First Friends Day Nursery

First Friends Day Nursery Bridge House, Bridge Road, Kingswood, Bristol, BS15 4FN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/03/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff have an excellent understanding of how children learn and use very effective teaching strategies to extend children's thinking and learning. Consequently, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or learning disabilities or who learn English as an additional language, make very good progress.  Children are very confident and independent because staff develop extremely good relationships with them and have high expectations of what they can do.  Staff very skilfully plan activities to provide appropriate challenge and give all children extensive opportunities to try to work out how to do things for themselves.  Staff keep parents exceptionally well informed about their children's progress and care, so that their children get the best from their time at nursery.  Staff are extremely effective in evaluating their practice and provision, which means that children receive very high quality care and teaching, and greatly enjoy being at

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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 children and staff indoors and outdoors.  The inspector spoke with parents, children and staff.  The inspector carried out joint observations with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including policies and procedures, staff development and children's learning records.  The inspector had discussions with the owners during the inspection.

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Information about the setting

First Friends Day Nursery is a privately owned nursery in the Kingswood area of Bristol, South Gloucestershire. It was registered in 2013, after the owners relocated from premises in Mangotsfield. The company, First Friends Ltd, also have a preschool in the area. The day nursery cares for children under three years old on the first floor, which includes two play rooms, a sleep room and toilet facilities. Pre-school children are cared for on the ground floor in a spacious open-plan play room, which has separate toilet facilities. There are two enclosed outdoor play areas.

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Information about the setting

The nursery operates from 8am until 6pm Monday to Friday all year round. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four- year-old children. Currently, there are 103 children in the early years age range on roll. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are learning English as an additional language. One of the owners, who holds an early years qualification at level 3, manages the nursery. She is supported by the co- owner and 16 staff, of whom 13 have an early years qualification at level 3 and one has an early years qualification at level 2. Two qualified teachers provide advice and support across both provisions.

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

 build on the already strong systems for self-evaluation to incorporate a training plan which is targeted at maintaining high quality of teaching and excellent outcomes for all children.

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who attend

All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, make very good progress in their learning and development at the nursery. Children have extremely positive attitudes to learning. This is because staff make ongoing observations about what children can do, and their level of engagement and creativity in different activities. Staff find out the views of parents and colleagues which means that they make very focussed and accurate assessments. Consequently, staff plan and provide stimulating resources, activities and opportunities which extend children's learning exceptionally well. Using regular assessments and the progress checks at age two, staff are very quickly able to identify areas where children would benefit from additional support. They quickly put in place very effective activities and strategies to address these. Staff use words in children's own home

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who attend

language to support their emotional well-being as they settle into the nursery and learn to speak English. Staff use clear and appropriate language to support children's understanding of English and to help them acquire new vocabulary. Staff have a very clear understanding of the other specialists who can provide specific support for individual children's needs. They liaise closely with parents and the setting special educational needs co-ordinators where they feel that children would benefit from referral for specialist support, such as from the speech and language therapy team. Where other specialists are involved, staff work extremely effectively with them, using very good teaching strategies and activities which children enjoy. This means that children make rapid progress in catching up with their learning, and places children in a strong position for when they start school.

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who attend

The nursery places a strong emphasis on children learning through play and making choices about their play. Consequently, children are very engaged and active learners who enthusiastically play and explore and set themselves challenges. Staff use their very secure knowledge of each child's development stage and interests to make available resources and opportunities which will support this effectively. They complement this with the use of extremely effective teaching strategies to extend children's thinking and learning while they play. Staff make very effective observations about what catches children's interest and what they are trying to do. With this information they make extremely skilful judgements about how to intervene most effectively. For example, staff rest a wicker basket on its side so that babies can reach in and explore the objects, such as tapping two bricks together. Staff give good eye contact, smiles and praise, which

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who attend

encourages the babies to continue to play and explore confidently and actively. Staff make very perceptive decisions about when children will benefit from adult-directed teaching activities. For example, children start to learn about weight and measurement as staff draw their attention to the effect of adding water to one side of the balancing scales, using terms such as 'more' and 'heavier'. Staff use opportunities in activities extremely well to develop children's vocabulary as they talk about the 'crunching' sound that the cereal makes when it is crushed. They help them to make links to previous learning as they describe children's actions, like the three bears stirring the porridge. Children learn about textures and changing properties as they use their fingers, spoon and different scoops and small bowls to scoop, pour and stir dry cereal, and then add water. Staff talk with children about the changes that the children see are happening, and use questions

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who attend

such as 'what if•?' which encourage children to explore and think.

