Trust Taplins Childcare

Trust Taplins Childcare Western Community Hospital, William Macleod Way, SOUTHAMPTON, SO16 4XE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/11/2013 26/10/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 The provider has a sound understanding of their responsibility to ensure that the provision meets the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.  There is an appropriate key person system in place, reassuring parents that their children are well cared for and happy.  Staff ensure that children make smooth moves between the different age groups at the setting.  Most children, including those who began with gaps in their learning, make progress in the prime areas of learning, so that they are well prepared for their next steps.  Older children become independent and manage risks and challenges relative to their ages, which helps them develop confidence and skills to support their move to school.

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It is not yet good because

 The quality of teaching is variable, meaning that not all children make good progress.  Staff do not always make the best use of resources and space, both in and outdoors, to provide good quality learning experiences.  Assessment is not consistently used well by all staff, as a result, their expectations for children are not always high enough and children do not reach their full potential.  There are limited opportunities for children to make trips out into their community and learn about their immediate environment.

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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 a wide range of activities and care routines across each indoor and outdoor play area and talked with staff and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documents relating to safeguarding, staff recruitment and self-evaluation, and checked a selection of other policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation including children's records and progress checks, the setting's planning and evaluation documents and information sharing with parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day, checked the complaints log and reviewed information provided by parents in their responses to annual questionnaires.  The inspector met with and undertook a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Trust Taplins Childcare registered in 2004. The setting offers nursery and creche provision. It is located at the Western Community Hospital in the Millbrook area of Southampton, in Hampshire. Additionally a holiday play scheme is run offsite at Cedar School. The setting is run by the University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust. The nursery serves the local community and NHS employees. The crche and play scheme serve the local community, NHS employees and candidates accessing the training centre. The nursery is part of the Neighbourhood Nurseries Scheme and Sure Start Initiative. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register, as well as the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who learn English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The nursery and crche are open each weekday from 7am until 6.30pm, all year round, except for public holidays. The holiday play scheme runs during each school holiday from 7.30am until 6pm each weekday. The setting employs 27 full-time or part-time staff who work with the children. Most of these hold relevant early years qualifications at level 3 or above. Two members of the team hold relevant degrees, one holds an unrelated degree and one a foundation degree. Three of these team members hold Early Years Professional status.

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must:

 improve systems of performance management and supervision to strengthen staff's skills in engaging very young children and challenging their learning

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must:

 develop the quality of planning by using existing regular assessments of young children to identify a sharply focused next step in each of the prime areas of development

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

 identify how resources indoors and outside may be used more effectively to provide very young children with good quality learning experiences

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

 review how children may make more frequent trips into their community, especially for children attending full-time throughout the week.

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who attend

Teaching programmes cover all areas of learning and children are generally progressing well. For example, older children use magnifying glasses to study natural forms such as shells with different textures, or challenge a friend to a mathematical game on the computer. With skilled teaching staff on hand, children's curiosity and interests are extended, helping them to persist with activities so that they learn new skills. Older children choose their activities, fostering their growing independence and giving them opportunity to follow their own lines of investigation. For example, some children match up ends of large foam dominos.

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who attend

Children move freely between activities inside and outside throughout most of the day. In doing so they are encouraged to play in the fresh air and test their physical strength or dexterity on the wide range of play equipment. Consequently, staff also move inside and outside and with ongoing care routines become spread out across the teaching areas. Unless staff are particularly attentive to both the children's changing interests and their colleagues movements, they find themselves unevenly deployed. This sometimes leaves one member of staff trying to extend the learning of a much larger group of children than is practical. On such occasions, children have less access to good quality teaching and this affects their progress in learning.

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who attend

Pre-school age children choose to make up stories in the home corner, in a mock hairdressing salon or outside in the garden area. They use their imaginations as they act out different games with dolls and props for shopping. Some staff show interest in what the children are doing and encourage them to extend their play by adding a new dimension to the unfolding story. However, good practice is inconsistent as other members of staff are less animated in their play, or keen to develop children's imaginations. This means that not all children receive the quality of learning experiences that will help them reach their full potential.

