Balderton Village Day Nursery

Balderton Village Day Nursery 173 London Road, New Balderton, NEWARK, Nottinghamshire, NG24 3BW

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/01/2014 11/06/2013

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 4 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

p.1

This provision is good

 Children's learning is effectively promoted because staff plan activities based on children's interests and next steps. Clear monitoring of the educational programme ensures all children make good progress in all areas of learning.  Close relationships and attachments with staff ensure the children are happy and secure and as a result, they are fully involved and confident at the nursery.  Staff are well supported in their training and professional development. As a result, they build on their already good skills and knowledge to continually improve outcomes for children.  Partnerships with parents and carers are well established. This means that staff support individual children's needs effectively and maintain continuity between home and nursery.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 Children's growing independence with their hygiene routines is not always maximised in the middle room and the pre-school room. This is because, when the group is together, it is too large to wash their hands at the same time.  Occasionally, staff interrupt children's chosen play by asking them to take part in a planned activity. This means children are not always supported to develop their motivation to explore for themselves.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in each room of the nursery and the outside learning environment.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held discussions with the manager of the nursery and the room staff  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and the nursery's self-evaluation.  The inspector took account of information from recent parent questionnaires.

p.2

Information about the setting

Balderton Village Day Nursery was registered in 1994 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It moved to its current premises in 1999 and operates from a converted bungalow in the village of Balderton, near Newark, Nottinghamshire. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There are two enclosed areas available for outdoor play. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds appropriate early years qualifications at level 5, one at level 4, three at level 3 and three at level 2. The owner has Early Years Professional Status.

p.3

Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, except bank holidays and a week at Christmas. Opening hours are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 72 children attending who are within the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

p.3

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

 ensure children have consistent opportunities to become fully engaged in active learning by making sure they have the time and freedom to become deeply involved in self-chosen activities

p.3

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

 examine the effectiveness of children's hand washing procedures, specifically when the middle room and pre-school come together, to fully evaluate the effectiveness of this practice on supporting children's growing independence with managing their hygiene and personal needs.

p.3

who attend

The educational programmes provide a good range of interesting and challenging experiences and staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of how children learn through play and adult interaction. The teaching is good in all rooms because staff support children's learning and development in all areas. Staff build on useful starting points gathered from parents about care and learning when children start at the nursery. The key person carries out initial assessments of children on entry through observing them at play. There is a high focus on the prime areas of learning, such as, communication and literacy. Staff begin planning from a theme, they use the adult guided experiences to support children in achieving their next steps. Further planning ensures that children's interests are encouraged and supported. For instance, children engage in imaginative role play by pretending to be doctors and nurses. Staff introduce resources, such as, dressing

p.3

who attend

up clothes and doctors bags to enable children to explore their ideas and interest. Staff complete focussed observations and accurate assessments of the children, using these to plan meaningful activities around children's next steps in learning. As a result, all children, including those whose starting points are below those of other children of their age and children who have English as an additional language or special educational needs, make good progress. Assessments of learning, such as, the progress check at age two are used efficiently and effectively to support children's future learning needs and provide any extra support they may need.

p.4

who attend

Children make good contributions during group time, sharing their experiences from home. For example, children are excited to talk about a recent birthday party many of them attended at the weekend. Staff in the baby room engage babies in playful interactions as they dress them up in headscarves. This supports relationships as babies enjoy the company of others. Children learn about nature as they handle 'Nibbles' the nursery hamster. This unique opportunity to witness animals first-hand fosters an understanding of care and concern for living things. Children are keen to stroke the hamster and learn to use gentle hands so as not to frighten it. Staff have high expectations for the children in their care. They show their pleasure when a child exceeds their expectations. For instance, the key person is excited to tell all the staff that her child has read a book all the way through to her friends. The staff member also wrote a 'Wow'

p.4

who attend

star for the child to take home. As a result, children can share their achievements in nursery with their family. Talking is a consistently strong aspect of the nursery and staff model babies language, repeating it back to them. Staff consistently use a running commentary with children during play and activities. As a result, children hold extended conversations with staff about their homelife. This has a positive impact on children's learning and development and consequently, children make very good progress relative to their starting points. Staff often use body language alongside words to reinforce meaning. Children in this nursery sap up opportunities to learn new words. For instance, when they tell the inspector they are children's doctors she introduces the word 'Paediatrician'. They practice the word and smile as they pronounce it correctly. Children play with clay and a member of staff plays alongside the children and shows them how to roll the clay into a

p.4

who attend

worm, the children then manage to roll their own worms. Children receive praise and encouragement. They continue to play with the clay, making birthday cakes and counting the candles. They use an assortment of tools to roll and cut the clay into shapes, concentrating well on their chosen activity. This activity supports physical skills, along with the introduction of mathematics. Pre-school children use scissors to cut out circles that they have drawn round, they carefully spread glue and sprinkle glitter to create snowballs. Staff use visual aids to support children's knowledge and understanding of snow. The outdoor play space is neat and inviting, all children play outside every day. The soft play surface makes this area a very safe place to explore and learn to use their bodies in different ways. For example, children enthusiastically take part in races, hopping, jumping and running. They also have opportunities to climb and slide on large play equipment.

