Rhymetime Northampton

Rhymetime Nursery Connolly Lodge, St Crispins, Northampton, NN5 4BW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 06/02/2014 07/11/2013

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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 use observation and assessment effectively to plan for children's learning and ensure that they make good progress. Strong partnerships ensure that staff and parents work together well to meet children's different care and learning needs.  Children's personal, social and emotional development is given a high priority by staff. Consequently, relationships are good and children are happy, settled and secure.  Staff successfully identify and minimise risks within the premises and they are aware of their responsibilities to protect children from abuse and neglect.  Children's communication and language development is promoted well by staff. When talking with children, staff encourage children to think and they give them time to respond.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for babies and toddlers to explore their senses are not always maximised. Toddlers do not consistently experiment with a variety of media at any one time and babies do not explore everyday objects.  Children's learning about similarities and differences is not maximised with regard to gaining an awareness of features of the environment in the local area and because resources that reflect positive images of diversity are limited.

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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 all rooms and the outdoor learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the provider and the manager of the provision and spoke to staff and children.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's assessment records and planning, evidence of suitability of staff working within the setting, the provider's self- evaluation and a range of other documentation.  The inspector took account of the views of parents.

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Information about the setting

Rhymetime Nursery was registered in its current premises in 2009 on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is one of six nurseries owned by Avenue Nannies Limited. The nursery is situated at Connolly Lodge; a grade II listed building, which is part of the old St. Crispin's hospital site in Northampton. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery opens from 7am until 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round, except for bank holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 70 children in the early years age group on roll and 10 older children up to the age of eight years attend the 'Smart Club' before and/or after school. The club also operates during school holidays, subject to demand. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 11 members of staff and eight hold early years qualifications. Of these, the manager is qualified at level 4, six staff are qualified at level 3 and one is qualified at level 2. In addition, staff in all nurseries registered by the provider are supported by a senior staff member who holds an early years qualification at level 6 and Early Years Professional Status.

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

 extend opportunities for children aged two to three years to explore and mix different media and enhance the play environment for babies by providing more everyday objects for them to explore and investigate

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

 enhance children's understanding of the world by arousing their awareness of features of the environment in the local area and by increasing resources that reflect positive images of diversity.

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who attend

Children make good progress because staff promote their learning and development effectively. They are supported well by their key person. Also, information on achievements is used to plan for learning and ensures that all children are challenged effectively. Communication with parents is effective. Their views are valued and there are regular opportunities to share information and plan for children's learning in the nursery and at home. Staff support children well, so that they develop skills in readiness for reception class in school. Staff are aware of the requirement to provide parents with the Early Years Foundation Stage progress check at age two years and they complete this when necessary.

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who attend

Children are happy, settled and emotionally secure. Their language development is promoted well by staff. They extend children's thinking and speaking skills effectively because when they speak with children, questions are open-ended and children are given time to think about how they want to respond. Communication with babies is effective because staff interpret their needs through facial expression and the sounds that babies make. Speaking skills are developing well as babies progress from saying single words to three word sentences. Children's mathematical knowledge is promoted well by staff in accordance with children's different stages of development. Toddlers name shapes and colours while they play and use mathematical language spontaneously, for example, they talk about different sizes and identify their own and other children's ages.

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who attend

Manipulative skills are developing well and are practised daily because children enjoy access to a full range of safe small toys and tools. Art and craft and graphics resources are easily accessible at all times to pre-school children and pencil control is developing well. They spontaneously identify letter sounds. Children aged two to three years are progressing from using a palm grip when painting and drawing to using a thumb and two finger grip. Children's creativity is promoted generally well by staff and they are able to access a range of resources for exploratory play. However, staff do not always promote exploratory play for children aged two to three years with full effect. This is because some opportunities for children to mix media and explore textures are missed. Sensory and mark-making experience for babies include exploring corn flour mixed with water, paint mixed with sand and paint mixed with pasta. However, their sensory play is not maximised

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who attend

because they do not explore and investigate everyday objects. Children and babies enjoy continual access to books that are suitable for their different stages of development. Children choose favourite stories for staff to read to them. They gain some awareness of diversity because books show positive images and because some religious and cultural festivals are acknowledged. However, children's learning about similarities and differences is not maximised because resources that reflect culture and disability are limited and they do not gain an awareness of diversity in the local community.

