Farthing Wood Private Day Nursery

Farthing Wood Private Day Nursery Prospect House, New Lane, Skircoat Green, HALIFAX, West Yorkshire, HX3 0TE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 06/03/2014 01/12/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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

 Staff know the children's individual needs well. The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good and inclusive so that all children make good progress in their learning and development.  The contribution of parents is highly valued and this means that there is effective continuity of care, learning and development between home and nursery.  The effective management team ensure good, stimulating and appropriately challenging activities are provided by staff who are skilled, enthusiastic, committed, hardworking and caring. As a result children are happy, confident and show joy, wonder and awe in their play.  The management team ensure effective recruitment and selection procedures and only employ staff who are well qualified, experienced and suitable to work with children and this means that children are safe, secure, behave well and ready to learn.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There are some missed opportunities to further support children to value and use their home language in their play.  There is scope to further develop systems for observation of teaching and learning and give feedback to staff to promote excellence in teaching and learning.

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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 activities in the two playrooms and the outdoor areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the proprietors, manager, staff and children at appropriate times throughout the day.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records and a sample of documents, including children's assessment files, planning documentation, policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and from the setting's own parent feedback forms.

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Information about the setting

Farthing Wood Private Day Nursery was registered in 2004 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from self-contained premises in the Skircoat Green area of Halifax. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from ground and first floor rooms and there is an enclosed area for outdoor play. The nursery employs five members of childcare staff. All staff have appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery opens Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year, except for bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 27 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and also supports a number of children who

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Information about the setting

speak English as an additional language.

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

 supplement the range of resources to support children with English as an additional language to use their home language in their play

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

 strengthen systems to observe and give feedback to staff about the quality of teaching and learning in order to promote the highest possible standards of practice.

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who attend

Staff have a thorough knowledge of the requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They know the children's individual needs well and this is evident in their good teaching. Children are provided with engaging activities that capture their attention. For example, they observe the movements of a large worm, noticing with awe how it makes holes in the soil as it moves around within the jar. Children experience a good balance of planned activities directed by adults, free choice and adapted activities that effectively meet their individual learning styles, interests and needs. Staff consistently use good teaching methods, such as questioning children effectively and demonstrating enthusiasm and children show joy and wonder throughout their play. For example, as children explore physical activities involving a parachute, music and storytelling their excitement is evident when they run, jump, laugh and shake the parachute together.

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who attend

Children are well prepared for school. Their behaviour is exemplary and this means that they are ready to learn in all their activities. Staff are kind, thoughtful and attentive to the children at all times and children are settled, engaged and participative in all their play. Children concentrate for good periods of time and successfully lead their own learning, for example, in sand, water, construction and outdoor play. They take a full part in adult-led activities and they listen attentively as they share a non-fiction book about the life styles of mini-beasts. Children enjoy stories that are skilfully read to them and successfully develop their imaginations as they act out going to the beach, making and eating a picnic and driving an imaginary car. They explore counting to 10 and beyond in circle time and demonstrate good knowledge of shapes as they roam around the room to find circles, cubes and triangles in their environment. Children with special educational needs and/or

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who attend

disabilities are well supported by coordinated teaching involving both nursery staff and visiting specialist support professionals. Staff skilfully use a range of effective communication methods including sign language to effectively develop children's communication and language skills and to communicate effectively with parents. This is inclusive practice, and consequently, all children, including those with including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with English as an additional language make good progress in all of their learning and development. Staff use some key words from children's home language and this enables children to communicate their needs clearly and confidently. However, resources to further develop the use of children's home language in their play and to value different cultures and languages are limited.

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who attend

Children's progress and development is accurately tracked and this information is used well to plan and provide activities that are personalised to each child and accurately matched to their next steps for learning. Parents and staff communicate very openly with each other and this means that children's learning is continuous between nursery and home. Each child has a learning journal file which documents their progress and achievements, including photographs and this creates an individualised record of each child's time in nursery that is highly valued by parents. Useful information about nursery policies and procedures, daily conversations and more formal termly reporting of progress ensure effective communication, learning and development between home and nursery.

