Partou Langley Gorse Day Nursery & Pre-School

Langley Gorse Day Nursery Langley Gorse, Fox Hollies Road, SUTTON COLDFIELD, West Midlands, B76 2RU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/12/2013 02/10/2012

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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 provide a wide range of stimulating activities that promote children's learning well, ensuring they make good progress in their development.  The welcoming environment and the wide range of good quality resources contribute positively to children's emotional well-being.  The management and staff are clear about their responsibilities to protect children in the nursery.  Partnership working with parents and other professionals ensures children are well supported.

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It is not yet good because

 Risk assessments do not always identify potential hazards to children and the floor in the communal areas is not maintained in a sufficiently clean condition.  Staff are not always effectively deployed to support children appropriately during some activities.  Children's independence skills are not always promoted through routine activities, such as mealtimes.  The monitoring of care practices is not sufficiently rigorous to ensure children's needs are always fully met.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager.  The inspector spoke with staff and children.  The inspector took account of the views of parents on the day.  The inspector observed activities in care rooms and during outside play.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the manager.  The inspector looked at documentation relating to learning and care practices.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.  The inspector conducted a tour of the premises.

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Information about the setting

Langley Gorse Day Nursery was re-registered in 2010 and is on the Early Years Register. It is situated in a large Victorian building in a rural area of Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. It is managed by All About Children Ltd. The nursery serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. It operates from four rooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 27 members of childcare staff. Of these, 22 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. Five staff are modern apprentices working towards a qualification.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round except for one week at Christmas and bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30 am until 6.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 75 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery has links with the Newhall Children's Centre.

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must:

 ensure all areas within the nursery are consistently maintained in a clean condition; this is with particular reference to the floor in the communal spaces

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must:

 improve risk assessments to ensure they are rigorous and identify all potential hazards to children, such as the storage of brooms in the care rooms and take effective action to minimise these hazards to children

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must:

 ensure staff are effectively deployed at all times to support children and to meet their needs, including during outside play.

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

 help children to develop their independence through all routine activities, for example, at mealtimes by creating opportunities for them to serve themselves and to pour their own drinks

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

 improve methods for reviewing and monitoring care practice so that weaknesses are quickly identified and action taken to address these effectively.

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who attend

Staff provide a wide variety of activities that promote children's learning effectively across all areas. Throughout the nursery staff plan various play and learning experiences with a strong focus on language skills. As they read stories to toddlers staff emphasise some of the rhyming verse and this promotes children's listening skills well. They use of large books effectively to hold children's attention for considerable period. Consequently, children develop a good understanding of the story and join in by pointing. Staff challenge all children, including babies, to achieve good levels of development. For instance, they have set up the baby room as an obstacle course to promote children's large muscle skills as they move around. In the room for children two to three years all join in with large group activities to sing nursery rhymes. Staff skilfully use the opportunity to promote other areas of learning, such as, counting. This is an enjoyable way to widen the learning

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who attend

experiences and children are developing skills in number recognition as a result. Staff include variety by introducing number problems that promote children's critical thinking skills. As they mix ingredients children learn about textures as staff integrate colour recognition by encouraging children to name the colour of some ingredients, such as flour. Staff model how to make shapes with the dough, for example, by rolling it to form little balls and then to flatten it. Children copy these actions and throughout the activity they respond and maintain a two-way flow of conversation. Staff have a good understanding of following children's preferences for play and join in spontaneously. This is reflected in their willingness to follow children's creativity during outside play when they splash in a pool of water. Children enjoy play as they fill and empty containers and develop skills to control the flow of water from the watering can.

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who attend

An initial assessment of children's development is discussed with parents when children first start in the nursery. As children move into new rooms the progress report completed by key persons note what they can do developmentally. This means that staff have clear information at different stages to plan for the next steps in children's learning. At parents' evening staff discuss progress reports and invite parents to feedback their views of the children's achievements. The progress check at age two is completed and staff clarify how children are developing according to the age bands. Clear guidance on how to promote further learning is provided for parents who continue with activities at home.

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who attend

Children in the pre-school room are gaining a clear understanding of what to expect when they start school. They know that 'you have to listen to the teachers'. Staff include registration at the start of the morning sessions to provide an awareness of what happens when they are at school. Consequently, children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. The rooms are set up with sections that promote all areas of learning well. For example, children choose books that are within reach and sit with friends to look at these. Other resources provide opportunities for children to explore the environment through play, such as making marks on paper as they choose to use available key boards for typing letters. Staff allow time for children to develop their play with resources they know and to explore their surroundings. Therefore, staff competently support children to develop the characteristics of effective learning.

