Partou Shepherds Lane Day Nursery & Pre-School

Daybreak Nurseries Shepherds Lane, Mill End, RICKMANSWORTH, Hertfordshire, WD3 8JJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/12/2013 25/02/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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 play happily, they have many interesting and varied opportunities to learn new skills supported by staff who have a good understanding of how children learning through play. The nursery plans a broad programme of activities and events which meets the changing needs of all children.  Children form close bonds with their key person and the whole staff team. As a result, they are happy and secure in their play and, they are motivated and confident learners.  The leadership if the nursery is strong. Effective staff management and ongoing training ensure staff have the skills to ensure children's care, learning and progress are promoted to a good level.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The activities planned for the young children are not always sufficiently weighted towards the children's personal, social, communication and physical skills.  The information from previous assessments and notes from key persons in the Sunray age group are not always used effectively to extend and support children's care and learning in the Sunflower pre-school unit.

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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 talked to children and watched them play in the pre-school unit. She looked at the room and resources used for the out of school provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to young children and babies as they played in the nursery area. She observed children have their lunch and settle to sleep.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to staff and parents about the children's care, development and daily routines.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journals, assessment records and a selection of documents for the well-being of the children and the overall management of the nursery.

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Information about the setting

Daybreak Nurseries was registered in 2010 on the Early Years Register and the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register, it is one of three nurseries in a chain operated by Daybreak Nurseries Ltd. The nursery operates from purpose-built premises in the grounds of Shepherd Primary School in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. The nursery is divided into three age groups with the younger children based in the main nursery building and the pre-school children in the nearby Sunflower unit. All children have access to an enclosed outside play space and there is a separate garden for the babies.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 7pm. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery serves the local area. Daybreak provides out of school and holiday care, which complements school times and holiday dates. These children have sole use of part of the Sunflower unit and a separate outside play area.

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Information about the setting

The setting employs 19 members of staff including the manager who holds BA (Honours) Degree in Education Studies and Early Years Professional Status. Of the other staff, two hold early years degrees, 10 staff hold qualifications at level 3, three at level 2 and other staff are working towards early years qualifications. There are currently 54 children attending who are within the early years age range. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery is supported by the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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

 enhance the planning of activities for the younger children so they consistently focus on the children's personal, social, communication and physical skills to maximise children's progress

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

 enhance the good support that exists for children as they move from the nursery to the pre-school unit.

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who attend

The nursery provides a broad and diverse programme of activities and learning opportunities to promote and extend children's learning through play. The Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and supporting documents are used effectively to monitor children's progress. The information gained from parents as the children start at the nursery is used as the starting point for children's continued learning. The progress check at age two years is shared with parent to enable them to support their children's developing skills at home. However, the prime areas of learning are not consistently used as the focus for the planning in the next steps of the younger children progress. Some assessments in the children's learning journals and displays around the nursery are linked to the specific areas of learning, which are not always relevant to the children's interests and stages of development. The observations and assessments in the

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who attend

children's learning journals show children take part in a wide range of activities and events. These are based on children's interests and provide opportunities to explore and promote the skills they need to move onto new early years settings with confidence. When children have identified special educational needs and/or disabilities their key worker liaises extremely closely with other supporting agencies to ensure their developmental and learning needs are identified, met and supported to a very high level. The nursery works with the county advisory teacher and inclusion team to access resources to ensure all children can join in the daily routines. Specialised chairs help children to take part in table top activities which develops their sense of belonging and self-esteem. Resources, such as lights and textured toys are borrowed from the toy library to support and extend children's developing skills.

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who attend

Babies cared for in the Sunbeam rooms have their needs met to a good level. Staff are knowledgeable about how very young children learn through play. Consistent and kind adult interaction and challenging activities set around the playroom encourage young children to explore and find out about their environment. They are encouraged to practise their early walking skills by staff who adapt the lay out of the room. Resources are moved to ensure there is clear floor space to walk around the low-level storage units, to toddle and crawl. The large floor play space is well used in the Sunray room. Toddlers and more mobile children have various opportunities to use good quality toys to build on their recently acquired physical skills, such as manipulating and stacking building blocks. Staff support and extend children's developing language as they include children in discussions about what they want to do. Children are making decisions, having their own ideas and

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who attend

choosing ways to do things for themselves. There are strong links with parents of children who speak English as an additional language. Words and phrases from home are used to support children in developing their early language and conversational skills.

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who attend

The Sunflower Pre-school Unit provides the older children with a bright and interesting environment to play and learn. The room is set out based on the seven areas of learning. Children have easy access to a range of resources which are of good quality. Children are encouraged to self-select a game and to join a member of staff for a memory matching game. Children enjoy the challenge, they are clearly familiar with the game as they set out the cards with confidence. They select different cards to turn over to get matching pairs. Staff teach children new words and extend their language by asking them to describe the pictures and talk about colours. At the end of the game the cards are counted and children are asked to compare the numbers of cards, to predict and calculate who has the most cards. The nursery plans effectively to promote and extend the older children's interests. A visit to the theatre to see the pantomime extends their understanding of their

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who attend

local community and teaches them about aspects of the wider world. Within the nursery an area is set aside for children to re-create the story through imaginative play, pictures and posters. The linked artwork teaches children to use letters in making tickets and notes about the story. Visual signs around the pre-school teach children to recognise familiar letters as the beginning of the literacy skills they will need to start to read as they move on through school.

