Hilltop Nursery

Hilltop Nursery Brighton General Hospital, Elm Grove, BRIGHTON, BN2 3EW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/11/2013 25/06/2010

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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

 Staff are skilled at promoting children's learning through play. As a result, children make good progress towards the early learning goals.  Staff are well focused on planning around children's interests. This focus helps motivate children and results in them enjoying play with a purpose.  Staff promote children's good health by providing healthy meals and a clean, hygienic environment.

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It is not yet good because

 The provider has failed to meet all the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The start of the day is less effectively organised for some children as they do not have time to become absorbed in their play before being moved on to another room or activity.  Children enjoy outdoor play but there is less open space for them to run around freely and create their own play areas. Staff have also not fully developed a suitable play area for babies and toddlers to explore safely, away from older children's more boisterous play.

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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 the play rooms and the outside learning environment.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the provider and manager of the nursery, and talked with staff.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled children's assessment records, planning and other relevant documentation including the provider's self-evaluation form.

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Information about the setting

Hilltop Nursery opened in 1989 and registered with Ofsted in 2001. The nursery is one of three nurseries managed by Sussex Community NHS Trust. It is a workplace nursery for parents that are trust employees. The nursery also offers some places to children of non NHS staff. The nursery operates from a converted bungalow in the grounds of Brighton General Hospital in East Sussex. The nursery opens five days a week all year round. Opening times are from 8 am to 6 pm. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 33 children on roll in the early years age range. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and also supports children who learn English as an additional language. The nursery employs 11 staff. All of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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must:

 ensure that all staff adhere to the safeguarding policy and procedures and inform the relevant agencies about any concerns in a timely manner

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

 improve the organisation of the nursery to more effectively support children's emotional well-being as they settle in each day

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

 develop the outside learning environment to create more open play space and provide a more clearly defined play area for very young children where they can move around and explore.

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who attend

Staff form good partnerships with parents. They gain useful information from parents about children's needs, interests and routines. Staff use this information successfully to help new children settle in and feel at home. They plan and provide a wide variety of interesting activities and learning experiences that reflect children's interests and meet their needs. Staff consistently observe and assess children's progress. They systematically summarise children's progress and identify individual learning priorities for them in order to narrow any gaps. Staff share this information with parents and actively encourage them to consolidate children's learning at home. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development.

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who attend

Staff thoughtfully plan activities that cover all areas of learning. Children enjoy the activities and are keen to learn. They become absorbed in their play. Staff interact well with children and give them the support they need. They help children develop the skills they need to prepare them successfully for school. For example, children confidently explore and investigate for themselves. Very young children problem solve as they work out how to build towers with the bricks. They develop good communication skills as they make sounds and start to say words when they show toys to adults. Staff respond well to them and reinforce new words. They extend older children's language skills as they act out scenarios, such as being pirates. Staff question children effectively and encourage them to express their ideas and develop their imaginations. Children develop a love of books and become engrossed in listening to stories read by adults. They develop good

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who attend

literacy skills as staff encourage them to join in recalling stories and sharing their own experiences. Children anticipate what will happen when they listen to their favourite stories.

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

Overall, the working practices of staff help to protect and safeguard children. Generally, staff supervise children appropriately and promote their emotional well-being. As a result, children show they feel safe and secure. They move around safely indoors. Staff gently remind children how to play with equipment safely. Children make choices from a suitable range of safe and appropriate resources. Staff make these easily accessible in low-level storage units, which helps children be independent learners.

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

Staff help children learn to manage risks, such as when they play outside and use the balancing beams. They show increasing coordination and develop sound physical skills. However, the outside play area is quite cluttered with a large range of equipment. This means there is less clear space for children to develop skills such as running and to create their own dens and activities. Staff have also not effectively organised an area where very young children can crawl and enjoy learning experiences outdoors in a safe place.

