves. Children of all ages are provided with a variety of opportunities to mark make and develop their early writing skills. Toddlers have access to chunky chalks and crayons, which they can hold easily and they are encouraged to use their fingers to create patterns and marks in tactile materials such as shaving foam and paint. Pre-school children have access to an assortment of writing materials, which they use around the environment in a variety of activities. Older children confidently write their own name and are able to recognise a range of letters. They access a variety of books; and eagerly engage in story

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who attend

sessions, where they discover that print has meaning. Babies enjoy snuggling up to practitioners as they express interest and curiosity in colourful pictures in books that provide tactile and sensory experiences.

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who attend

All children are secure in communicating their needs and preferences. Pictures and use of gestures and simple sign language enhance their early language skills. Practitioners work closely with parents who speak English as an additional language, and use familiar words spoken at home to promote communication and understanding, providing the children with a strong sense of belonging. Practitioners skilfully help to enhance babies' vocabulary by offering choices of resources and repeating words back to them, so they can hear the name of the object clearly. Older children are encouraged to join in the use of phonics to promote their understanding of sounds and letters and are encouraged to self-register on arrival, showing recognition of their name. Younger and older children engage in activities that promote their listening skills, as they are encouraged to explore environments both indoors and out and describe the sounds they hear.

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

All children show an extremely strong sense of security and belonging as they are greeted by caring, sensitive practitioners. They enter the nursery enthusiastically, behave well and are confident and happy during the time they spend there. Effective settling-in procedures supports settling into the nursery and a well-established key person system offers every child and family the opportunity to have a 'special relationship' with one practitioner. This provides parents with a familiar person with whom they can discuss their child, ensuring that every child's care is tailored to meet their individual needs. Priority is given throughout the nursery for all children to spend quality time with their key person. This is achieved through small group time activities and individual time spent together. As a result, consistency of care is maintained, and newly settled children receive reassurance and comfort, developing their confidence and future skills for learning. All children are

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

sensitively supported when moving to the next identified key person. Transitions are based on what each child can do and the process results in them being confident learners, ready to embrace new challenges and experiences.

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

Practitioners work closely with parents from the point of entry. They effectively use detailed information obtained to establish what children can do, and define initial targets linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, secure attachments are evident throughout the setting, resulting in an atmosphere in which children flourish. Children learn to form close relationships with their peers and work alongside others companionably. Communication friendly spaces provide quiet time to enable children to engage in discussion. They enthusiastically share resources and work cooperatively as they take turns in their play. They explore feelings and express themselves through the use of puppets and stories and actively treat each other with kindness and respect. They are supported effectively by practitioners who provide them with first-hand experiences to develop their awareness of meeting the needs of others. Children's kindness is jointly

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

celebrated through awards of stickers and meaningful praise. Children understand the expectations of appropriate behaviour and follow the simple rules of the nursery without being prompted. Their behaviour is exemplary. Practitioners work exceptionally hard to include all children and treat them with equal concern. Children learn to appreciate different cultures and religions through participating in the celebration of a variety of festivals. They access a wide variety of toys and resources that reflect diversity, enabling them to respect each other's differences.

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

An extensive range of high quality resources are within easy reach enabling children to make choices as they engage in a variety of play activities. Pre-school children skilfully develop a wide range of self-care skills. They confidently set the table and serve their own food and instinctively know to wash their hands before handling food or after visiting the toilet. Babies are supported effectively to feed themselves using their fingers or spoons. Toddlers assist with nappy changing routines as they tell practitioners to 'put their gloves on' and hold their clean nappies. Children learn about healthy eating through the provision of healthy, nutritious meals and snacks. They learn about different textures through opportunities to touch and smell a variety of foods and discover that some foods grow in the ground or on trees and bushes. They grow cress and take a selection of vegetables home with recipe cards to make nutritious soup with their families. They are also provided

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

with daily opportunities to engage in physical exercise and know they need to wear appropriate clothing when it is cold and raining. They enthusiastically participate in exercise as they follow simple instructions. They engage in team games and negotiate obstacle courses. They balance, climb, negotiate spaces and move their bodies in a variety of ways. Children of all ages demonstrate an excellent understanding of how to manage risks and keep safe. They are effectively supported in trying new experiences and are encouraged to take risks as practitioners allow them the freedom to do so. For example, a number of staff are trained in 'baby moves', a unique sensory, music and movement programme for babies and young children. This provides an opportunity for babies and young children to develop their brains and bodies in a natural way. It consists of practitioners spending time with children and encouraging them through touch and facial