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

The key worker system is effective and all staff have good knowledge of their children's needs and children demonstrate that they feel well attached, safe and secure as they move around the rooms with confidence and self-assurance. Each key person creates positive relationships with children, regularly giving praise and encouragement and ensuring that children's personal care and feeding needs are fully met. Children demonstrate happiness and active engagement as they freely talk with other children and adults throughout their play. For example, when observing the worm moving through soil, one child eagerly collected soil and leaves and enthusiastically announced 'Look, I have made a bed for the worm!' Staff are constantly attentive to children's individual care needs and communicate effectively with parents through sharing daily written information and this means that changes to routines are effectively shared and continuity of care is

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

effectively maintained between home and nursery. Children demonstrate good levels of independence in their personal hygiene, serving foods and helping themselves to water when needed. Children show good initiative as they freely explore the indoor and outdoor environments. Staff are deployed well to support children's needs, while allowing them to take well managed risks, for example, being close at hand as children navigate low-level beams to practice and develop their balancing skills. Staff skilfully manage children's behaviour so that when asked to quieten and 'sleep' under the parachute, after a period of great excitement, they respond well immediately. Staff provide good models of behaviour themselves. They consistently show interest in children's development and achievements and a create a culture of enthusiasm and children engage in active, safe and stimulating play, demonstrating high levels of independence and motivation.

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

Staff demonstrate good, up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding practices and procedures and they are alert to signs and symptoms that give cause for concern so that children's safety and well-being are assured. The nursery environment is secure and staff demonstrate good practice in risk assessing the activities on a daily basis so that children are safe as they play contentedly in both the indoor and outdoor areas. Children effectively learn about healthy life styles as they experience the fresh air in the outdoor area, eat well balanced meals prepared daily for them, choose healthy snacks, such as cucumber slices and carrot and prepare fruit salad to eat at lunchtime. Children eat heartily and chat happily as they sit together at the lunch table. They are emotionally secure and happy in the nursery and their confidence and self-assurance demonstrates that they are effectively becoming ready to move on to the next room, or to school and

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provision

Previous recommendations have been addressed. Effective risk assessments are conducted on a daily basis and signed by staff and this means that children are safe as they play in the indoor and outdoor areas. Safeguarding is given a high priority. There are thorough procedures in recruiting and selecting staff, including pertinent questions during the application stage to ensure that candidates are suitably qualified, experienced and in good health. Two references are sought for each applicant and all staff are interviewed and subject to a clear Disclosure and Barring Services check before they start work in the nursery. These robust procedures ensure that only people who are suitable to work with children are appointed to the nursery. There are clear policies and procedures that are regularly reviewed and shared effectively with new staff during induction and these underpin daily good practices that ensure children's safety. The manager has received

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provision

recent and relevant training in safeguarding. She is well informed about and demonstrates thorough knowledge of good practice in keeping children safe and protected from harm. This has been effectively shared during staff meetings and all staff demonstrate good knowledge about what to do if they are concerned about a child's welfare or the behaviour of a member of staff. As a result, children are settled, safe and secure in the setting.

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provision

The proprietors are actively involved in the daily operations of the nursery and there are positive working relationships between them, the manager and staff and this effective team work well together to provide a safe, secure and stimulating environment and a broad range of good experiences for children. All members of staff take part in regular staff meetings and annual appraisal to ensure continuing good practices and performance. The manager monitors the educational programmes, teaching and learning on a daily basis through working in close proximity to members of staff and overseeing all assessment and tracking of children's progress. This means that the manager and staff observe each other's teaching and practice on a daily basis and this is effective in ensuring good standards of teaching and learning. However, there is currently no system for more planned observation of teaching and learning. This restricts the opportunities for staff to

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provision

continuously improve their practice to promote outstanding teaching and learning, based on regular, planned observation and feedback. The proprietors and manager have a close working relationship and engage in discussions on a daily basis, to reflect on their practice, inform self-evaluation and identify strengths and areas for development in the setting. As a result, the quality and standards of the overall provision are good and children make good progress in their learning and development. Training needs of staff are effectively identified during individual staff appraisal meetings and the proprietors are positively committed to funding identified training priorities. The staff hold relevant qualifications in childcare and early years practice and the manager is undertaking a Foundation Degree in Early Years Practice. As a result, the nursery is staffed by skilled, dedicated, enthusiastic and committed staff who ensure good, personalised opportunities

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provision

for every child to grow, develop and learn.

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provision

Effective partnerships with parents, local schools, education, health and specialist support services are a significant aspect of the nursery's success. The nursery's 'Parents as partners' policy underpins daily practices. The contribution of parents to their child's learning and development is valued in practice. Parents are welcomed into the setting and sometimes stay to settle their child. Staff act on advice from visiting professionals to implement individual programmes of support for children. This ensures that all children make good progress and gaps are closing. Positive links are established and maintained between the nursery and local mainstream and special schools, through visiting teachers and sharing of resources. These partnerships contribute positively to children's learning and development. Parents' views are actively sought and positive comments in parent questionnaires show that the nursery's contribution to the learning, care and development

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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 EY286335 Local authority Calderdale Inspection number 820035

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 54 Number of children on roll 27 Name of provider Emma Jane Hand and Claire Louise Westwood Partnership Date of previous inspection 01/12/2011 Telephone number 01422 300060 or 01274818167

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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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