Spring Park Nursery

Spring Park Nursery Muirhead Avenue East, LIVERPOOL, Merseyside, L11 1ER

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/12/2013 23/09/2013

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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

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This provision is good

 Teaching is good. All staff are skilled in providing for children's individual needs, ensuring that every child makes good progress from their starting points.  Robust procedures are in place for the recruitment and supervision of staff. This helps to ensure that children are kept safe and adults working with children, are suitable to do so.  Children are settled and content because all staff are well qualified and provide a nurturing environment. This supports children's well-being effectively.  Children's behaviour is very good. This is because of strong parent partnerships, which promote consistency for children and the manager's commitment to relevant training.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to enhance the range of more natural resources to provide further support for open-ended play opportunities.  There is scope to create more opportunities to talk about healthy foods with children, to reinforce messages about healthier choices.

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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 checked all relevant documentation and looked at policies and procedures and record keeping by the manager and all staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records, learning journals and observation, assessment and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of staffs' suitability to work with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and the development and action plans in place to secure improvement.

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Inspection activities

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

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Information about the setting

Spring Park Nursery registered in 2003. It is one of two nurseries run by Spring Enterprises NW Limited and is on the Early Years Register. It operates from three playrooms across two floors in purpose-built premises situated in the Croxteth Park area of Liverpool. Access is via a ramp to the main entrance. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, from 7.45am until 6pm, with the exception of bank holidays. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 84 children attending. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports children who speak English as an additional language as well as children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The deputy manager has Early Years Professional Status and two staff have an early years degree. All other staff are qualified at level 3. Additional staff are employed for food preparation. The nursery receives support from a quality improvement advisor. It is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association.

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

 enhance the range of natural resources to provide further support for open-ended play opportunities

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

 create more opportunities to talk about healthy foods with children, to reinforce messages about healthier choices.

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who attend

Teaching is good. All staff demonstrate a secure understanding of how children learn and develop. This helps them to closely observe, support and monitor children's progress towards the early learning goals. As a result, planning for each child's next steps in learning is consistent, precise and effective. For example, detailed 'all about me' information is obtained from parents when their child first attends. This is used effectively to guide and inform planned activities and routines, which closely match each child's skills, abilities, individual interests and needs. Consequently, babies and young children settle quickly and actively participate in lively and enjoyable music and play experiences. They move their bodies in time to their favourite nursery rhymes, expressing delight and enjoyment through their smiles and body actions. Children choose from a wide range of instruments, such as bells and shakers, to join in with musical rhythms, such as Christmas

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who attend

songs. This helps to develop their creative and exploratory senses. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive one-to-one support from their key person, supported by the setting special educational needs co-ordinator so that they can confidently access all aspects of the provision. In this way, their growing independence is skilfully fostered as they develop the skills they need to coordinate their body movements and balance. As a result, they become more able to walk and move around freely and make choices about their own play and learning. Children who are ready, are gradually introduced to new and more challenging educational programmes, that prepare them well for school. They take part in group activities that help them to listen, concentrate and talk about what they know and understand. Staff ask open questions to develop children's thinking and vocabulary, by introducing words to describe textures, such as 'shiny' and

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who attend

'smooth' as they design and create their own decorations for the nursery Christmas tree. However, there is scope to improve opportunities for children to take part in more heuristic play activities, by using more natural and open-ended play materials, to enhance their learning experiences further.

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who attend

Staff provide varied and exciting opportunities for indoor and outdoor play, so that all children engage in active physical play. In addition, the children benefit from visits to the local park and a visiting physical activity tutor, who helps children to learn a range of age- appropriate physical skills, such as kicking and catching balls. This helps children of all ages and abilities to gain control of their large and fine movements. Children investigate and explore the allotment plots, as part of their adult-guided and child-led play and learning experiences. Staff skilfully introduce a wide range of materials for them to use freely, to enhance their learning. For example, young children competently handle household tools, such as large spoons and different-sized containers, to scoop and pour the glittery water. This introduces them to early mathematical concepts, such as volume and capacity and enables them to develop their fine movements and coordination. Staff

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who attend

skilfully use clear language and picture prompts, such as family photograph albums to enhance children's communication skills. This has been particularly successful in supporting and promoting inclusive language for all children. In addition to this, the children benefit from regular visits from a Spanish teacher, who further enhances communication and language skills for children. Consequently, all children are very well motivated to learn.

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who attend

All children develop a clear understanding of the routines of the day and can communicate their own needs effectively. A wide range of writing and drawing materials are readily accessible to all children when they wish to make marks, draw recognisable shapes and learn how to write their own name. This effectively supports their literacy development. Parents are actively engaged in their child's learning because key persons share timely and detailed information about their child's development and progress from observation, assessment and summary progress reports. This ensures that children's needs are quickly identified and supported. Parents receive advanced information about the meaning and purpose of the planned educational programmes, which helps them to support their child's learning at home and prepare for school.

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

A well-established key person system in the nursery ensures that all children receive consistent and sensitive care from someone who knows them very well. As a result, children feel safe and form strong bonds and secure attachments. For example, children new to the nursery visit regularly with their parents before their first day of attendance. This helps them to feel comfortable and to separate happily in familiar surroundings. This is followed by an introductory transition period to enable children to establish positive relationships with their key person. This strengthens the settling-in procedure. Furthermore, the open plan aspect of the nursery helps children to become familiar with other staff and areas of play. This helps to ease their transition between rooms, when they are ready to move to their next stage of learning. Staff have developed robust transition systems for children who are moving from room to room as they progress

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

through their learning journey in the nursery. Furthermore, transition sheets have been developed for children who are moving onto another setting, with relevant information shared, with parental consent. This ensures that relevant information about children's care, well-being and learning, is consistently shared between each provision. Home diaries and daily routine records are used effectively to exchange information with parents and carers on a daily basis, about their child's activities and care. This promotes continuity and supports children's emotional well-being. In addition, timely information is shared between the special educational needs coordinators within the nursery and local authority, to ensure that children with identified needs receive close and supportive attention. Key persons work closely with parents and other health and advisory professionals, to strengthen this aspect of their practice further. This ensures a fully inclusive nursery, with

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

children learning to respect similarities and differences as well as cultures other than their own.

