Whanau Day Nursery Welwyn GC

Playschool Nursery WGC Trevelyan House, 7 Church Street, WELWYN GARDEN CITY, AL8 6NT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 06/02/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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

 High ratios of staff to children and good teaching effectively supports children in their learning and development. As a result, children are making good progress.  Children settle quickly into the setting because partnership with parents is good and the key person system is well established. As a result, children are able to form secure attachments because staff provide them with good levels of emotional support.  Children's safety and overall well-being is encouraged because the owners use robust recruitment, induction and performance management systems which support staff in improving their knowledge, understanding and practice. This ensures that the safeguarding and welfare requirements are effectively met.  The leadership and management of the setting are strong. In the short time the setting has been open, the consistent monitoring and reflection of practice shows a passionate drive for excellence.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to extend the provision of further outdoor resources to provide challenging but achievable activities for all ages of children.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed practitioners and children indoors and in the outside area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the registered owners, talked to practitioners and discussed children's progress with key persons.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector and registered person carried out a joint observations of practitioners and children in the sensory room.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined various documents, including policies and procedures, children's records, evidence of the suitability of staff and safeguarding procedures.

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Information about the setting

Playschool Nursery WGC was registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in converted premises within a conservation area in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. It is one of three settings privately owned by the same providers.

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Information about the setting

The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There are enclosed areas available for outdoor play. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. Three members of staff have Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. There are currently seven children on roll. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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

 increase the selection of resources to provide opportunities for children to make progress in all areas of learning in the outdoor environment as well as they do indoors.

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who attend

Practitioners display a good understanding of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage; they are well-qualified and provide good teaching. Observations on each child are regularly undertaken. These are effectively used to measure and guide children's progress through assessment. Practitioners effectively extend children's thinking at every opportunity. For example, children initiate an activity and role play at being aeroplanes. Staff encourage their interest and extend their learning by finding a toy plane and suggesting they try to make a plane. Children's thinking is challenged as they are asked what they might need and how they might do it. As a result, children's learning and development is very well promoted. Practitioners are skilled in using well-timed interventions. For example, they encourage the children verbally while they try dressing themselves in readiness for their outdoor play session. Practitioners praise their attempts

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who attend

which gives the children the confidence and self-esteem to achieve their goal of putting on their boots and zipping up their coat on their own. As a result, children are achieving well in the prime areas of learning. Practitioners provide all ages of children with a wide range of opportunities to explore and expand their skills across the prime and specific areas of learning. Children learn about the outdoor environment while developing their physical skills and their understanding of the world. A life cycle area is being set up where children can plant, grow and harvest home grown produce to feed their pet guinea pig. Children learn to manoeuvre wheeled toys over different surfaces in the garden. Older children climb and slide confidently. Toddlers are given lots of adult support to use the large equipment. Practitioners encourage children's communication and language skills, as they talk about nature and the rain and decide if they want an umbrella.

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who attend

Practitioners are effective in using observations to clearly identify children's individual next steps in their learning and development. The information gained is successfully incorporated into the planning of future activities, firmly based on children's interests. For example, planned activities are based around children's ideas and themes and topics, such as 'animals' which is the current theme. Children are engaged in creative activities, such as making a sensory jungle for animals to live in. Children count and match animals, expanding their understanding of mathematics. As a result, children are making good progress in readiness for school. Practitioners generally encourage children's physical development well by providing and encouraging the children to explore a wide range of resources and equipment. Additionally, outside the children use a slide, balancing stilts, tunnels and wheeled cars. However, there is scope to extend the resources outdoors to

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who attend

enable toddlers and wobblers to climb, slide and explore independently.

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who attend

Partnerships with parents are well promoted because practitioners actively encourage them to be involved in their child's learning. Practitioners gather a range of information from parents, which enable children to settle quickly. Their ongoing progress and development is effectively shared with parents on a daily basis. Parents are supported in extending children's learning at home. For example, they jointly introduce rewards for children's achievements at home and in the nursery. Parents are very complimentary about the nursery and the impact it has had on their children's good progress. These effective partnerships are enabling children to make significant progress as a result of consistency and coherence.