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who attend

Parents comment that they feel very welcome in the setting. They are invited to share information about their child when they first enrol. This helps staff know how the family runs their care practices and children's preferences, needs and achievements. From this starting point, future observations and assessments measure children's progress and the impact of teaching practices. Staff also exchange information on children's progress in preparation for children's two-year-old check with health visitors. Staff complete regular observations of children and some staff use these well to shape their teaching so children make good progress in their learning. However, this is not consistent across all members of staff. In some areas, staff make observations and set targets, but are less effective at teaching the children than they are for caring for them. As a result, staff's expectations for children are not always high enough and some activities neither challenge nor excite

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who attend

children's learning. For example, young children who are learning their first words need to hear their teachers say those words frequently and in context. If staff do not help children find something to talk about they are less likely to talk. A sound key person system helps staff to share observations of children's progress with parents on a termly basis. Parents are invited into the setting to meet their children's key person or they can make written comments in a booklet they take home and read. Staff also identify a 'next step' in children's progress so they can create playful ways to develop children's experience and competence in that area. Where children's starting points are different from other children of the same age, children make good progress and close gaps in their learning. Staff work well with outside agencies to support children with a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff are sensitive to parents' wishes

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who attend

when teaching children who are learning English as an additional language. Nevertheless, when children are clearly making good progress in spoken English this is the natural time to learn their home language too. Caring staff attempt a range of greetings to celebrate the rich diversity of children, cultures and home languages. They share stories about different celebrations and have books that foster understanding and tolerance of diversity for all children. This prepares children well for their moves to new locations such as school, sports teams and other clubs.

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

Staff are kind and caring towards children and are available to meet with most parents at morning drop off. This helps them provide continuity of care between home and the setting, and maintain everyday routines as expected. Each family and child has a special person who gets to know them well. The key person tailors care to meet the needs of individual children. As children arrive and breakfast over a two-hour period, staff are challenged to manage care practices alongside stimulating very young children. Staff sometimes overlook opportunities to foster the communication and social skills of very young children who need more individual attention. When this happens, children become isolated and are less likely to make the desired progress in their social interaction and play. However, at other times in the day, children of all ages enjoy songs and rhymes, stories and sensory play. They have fun with their friends and enjoy sessions that foster

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

social interaction, cooperation and communication skills. When parents were asked what they particularly liked about the setting in a recent questionnaire, a common response was the dedication of children's key person. For example, 'I particularly like reading my child's daily diary when it is written by her key person. She always writes little things that my child has said or done and doesn't just write a list of which toys she has played with'.

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

All baby, toddler and pre-school rooms open out on to a large play area surrounded on the remaining two sides by smaller, fenced off play areas. These include a designated area for planting and growing, another for sand and water play and another with a playhouse for more intimate chats and imaginative play. These smaller areas help children wanting to interact in small groups to develop stories or experiment undisturbed. Children learn to communicate their needs, negotiate with others and express themselves more clearly to share their ideas and interests. These opportunities help them develop their personal and social skills. Often all ages of children play alongside each other outdoors. This helps them to gain familiarity with all staff and the whole nursery environment. They see older children and are fascinated by the activities they do. Moves between rooms are therefore not such big changes as children already know and feel comfortable with the location and

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

Children learn to manage risks and challenges relative to their age. Older children are proud to show off their new skills at jumping with the scooter, while others manoeuvre tricycles and cars around a track. They clearly enjoy learning new physical skills and pushing their own boundaries. Attentive staff watch closely, reminding children to look out for the toddlers and modelling new skills to further challenge children's skills. Staff talk to children about how to keep themselves safe and what they can do to look after each other. Older children tell staff when they are worried that a toddler is too close to the tricycle track. They also tell each other not to run inside as this rule is firmly in place by the time they are preparing for school. Older children line up at the door, so they enter the story room in a calm and orderly fashion, or have time to wipe their feet on the way in to lunch. These are all skills for moving on to school.

