First Place Nursery

First Place Nursery Centurion House, Watling Street, RADLETT, Hertfordshire, WD7 7AY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/04/2014 17/11/2011

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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

 Children enjoy a wide range of learning experiences both in the setting and outside. The quality of teaching is good. As a result, children are making good progress in their learning and development.  Children form secure attachments with friendly staff who provide a caring environment for them. Safe recruitment and secure procedures ensure all those working with children are safe to do so. This means their safety is protected.  There is a strong management team in place. They work very closely with the staff to ensure knowledge about effective teaching and learning is up to date. This contributes to the monitoring of the nursery and to ensuring the quality of children's care and education is good and consistently improving.  Staff value the good partnerships in place with parents and carers. Daily discussions, regular summaries of children's progress, newsletters and informative noticeboards ensure that there is a coordinated approach to sharing information.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to increase opportunities to enhance children's independence and self- care skills during lunch and snack times.  There is room to enhance the organisation of the imaginative play items and supporting resources so that children can easily see them and use these freely during the day to support their communication, language and literacy skills even further.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's staff interactions with children. She engaged in children's play, and spoke to staff about how they support children's learning and development.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a selection of children's development files to ascertain children's progress. She also checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager both indoors and outdoors.  The inspector took account of views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

First Place Nursery is owned by First Place Nurseries Limited. It was registered in 2011 and replaces the previous Radlett setting in Cobden Hill. It operates from a self-contained building in Radlett, Hertfordshire. There are enclosed areas for outdoor play. It serves the local community.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, 14 hold appropriate early years qualification at Level 3 or above. Three staff members have a degree in Early Childhood Studies and Early Years Professional Status. The nursery also employs four regular bank staff. Of these, two hold level 3 qualifications in early years. An administrator and a cleaner are also employed. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm for 50 weeks of the year. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 114 children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The nursery receives funded early education for three- and four-year-olds. The group supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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

 provide further opportunities for children to be involved in the preparation and serving of food and drinks so that their independence and confidence in their own abilities can be extended

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

 extend the educational programme for communication, language and literacy even further by ensuring, for example, imaginative play resources and supporting articles, such as books, pens paper are easily available in these areas so that role play offers a rich learning experience for children.

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who attend

Children are making good progress in their learning and development. Staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are well qualified and many are experienced practitioners. As a result, they are good role models and they use effective teaching practices to help children learn. Staff spend the majority of their time supporting play so that children are focused on activities. For example, staff teach children through small and large group activities and free exploration sessions. Therefore, children enjoy the freedom to concentrate and in activities of their choice. In particular, younger children become deeply involved in sensory play, such as sand, jelly and natural resources, such as, twigs and grass. They love exploring the jelly cubes; they concentrate for long periods, and are fascinated in trying to master the skill of using child-sized tongs to move the jelly from one container to an ice-cube tray. This supports young children's

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who attend

hand-eye coordination and aids their readiness for the next stage in their learning, such as confidently using tools for writing and drawing.

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who attend

Good quality teaching means that emerging language is well supported. For example, staff provide a running commentary and younger children copy what they say. Children show that they are active learners when they solve problems as they go and decide on individual roles within their play. Imaginative play resources, such as dressing up clothes are available for children to enjoy. However, these are currently accessed in annex rooms from a large container. This means that children are not easily able to see what is available for them and use these freely in their play. The use of supporting materials to extend children's learning when they are engaged in imaginative play have not been fully explored. For example, books, pens and paper are not easily available are not easily available in the role play areas. As a result, the extending of children's communication and literacy for older children is not as sharply focused as it could be.

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who attend

Children learning English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. For example, advice is obtained as and when necessary and ideas to support children are implemented and monitored. Key words used by children are obtained on entry and staff refer to these during the day. Visual aids are used, such as, pictures and time-lines to help children understand. In addition, some staff can communicate in home languages used by children. This contributes to children feeling settled and happily joining in with activities. All children enjoy singing sessions. They become very animated during the singing of songs and nursery rhymes. For example, they dance and jump and carry out actions with confidence. This also supports children's communication skills and the good quality teaching skills means that early numeracy skills, such as, counting backwards and forwards are also introduced. Cooking activities are often

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who attend

carried out. During these times, children are introduced to weighing and measuring concepts and effective support is provided so that all children are fully involved in the process.

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who attend

Planning is based on themes, such as, animals and sea creatures. Children's interests are incorporated into these. Children's starting points and capabilities are well known. Staff closely monitor and assess children's progress including the progress check at age two. Observations and assessments reviewed with good effect. For example, they clearly show children's progress and steps been taken to narrow any gaps in their learning. There is a strong partnership with parents and carers with a strong flow of information that ensures children progress and their welfare needs are well met. For example, summaries of each child's progress are regularly provided to parents. They are encouraged to add their own comments about their children's achievements, and ongoing interests. Staff effectively use this information in the planning of activities. The use of 'wow moments' are also effectively used. This further promotes parents' involvement in their children's learning and promotes

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who attend

children's social and emotional development.