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

Staff follow sound hygiene procedures and these help to promote children's good health. They implement appropriate nappy changing procedures. Staff gently and thoughtfully handle nappy changes for toddlers. For example, they tell the child it is time for their nappy to be changed. Then they give these children time to finish their play and decide when they are ready to go with the adult. Children respond well to this process and it results in a positive and happy nappy changing experience for them. Staff maintain a clean environment for children and this helps prevent the spread of infection. Children adopt good personal hygiene procedures, such as washing their hands after playing outside. Very young children develop self-care skills when they learn to wipe their hands and faces after they have eaten. Staff also actively promote sun safety with children. Children enjoy a healthy diet and staff make sure they have easy access to

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

drinks. Young children sleep in comfort in the homely cot room. Here staff settle them down through listening to soothing music and looking at the bubble lamps, so they drift into sleep. Older children enjoy naps on fold out beds with clean sheets and blankets.

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

The key person system works satisfactorily and this helps children form sound emotional attachments to a special person. Children show they feel confident around adults and happily move away to explore. They become independent learners as they make decisions about their play owing to the staff team's organisation of the play environment . Children behave appropriately and learn to share and take turns. They form friendships and show increasing social skills. Staff sensitively support children who have difficulty managing their feelings. Staff are caring, friendly and supportive. They provide cuddles when children need reassurance. Children learn to respect and value differences in society. For example, they find out about one another's backgrounds and share in different celebrations.

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

Overall, the organisation of the nursery promotes children's emotional well-being. However, staff have not fully thought through how to make sure the start of the day helps children settle well when they leave their parents. Children gather in one room before moving into their groups. This means that some children arriving later do not have much time to settle and get involved in their play. It is quite a disruptive time, as children have to stop what they are doing to move rooms and/or change activities, which interrupts productive learning.

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provision

Overall, the provider and staff have a sound knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, the provider failed to fulfil the responsibility to meet all of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The provider and staff did not implement their safeguarding policy and procedure in regard to reporting an incident. In this case, they failed to notify Ofsted of a significant event within the required timescales. This weakness is also a breach of the Childcare Register requirements. The failure to notify has not had a significant impact on children's safety or well-being. Staff have a sound knowledge of how to identify any possible child protection concerns.

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provision

Staff take appropriate steps to maintain a safe and secure environment for children. Following the last inspection, the provider has taken action to meet the action set at that time regarding risk assessments for each outing. These are now updated in advance with additional information, so that assessments are more specific to each outing. Staff have sound procedures for supervising children outdoors and for escorting them back indoors at the end of their time outside. Staff carry out daily safety checks and risk assessments that help them identify and minimise hazards satisfactorily. These procedures help promote children's safety and independence. All of the required documentation is in place and appropriately maintained. These records are used satisfactorily with parents to help promote children's well-being and consistency of their care. Parents receive a variety of helpful feedback from staff about their children. They say they particularly like the use of

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provision

the daily sheets and the parent evenings that keep them well informed about their children's progress. Parents are happy with the care provided and say they like the friendly and professional staff. Parents also state that they like the fact that they can share their concerns with staff and get advice about how to support their children.

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provision

Staff form positive links with other settings. They share information with them, such as the children's progress reports and identified learning priorities. This liaison enables them to work appropriately together to meet children's care and learning needs. Staff also form sound links with agencies and support workers. These mean they are able to access additional support for those children who need it to help them achieve. Children with English as an additional language are given the support they need to develop their communication and language skills. Their home languages are also valued and represented in the nursery.

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provision

The leadership team implements sound recruitment and induction procedures that help ensure staff are suitable to work with children. They actively encourage the professional development of staff through ongoing training, appraisals and supervision. The leadership team takes appropriate steps to address any under performance in members of staff. The staff team works satisfactorily together to monitor and evaluate the childcare provision. They regularly review the educational programmes to make sure these meet children's needs. Staff take suitable steps to adapt the programmes and environment as needed in order to improve outcomes for children. Staff are currently well focused on continuing to improve the ways they involve parents in the learning and assessment process. They are also reviewing the storage of resources to make sure as many resources as possible are accessible to children, so they can initiate their own play in more diverse ways. The

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provision

leadership and staff team show a sound capacity and willingness to continue to improve outcomes for children.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that staff implement the written statement of procedures to be followed for the protection of children in a timely manner (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that staff implement the written statement of procedures to be followed for the protection of children in a timely manner (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)

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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 130691 Local authority Brighton & Hove Inspection number 942889 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 33 Name of provider Sussex Community NHS Trust Date of previous inspection 25/06/2010 Telephone number 01273 696 011X3302

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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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