Heathside Day Nursery

Heathside Day Nursery Heath Road South, Weston, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 4QR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/01/2014 09/06/2010

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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 enjoy warm relationships with caring practitioners who know their unique needs well. As a result children are happy and settled and enjoy activities, which interest them.  Children develop key skills because teaching is good. Practitioners use conversation skilfully to extend vocabulary and develop children's thinking skills.  Leaders are committed to developing and improving practice while keeping the needs of each child at the centre of what they do. This has led to significant improvements throughout the nursery and as a result, all children now make good progress.  Practitioners are enthusiastic about increasing their knowledge and they work as a team to share and act on their learning. As a result, their practice continues to improve.  Relationships between parents and practitioners are strong and effective, creating a shared enthusiasm for supporting children's learning.  Attentive practitioners use robust safety, hygiene and safeguarding practices to ensure

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This provision is good

that children are safe in the nursery. Children's behaviour shows that they do feel safe.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to further improve the outside area to support children's independent learning in all seasons.

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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 nursery rooms and in the outdoor area.  The inspector looked at a sample of children's records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children and the provider's safeguarding policy.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documents, including the nursery's self-evaluation and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager, deputy manager, individual practitioners and children at appropriate times throughout the observations.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Heathside Day Nursery was registered in 1998 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a purpose built premises in the Weston village area of Runcorn and is managed by Network Nurseries Limited. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from four playrooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, one at level 4 and one at level 5. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, closing only for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 7.45am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 57 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 develop the outdoor area to enhance children's independent learning outdoors, for example, by improving children's options and access to self-select equipment.

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who attend

Children benefit from a motivated team of well-qualified childcare professionals who have a good understanding of how they learn. As a result, children make good progress because the quality of teaching is good. The impact of involvement in the 'Every child a talker' and ICAN programmes can be clearly seen. Practitioners lead activities and play alongside children, using open questions and conversation to extend vocabulary, develop children's thinking skills and promote social skills. Practitioners listen to and respond to children's interests, extending their thinking and learning with support, resources and conversation. Children enjoy their activities; babies smile as practitioners sing to them when changing their nappy; toddlers shriek with excitement while exploring falling water and puddles; and pre-schoolers join in enthusiastically and ask for more during a popular music and movement session.

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who attend

Children's independent learning in all areas is supported by the nursery environment, which has resources that they can access and choose from. There are mirrors to support children's development of self-awareness and children's creations and activities are celebrated, for example, with mark making and photograph display boards. The outdoor area provides different opportunities for exploration, such as the mud kitchen, but it does not always support children's independent learning as well as it could. The nursery management team plan to develop this further.

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who attend

Children are able to learn because they are supported by sensitive practitioners who know them well. The key person system ensures that planning is based on a good knowledge of each child's interests and needs and consequently, children's individual learning needs are met. Children develop the key skills they need for the next stage in their learning. Practitioners and parents share information about children's learning and this contributes to a supportive enthusiasm for their progress both at home and at nursery. Practitioners also share information on good practice through parent forums and conversations, which parents state they appreciate. The nursery has been through a period of significant improvement, which has had a clear impact on the progress children make.

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

Children are confident and happy at nursery because they have secure emotional relationships with attentive practitioners who care about them and know them well. They behave well because of the calm, warm behaviour of practitioners and because their individual care needs are met. For example, practitioners create calm comfortable areas with music, dimmed lights and close reassurance, so that children who need to, can sleep and rest. Children are emotionally prepared for moving between rooms in the setting and on to school, because practitioners make sensitive arrangements and because children's communication, physical and emotional skills are developed well.

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

Children demonstrate through their excellent behaviour and confident communications that they feel safe at nursery and hence, they are able to explore and learn. They are supported to develop independence skills. For example, toddlers are encouraged to help to get ready to go outside with their own individual trays of outdoor clothes and babies learn to feed themselves. Older children are supported effectively to develop problem-solving skills at lunch, in order to get the sticky mashed potato topping off the spoon. Children learn healthy habits, such as the importance of having a drink break between energetic dancing to music and they enjoy healthy meals and snacks prepared by the nursery cook.

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

The team's attitude to safeguarding, safety and hygiene practices keep children healthy and safe and help them to develop independence. For example, children independently pick up rubbish and put it in the orange bin. The nursery environment is welcoming and stimulating, but there are some opportunities for further development particularly in the outside area.

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provision

The management team has a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and of how children learn. As a result, children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. Safeguarding practices include robust recruitment and staff training, which ensure that children are kept safe from potential harm. The planning and assessment of the progress children make is now monitored effectively, so that any intervention requirements are quickly identified for individual or groups of children. For example, skilled practitioners close children's development gaps quickly with specialist support from Portage and speech and language services.

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provision

Management is effective in driving improvement, while keeping the needs of each child at the centre of what they do. They accurately identify strengths and weaknesses and use supervision effectively to identify training needs and improve performance. They identify their 'Priorities for provision' from their analysis of children's progress and their reflection on practice following training. This keeps improvements relevant and builds on and strengthens practitioner's enthusiasm. Practitioners speak enthusiastically about what they have learnt from their own training and from each other and the improvements they have made. For example, practitioners talk about understanding palmer grasps and the importance of messy play in supporting early writing skills, which they learnt because their deputy manager attended training on 'getting ready to write'. The positive impact of their attitude to embracing their training can be seen throughout the nursery. This setting has a

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provision

good capacity to improve even further due to the team's attitude towards learning and their focus on the well-being of each child.

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provision

Partnership working with parents is effective and has a positive impact on the development and well-being of the children. Parents' comment on how pleased they are with the progress their children make, particularly those who have required specialist support. Parents' state that the good organisation and special atmosphere of the setting is important to them and they unanimously comment that their children love coming here.

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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 303439 Local authority Halton Inspection number 876700

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 57 Name of provider Network Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 09/06/2010 Telephone number 01928 560243

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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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