Buttons Nursery

Buttons Nursery Buttons Nursery, 11-13 Baird Close, WASHINGTON, Tyne and Wear, NE37 3HL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/04/2014 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 quality of teaching is consistently good and some is outstanding. Staff interact skilfully with children to enhance their learning, thus supporting them to make good and better progress.  The manager places strong emphasis on supporting her staff team. Ongoing support, coaching and training is provided, which enables all staff to further develop their already very good practice and supports children's achievements over time.  Children's welfare and well-being is exceptionally well promoted in the nursery. There is a highly comprehensive awareness of safeguarding issues among the staff, all of whom are suitable to fulfil the requirements of their role and have had appropriate checks carried out.  Superb partnerships are in place to involve parents and carers in their child's learning and development, which means that children are very well supported in their learning at home.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is room to strengthen staff's knowledge of strategies to further extend the literacy skills of more able children in order for them to fully enhance their early writing development.  There is scope to improve access to some resources in the outdoor environment in order to enrich children's ability to make choices and direct their own play.

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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 carried out a tour of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and the manager's self-evaluation form and action plans.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching and learning activities in all nursery rooms, including the outdoor environment.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a meeting with the manager of the nursery and discussed a range of policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

Buttons Nursery was re-registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a self-contained building on the Stephenson Industrial Estate in Washington, and is owned by a limited company. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from three playrooms and there are two enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The manager holds a Foundation Degree in Leadership and Management and the deputy manager holds Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 5.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 81 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early 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:

 strengthen staff's understanding of strategies to extend the literacy skills of more able children in order for them to enhance their already very good early writing skills

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

 extend ways to further enhance children's independence skills in the outdoor environment in order to enrich children's ability to make choices and direct their own play.

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who attend

Staff use an extensive range of successful strategies to support and enhance young children's learning. They understand the individual development and needs of each child. Detailed planning completed by each key person documents this well and shows how information is well used to recognise children's progress, needs and plan activities to further support their learning. Staff observe children regularly to understand their level of achievement, interests and learning styles, and to then shape learning experiences for each child reflecting those observations. As a result, children make good and some make outstanding progress during the time they spend at the nursery. They engage deeply in their learning and maintain focus on their activity for periods of time. For example, younger children become engrossed when they sit together and complete jigsaws. Uninterrupted time is allowed for them to play and explore, enabling children to problem

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who attend

solve and find the best way to complete their puzzles. Older children persist with activities when challenges occur. Staff support them very well when they carefully hold paper up against the wall and use crayons to make rubbings of the bricks on the wall outside.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is consistently good and some is outstanding. Staff support children's communication skills exceptionally well. They repeat words spoken by very young children so that they can hear them clearly. They find out key words spoken by children for whom English is an additional language and ensure all attempts are made to enable children to use their home language through play-based activities. This means that this group of children are well supported to make progress in this aspect of their learning. Older children are given time to think about what they want to say and put their thoughts into words without staff jumping in too soon to say something themselves. Story telling is given high priority and children's readiness for school is extremely well promoted when they listen to stories read aloud by staff and choose books themselves, in the outdoor area. Staff encourage children to actively engage in the story and express a wide range of

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who attend

feelings and talk about their own experiences. This extends their vocabulary very well and enables them to express themselves clearly and effectively. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are equally well supported in the nursery. Assessments accurately identify children's weaknesses in learning and development. This ensures advice is sought and intervention is secured to meet children's needs at the earliest stage. For example, excellent partnerships are in place with services, such as Portage and speech and language therapy. Information received is exceptionally well used to meet children's individual and specific needs. Generally good opportunities are provided for children to develop their literacy skills. For example, a temporary partition wall has been covered in paper and children enjoy expressing and communicating their ideas using crayons and pencils. However, opportunities for more able children to fully extend their

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who attend

early writing skills are not always maximised. This is because some staff do not fully understand strategies to enhance children's already very good literacy skills and writing materials are not always available in areas of play, such as role-play and construction. Staff provide materials at times during the day but they are often cleared away and not fully available to children at all times.