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

Staff are vigilant about children's safe care and supervision and keep a close eye on them as they play, rest and sleep. They are very aware of children's need to explore and investigate their surroundings and take great care to ensure that the nursery environment is safe for them to do so. For example, rooms and resources are safe and clean and toys are age-appropriate. This ensures that children can move around and play safely. Outings are carefully planned and supervised, so that children benefit from a broader range of experiences outside of the nursery. This also helps children to learn how to keep themselves safe by, for example, following sensible road safety rules and staying within sight of the nursery staff.

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

The nursery cook provides nutritious meals and snacks, which include freshly prepared hot and cold meals and a wide variety of fruit, vegetable and salad ingredients. Children help to grow food in the nursery 'allotment' plots and use this home grown produce in some of their meals. The nursery cook provides child-sized portions of food, of more manageable consistency. This ensures that children can easily help themselves to their own food at lunchtime, developing their independence and self-care skills. In addition, all children develop healthy eating habits. Children benefit from regular fresh air and exercise outdoors and follow their individual sleep and rest patterns, using their own sleep mats and individual blankets. This promotes their healthy growth and development. Children follow good hygiene routines and are encouraged to adopt healthy habits when washing their hands. For example, staff show them effective techniques for washing their hands

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

thoroughly, before meals and after toileting. However there are missed opportunities to discuss the benefits of eating healthy foods. Staff role model positive behaviour towards the children and treat them with kindness and respect. As a result, children make friends easily and show politeness and consideration towards others. For example, pre-school children politely say 'excuse me' when they wish to join in with a conversation and make their voices heard. Younger children show high levels of tolerance towards each other, when their concentrated play is interrupted. Staff attend promptly to babies, offering calm and loving reassurances to them when needed. This helps children to manage their own behaviour and express their feelings, in a safe and supportive environment. Consequently, children's emotional well-being is successfully fostered. Behaviour management training for the nursery staff has had a positive impact on all of the children, as staff focus on and

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

praise good behaviour, such as sharing with one another. Consequently, the behaviour of children is very good throughout the nursery.

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provision

The manager has a clear overview of staffs' key strengths and areas for development, in delivering the educational programmes. She carefully monitors their practice through informal discussions and appraisal meetings. She implements strong mentoring and support methods to enable staff to develop professionally. As a result, staff plan and organise a broad range of stimulating learning experiences for all children, based on their secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff receive appropriate training so that they can adapt their practice and routines to accommodate children's individual needs. This is particularly successful with regard to supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, staff have undertaken training to enhance children's communication and language development. They take time to learn different languages spoken in family groups, to promote equality and diversity. This

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provision

ensures that all children make good progress towards the early learning goals.

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provision

Safeguarding procedures are robust, ensuring children's safety and well-being is protected. Staff confidently describe and implement effective systems for recording accidents and sharing information with parents appropriately. The safeguarding policy is regularly reviewed at team meetings to strengthen staffs' knowledge and understanding of current guidelines and regulations. The provider follows rigorous recruitment and vetting procedures, to ensure that the suitability of all staff working with children is thoroughly checked, monitored and detailed records are kept. This includes previous childcare experience and employment history, qualifications and Disclosure and Barring Service checks. The manager conducts regular appraisals with each member of staff, to strengthen team and manager relationships and encourage open discussions.

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provision

The manager demonstrates a thorough approach to self-evaluation. She is highly committed to improving and developing her provision. She carefully monitors the impact of staff changes on the quality of the provision. Consequently, children enjoy secure relationships and improved learning and care outcomes. For example, staff work well as a team and have greater room leader responsibilities. Their professional knowledge and expertise is highly valued by the provider, which enhances their confidence and abilities. The views of staff, children and parents are sought and welcomed and form the basis of the provider's improvement plan. Consequently, children contribute ideas for future activities and new resources. Staff attend motivating training events, leading to enhanced imaginative play opportunities for children. Parents offer very supportive written comments and high levels of praise for the nursery and the 'good' level of care and range

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provision

of learning experiences their children receive, which they say, has resulted in their child's 'good' progress across all areas of development. Parents spoken to at the inspection state that the staffs' warm and friendly approach helps them and their children to feel welcome and valued. All of the actions and the recommendation from the previous inspection have been successfully addressed. As a result, children's development records, including the progress check at age two, are used more effectively to observe, assess and monitor each child's progress, leading to early support for children with identified needs. In addition, children enjoy more purposeful and challenging learning experiences. Furthermore, more in-depth information is shared with parents, to enhance children's learning and development at home and in the nursery. The provider implements more robust self- evaluation methods to identify what the nursery does well and where improvements can

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provision

be made. This has a significant impact on staff deployment and motivation, leading to positive learning outcomes for all children. Professional partnerships with external agencies and other providers are well established. For example, the provider works closely with local authority advisors and health professionals to monitor and improve practice. Consequently, good progress has been made since the last inspection. The manager has initiated strong links with other high quality provisions to enable staff to share and explore best practice ideas. This results in more detailed planning and evaluation of children's development and progress, and continuity in their learning.

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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 EY262887 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 941801

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 88 Number of children on roll 84 Name of provider Spring Enterprises NW Ltd Date of previous inspection 23/09/2013 Telephone number 0151 226 8600

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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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