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

Children's self-confidence and independence within the nursery are well promoted because practitioners support children in forming relationships, secure attachments and bonds. Children who are relatively new to the nursery quickly settle into the calm and nurturing environment. Children are beginning to show that they understand how to manage risks for themselves. For example, children use tools and equipment responsibly; they tidy away toys to prevent tripping up. Practitioners give gentle guidance and reminders to support children's understanding. As a result, risks are minimised because children behave well and responsibly. Children display very good behaviour because the staff are consistent in practising positive management methods. This means that children always receive clear and reliable messages about how to behave safely while having fun. Practitioners provide a wide range of high quality toys, equipment and resources in all rooms. These are used

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

very well to encourage children to explore, experiment and learn.

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

Children show that they have formed close attachments and affectionate bonds with all practitioners and other children. Each child has their own individual key person in the nursery who has a detailed knowledge of their individual needs. Practitioners have a caring and reassuring approach, which leads to children settling in quickly. Children are happy and confident as they play and giggle together with each other and practitioners. Practitioners respond warmly to the children. As a result, children display enthusiasm in exploring and investigating the good range of resources and the environment. Staff have clear plans in place which will ensure that children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. The nursery has only been open for a couple of months; however, children are already displaying strong personal, social and emotional skills. As a result, children are displaying the characteristics they needs to support their smooth move within the nursery

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

age groups and eventually, on to school.

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

Children are well supported in making good progress in their personal independence. As a result, children are gaining competence in putting on their own coat, hat and shoes in readiness for outdoor play. Children's well-being is effectively supported by good partnership working between key persons, parents and other adults in the children's lives. As a result, children display good levels of confidence and capability. This results in children who are eager and excited to learn and who welcome new challenges in their lives. Children are encouraged to eat healthily and sensibly. They explore the smell and feel of fresh fruit and are encouraged to try all foods. Children receive praise for trying one piece of sweet corn or carrot. This results in children beginning to adopt health lifestyles. Care practices are good and, as a result, children's well-being is effectively promoted.

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provision

The registered persons, manager and staff are effective in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements. They all demonstrate a good understanding of how to protect all children in their care. Regular risk assessments are carried out in all areas used by children within the nursery, to ensure that children can play and explore in safety. All practitioners have completed basic safeguarding training and they are conversant with the procedures to be followed in the event of a child protection concern. In addition, the registered persons undertake robust checks to ensure that all practitioners and staff are safe and suitable to work with children. Robust recruitment, induction and monitoring procedures ensure that practitioners are suitably qualified. Practitioners have a clear understanding of their individual responsibilities to ensure that children are effectively safeguarded and risks are minimised.

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provision

The registered persons have a robust understanding of their role in monitoring and evaluating the teaching and learning in the nursery. They regularly observe practitioners as they work with children, and they monitor performance through regular supervision meetings and appraisals with each member of staff. Additionally, they monitor and evaluate the observations and assessments of children to ensure that they continue to make good progress. As a result, the nursery is a well-organised learning environment where activities are clearly based on children's interests and meet their learning and development needs well. This is the first inspection since registration; however, the nursery has only been operational since December 2013. In this short period of time, effective reflective practice and good self-evaluation clearly shows that the leadership and management of this nursery is strong. A well-established programme of professional

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provision

development supports all staff in improving their knowledge and enhancing their already good practice.

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provision

Partnership with parents is good because the nursery understands the importance and benefits of working together. Parents are involved in their children's progress and assessments. Regular consultations and support for parents enable them to be actively involved in their children's learning. Activities and routines adopted by parents have already shown progress in their children's development. For example, close monitoring of poor and fussy eaters and consistent praise for trying new things has been very successful. Parents are delighted in the difference they have seen since their child started at the nursery. The registered persons have a good understanding of working closely in partnerships with other settings, delivering the Early Years Foundation stage. Information is shared between all key persons and this promotes a consistent approach in children's learning. The nursery involves all staff, children and parents in effectively evaluating the

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provision

strengths and highlight areas for improvement. This enables the registered persons to have an accurate view about the quality of their early years provision. Additionally, the registered persons, manager and staff have clear plans of what further improvements they want to make and this shows that they have the ambition and capacity to continue to improve.

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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 EY466391 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 933167 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 88 Number of children on roll 7 Name of provider Playschool Nursery (Welwyn GC) LLP Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01707 330482

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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

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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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