The Nursery at St Peter's Church

The Nursery, St Peter's Church St Peter's Church, Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0SL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/11/2013 27/06/2013

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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 are confident and have high levels of self-esteem. They are independent learners who are developing some strong self-help skills due to positive input from staff.  Babies are developing exceptionally well due to having access to appropriate toys and resources and enjoying positive interaction with key persons.  Children have formed strong friendships with each other and their key persons. They are caring and warm, sharing, turn taking and drawing others into their play.  All children are supported to communicate through the use of signing, meaning that young children are able to successfully communicate their needs and have them met.  Planning promotes individual children's learning and as a result children make good progress towards the early learning goals.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not actively help children to learn to use cutlery successfully and do not always model good hygiene practice so that children learn to wash their hands after blowing their noses.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all four rooms and the outside area.  The inspector had discussions with the manager, staff and children.  The inspector read parents' and carers' views and opinions.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation including the children's records and safeguarding procedures.

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Information about the setting

The Nursery, St Peter's Church Day Nursery registered in September 2002 and operates from four play rooms in a renovated church in Maidstone, Kent. Three rooms are on the ground floor, with the pre-school room on the first floor. All children share equal access to an enclosed, outdoor play area. The nursery is open each weekday from 7am to 7pm all year round, with the exception of public holidays.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 86 children aged from three months to under five years on roll. Children come from the local and wider community. The nursery currently supports a number of children who are learning English as an additional language. The nursery provides funded nursery education for two, three and four-year- olds.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 27 members of staff, 22 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The manager has a BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies and has achieved Early Years Professional Status (EYPS).

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

 embrace opportunities, such as, at meal times, to help children to learn to use cutlery successfully

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

 remind staff to always model how to minimise the risk of cross-infection, when appropriate, to enhance children's awareness of good hygiene practice.

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who attend

Children play in a bright and welcoming environment. Toys and resources are suitable for the ages and stages of development of the children attending and arranged attractively. This encourages children to be interested and supports them to make choices about what they play with. Children benefit from participating in a range of adult and child-led activities and are independent learners. They explore the indoor and outdoor environments, investigating and thinking through activities that they participate in. Overall, key persons are very well qualified and continue to update their knowledge on how children learn, helping them to plan experiences that meet the individual needs of children. When starting at nursery parents and carers share with key persons their children's developmental achievements, helping staff to continue learning and assess children's learning and development as they move through the nursery.

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who attend

Children are very confident and have high levels of self-esteem. They take pride in the environment and willingly tidy up, knowing where toys and resources belong. They take time to untangle musical instruments, for example, before placing them carefully in the music box. They share toys and encourage others to join in with their games. Achievements are celebrated by key persons and children who are proud of their friends. For example, as a young child takes her first steps other children clap warmly. Artwork is displayed prominently throughout the nursery, helping children to see that it is valued. Children's communication skills are flourishing due to the excellent use of signing in the nursery. Non-speakers successfully have their needs met as they communicate them through signing. Children engage in conversations, talking with their friends and adults about things of interest and importance to them. All children enjoy positive interactions

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who attend

with books. They gravitate to key persons and other children when they are reading and interact with stories. Role play areas support children to develop their pre-writing and writing skills. Pre-school children write in a post office and take pencils into the home corner, writing on post-it notes with their friends. Toys, resources and adult input help children to develop mathematical understanding. Key persons introduce counting into activities. Children match items and use mathematical language to describe more and less when playing with water and small bears, for example.

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who attend

Children play in a spacious environment and thought has been given to providing areas that enable children to develop their physical skills such as beginning to walk. For example, when a very young child takes their first steps an adult offers praise and then is quick to bring a baby-walker to the child, encouraging her to take more steps. Children climb and use a diverse range of tricycles when outside with success. They play with balls and are developing good skills of controlling them in different ways. Mark making equipment is easily accessible and children have excellent pencil control and gripping skills due to good equipment and modelling of how to use tools by adults. Children learn about nature and wildlife in and outdoors. Pre-school children use magnifying glasses to explore fir cones and other natural objects. In the garden children examine insects in a home that they have erected and they are interested in birds that fly over the garden. Children of all

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who attend

ages explore technology and when toddlers show interest in the inspector's computer staff are quick to offer them toy ones resulting in children mimicking the inspector. Older children are confident computer users, moving the computer mouse skilfully. Children enjoy participating in adult-led art and craft sessions. Although there is often a goal in mind, such as, making Christmas decorations, artwork is individual. Children have access to a range of resources helping them to use their imaginations when creating. Music sessions are enjoyed by all children who sing, dance and shake musical instruments in time to music.

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who attend

Each child has a developmental folder which contains many photographs of them engaged in activities alongside written observations. Key persons use the observations that they make to help them assess children's development and to plan for individual learning. Key persons know the children that they are caring for very well and planning shows that they are promoting children's individual learning. Consequently, children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Children are encouraged to be independent learners and to undertake many self-help skills from a very young age. This prepares them very successfully for the next steps in their learning. Children willingly share and are very polite to others. They are supported to understand how others feel, how their actions may affect others. The excellent start children have in the baby room helps them to build on their learning throughout the rest of the nursery.