p.4

who attend

Some children pedal tricycles and negotiate the space around the outdoors. These activities support children's developing muscles. Sensory play is a key aspect of the baby room, to allow them to use their senses to explore the world around them. For example, babies play in the sand, exploring the texture and learning that it is not nice to eat.

p.4

who attend

There is a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated experiences. Mostly, children make decisions for themselves and are becoming independent as they self-select what they would like to play with. Generally, staff know when to play with children and successfully encourage them to explore and discover new things. For example, staff play alongside pre-school children providing a narrative for what they are doing as they engage in small world play. However, sometimes staff intervene with children's self-chosen play and interrupt their concentration. For example, children are asked to complete their picture story book as opposed to choosing to take part in making marks in their play. Pre-school children are making excellent progress in literacy. They cover basic phonics as they recognise and spell out their name. Children are encouraged to write captions as they draw a picture and label it in their picture story book. Most children are forming

p.5

who attend

recognisable letters. This means they are gaining important skills in readiness for school. Children's further understanding of phonics is emphasised as they burst spontaneously into a phonics song, saying the initial sounds in words. Children gain access to mathematics through a variety of play opportunities. For example, as they place bricks on top of one another they count. As the tower gets bigger children use height language, 'We're doing a really high tree'. Toddlers problem solve from a young age, twisting and turning inset puzzles to fit into the shapes, whilst older children are challenged to create a shape picture by following complex instructions. Children learn about capacity and increase their finer skills by experimenting with tipping and pouring in the water area. Two children work together to fill a bottle from a jug. Staff further extend their learning by pointing out the measurements on the jug and suggesting the children fill to the 100ml

p.5

who attend

level. Children play alongside each other, 'Fill it right up to the top'. Children take part in activities to help them understand the world in which they live. They visit the local wood, they make cakes and they take part in festivals and celebrations from other cultures. Learning is enhanced by visitors, such as, the police, dentist, crossing person and fire service. Children further develop an understanding of culture and diversity by engaging in role play with small world figures in the dolls house. This strengthens positive impressions of their own community and those of others. Action songs and rhymes are used in every day routines in all the rooms and children show they understand these through completing the actions and singing the words. Number rhymes are popular as children take on the characters and use their calculating skills to discover how many are left as frogs fall into the pool and spacemen fly away. The staff work effectively with specialist agencies and

p.5

who attend

parents to ensure children receive an individualised supportive service, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently, continuity and progression of children's learning and development is very well supported. Children with English as an additional language are fully integrated into the setting. Staff work with these children and their families to develop their English language skills, which help them progress well to achieve their full potential. Staff further support these children by learning words in their own language and using these to encourage their personal, social and emotional development. Partnerships with parents are effective. Staff in the baby room exchange detailed written daily information and staff in the middle and pre-school room make sure they discuss the child's day individually with parents and carers. Staff share children's progress records termly with parents and at this time parents are encouraged to

p.5

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

Staff are caring and warm. They help all children to feel included. Consequently, children are fully engaged in the activities on offer and are active participants in the nursery, growing in confidence as their ideas and wishes are valued and supported. They are happy and form positive relationships. There is an effective key person system, a quality key person leaflet informs parents and carers who their key person is and what is their role. Babies feel safe and secure as the staff are caring and concerned when they become upset. Staff are calm and offer reassurance as they comfort the baby, therefore, they feel valued and well-being is effectively promoted. Babies show they feel safe and secure in the setting as they greet their key person with a big smile. Staff know children's individual needs and interests as soon as they start nursery because parents fill in 'All about Me' forms to help with the transition from home. Parents share information about children's

p.6

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

care routines, such as, comforters, eating, nappies and sleep patterns. Staff use this information to work in partnership with parents and maintain similar routines at the setting.

p.6

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

Staff show a keen interest in what the children have to say, which supports them as they develop confidence and a sense of belonging. For instance, staff always stop and listen to children when they are speaking. Children's work is nicely displayed around the rooms, which helps to give the children a sense of pride and belonging. Children form good relationships with one another. For instance, pre-school children are given the task of supporting new children in their room. This encourages friendships and a sense of responsibility. Children's behaviour is good, staff do not need to remind children how to be nice and they are all well-mannered and polite to each other and the adults looking after them. Staff consistently offer specific praise to children, for example, 'good manners' so they understand what is good about their behaviour. At lunchtime children display lovely manners, 'Please can I have some more'? Older children are given a sense of

p.6

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

responsibility as they are sent through to the baby room to see if it is safe to come through their room to the outdoor space, 'Please may we go in the yard'?