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

Children form close bonds with the staff, who place a high priority on developing children's personal, social and emotional skills. They offer a great deal of praise, encouragement and reassurance. They give additional support to the younger or less confident children, so that children become assertive and independent individuals. A key person system is well embedded and information about children is effectively shared amongst the staff. For example, discussions with key persons take place when children move to the next age- appropriate room. As a result, children settle well and there is continuity of care and learning. Detailed information is obtained from parents on entry including dietary and health needs. As a result, individual needs are effectively met. The nursery is bright and welcoming to children. Children move around the indoor and outdoor spaces confidently. Resources are rotated according to children's interests and developmental needs. Children

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

independently select from the varied resources set out for them, such as, sand, jigsaws and construction play items.

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

Children's self-esteem is continually promoted by staff during play and all tasks no matter how small. Older children enjoy being daily helpers. This further contributes to them developing good levels of confidence. Staff are good role models and help children to resolve their own disagreements. This helps children to manage their emotions, learn how to negotiate and develops their understanding of how to treat each other with respect. This contributes effectively to preparing children for the next stage in their learning, such as mixing with others when they start school. Children's safety is promoted during the routine of the day and during special events, such as, visits from police and fire officers. There are clear rules in place so that children are safe and they demonstrate that they understand. For example, older children confidently negotiate stairs either to their playroom or outdoors, carefully holding onto the handrails. As a result, they develop a

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

Children manage their personal care very well. Staff give them tailored support so that they can manage their coats and shoes as independently as possible. Meals are healthy and nutritious and are prepared at the provider's other nursery. Dietary needs and preferences are well known. At lunch and snack times, staff encourage children to develop good social skills and healthy eating habits. However, there is scope to involve children more consistently in the preparation of meals and snacks so that their independent skills are further developed. For example, older children have limited opportunities to serve their own meals, pour their own drinks or to prepare their own fruit. Outdoors children enjoy planting seeds to grow various fruit and vegetables, such as, beans and strawberries. This further promotes children's good health. Children enjoy being in the fresh air through regular play in the enclosed garden areas. They also have use of a large hall and a

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

covered play area. This means that children can enjoy the benefits of outdoor play all year round. There are good links with schools where children may attend so that transitions run smoothly. In addition, the nursery has strong links with a nearby school, which offers outings to a forest school environment. As a result, children have many opportunities to learn about the importance of physical activity.

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provision

The provider, management team and staff all show that they have a good understanding of the requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Well-established and effective procedures are in place for safeguarding children's well- being. For example, all staff attend regular safeguarding training to ensure their knowledge is up-to-date and all staff are trained in first aid. This means that any concerns or medical emergencies can be quickly and effectively managed. The comprehensive polices, including the safeguarding policy, are regularly reviewed and implemented throughout the nursery. Children play in a well-maintained and secure environment so that they are as safe as possible at all times. Recruitment systems are robust to ensure that all those working with children are suitable to do so. Some staff, such as room leaders are very experienced and highly qualified. This means that they are good role models and has

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provision

a positive impact on children's learning and development. The majority of staff are long term and are very clear about their roles and responsibilities. Those new to the nursery speak positively of the support received in settling into their new roles. As a result, they are very familiar with the operations of the nursery.

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provision

Monitoring of the education programmes and self-evaluation are an ongoing process. Staff attend core training, such as, safeguarding and first-aid. Further training is highly valued and supported so that knowledge gained is implemented. This contributes to the good teaching and learning taking place. Self-evaluation takes into account the views of staff, children and their parents. There is a strong drive to build upon the nursery's existing good practice. For example, an outdoor area leading from the younger children's base room is under development to support their learning further. The nursery has recently started a recognised 'quality aware' programme. This demonstrates the commitment to continually drive improvement.

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provision

Since the last inspection, the nursery has developed further opportunities for parents to be involved in the planning of children's activities. This has had a positive impact and some parents are actively involved in the nursery. For example, there is a parent rota for them to participate in the library and the cooking sessions. As a result, staff work very well in partnership with parents. Parents are well informed about the operations of the nursery. For example, they receive a wide range of documentation and the notice boards contain a broad range of information. In addition, regular purposeful coffee mornings are held to discuss the Early Years Foundation Stage and children's future education, such as starting school. The nursery provides relevant advice and support about children's welfare as and when necessary. For example, relevant childcare articles are easily available and provide a wealth of information for parents and carers. Parents are highly complementary about the

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provision

nursery. They state that their children's confidence has increased greatly, and have made great progress in their language development. The nursery supports children with special education needs. High priority is placed on protecting children's welfare. For example, there is a strong partnership with outside agencies to ensure advice and guidance is quickly sought and implemented to meet children's individual needs.

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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 EY424059 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 874456

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 160 Number of children on roll 114 Name of provider First Place Nurseries Ltd Date of previous inspection 17/11/2011 Telephone number 01923 857060

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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

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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