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

Children are happy in the nursery because they feel emotionally secure and form strong attachments with key persons. Daily communication with parents ensures staff have a clear understanding of how they can best meet children's needs. The settling-in period for babies is prolonged to ensure their personal routines are understood and followed effectively by the staff. These arrangements, including the information obtained from parents support all children to make a smooth transition from home to the nursery. The transition within the nursery is supported by key persons as children have opportunities to join in activities in new rooms. This allows them to grow used to a different routine and as a result, they undergo a stress-free changeover. Owing to the effective preparation of children in the pre-school age group, they are emotionally ready for the move to school. The welcoming environment and the opportunities to explore their surroundings contribute

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

well to children's sense of enjoyment in the nursery. This is reflected in children's good behaviour and the way in which they play with others. They are confident as they interact with adults and are at ease when engaged in speaking and listening activities.

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

The nursery provides balanced meals and staff ensure children's dietary needs are addressed appropriately. Staff sit with children at tables when meals are served and encourage them to eat the meals provided. Children demonstrate clear understanding of the importance of eating vegetables as they explain that 'they make you strong'. As snacks and dinner are served children are encouraged to make choices depending on their preferences. However, they are not always encouraged to serve themselves, for example, by pouring their own drinks. Water is within children's reach at all times and they are encouraged to drink frequently. Children play outside daily and learn about the effects of exercise on their bodies as they run around in the available space. Quiet times and sleep periods allow children to rest during the day.

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

As they slowly walk down to the ground floor, the youngest children in the nursery learn to negotiate the stairs with the support of staff. They praise children for sensible walking and this helps them to learn about safety within the nursery. Children are challenged to take sensible risks as they play outside in the pool under the close supervision from staff. During these activities the staff to child ratios are maintained as required. However, staff are not always effectively deployed to ensure children receive extra support during their play activities. As a result, children's well-being is not always appropriately addressed because sufficient staff do not participate in activities to ensure children's need for support are fully met. The wide range of resources indoors and outside ensure children have opportunities for enjoyable play in the nursery.

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provision

The arrangements for safeguarding children in the nursery are satisfactory. The inspection was prioritised by Ofsted due to several concerns about the running of the nursery. It was found that children's safety is not compromised when food is served at mealtimes. All staff who prepare snacks and serve meals have completed a food hygiene qualification. On the whole, hygiene routines are implemented effectively to protect children against infection. However, the floor in the communal areas is not sufficiently clean to ensure children's health and safety. This is a breach of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Register. The management and staff have a clear understanding of their responsibilities to protect children in their care. They have a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures and know what to do should they have a concern about a child in their care. Safer recruitment procedures and detailed induction programmes ensure staff

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provision

are suitable to work with children. Ongoing suitability is discussed at regular supervision sessions to ensure staff can continue to work with the children. All records required for the smooth running of the nursery are available to meet the needs of children.

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provision

The manager is the second to be appointed in three years and has been in post a relatively short time. She has identified many areas for improvement in the nursery and is taking steps to address these. For instance, she is reviewing the layout of rooms to note if a reorganisation will impact more positively on children's learning and care more effectively. The manager monitors practice while staff work with the children and this has helped them to improve the quality of the teaching. However, monitoring is not sufficiently rigorous as it does not take account of care practices. For example, although staff complete daily checks of the rooms, risk assessments are not rigorous enough. The storage of brooms in these rooms is not identified as a potential hazard to children and consequently, children's safety is compromised at times. The impact of staff qualifications on the quality of learning experiences for children is good. Staff have a clear

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provision

understanding of how to support children's learning effectively. The impact of training is reflected throughout the nursery. For instance, staff have undertaken training to develop knowledge and understanding of the progress check at age two. As a result, they have implemented a similar system for all age groups to monitor children's progress regularly. Regular supervision sessions help staff to review their performance and to identify where they need support to improve practice. Staff are given responsibility for some aspects of the running of the nursery. For example, room leaders review the educational programme to give feedback to staff so that they can support children more effectively.

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provision

The partnership with parents is good as there is open communication at all times. Parents receive a welcome pack when children start in the nursery and are given abridged versions of policies. Monthly newsletters keep parents abreast of changes and events in the nursery. The management team are responsive to concerns raised by parents. For instance, they have addressed the issue of poor lighting at the pre-school door and all parents have received letters relating to biting in the baby unit. Parents comment positively on the atmosphere in the nursery which they describe as happy. They comment favourably on the detailed information shared at parents' evening regarding the progress their children make in the nursery. The partnership with other professionals is developing as the nursery receives support and guidance to improve practice with all children. Currently children attend other settings and staff share information consistently with other

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provision

early years providers with whom they liaise frequently. This means that children receive effective support to make progress in their learning and development.

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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 EY417588 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 948489

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 74 Number of children on roll 75 Name of provider All About Children Ltd Date of previous inspection 02/10/2012 Telephone number 01213 511632

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

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

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