Forest Hall Day Nursery

Forest Hall Day Nursery Springfield Park, FOREST HALL, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE12 9AG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/03/2014 08/03/2011

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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 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 and as a result, children are motivated to learn. All staff are skilled in providing for children's individual needs, ensuring that every child makes good progress from their starting points.  Children are settled and content, because all staff provide a caring and nurturing environment that promotes children's emotional well-being effectively.  Very good partnerships with parents and other agencies ensure that there is consistency and continuity in children's learning and care and as a result, children are well-prepared for starting school.  Strong leadership and management ensures that children are kept safe and that the educational programmes meet the needs of all children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to enhance the outdoor play area for the youngest children, through the use of more natural resources, to provide further support for learning opportunities outdoors for babies.  Staffs' skills in asking open-ended questions are variable. This means children are not consistently encouraged to build on their rapidly developing critical and creative thinking skills.

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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 viewed all areas of the premises and equipment and observed activities in all of the playrooms and the outside play areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of staff working within the nursery, the provider's self- evaluation form and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager and spoke with staff and children throughout the inspection. The inspector completed a joint observation with the early years professional.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and in written form.

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Information about the setting

Forest Hall Day Nursery was registered in 1992 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is part of the Northumbrian Trust Day Nurseries Limited. It is situated in modular buildings in the Forest Hall area of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The nursery provides serves the local community. It operates from four rooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff. All hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including one with Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 94 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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

 develop the outdoor play area for the youngest children further, through the use of more natural resources, to enhance learning opportunities outdoors for babies

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

 enhance staffs' understanding of consistent and effective open-ended questioning, so children learn to think more creatively and critically.

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who attend

Teaching is good. As a result, children thrive and are well-motivated to learn in this high quality nursery. Staff provide an exciting, stimulating and well-organised environment, with a range of resources to promote physical development, including climbing and soft play equipment. There is a sharp focus on helping children to acquire communication and language skills and supporting their physical, personal, social and emotional development. Staff join in children's play, role modelling and extending their vocabulary, appropriate to children's stage of development. This means that children are learning to develop their language skills however, not all staff are confident in using open-ended questioning techniques to consistently encourage children to think critically and develop their thinking skills. Children develop their communication and language skills as they show interest in familiar sounds. Babies understand what is being said to them as they begin to point and

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who attend

gesture and use single words to communicate. A range of resources provided by the nursery ensures that all children's language and communication needs are met. Consequently, children are highly motivated to learn, which means that they consistently display the characteristics of effective learning. Expressive arts and design is very evident throughout children's learning. Staff provide children with a wealth of materials and opportunities for children to explore art. As a result, all children are particularly confident using paint, a range of resources and role play, which staff skilfully link to all areas of learning and development. For example, babies explore with tomatoes using their hands, clearly enjoying the multi-sensory experience as they giggle with delight. While in the pre-school, children are supported to keep on trying, for example, as they investigate with the light box to look at various

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who attend

colours and how they mix together. Staff whole-heartedly accept children's own efforts, which means that children are very proud of their own achievements and consequently engage very well in all aspects of learning. Staff enthusiastically plan learning using the infomation gathered from parents on entry to the setting. Every child has an individual profile and a record of learning that identifies children's learning and progress. Parents spoken to on the day of the inspection report that they receive high quality information from the manager and staff and have a range of opportunities to contribute towards their children's learning. For example, through sharing strategies, such as the wow and wishes board, which encourages parents to share wow moments of their child achievements from home and also to record any suggestions or wishes for the future. These very good partnerships with parents are actively contributing to children's learning and progression.

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who attend

Staff enthusiastically plan learning, using the information gathered from parents on entry to the nursery. Each child is assigned a key person to be responsible for their development, care practices, and liaison with parents. Parents speak to staff daily and contribute to their child's 'observations and profiles' booklets, that are sent home on a regular basis as a communication tool. Furthermore, very strong links with parents, who fully contribute towards learning activities, mean that children are well-prepared for school and their next stage of learning.

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

Staff support children to feel secure and comfortable with routines and close relationships with their key person. They fully engage in their activities and experience varied and imaginative learning opportunities, based upon the individual interests of each child. To help prepare children getting ready for school, staff work closely with local schools and have devised very effective transition strategies in partnership with parents. Staff plan activities based on information from parents. As a result, positive relationships are actively contributing to children's learning and progression. Children form strong, secure emotional attachments, which provide a solid foundation to develop their personal, social and emotional skills. The sensitive, caring interaction between staff and children ensures that all children form positive and trusting relationships. Children settle well, because staff find out good information from parents about their child before they start at the nursery, to

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

ensure all children's needs are known and effectively met.

