Highmore Hedgehogs Nursery

Highmore Hedgehogs Nursery Westfields Community Hall, Highmore Street, HEREFORD, HR4 9PG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/04/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 The leadership and management of the nursery are strong and are able to recognise areas where improvement is needed. They are determined to make the necessary changes to move the nursery towards excellence.  Teaching is good. The educational programme provides interesting and challenging experiences across all the areas of learning that help children to make good progress towards the early learning goals.  Caring staff get to know the children and their families well. This helps children form secure emotional attachments and promotes their well-being effectively.  Children are well safeguarded due to robust recruitment and vetting procedures and staff's understanding of their roles and responsibilities in protecting the children in their care.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 On occasions, children are not provided with sufficient time to decide how to play and who to play with, or to solve their own conflicts or disputes because staff sometimes interrupt their play and intervene too soon.  Staff's 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 compulsory part 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 including the outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with parents, staff and children and held a meeting with the managers.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation including children's planning and assessments and a range of policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held professional discussion with the manager throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children.

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Information about the setting

Highmore Hedgehogs Nursery was registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a community hall in Hereford. The nursery is managed by a private company limited by guarantee and which is also a registered charity. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area for outdoor play. The nursery employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, three members, including the managers, hold early years foundation degrees. The other staff have early years qualifications to level 3. The nursery opens Monday to Friday term-time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Subject to demand, there are opportunities for summer holiday playscheme sessions from 9am to 1pm for children aged three to eight-years-old. There are currently 46 children aged two to four on roll. The nursery provides funded early

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Information about the setting

education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 enhance the overall high standard of teaching by encouraging staff to be more perceptive in recognising when to intervene in children's play and disputes so that children have more control over their play, decisions and actions

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

 enhance the already good use of open-ended questions so that children are able to consider their responses and further develop and consolidate their knowledge and understanding.

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who attend

Teaching is good; the staff are experienced and have a good understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff plan play and activities around the children's interests. These are varied and cover all areas of learning and include an appropriate balance of child-initiated and adult-directed play. As a result, children benefit from a combination of experiences that include those led by adults, and learning from their own play. However, on occasions, children do not have autonomy over their play because staff interrupt them by joining in without being invited. Children's starting points are assessed on entry through staff observations, as well as from information gathered from parents. Parents are asked to complete 'all about me' sheets for their children, which include details of their children's interests, care needs, routines, as well as what they can do at home. As a result, staff are aware of what children can

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who attend

already do and progression from the start can be accurately monitored. Staff regularly observe where children are in their learning, assessing these in order to identify the next steps that will help to move children forward. These identified next steps inform the planning of future activities, which help to ensure they are meaningful to children and reflect their stage of development. Staff discuss children's progress, activities and achievements with their parents on a daily basis and listen to what parents tell them about what children have been doing at home. Parents are also encouraged to continue their children's learning at home and ideas are displayed in reception as well as in regular newsletters, for example, looking for various colours and shapes whilst away from nursery. All of this has a positive impact on children's learning and, as a result, children make good progress in their learning and development and are being well prepared for

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who attend

school. Each child has a learning journey book which contains observations of their learning, along with photographs and pieces of their work. Parents and children are regularly invited to review and add to them. As a result, children are able to reflect on their past learning, parents are kept well informed about their children's progress and the nursery has a complete picture of the children's overall development. The nursery is completing the required progress check at age two for each child and parents are asked to contribute to this.

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who attend

Children are happy and thoroughly enjoy the time they spend in the nursery, quickly becoming involved in the activities available to them. They are developing effective learning skills as they freely choose toys and resources that reflect their current interest. For example, children learn about shape, space and measure as they practise filling and emptying different sized containers with sand and water. They practise making marks as well as exploring textures as they excitedly spray shaving foam in a tray. Children express their creativity as they use a wide selection of paints, glue and collage materials to make exciting pictures. They have access to a good selection of books which they handle correctly. They sit together reading to each other before confidently approaching a member of staff to read a story. Effective use of group sessions, such as singing and story time, help to develop children's social skills as well as communication and language

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who attend

development. For example, children listen attentively to stories being read and enthusiastically join in with action songs. Children learn to recognise their names as they use name cards at registration and again to self-register for snack. Staff help children to learn about letters and their associated sounds during small group activities and model how letters are formed when children make marks. Children's language skills are developing because they chat away to both staff and their peers throughout the day. For example, they excitedly talk about the big tractor cutting the grass in the adjacent field. Staff stimulate meaningful conversations by asking them questions about the tractor. A child confidently declares, 'I want a blue one when I'm big'. However, some staff are less confident in their questioning techniques. They ask too many questions where children can only answer, 'yes' or 'no'. This means that, at times, children do not have

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who attend

opportunities to learn through thinking and finding things out for themselves. Nevertheless, these interactions supports children to make links to their home life, as well as promoting self confidence and self-esteem skills which are needed in readiness for school. Staff enable children to extend their own learning by giving them opportunities to develop their own ideas. For example, children show high levels of concentration, working together as they carefully balance guttering on cones to make ramps for their cars. Staff support children in using mathematical language during routines throughout the day, for example, when lining up between activities or when moving rooms, they count how many children there are.

