Brightsparks Day Nursery

Brightsparks Day Nursery Meadow Hill, Purley, Surrey, CR8 3HL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/03/2014 09/05/2011

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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

 Staff provide good support to develop children's language and communication to aid their confidence.  Leadership of the nursery is strong and demonstrates a commitment to ensuring that all staff are suitable and have a good understanding of how to safeguard children.  Managers demonstrate a strong commitment to improving the quality of care and teaching by reflecting on their practice and implementing action plans.  The staff use observations of children well to assess their learning and plan for their next steps in learning. This helps children make good progress in all areas.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 On occasion staff miss opportunities to involve all children fully in group activities.  Staff do not always extend the outside play activities to provide challenges for older and more able 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 activities involving children and staff.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation relating to safeguarding, risk assessments, staff recruitment and ongoing suitability checks.  The inspector looked at children's progress records.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to during the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Brightsparks Day Nursery is one of a group of four privately owned day nurseries and was registered in 1999. It operates from a single storey purpose built building within the grounds of a senior school in a residential area of Purley, in the London Borough of Croydon. Children are cared for in four rooms according to age, including a baby room with separate play and sleep areas. Two linked outdoor areas are available for outside play. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is open from 7.45am until 6pm, five days a week all year round, excluding bank holidays and one week at Christmas. There are currently 84 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. The nursery is in receipt of funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and four years. It currently supports children who are learning English as an additional language

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Information about the setting

and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery employs 14 staff, of whom 13 have appropriate early years childcare qualifications.

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

 review the organisation of group times to ensure that all children are engaged

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

 improve the outdoor play activities to extend and promote learning for older and more able children.

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who attend

Children are making good progress in this well-resourced and stimulating nursery. Staff are skilled at observing what children can do and plan activities to interest them. They use information from parents to plan care and learning needs and to incorporate children's interests in activities. Babies and younger children are cared for in their own age groups and this helps them build good relationships with staff. Babies enjoy a range of natural materials to explore as well as music and physical activity for example, dancing to a 'tumble tots' music disc. Toddlers and pre-school children enjoy free movement of play between their group room to the garden which supports their all-round development. However, staff do not always extend the garden activities to challenge the abilities of older children or those that are more able. Staff use assessments of children's progress consistently well to plan for children's learning. This ensures that any gaps in achievement

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who attend

are identified and additional support is put into place should children require it. There is good support for children's speech and language through small group activities based on a programme to enrich their communication. For example, staff working with younger children use photograph books of children's family members to encourage them to say names and help them settle in. Planned activities for older children are used to foster literacy and help children to learn the sounds that letters make. Group activities are used for discussion and staff sit on the carpet with the children using good eye contact. However, there are occasions during large group activities when staff do not divide their attention equally between children and some children lose interest. Children who speak languages other than English are supported because staff learn basic words in the children's home language when they start and use the words in play. Staff also use signs

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who attend

and picture cards to support communication with all children and help them learn about the routine of the day.

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who attend

Planning for children's learning includes staff using brainstorms to ensure that the activities continually capture children's interests. The ideas for themes and activities are used alongside plans for individual children to ensure they make progress. For example, babies are making rapid progress in their physical and emotional development because key staff plan carefully for their next stage in learning. Toddlers are learning social skills as they sing their favourite songs together and enjoy the puppets at story times. They are motivated to explore, for example, filling containers and pouring rice crispies because staff sit at their level to support them. They enjoy the garden space as they set up the train tracks and bricks as well as using paint and sand outdoors. This freely chosen activity fosters their natural curiosity and prepares them for their next stage of learning. Older children are eager to share what they know at circle times as they discuss the weather

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who attend

and the farm animals they have seen. They learn to recognise their names and those of their friends as they self-register by placing their name cards on a board. They learn sequencing by singing the 'days of the week' song. Children make observations about the words they see because they understand that print carried meaning. For example, a child observes that Wednesday is a long word. They are learning about their environment and the weather through their own observations, 'it was foggy this morning' a child remarks. Children use the computer confidently and are able to count competently using the computer games. Staff understand that children learn in different ways and children have opportunities to develop skills to support their future learning. For example, older children have a sports coach for 'Little Kicker' sessions and younger children enjoy 'Tumble tots' sessions. This allows children to use their large muscles and enjoy active learning. Parents

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who attend

are involved because staff encourage them to join in with activities and events with a monthly newsletter. The strong partnership between staff and parents contributes to the good progress children are making.