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

expression, this helps to form close bonds and develops their well-being. Practitioners encourage babies to spend time on their tummies when they are playing to strengthen their neck muscles and help with further physical development. Pre-school children try new experiences when involved in activities in the woodland area. The 'wild', and yet controlled, safe environment of the wood ensures that children taking part naturally learn to assess risk. They are encouraged to make sensible and informed decisions about how to deal with unfamiliar and unpredictable situations, such as exploring or climbing trees and using tools to build shelters and dens.

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provision

Leadership of the setting is strong because the provider, management team and all practitioners are committed to developing a high quality of service for all children and families. Parents are encouraged to contribute to the evaluation process through daily discussions and written formats. Older children are actively encouraged and supported to provide ideas for activities and contribute to selecting additional resources and toys, by expressing their interests. Babies and young infants are observed closely by practitioners who record their interests and discover what they enjoy doing at home through discussions with parents, the information is then used as part of the evaluation process. As a result, children display a strong sense of ownership within the nursery and their motivation to learn is strong.

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provision

Practitioners are provided with regular opportunities to share their ideas and views with the management team. The nursery maintains a partnership with early years support from the local authority, in order to develop its provision further. All recommendations and actions from the last inspection have been completed successfully and have had a positive impact on children's learning experiences and welfare. For example, pre-school children's independence is promoted during meal and snack times as they eagerly help to set the tables, serve their own food and tidy away afterwards. In addition, robust assessment systems have been effectively implemented and enhanced to ensure that children's progress is monitored closely and appropriate interventions are sought as early as possible. Management and practitioners are continually seeking ways to develop and enhance the service they provide. For example, the outdoor area has recently been

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provision

refurbished to extend learning opportunities for children in the outdoor environment. Action plans for future improvement identify clear targets, such as creating a separate outdoor play area for babies to enable continuous access to outdoor play.

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provision

Children are extremely well protected due to the highly effective safeguarding systems that are in place. All practitioners have completed safeguarding training and are fully conversant with safeguarding procedures and their duty to protect children. Robust recruitment and effective vetting systems ensure that all adults working with the children are suitable to do so. Their performance is monitored formally through appraisals and informally through observations of practice by the manager. Observations of practice are used to inform the appraisal system and highlight strengths and weaknesses. As a result, any perceived underperformance is dealt with so that practitioners understand the high standards expected from them. For example, it has been identified that some practitioners require additional support in providing more effective teaching for younger children, so their intervention is less directive to enable children to express themselves more freely.

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provision

Comprehensive and well-implemented risk assessments are regularly completed to ensure that the premises are safe and secure. Risk assessments cover all activities and outings. An extensive range of policies and procedures successfully underpin daily practices. These are discussed and reviewed regularly with the parents. Accurately maintained records ensure children's safety is of the utmost priority.

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provision

Excellent partnership working with others ensures that children are fully supported in the nursery. Professionals visit the setting to deliver an additional range of activities and subjects, such as physical exercise and oral health. Children learn about different birds as they engage in activities provided by employees of the local bird sanctuary, who visit the setting with an owl. As a result, children are provided with additional experiences, which further enhance their learning. Equality and diversity are embedded throughout practice. Practitioners work tirelessly to identify and meet children's emerging additional needs. They have excellent knowledge of the support services available and do not hesitate to access them. Well-established partnerships with local schools effectively ensure that the moving on process is successful.

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provision

Children derive great benefits from the excellent close working relationships between practitioners and parents. A variety of systems, such as parent consultations, home to pre- school resource bags and verbal communication, ensure that parents are consulted at every stage of their child's care and development. This contributes significantly to parents engaging in their children's future experiences. The nursery is committed to supporting the whole family and parents are encouraged to spend time in the nursery. There is a wealth of information displayed for parents throughout the nursery and regular newsletters ensure that they are kept informed about events and topics. Parents speak very highly of all practitioners and report that they are delighted with the excellent progress their children are making and the extensive activities their children are involved with.

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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 EY295852 Local authority Wigan Inspection number 918736

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 134 Number of children on roll 189 Name of provider Brooklands Childcare Ltd Date of previous inspection 26/10/2010 Telephone number 01942 760044

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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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