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

Staff effectively promote children's independence and sense of responsibility through a good balance of child-initiated and adult-led experiences. For example, at mealtimes children help to serve their own meals and choose from a healthy, varied menu. Children enjoy the meals and all eat competently, using appropriate cutlery. Staff act as good role models, helping children to learn how to be healthy, such as washing their hands before lunch and providing a healthy balanced diet. Children are able to manage their own self- care appropriate to their age because all staff provide good guidance and give them time to complete tasks. For example, children competently serve themselves a range of foods, which helps them prepare for school. Children are encouraged to manage risk and begin to understand about safety. For example, when children play outside on the 'fireman's pole' children work with adult support until they are confident to try themselves. Staff

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

sensitively encourage them to have a go and offer assistance if and when required. Staff role model positive communication strategies, to help children understand about acceptable behaviour. Consequently, children's behaviour is very good. This ethos is consistent throughout the nursery, resulting in rapid progress in personal social and emotional development for all children.

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

The indoor learning environment promotes learning very well because of the wealth of resources and calm atmosphere. Children benefit from working in small groups with their key person, which creates further opportunities for individual interests and needs to be met, in a secure, communication-friendly environment. Children benefit from their time spent outdoors and this promotes their health and well-being very effectively. However, there is scope to enhance the outdoor play area for the youngest children, through the use of more natural resources, to provide further learning opportunities outdoors for babies. The garden is secure and organised to make sure children can play safely.

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provision

Safeguarding procedures are very robust. All staff prioritise children's safety and have a very good awareness of safeguarding issues. They are competent in the procedures to follow and who to contact in the event of any concerns about children or colleagues. Staff are fully aware of the nursery's designated child protection managers and the process to follow if they are concerned about any issues within their practice. Managers continue to monitor staff performance within the nursery rooms and ensure that staff are deployed effectively according to qualifications and experience with specific age groups of children. An extensive range of policies and procedures successfully underpin daily practice and regular reviews are carried out. Extensive risk assessments for all areas of the building, the outdoor area and resources, together with accurate accident records and procedures for reviewing these ensures that children's safety remains paramount. Robust recruitment

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provision

and vetting systems ensure all adults working with children are suitable to do so. Strong partnerships with a wide range of professionals has enabled practitioners to implement the Early Years Foundation Stage with confidence. As a result, they have a good understanding of the requirements to effectively monitor all children's skills, abilities and progress. Interventions are sought at an early stage to identify any group falling behind their peers or below their expected achievements, which results in children's needs being met effectively and relevant support services involved.

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provision

Leadership is very good and focused improvement plans are in place to secure continuous improvement. The staff team share a vision to provide an excellent service for the children and their families therefore, making a positive difference to their lives. They are very well- motivated in their continuous professional development and are continually seeking ways to improve. Very good procedures are in place to monitor staff performance at all levels together with tracking and monitoring of overall provision by the manager, ensures that any areas for development are quickly identified and an appropriate action plan is implemented.

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provision

Very good partnerships between parents, external agencies and other providers are evident and well-established. These contribute to meeting children's individual needs effectively. There are excellent relationships with local schools. Teachers visit their prospective children to get to know them. The nursery work closely with the local early years team who provide training and support. Effective communication systems ensure that parents are kept fully informed of their children's progress. Photographs and informative displays cover the walls. These illustrate the breadth of activities that children are actively involved in during their time at the nursery, accompanied by explanations relating to how children learn. Parents contribute to the initial assessment of their children's starting points on entry. They are also provided with a variety of opportunities to support and share information about their children's learning and development at

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provision

home. Children are very well-prepared for their next stage in learning and well-prepared for their transition to school. Individual planning for children's development is shared with parents and appropriate professionals, such as speech and language therapists if required. As a result, there is consistent, secure support for children with any identified needs and therefore, all children's needs are very well-met.

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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 310208 Local authority North Tyneside Inspection number 956341

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 97 Number of children on roll 153 Name of provider Northumbrian Trust Day Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 08/03/2011 Telephone number 0191 266 2545

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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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