Tall Trees Kindergarten

Tall Trees Kindergarten Oldford House, Lullington Lane, Oldford, FROME, Somerset, BA11 2NF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29/10/2013 20/05/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 1 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 is satisfactory

 Children of all ages benefit from an exciting and challenging outdoor environment where they can explore investigate and play with their friends.  Management and staff develop positive relationships with parents, which helps provide a sound foundation for their children's learning.  Children experience a healthy lifestyle at the nursery. They play in the fresh air daily, enjoy plenty of exercise and benefit from well-balanced nutritious meals.

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It is not yet good because

 Staff do not always consistently monitor children's communication and language skills, so at times they do not ensure they receive the help they need.  Management do not demonstrate clear systems for staff supervision or fully evaluate the nursery. As a result, there are missed opportunities to promote continuous improvement and enhance outcomes for children.  Staff do not always fully support children when they move from one age group to another. This reduces opportunities to help ensure there is continuity in their learning.  Staff do not fully consider all eventualities when conducting risk assessments for the outdoor fire, in order to promote children's safety.

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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 spoke with parents, management, staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the deputy manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled children's progress folders, planning documentation and a selection of policies and procedures and children's records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors held a meeting with the owner and deputy manager regarding leadership and management.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children in each of the rooms and outside learning environment, and tracked four children

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Information about the setting

Tall Trees Kindergarten registered in 2006. It operates from premises in Oldford, Frome, in Somerset. The lower two floors are used for the nursery and the nursery owner lives with her family on the third floor. The nursery is open weekdays from 8 am to 6 pm for 51 weeks of the year. All children use the enclosed outside play area. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 140 children in the early years age group on roll. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 17 full time staff of whom 14 have a qualification at level 3 or above. Of these one holds a qualification at level 6 and Early Years Professional Status, and three are qualified at level 4. One member of staff holds a qualification at level 2 and is currently working towards a level 3 qualification and a further two are working towards a level 2 qualification. Two part-time auxiliary staff who work at lunch times and occasionally provide bank cover, are unqualified. Two evening cleaners are also employed. The nursery operates according to the Montessori ethos and provides funded early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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must:

 ensure children's communication and language development is effectively monitored so that individual needs are catered for and strategies of support are identified and implemented where needed

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must:

 improve risk assessments to help ensure they fully consider all eventualities; particularly with regard to fire safety outdoors.

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

 review arrangements for supporting children during the holidays and when they move from one age group to another to help maintain continuity in their learning and consistency between key persons

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

 improve self-evaluation processes and monitoring of existing procedures to ensure they are effectively implemented and areas for further improvement are identified

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

 develop the performance management of staff further in order to enhance practice and fully promote children's learning and development.

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who attend

Children make sound progress overall from their early starting points. Generally, staff observe children regularly and record what they can do. Staff complete records of the progress children are making each term. Staff usually identify children's next steps for learning and share this information with parents so they can work together to support children's progression. However, at times not all children's learning is effectively monitored. Some children make less progress with aspects of communication and language and staff do not always identify this as a key area to pursue. Consequently, there is a risk children will not receive the support they need prior to starting school. Generally, staff liaise appropriately with other professionals when they have concerns about a child's development. They usually identify strategies of support and liaise with parents. However, not all staff working with the children are fully aware of what these

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who attend

strategies are and how they can support them. Staff complete statutory progress checks when children are aged between two and three years and share these with parents. Generally, staff communicate effectively with children. They extend older children's vocabulary, introduce new concepts and encourage them to talk about what they are doing. Babies' attempts at speech are encouraged and responded to. Some strategies are in place to support children who are learning English as an additional language. Staff talk to parents to help identify words children might say in their home language. This helps children settle as they are able to communicate with others and develop their language skills.

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who attend

Staff plan activities according to the next steps needed in children's learning and their interests. Staff evaluate the success of nature school activities, which helps them with future planning, and adapt activities when interests change, for example, from boats to helicopters. Outdoor learning opportunities are exciting and challenging. The nature school area has many different surfaces, objects and natural materials to explore. Children climb on rocks, build with different materials and explore water and sand. These opportunities soundly promote children's knowledge of the world around them.

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who attend

In the pre-school, staff focus on using Montessori activities in the classroom. They introduce children to Montessori tasks and support them to master skills in each area before moving onto the next. Older children demonstrate increasing independence and confidence as they select trays from the open shelving. They demonstrate perseverance as they use large tweezers to move conkers from one container to another. They accurately count how many there are. Some children work together in small groups. They enthusiastically experiment with wooden blocks and marbles until they successfully create a series of steps so they can roll their marbles from the top to the bottom. Staff allow children the space to learn for themselves, which helps them become independent learners, but are ready to support them if needed. Staff effectively encourage children's counting and mathematical skills when playing games and help them to complete puzzles.