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who attend

Staff place a strong emphasis on promoting children's independence and confidence in their skills from a very young age. They have very high expectations of what children can do on their own which children achieve. This is due to their very perceptive understanding of how children learn. Staff organise interesting and age-appropriate resources so that children can make choices about their play. They give children extensive opportunities to work out how to do things for themselves. They also make sure that children have ongoing opportunities to practise and refine their learning. Children look through the selection of wellies, find two and put them on independently before they go out to play. They set themselves challenges to make a long path made from two-dimensional shapes on the floor in the playroom, carefully discussing with each other how to find their way around obstacles. Staff also make very perceptive judgements about where children will

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who attend

benefit and how from support, for example using questions to help children think about which of the large shapes they need next to rebuild the side of the playhouse. In this way, children develop high levels of independence and confidence in their abilities, and develop positive attitudes to learning.

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who attend

Children develop very positive attitudes to reading as they choose books to read at lunch time. Younger children start to make links with the letters in their names as they look at clearly illustrated and age-appropriate books. They start to develop an awareness of sounds in words as staff sing songs with them about wiggly worms. Younger children start to learn about making friends as they play alongside each other supported by staff, who help them to take part in simple games. Older children learn about negotiating and working cooperatively as they develop the story of their imaginary play about making cakes. They are confident in speaking with adults as staff listen to and value what they say. Staff have an extremely clear understanding of the skills children will need for when they start school. Preschool routines and activities support this very well, for example through teaching in whole groups at circle time. In the summer term, staff will include

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who attend

school uniforms so children can explore being at school in their pretend play. Links have been established with local schools to support the sharing of information about children's progress.

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

Children feel very secure and confident at the nursery. This is because staff have a very strong understanding of the importance of building up supportive relationships with children and how to do this effectively. Before children start, the nursery offers a home visit, so that staff can find out about each child, their routines, interests and needs. Staff make parents feel very welcome, including those families who speak languages other than English at home. They encourage all parents to spend time with their children in the nursery so that their child can become familiar with the nursery environment, staff and routines. Staff use this time very well to get to know children and to plan enjoyable activities, which helps children to settle in more quickly. They monitor the child's first sessions very closely, and liaise with parents to make sure they are meeting children's needs fully. A very effective key person system is in place where a primary and secondary

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

key person has specific responsibility for liaising with parents, and for making sure each child receives high quality care and learning opportunities based on their needs and interests. This system is further strengthened as all staff in each age group get to know the children in their care extremely well and so are very able to contribute to children's learning and development. This is due to the high level of collaborative working and the extremely skilful staff. All staff are extremely vigilant to children's emotional wellbeing. They respond very quickly when they notice a child is tired and provide a calming activity or a cuddle and involve children in activities when they are unsure how to join in. They listen with great interest as children talk with them and children show great enjoyment in their company.

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

Staff provide very positive role models, they talk respectfully to the children and make time to find out what children enjoy or want to do. They have high expectations of children's behaviour and very skilfully help children to think about the choices they make, and give them responsible roles. Older children learn to consider the needs of younger children as they play outdoors. Younger children learn to share toys and wait their turn. They also become familiar with staff who work in the preschool and some of the older children, which helps to prepare them for when they move up. Staff interact very skilfully to help children understand that they need to share toys and remind them that 'sharing is caring'. They talk with them as they wait patiently for their turn.