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who attend

Parents and carers may look at their children's developmental folders whenever they wish. They are sent home regularly, helping them to participate in their children's learning. They add to children's assessments, informing key person of their children's achievements and what they would like them to learn. Parents and carers continue children's learning at home such as singing favourite songs with their children. The joined-up approach to children's learning is helping them to make good progress at nursery. 'Wow boards' celebrate children's achievements and parents and carers are very proud when they see their children's progress being celebrated.

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

Children have very warm relationships with adults and their peers. They greet each other warmly and are genuinely happy to see their key persons when they arrive. Key persons are kind and caring and know the children that they care for very well. They follow children's individual routines and regularly update information to ensure that the good level of care continues. The strong relationships support children to be independent, to feel safe, happy and secure at nursery.

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

Due to the encouragement and praise from key persons children from very young ages undertake self-help skills. They take charge of their own well-being and are very independent and secure in their understanding of how to look after themselves. Children know when and why they wash their hands and do so independently, feeling proud when they do. For example, after lunch a child looks at her food encrusted hands and says that she is going to wash them. Very young children automatically wash their hands after having their nappies changed, turning taps on and off themselves. However on occasion staff forget to model such good hygiene practice after wiping children's noses. Children are encouraged to put on their own coats before playing outside and know that they need to wear hats and gloves when the weather is colder. When toddler's socks fall off they try very hard to put them back on, knowing to point their foot upwards, for example. Lunch

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

and snack times are social occasions and children enjoy talking to their friends, discussing the foods they like and dislike. Although adults sit with children at lunch time in order to support good table manners they miss opportunities to help children to use cutlery rather than their fingers to eat with. Older children serve themselves and wait for everyone to be seated before starting to eat, showing awareness of others. All children benefit from playing outside daily, helping them to understand the benefits of fresh air and exercise to a healthy lifestyle.

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

When children move through the nursery key persons work closely with parents and carers to ensure that it is successful and that children are emotionally ready to move into the next group. Staff are friendly and engage with all children and therefore relationships are starting to be established before children move on. Children's developmental folders and details of their routines are passed onto the new key person so that learning and care is continuous. When children leave to go to school or other settings their key persons share relevant information with the new settings to help ensure continuity of care and learning.

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provision

Children play in a safe and secure environment. Risk assessments are undertaken by all staff who ensure that the environment is safe and suitable for all children, thinking about their individual needs. All staff are aware of their roles in safeguarding children. They are familiar with the safeguarding policy and procedure which is readily available to refer to and staff regularly complete safeguarding training to support staff in their roles. All staff are fully aware of what to do if they have concerns about another member of staff, helping to safeguard children. When children have any accidents parents and carers are kept fully informed and staff take appropriate action to ensure that children's well-being is promoted. Policies and procedures are accessible to all staff and parents, helping to keep everyone informed. Policies and procedures are reviewed regularly by staff and they are encouraged to add their own input.

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provision

The nursery management is keen to continuously evolve to provide positive outcomes for all children. Evaluation is carried out by everyone connected to the nursery, management, staff and parents. Parents' and carers' views and opinions are valued and a parents' forum fully supports them to feel involved in the nursery and to add their input. Staff in each room identify how to improve what they offer children and changes are monitored to ensure that they are beneficial to children. The educational provision and children's attainment is also monitored. Consequently children are making good progress and their individualism is celebrated. The recruitment procedure is robust and regular appraisals and monitoring ensures that staff are praised and given opportunities to develop their practice. Staff are well qualified and are enthusiastic participators in further training which builds on knowledge and therefore outcomes for children. Recommendations raised at the previous

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provision

inspection have been acted on to help improve outcomes. The cook now notifies staff when lunch is due and play is not interrupted for snacks, as children come when they are ready. This means that children do not waste time and lose concentration at activities. Labelling is used more readily to develop children's interest in words, particularly in the pre-school room.

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provision

Key persons work very closely with other professionals offering children additional care, resulting in children's needs being met consistently and their learning supported. Key persons share any concerns about children's progress promptly with parents and carers and together they seek further help if required, benefitting children immensely. Parents and carers are welcomed warmly into the nursery. They enjoy positive relationships with key persons and are very well informed about their child's time in nursery. Parents and carers write that they are 'very pleased with their children's progress' and that their children clearly benefit from being at the nursery. They are 'very grateful for all the support their children receive to make very good developmental progress, in particular in their communication and independence'.

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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 EY242745 Local authority Kent Inspection number 940657 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 120 Number of children on roll 86 Name of provider Selective Learning (Maidstone) Ltd Date of previous inspection 27/06/2013 Telephone number 01622 687878

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Setting details

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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