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who attend

Older children engage in forest school activities. This broadens their experiences and provides practical opportunities to develop their skills. Children learn about living things when they investigate the pond and the surrounding area. There is a wood-working area and a place for making dens. Children are particularly excited by the new mud kitchen and the variety of tools available. This helps them develop their hand-eye coordination and understanding of how things work. Staff help children complete complex tasks and teach them how to do this safely, such as, through mixing mud using a hand held whisk or kneeling down when adding wood to the fire.

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who attend

Parents appreciate being involved in children's learning. They comment on how staff introduce a weather project as a result of a conversation with them about children's interest in what fog is. Staff display notices for parents about the activities they are introducing during the week. Parents are encouraged to make comments in children's progress folders and attend meetings about how children learn and develop.

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

Children arrive confidently and happily. Staff are ready to greet parents and children, share information and help children to settle. Each child is allocated a key person who is responsible for helping them to settle, liaise with parents and monitor children's progression. This works well when children first attend the nursery. Staff encourage children to attend for short periods to help them become familiar with a new environment. However, when children change age groups, the key persons change and this disrupts consistency for the children. Staff share some information, but not always enough to achieve continuity with children's learning and the support they receive.

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

Children become confident and independent learners because staff encourage them to make choices, particularly as they progress through the nursery. Children learn what is expected of them because of the clear boundaries and behaviour expectations set. Children know they need to put the activity trays back on the shelf when they have finished with them and be kind to others. Younger children learn they have to sit on the mat and wait for staff to clear up after lunch and for everyone to put their coats on before they go outside. Staff teach the children about how to stay safe when they explain the safety rules. For example, when they light a fire in the forest school area, children may only sit in designated places. When exploring the pond area staff remind children to be careful about where they stand. Children then put this guidance into practice, which means they are involved in the procedures that help to keep them safe.

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

Children experience a healthy lifestyle at the nursery. Management place a strong emphasis on providing a nutritionally balanced menu of healthy foods throughout the day. Staff are aware of children's dietary requirements. Staff follow appropriate procedures so that these are complied with and children receive the correct food and drink to meet their needs. Staff gather information from parents during settling in visits and their registration forms. This helps ensure they have all the information they need to meet children's individual needs. Children's physical development is particularly well supported with the introduction of Montessori tasks with the over twos. Younger children explore a wide variety of different materials and objects as part of heuristic play activities. All children spend time outdoors each day and enjoy plenty of fresh air. All areas of the nursery are resourced well with a good range of equipment to support children's all round

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provision

Management have a sound understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They implement appropriate procedures to safeguard children and support their well-being. Overall, there is a clear understanding of child protection issues and the procedures to follow if there are concerns about children's safety or welfare. Management complete risk assessments of the premises and children's activities. Generally, these identify potential hazards so that effective measures are implemented to keep children safe. For example, there are clear procedures for keeping the front door secured so that children are unable to leave unaccompanied. The garden is divided into separately fenced areas so that it is easier for staff to supervise children and ensure they are unable to reach the pond, for example, unless they are with a member of staff. Likewise, there are clear procedures for children to follow when they are involved in forest

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provision

school activities. For example, this includes when staff light a fire, where children can sit and how they are supervised. Management have completed risk assessments for the premises and activities. However, they have not rigorously reviewed the risk assessment for using the fire. Staff have completed first aid training and there is a water tap nearby. However, management have not fully considered what to do if a child has an accident, whether additional safety equipment is needed and the first aid to be administered. Consequently, children's safety is reliant on staff knowledge rather than based on robust procedures for them to follow.

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provision

Management follow robust recruitment procedures to ensure staff are suitable and qualified to work with children. Staff complete an induction, which helps them to understand their roles and responsibilities. Management conduct annual appraisals with staff and they are encouraged to extend their skills with further training. However, ongoing performance management arrangements throughout the year are not always organised effectively to fully support staff development or practice within the setting. Therefore, staff practice is not consistently monitored to promote continuous improvements to the educational programmes.

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provision

Management and staff are dedicated and keen to make improvements. The outdoor area is continually developing and provides challenging opportunities for children. However, self-evaluation processes are not fully rigorous. Management are in the process of implementing a review of documentation and procedures but this is not yet fully established. Consequently, areas for development are not always identified. The required documentation is in place, including sufficiently well-maintained records of complaints. Monitoring of children's learning and development is not always sufficiently robust to ensure children's next steps are effectively planned for in some areas of learning. Consequently, some children's progress is not always as good as it could be.

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provision

Management and staff develop positive relationships with parents. They provide them with plenty of information about the nursery and their child. Staff complete daily communication diaries for under twos so that parents are fully aware of the care their child receives. This is supplemented with discussions at the end of the day. Staff liaise closely with parents when children first join the setting to help ensure they have all the information they require to meet their individual needs. All parents may view their child's progress records whenever they want to and meet with their child's key person. Management organise regular parents' meetings to encourage effective working partnerships. There are appropriate procedures in place for liaising with other professionals in order to support children's learning and development.

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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 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. 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 the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

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 EY340931 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 936827 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 140 Name of provider Tall Trees Kindergarten Ltd Date of previous inspection 20/05/2010 Telephone number 01373 465691

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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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