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

Children learn to enjoy healthy lifestyles through the excellent outdoor play opportunities provided by staff. They develop their physical skills as they play ball games, mix 'cakes' in the sand pit and ride on trikes. Staff plan in music and singing sessions where children greatly enjoy dancing along with them. They learn about healthy foods as they enjoy healthy snacks, such as fruit, and join in cookery sessions. Staff are very vigilant to health. They quickly notice and wipe babies' noses and dispose of the tissues. They wash younger children's hands before and after meals. They sanitise changing areas between uses and keep individual children's bedding and comforters clearly labelled to prevent cross contamination. They deploy themselves very well to supervise children and carry out regular checks of equipment and the environment, such as checking the wooden poles for the tent are secure. Children have excellent opportunities to learn how to manage risk on

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

the obstacle course as they think about how to balance on old tyres and long logs, then lower themselves to crawl through the tunnel. Staff make very good judgements about the level of support that children need to do this. They hold the hands of children who are slightly unsure and walk alongside them, giving encouragement so that they feel secure about having a go. This quickly raises their expectations about what they can achieve. The nursery has had a very strong impact on children's understanding of fire safety through the staff's effective use of Early Learning Fire Service resources to teach key messages. For example, children demonstrate that if their clothing caught on fire they would need to stop, drop and roll to put out the flames.

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provision

Leadership and management have an extremely clear understanding of their responsibilities as set out in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They have built a very strong and dedicated team who are keenly focused on ensuring each child enjoys very high quality provision. The nursery's commitment and strong ethos of collaborative working has enabled it to achieve this, and is inspirational. The nursery has a very clear understanding of its strengths and how it can further enhance the already excellent quality of provision. It has achieved this through astute use of systems to evaluate its provision, including seeking parents' and children's views through questionnaires and reflective practice notebooks used by staff. The views of all partners are valued and considered.

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provision

Management place great emphasis on safeguarding and have put in place robust policies and procedures to keep children safe from harm. These are understood and implemented well by staff, who have all attended relevant safeguarding training. In addition to the manager, there is a designated safeguarding officer in each room. Staff recruitment procedures include the checking of references, qualifications and Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Students and visitors are not allowed to have unsupervised contact with children. Written risk assessment is comprehensive and covers all areas of the nursery, indoors and outdoors. Relevant staff are also trained in paediatric first aid and food hygiene. The nursery carries out regular fire and evacuation drills. Records such as those for daily checks, accidents, incidents and administration of medication, are appropriately competed.

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provision

The nursery monitors the quality of teaching and learning closely. For example the manager carries out checks on the quality of learning journeys and assessments, and works closely with the special educational needs co-ordinators, room leaders and staff supporting children who speak English as an additional language. In this way, areas for development can be quickly identified and addressed. Management have established very effective systems to monitor staff performance, such as regular supervision sessions and observations of room practice. These have an extremely positive impact by giving staff very clear confirmation about the strengths in their practice, and in maintaining high standards. Staff say that supervision sessions give them good opportunities to discuss their priorities. Unqualified staff receive more frequent supervision so that they are more fully supported in their role. These systems, along with self-evaluation processes, are

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provision

starting to inform the nursery's training plan, in line with its priorities. For example, a member of staff recently attended a mathematics course to further develop opportunities with preschool children, and a member of staff is booked on to a forest school training course.

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provision

The nursery has very strong partnership with parents who praise the nursery and its staff for their excellent practice and extremely welcoming and open approach. Parents comment that their children settle in extremely quickly and enjoy their time at nursery. Parents notice their children make quick and significant progress in their communication and language, confidence and independence. They feel they are kept extremely well- informed about their children's care and learning, both through the nursery website and with staff. The nursery has very effective partnerships with other professionals. The nursery has good links with other settings children attend and local schools which make a significant contribution to consistency of care and support for children. The nursery works extremely well with other professionals involved in children's and learning to support their learning and wellbeing.

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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 EY468963 Local authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 935008 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 48 Number of children on roll 103 Name of provider First Friends Mangotsfield Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07815198394

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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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