Teddy Bears Nursery School

Teddy Bears Nursery School 232 Southampton Road, PORTSMOUTH, PO6 4QD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31/01/2014 16/01/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Effective partnership working with parents means that there is a consistent approach to meeting individual children's needs and helping them to develop relevant skills for the future.  Children are motivated by the imaginative and stimulating ways activities are presented throughout the nursery. They are totally engaged in their learning and make good progress, taking into account their starting points and capabilities.  The nursery is well led and managed. There is a strong commitment to provide high quality of teaching and learning for the benefit of the children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always use successfully open-ended questions to further extend children's learning and promote critical thinking.  Staff do not always give thinking time for children to decide what they want to say, and how they will say it, to better support communication and language development.

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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 had a tour of the setting with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager, provider, special education needs co-ordinator, staff and key persons.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at various documents, including policies and procedures, records of children and evidence of the suitability of staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector observed activities in all rooms of the nursery.

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Information about the setting

Teddy Bears Nursery opened in 2003 and re-registered under new ownership in 2006. It is a privately owned nursery and operates from premises which are situated in the North Harbour area of Portsmouth. The nursery is set on two levels, consisting of the baby and toddler rooms on the ground floor and the pre-school rooms on the first floor. All children have sole use of a fully enclosed outdoor play area. Teddy Bears Nursery provides care for children from all areas and it is their policy to take children from the age of three months. The nursery is open from 7.30 am - 6 pm. Monday to Friday all year round, with the exception of Bank Holidays and one week over the Christmas period. Children are able to attend a variety of sessions within these hours. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 82 children on roll. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for young children. The setting supports children with

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Information about the setting

learning difficulties and/or disabilities and also supports children who speak English as an additional language. There are 17 staff, in addition to the owner and manager, who work with the children. Of these, one holds Early Years Professional status, one holds a BA in Education and Training and 16 other staff members hold level 3 qualifications. Teddy Bears Nursery receives support visits from the Early Years Team.

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

 provide more open questions when engaging in discussions with children to extend children's learning and development

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

 allow children enough time to gather their thoughts and respond, through gestures or through verbal communication.

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who attend

Children are happy and motivated in the nursery and, consequently, make good progress in their learning and development given their starting points. Staff complete observations in the first few weeks that children attend, and collate all the information to build a detailed picture about the child. They work very closely with their key children's parents, to gain comprehensive information about their interests, likes, achievements and specific needs. This enables staff to gain important information about children's development, across all areas of learning.

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who attend

All planning is individual for children, and takes into account their interests and stages of development. Frequent observations, and well-documented assessments, assist staff well in monitoring children's progress and learning. For example, staff evaluate and focus their ongoing observations to recognise the individuality of each child, then use this information to shape future planning. They routinely evaluate their key children's achievements and identify new targets for their development. This is supplemented by parental contributions to the learning journal, which include pictures and photographs from home. Parents also provide regular information on their child's interests and achievements. In this way, the nursery ensure that they are using the information that they have, to help children to make the most progress possible at home and in the nursery.

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who attend

Children move around the environment with ease, deciding where they want to play and with what. Babies and young children have good opportunities to progress and develop. For instance, they freely explore the sensory room, they investigate colour and develop their physical skills as they move independently around. Staff motivate children to learn, with exciting activities that children enthusiastically engage in. The children enjoy a story, joining in eagerly and using actions and words, with encouragement and support. Children engage in activities at the craft table, independently selecting resources to create their own art work. However, occasionally staff do not ask open questions to extend children's learning and to support critical thinking skills.

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who attend

Children demonstrate that they have secure relationships staff, interacting warmly with them and sharing ideas. Older children are confident talkers and are extremely happy to share their thoughts and ideas with others, initiating and engaging in many worthwhile conversations. For example, staff encourage communication and imagination as children talk about spaceships during spaghetti play. Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how to promote the learning and development of young children. However, staff interactions do not always give children time to respond, to support fully their language development. Staff maximise opportunities to introduce numbers and counting, such as counting cups at the snack table. From an early age, children have extensive opportunities to make marks, using a variety of creative media. Young children enjoy sand play, with resources that reflect their interests, and they engage in water

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who attend

Parents comment that children make good progress in their learning, from their starting points. A progress check, at age two, is completed and shared with parents as appropriate. Children with English as an additional language receive planned support to ensure that they make good progress. Staff ask parents to provide words, phrases and information about their own culture, to support communication and create a sense of being valued and belonging. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully supported, because staff develop individual plans for them that foster learning in all areas. Hence, all children make good progress, given their starting points and individual needs.