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

Children's personal, social and emotional development is addressed well by staff in accordance with their different needs. Relationships between children and staff are strong. Their emotional security is initially addressed effectively because key persons support them well in the transition from home to the nursery. Children are prepared well for transition within the nursery and to other early years settings and reception class in school. This is because teachers from local schools visit children in the nursery during the summer term, in order to aid transition and ensure coherence of learning. Children's independence is promoted well by staff. They confidently choose and select from a good variety of resources and they learn to manage their own self-care needs. Staff are good role models and they are consistent in their management of behaviour. Children learn to consider others, share and take turns. They are encouraged to express their feelings to

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

staff and to other children, so that inappropriate behaviour can be avoided. In order to address children's self-esteem, positive reinforcement is the major strategy used by staff to manage children's behaviour.

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

The play environment created by staff is warm and welcoming for children and their parents. Clear admission information obtained from parents ensures that individual care needs are well met. Information on good practice with regard to safety, illness and accidents is shared with parents. Children's good health is protected because staff encourage them to be physically active on a daily basis. Climbing equipment in playrooms and in the outdoor area, challenges babies and children effectively. They enjoy outdoor activities throughout the year. Children's welfare is addressed effectively because staff ensure that children's good health is protected and because the play environment is safe. Children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they know that they should not run in the playroom. Food hygiene is addressed appropriately with regard to storing and serving lunches provided by parents. Snacks provided by staff are healthy.

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provision

Staff ensure that good measures are in place to promote children's health and safety. They are aware of their responsibilities with regard to supervising the children in their care and staff deployment is addressed well. Staff ensure that children are never left unsupervised with a person who has not been vetted. Strong systems are in place to protect children from abuse. Procedures for recruitment, selection and induction are robust and vetting procedures for staff are thorough, in order to safeguard children. The provider and manager makes sure that staff members' safeguarding knowledge is kept up to date, so that they are aware of their responsibilities to protect children from abuse and neglect. Parents are aware of the nursery's safeguarding procedure and information on the Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Board procedures is displayed.

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provision

The provider, manager and staff members ensure that the educational programmes are monitored effectively, so that children are challenged effectively and make good progress. In order to review and improve practice, the senior management team and the six nursery managers meet regularly. Recently, their meetings have concentrated on using feedback from recent inspections of five of the nurseries, in order to improve practice across all nurseries. 'In-house' training is being extended and training is becoming more focused on the role of each staff member, for example, training for room leaders. An 'Early Years Educator' programme is a training programme developed for staff across all of the six nurseries and includes training sessions for staff that include parental involvement, interaction, personal presentation and the environment. Current priorities for improvement include the development of a vegetable patch in the outdoor area, so that children's

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provision

learning is enhanced by growing, picking and eating different fruits and salad foods. The Ofsted self-evaluation form is currently being updated. The choice of resources is good. Documentation, for example, accident and incident records are appropriately maintained. Required information about children is obtained from parents and information provided for parents and carers is thorough.

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provision

The partnership with parents is strong. Staff are fully aware of the importance of obtaining as much information as possible about each child's individual needs from parents and agreeing with them how they can work together to meet these needs. Good communication between staff and parents means that children's care and learning needs are met well. Information provided for parents is thorough and includes a full range of policies that successfully reflect staff practice. Feedback from parents on the service provided is obtained through the implementation of a questionnaire and is used to review and improve practice. Staff liaise with other early years providers to ensure continuity of care and learning for children.

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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 EY389531 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 950274

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 90 Number of children on roll 80 Name of provider Avenue Nannies Limited Date of previous inspection 07/11/2013 Telephone number 01604 586416

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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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