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who attend

There is a separate room used for the after school and holiday provision in the pre-school unit. It is well resourced, artwork from a previous holiday scheme shows children take part in a wide range of craft activities. The older children have a separate outside play area so they can take part in more robust games as well as help to maintain the flower and vegetable gardens.

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

Children and their families build strong bonds and relationships with the staff at the nursery. An effective settling-in process and regular meetings enable parents to share important personal information with their children's key person. This is particularly important for children who are cared for part-time and those who join the Sunflower pre- school room for funded education. However, some of the detail taken as the children come into the nursery, the 'All about me' form and assessments made in the Sunray rooms are not effectively shared with staff in pre-school. This means the new staff team and students are not always made fully aware about the children's previous learning and care experiences.

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

The well-being and safety of the children is high priority. The nursery site is managed well, staff are vigilant about managing the entry system and monitoring visitors. Children's changing needs are met as they are cared for in appropriate, age related groups and in an environment which can be adapted and changed. Children learn about their own safety through daily routines. They are reminded to take care when moving around the nursery and pre-school room and to be aware of the needs of the other children playing nearby. Staff are good role models they talk to the children and ask them to help with putting toys away. Children are taught to change their shoes as they come into the nursery both on arrival and as they come in from outside play. This builds on their sense of responsibility to care for their environment. Children take part in well-managed routines and activities. They have time to practise the personal skills they need to move on through the nursery

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

and to move onto other early years settings with confidence.

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

Children learn about a healthy lifestyle as they take part in a wide range of physical activities in the large and well-resourced outside play areas. These provide children with many different opportunities to practise newly acquired physical skills. The daily routine is flexible, outside play is both planned and spontaneous. Children are keen to play outside in all weathers, they learn the importance of putting on their coats and outside shoes to play out in the rain. When they come back inside they talk about how they can feel the cold and wet on their faces; staff support children's experiences by talking about the games they have enjoyed outside. There is a separate gated area for the younger children so they can take part in activities that are suited to their ages and stages of development. The space within the nursery and pre-school can be adapted for physical play and robust games in exceptionally bad weather. Lunch is a calm and relaxed time, it provides children

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

with opportunities to test and taste new foods. The nursery prides itself in providing a home from home menu that meets the dietary needs of all children. Staff sit with the children to teach them to use their cutlery and talk about the food they like. Older children serve their own meals and drinks, they help to tidy away at the end of lunch and snack times. They are developing good social skills, which prepares them for experiences in the wider world, such as school.

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provision

Children are safeguarded as all staff are aware of the importance of monitoring and maintaining their safety and well-being at all times. Safeguarding and welfare requirements are met because robust recruitment, training and the management of staff appraisals ensure all adults working with the children are suitable to do so. The designated member of staff for safeguarding has an excellent understanding of the role of the Local Safeguarding Children Board and the procedures that are in place to protect children. A robust risk assessment, effective cleaning rotas and effective daily routines ensure children are cared for in a well-managed environment.

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provision

The well-qualified staff team work extremely well together to promote and extend the learning outcomes for all children. An effective evaluation process shows the nursery reviews the training and professional development for all staff. The staff team plan ahead, evaluate and review their practice and documents on a regular basis. The support and advice given by the local authority development worker is used consistently to reflect on their practice. Regular team meetings give staff time to reflect on their practice and how they can extend and develop the learning opportunities for all children. Action plans outlined at these meetings are implemented by staff who take responsibility for improving the outcomes for children and to extend their own professional development.

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provision

The nursery has well established relationships with parents, carers and extended family members. The setting employs a specific member of staff to work as the 'parent partner' to build on these links and to welcome new families to the nursery. Home visits, coffee mornings and ongoing support enables the nursery to quickly identify the changing needs of the children and their families so they can provide an effective service. Parents are kept informed about day-to-day issues through a regular newsletter, emails and text messages. Parents' views are sought through daily discussions, meetings with the 'parent partner' and a questionnaire, these views are used in the evaluation process. Parents spoken to on the day of inspection said they were very happy with the progress their children had made. They felt involved in their children's learning and had confidence in the children's key worker and know their children are happy at the nursery. Partnership working with

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provision

other agencies is well embedded and ensures that children's care and learning needs are very well met.

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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 EY410094 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 879678

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 80 Number of children on roll 54 Name of provider Daybreak Nurseries Ltd Date of previous inspection 25/02/2011 Telephone number 01923 490175

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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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