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

Staff use children's role play activities and stories to help them learn about keeping safe and healthy. They develop an understanding of the hygiene routines which support their health. Gradually they take on more responsibility for attending to their own hygiene needs independently. Children have healthy snacks. Main meals are prepared by the hospital kitchen staff who cater for all dietary and weaning requirements. Children gather around small tables for all their meals. Some staff sit with them and engage children in general conversation and make a note of children's new vocabulary. On other occasions, staff miss opportunities to extend language and social talk.

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

The environment is safe and welcoming, with resources stored to facilitate children's changing needs and development. Older children easily access resources from low systems of wicker boxes that are clearly labelled with pictures and printed words. With increasing independence, they select the resources they need to satisfy their curiosity or use to solve a problem. Younger children are not tempted by what they do not see, so while toys may be at their level they are not on show or out for them to use. This reduces the need to take first steps to reach a particularly attractive toy and limits the stimulation available to children. They are not therefore, so readily engaged or absorbed in good quality learning experiences throughout the day. Children rarely leave the setting for trips out into the community to learn about the world around them.

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provision

Rigorous systems are in place to safeguard children and to ensure that all staff are proficient in this area. Regular training means that measures to help keep children safe are fully embedded in daily practice. All staff also update their skills in resuscitation and choking on an annual basis, and all senior staff update both their paediatric and first aid at work certificates in line with statutory guidance. Systems for the appointment of new staff and for managing any concerns about existing staff are robust. Recruitment and vetting procedures support the setting's commitment to safeguarding and ensure children are protected from unvetted persons. No new or returning member of staff, student or volunteer may work at the setting before all the necessary procedures are complete. Induction programmes also include sessions on understanding the policy and procedures regarding safeguarding children. All mandatory documentation for the safe management

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provision

of the setting is in place, and is accurately maintained. The provider fully understands the requirement to notify Ofsted about any significant events to help safeguard children. All staff are confident of the appropriate procedures to follow in the event of concerns about children, or an allegation against a member of staff. The setting has an emergency evacuation procedure and this has been rehearsed more frequently in line with previous recommendations. Fire detection and control equipment are regularly checked and fire exits are clearly marked and free from obstruction. These measures help to keep children safe and keep staff thinking about the best ways to achieve this in their daily practice.

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provision

The long time manager of the setting has developed a strong team of staff, many of whom have worked well as a team for a long time. However, temporary management arrangements have led to slippage in performance management systems and some of the educational programmes require improvement to support all children's learning all of the time. New management arrangements are now in place, providing stability and able leadership. Training needs have already been identified, and target specific areas of teaching for improvement. New systems for performance management are beginning to be put into action to focus on balancing good care practices with helping all children achieve their full potential, across all prime areas of learning. Current monitoring already ensures that planning and assessment occur routinely and include opportunities to share information with parents. An established key person system means that staff do know the

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provision

children in their care well and that children generally make sound progress. Some very careful tracking and related planning ensures that guidance from specialist teachers and therapists is carried through to help children with specific needs. Where necessary, staff also receive additional training to support individual children in their learning and care requirements. This helps to close gaps in children's experience and learning and better prepare them for their next steps or moves to new schools.

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provision

The management team are working hard to find effective ways of sharing information and regular updates with parents who often work long and varied shift patterns. They listen to parents' comments and adapt their services where they can, for example, using e-mail as routine communication channel, with paper copies given to parents who do not use e- mail. A thorough review of responses to their annual questionnaire to parents enables the team to know where improvements are required and what the team are doing well, to drive improvements in the outcomes for children.

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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 EY280741 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 942122

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 100 Number of children on roll 147 Name of provider Southampton University Hospital NHS Trust Date of previous inspection 26/10/2010 Telephone number 02380 296981

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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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