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

The nursery is organised well to meet the needs of individual children attending, which supports their well-being. Staff help babies to separate from carers using a gradual settling in process and consequently babies settle in quickly. The key persons system is effective and key people know their children well and develop positive relationships with parents. This helps babies to settle as they confidently explore their environment and enjoy the company of kind and caring staff. Older children are cared for in age groups and staff support individual children as they progress from one room to another. This helps children to settle and become absorbed in their play. Staff have high expectations of behaviour and remind children of safety rules, for example, reminding them how to use the steps safely as they go into the garden. Children behave well in response to this and because they are constantly occupied in activities of their choosing. Resources are well-

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

organised to enable children to make independent choices. They are attractively presented with lots of toys and equipment in baskets, clearly labelled and stored on low shelving. There is a good range of play materials for babies and younger children including textured objects and materials to help them explore using their senses. Older children use computers to help them find out what they need to know.

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

Children learn to keep themselves safe and healthy through a clear daily routine for play and mealtimes. They enjoy healthy snacks with drinks constantly available. All meals for children are freshly prepared using organic produce and children relish their food. The range of foods available are healthy and planned for the nutritional needs of each age group. This includes a three stage weaning programme for babies. Meals are also tailored to suit the range of dietary requirements of children attending. Children sit in small groups for meals which fosters their social skills and ability to become independent. The nappy changing and toileting facilities in each room means that children's physical needs are well provided for and older children can access the toilet independently. Children enjoy quiet times for rest or sleep according to their own sleep routines. This enables children to rest and prepare for the afternoon activities. Older children choose whether to play inside or

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

outside for much of the day and this promotes their independence and self-directed play. The safe surfaces throughout the gardens mean that children can play out in all weathers. The pre-school children have their own growing area which helps them learn how plants develop and where food comes from. This helps children develop healthy lifestyles.

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provision

The inspection was brought forward due to a notification by the provider regarding staff suitability. The provider and manager demonstrate a full understanding of their legal responsibility to safeguard children and support their welfare. Safeguarding is given a high priority. All staff have training in safeguarding and know what to do if they suspect that a child may be at risk from harm. The safeguarding policy is shared with staff and parents and is regularly reviewed to ensure that it contains sufficient detail and meets requirements. The policy also helps managers to be clear about what to do in the event of an allegation against a member of staff. The risk assessments used to identify any risks to children include the security arrangements in place to prevent unauthorised persons entering the building. This, combined with good staffing levels and effective staff deployment, ensures that children are safe at all times. There are robust systems to

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provision

ensure that adults working with children are suitable, including procedures for checking staff suitability and a record of disclosure checks for all staff.

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provision

The management of individual staff is effective and this has a positive impact on the quality of experiences for the children attending. Each room has an appointed room leader and their expertise is used to monitor the quality of the teaching. Regular room meetings, staff meetings, supervisions and appraisals are used to help staff develop their skills. The provision has access to on-line training for safeguarding, as well as local training for inset days and training courses. The provider visits regularly to work with the manager and raise the quality of the care and education. They use a system of self-evaluation with the staff team to identify areas for improvement and create 'wish lists' to identify new resources. The provider also creates plans for improvements for each of the four nurseries. This means that there is a culture of mutual support and training to support staff practice and children's achievements. Furthermore, the manager of the setting uses a

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provision

tracking programme to monitor the progress of children. This means that any gaps in achievement are identified and appropriate action taken. This means that all children get the help and support their need to prepare them for school. There are good partnerships with other professionals such as speech and language therapists and local schools. Annual transition meetings are held at the local children's centre to pass on children's progress records when moving on to school. Parents spoken to during the inspection were impressed with the different methods the staff use to communicated with them, such as newsletters sent by email, as well as daily contact books, discussions and parent's evenings. They feel well-informed about their child's progress and comfortable to discuss any issues they may need to support their child's future 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 124901 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 955486 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 61 Number of children on roll 84 Name of provider Emma Jane Jones Date of previous inspection 09/05/2011 Telephone number 020 8660 2340

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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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