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who attend

All children are welcomed and valued. Children with English as an additional language and special educational needs and /or disabilities are fully included and staff recognise children's individual learning needs and support them to join in activities at their own pace. Children are developing a good range of physical skills and they enjoy spending lots of time outdoors in the fresh air. The nursery has a well-resourced outdoor area which contains a number of opened-ended resources, such as crates and pipes, as well as sand and water play. Children use a selection of ride on toys, carefully manoeuvring around. They use their imagination as they pretend to add fuel to their bikes to make them go faster. Children are developing a good understanding of the world around them; recently they have been learning about how things grow. Currently, they are observing the development of frog spawn. Parents have also sent in plants which the children will

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

Staff are attentive at all times, ensuring children are well supervised and kept safe. Children are settled and secure and they enjoy trusting relationships with their key person and staff. In turn, staff are caring towards children and treat them with respect and affection. This results in the warm, happy atmosphere that is evident at this nursery and means that children's emotional well-being is well fostered. Children soon settle because the nursery has effective settling-in procedures. Children are invited to attend taster sessions and parents are invited to stay and play if they wish. This enables both parent and child to become familiar with staff and their surroundings and, as a result, children soon settle and enjoy attending the nursery. The move to school is well supported and managed through a good partnership with the local schools. Reception teachers are invited to visit the nursery in the summer term so they can see the children in their own

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

environment and can discuss their individual needs with the child's key person. This results in children settling quickly into their new school and parents feeling supported.

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

The nursery is warm, welcoming and well organised. Toys and resources are generally of a good quality, age appropriate and stored at child height, which means they are easily accessible to children. Therefore, they are able to make free choices about their play. The entrance hall contains information and displays for parents, which helps all children and their families to have a sense of belonging. Children are beginning to learn about healthy lifestyles. They demonstrate a clear understanding of the importance of washing their hands at appropriate times and have access to good facilities where they can independently manage their toileting needs. Staff promote healthy eating and provide fresh fruit for snacks along with milk and water. Parents provide their children with a packed lunch and staff offer suggestions for healthy alternatives for their children's lunch box. Children learn about the importance of fresh air and exercise as they have regular

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

opportunities to play in a well-resourced outdoor area, as well as having the opportunity to dance and exercise within the nursery. During the inspection children's behaviour is good, this is because staff are good role models and give clear guidance as to what is acceptable behaviour. For example, children are reminded to play nicely together, to take turns and to share. However, on occasions children are not given enough time to resolve conflict or disputes between themselves because staff intervene too quickly.

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

The children are beginning to develop an understanding of the world, different people and communities. During outdoor play, the children excitedly watch people playing golf as well as tractors cutting the grass. They celebrate various festivals, for example, Chinese New Year, where the home corner was made into a Chinese restaurant. These experiences help children to begin to understand about their community as well as learning to be sociable with others. Children are beginning to learn how to keep themselves safe because staff talk to them about dangers. For example, children are reminded not to run on the wet grass or to ride their bikes too quickly. In addition, children take part in regular fire drills.

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provision

Children are safeguarded well. Staff have a very good understanding of child protection and the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child in their care. The manager holds regular meetings with staff to discuss safeguarding procedures, including whistleblowing. Most staff have current first aid certificates and, therefore, are up to date in the knowledge and skills to act appropriately should children have an accident or become ill. All policies are in place and the nursery has written risk assessments, which are regularly reviewed. Children take part in regular fire drills and these are recorded in the fire log book. Recruitment measures are robust, with safer recruitment procedures being implemented. All staff are checked thoroughly before being employed and well- organised induction procedures are in place to assist new staff.

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provision

The leadership and management of the nursery are good because the requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and management and accountability arrangements are fully understood. Managers and staff are very highly motivated and committed to the continuous development of the nursery and are determined to make the necessary changes to move the nursery towards excellence. The managers, along with their staff, have a very good understanding of the learning and development requirements. Play is planned around the children's interests and they provide challenging next steps for each child. As a result, children make good progress in their learning. The management team monitor each child's progress on a termly basis, so if children need additional help this can be delivered in a timely manner. Although the overall teaching is of a high standard, staff could be more perceptive in recognising when

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provision

to join in with children's play and disputes. Staff receive ongoing support from management through one to one supervisions and appraisals. This helps management to identify any concerns earlier on and offer appropriate support where needed. In addition, appraisals are used to assess staff's ongoing suitability which include health declarations, as well identifying any areas for improvement. The nursery encourages professional development and supports staff to improve their knowledge, understanding and practice.

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provision

Partnerships with other professionals are effective and staff work closely with them in order to help children who need additional support. Parental partnerships are strong. Staff spend time with parents at the beginning and end of the day discussing their child's needs and achievements. In addition, each child has a daily diary. This two way flow of communication ensures that parents are kept well informed about their child's progress, daily needs and activities. Parents' comments during the inspection show they are happy with the care and education offered to their children. They comment particularly positively about how friendly, approachable and engaging the staff and the management team are. Overall, children are happy, settled and enjoy the time they spend at the nursery. The skills they learn help to prepare them to be ready for school and lay firm foundations for their future learning.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY464526 Local authority Herefordshire Inspection number 939163 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 46 Name of provider Highmore Hedgehogs Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01432 273861

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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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