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

Staff and management follow robust safety procedures to safeguard children in the event of an accident, injury or incident, and supervise children appropriately at all times. This helps to effectively promote children's well-being. Children are happy, confident, have fun and enjoy coming to nursery. Staff work very closely with parents to tailor settling-in arrangements that are specific to children's needs. The warm welcome and highly positive, relaxed approach from staff has a very calming influence on the children. As a result, new children are happy, settle quickly and build very close attachments with the staff. Every key person knows their children exceptionally well and can clearly demonstrate how they are helping them to move forward. The excellent links with their child's key person ensure children's needs are met, and supports parents in becoming involved in their child's learning, within the setting and at home.

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

Children, from an early age, understand good hygiene routines and know why they must wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating. Children are very well-nourished and their health is fostered. The chef delivers a menu that is freshly cooked and which accommodates every child's specific need. Meal times for all children are sociable occasions. Children sit together, integrated into different age groups. Younger children are supported to feed themselves alongside their older peers, and staff sensitively encourage them in this learning experience. This helps to prepare them for school and promotes independence. Children's physical health is very well-supported. They have daily use of the large garden area and use a wide range of equipment, to encourage their physical skills and fitness.

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

Staff model positive behaviour. Continual positive praise, enthusiastic encouragement and meaningful targeted support, successfully promotes children's self-esteem. This inspires the children to persevere and concentrate, to show pride in their achievements and to become highly motivated, active learners. Children learn how to keep themselves safe and manage risks, as staff encourage children's interests and ideas as they play. For example, children negotiate carefully the space around them as they actively play superheroes indoors. This further promotes children's confidence and self-esteem. Children learn about the safety of stairs and expertly show their understanding as they descend the stairs carefully, to access additional activities and outdoor play.

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

Careful consideration is given to supporting children when they move rooms within the setting. The parent, key person and new key person, are all involved in the transition, to make it as smooth as possible for the children involved. Staff help to prepare children for school extremely well by encouraging regular visits from reception teachers. Staff tailor activities and planning and help children to develop the skills they will need in the next stage of their learning.

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provision

Management meet all the requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They takes positive steps to safeguard children's welfare. Procedures for recruitment are strong; they include full vetting of all staff to ensure their suitability. Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children and meet their needs. They understand fully the safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures of the setting. They know what to do if concerns arise about children's well- being, and have a good understanding of the whistle-blowing policy, if needed. Staff have first aid training. Robust risk assessments, and regular audits to monitor the security of the setting, contribute significantly to children's safety.

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provision

The management team demonstrate a good knowledge of the learning and development requirements. They motivate the staff and manage their performance and professional development well. Staff update their skills and knowledge through staff meetings, supervision and access to regular training. This results in a skilled and energetic staff team, who demonstrate a good knowledge of their roles and key responsibilities in moving children forward. Since the last inspection, the management and staff have worked extremely hard to address previous weaknesses, developing children's independence at meal times for example. This has led to significant improvements in children's welfare, learning and development.

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provision

The management team have ambition for the quality of practice. Staff observations, feedback from parent questionnaires, and regular reviews of action plans, are used to monitor quality of practice. As a result, targets are identified and these have had an impact on children's achievement and well-being. The management team oversee children's moves between nursery and school. Staff meet with teachers to share children's progress information. This ensures children's individual learning needs are fully understood and supports smooth transitions. Procedures to monitor and evaluate children's learning and development are effective and support the early identification of learning support needs. This enables staff to seek additional help for children quickly. Staff liaise well with parents and other professionals involved with the children and ensure that the partnerships are fully embedded. Staff's approach to promoting children's education is

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provision

demonstrated through the good quality support and challenge, which they provide for all children.

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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 EY340616 Local authority Portsmouth Inspection number 949350 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 82 Name of provider R & J Care Ltd Date of previous inspection 16/01/2009 Telephone number 0239 238 5005

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Setting details

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

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

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

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Type of provision

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

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Type of provision

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

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Type of provision

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

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

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

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