p.6

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

Children are happy and confident as they eagerly move around their rooms, mostly making independent choices about what activities they would like to take part in. Throughout the day, pre-school children independently access toilets and hand washing facilities to meet their own needs. However, on some occasions, particularly snack time and lunch time, children line up to wash their hands, resulting in lots of children being in the same area at once. This prevents staff from always maximising children's growing independence with managing their own hygiene needs at these specific times. Good attention is given to encouraging children to adopt a healthy lifestyle. The children are provided with freshly cooked, nutritious meals and snacks as part of a balanced and carefully planned menu. For instance, children serve themselves with homemade chunky vegetable soup, potatoes and bread. By serving themselves children are gaining a good

p.6

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

understanding of portion control. Children show they enjoy the meal as they help themselves to seconds, 'I like sauce on the bread, yummy'. All staff are aware of any allergies. For example, each room has a coloured piece of paper detailing individual children's allergies. Routines offer children the chance to engage in mathematic skills. For instance, when handing out the plates they calculate 'I've got two left'. Priority is given to keeping children safe so they can move safely and freely both indoors and outdoors and staff are vigilant and supervise children very well. Children are learning to keep themselves safe as staff explain the reason for the rules and boundaries in place. For example, they remind children to 'Pull your chair in so you don't slip'. Each of the three nursery rooms are organised to support the relevant ages of the children. All have access to a wealth of quality resources, which are thoughtfully stored at child height and with

p.6

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

labels, allowing children to easily access them. Children are supported to make a seamless transition within the nursery when moving to their new room. Transition reports are passed to the child's new key person, providing clear information on their starting points on which they can continue to build. Children are adequately prepared for transitions to other settings, such as, school because teachers from the schools they will move to are invited to visit them at the nursery. This helps to reassure children about their next stage in learning and helps teachers gain a valuable insight into the children's needs and personalities. Transition documents are prepared for school to share learning and development from nursery. This supports continuity of care.

p.7

provision

Staff are encouraged to attend regular child protection training so that they are confident with the most current safeguarding procedures and how to report concerns. There are clear procedures to follow regarding allegations made against staff and the use of mobile phones and cameras in the nursery. The manager has a good overview of the educational programme and performance of the staff. This efficient system helps to ensure that children experience a wide range of activities that promote their learning and as a result, they make good progress. The manager oversees individual children's assessments to ensure consistency and accuracy, this enables her to evaluate the learning and close any identified gaps. Systems are currently being developed to enhance cohort tracking.

p.7

provision

There is a thorough recruitment and induction procedure. This process ensures that the nursery are taking all reasonable steps to ensure the suitability of the staff. The manager monitors staff performance effectively, both through supervision meetings and through general observation of practice. Staff are listened to, involved in nursery audits and supported well in their professional development. The management team actively encourage staff to attend training, which furthers their current qualification, supports their individual interests and benefits the children attending. Current training includes Level 3 in childcare and Leadership and Management. The manager is well organised and has a good range of policies and procedures that underpin the efficient running of the nursery and keep the children safe. Staff and parents are kept fully informed of any amendments to policies and procedures. The nursery is securely maintained and staff use an effective

p.7

provision

process of risk assessments and daily checks to ensure potential hazards are identified and minimised quickly. Staff are deployed well, this is maintained by a staff rota and a staff signing in sheet, alongside the daily attendance register of children. The setting evaluates its practice to identify areas for improvement. For instance, the current action plan is to develop the large outdoor garden space. Staff are involved in the evaluation process by completing a 'Quality Assurance Audit'. The views of parents are valued and they complete regular questionnaires, which are thoroughly analysed to ensure the setting is always evolving and improving. In a recent questionnaire the parents consistently gave the nursery a ten out of ten rating. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the benefits of working closely together to meet children's needs and value parents contribution to their children's nursery life. For example, they attend

p.7

provision

fundraising events and parent consultations. Staff value all families and their individual needs. For instance, parent consultations are arranged to be flexible to meet the needs of all families, such as, staff being available on Saturdays. Parents comment positively on the nursery, 'We are extremely pleased with how the nursery operates'. Newsletters are available monthly and the Facebook page is regularly updated. Staff work with other professionals to support children's progress when required and relationships such as these provide an effective contribution to meeting children's needs. Clear procedures are in place to ensure regular information is exchanged when children attend other settings, in order to fully promote their learning and well-being.

p.8

The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met

p.8

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

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.10

Setting details

Unique reference number 253284 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 930356

p.10

Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 72 Name of provider Balderton Village Day Nursery Partnership Date of previous inspection 11/06/2013 Telephone number 01636 704708

p.10

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.

p.10

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.11

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,

p.11

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’.

p.12

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.12