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who attend

Parents are provided with excellent opportunities to engage in the children's learning at home and in the nursery. For example, parents complete documentation to share activities and experiences their children have enjoyed while at home. This information is very well used by staff to shape further activities and enhance children's learning even further. All children have individual development files containing on entry assessments and observations. This is effectively documented, links well to the 'Early years outcome' document and is tracked over time to demonstrate progress. Written comments documented in development files demonstrate how happy parents are with the quality of progress reporting in the nursery. They make statements, such as, 'We are delighted with our child's progress, particularly in her speech development'.

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

Staff demonstrate strong care practices which ensure all children, especially babies and those in need of additional support, make secure emotional attachments. Children settle very quickly and staff are highly skilled when comforting those who become upset. Children show they are happy and settled when they wake up happy after their sleep and smile to show they enjoy the close contact provided by their key person. Highly effective settling-in procedures are in place when children start attending. They make a number of visits, based on their individual needs, before staying for the whole session. Parents describe how well staff support their children's individual needs during this time. They talk about how they are welcome the time they spend in the nursery room with their child, talking to staff and sharing key information regarding their child's routines and other key information. Children, especially those with additional needs, are exceptionally well

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

supported when they transfer into local schools. They make visits and spend time with their key person, becoming familiar with new members of staff and their new environment. Staff prepare detailed summary reports to ensure there is continuity in children's learning, development and welfare needs. This helps to improve communication and co-ordination between professionals, practitioners and families, especially when children have an identified condition, disability or impairment.

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

Children demonstrate very good independence skills for their age. They take an active part in mealtimes, for example, by pouring their own drinks and serving their own fruit. There are plans to extend children's skills further when hot meals will be served at the nursery in the near future. Staff describe how they plan to allow children to serve their own portions of food from larger containers and take part in food preparation. Independence is further promoted when children seek and put on their own slippers and wellington boots and make sure they are safely placed in their individual trays and storage units when they are not in use. However, there is scope to extend children's independence skills even further in the outdoor environment, in order to enrich children's ability to make choices and direct their own play. For example, by ensuring all resources are stored appropriately and unused equipment is disposed of. Daily opportunities are provided for all children,

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

including babies to access the outdoor environment. They access an appropriate range of equipment and staff plan activities which supports their all-round development well. There are plans in place to extend opportunities in this area to incorporate a growing area where children can plant fruit and vegetables. This aims to further develop children's understanding of why it is important to have a healthy lifestyle and to enhance their knowledge of the natural world.

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

Children's behaviour in the nursery is exemplary. They demonstrate excellent awareness of the boundaries set, and of behavioural expectations in the nursery. This is because staff are highly skilled in using story and group discussion times to encourage children to talk about their feelings and situations that occur. They ensure children have opportunities to identify and discuss boundaries, so that they understand why they are there and what they are intended to achieve. Staff talk to children and help them to develop an understanding of the need to stay safe in the nursery. For example, they explain why they need to keep away from the table areas when they are being cleaned with disinfectant spray in preparation for lunch. As a result, children show they feel safe in the nursery and quickly move to the carpet until the task is complete.

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provision

Safeguarding procedures are consistently high. Staff prioritise children's safety and have excellent awareness of safeguarding issues. This is because the manager ensures all staff receive up-to-date safeguarding training and are competent in the procedures to follow and who to contact in the event of any concerns about children. Staff are fully aware of the nursery's designated safeguarding lead and the process to follow if they are concerned about any issues within their practice. The manager ensures that staff are deployed effectively according to qualifications and experience. This ensures children are kept fully protected and safe at all times. An extensive range of policies and procedures successfully underpin daily practice and regular reviews are carried out. Extensive risk assessments for all areas of the building, the outdoor area and resources, together with accurate accident records and procedures for reviewing these ensures that children's safety remains

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provision

paramount. Robust recruitment and vetting systems ensure all adults working with children are suitable to do so. Comprehensive induction and mentoring arrangements, together with clear written policies and procedures, further protect children and ensure they enjoy their learning experience and grow in confidence.

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provision

Ongoing staff development is encouraged through well-considered and purposeful staff supervision, providing support, coaching and training for individual members of staff. This has a positive impact on their knowledge and understanding of the framework. For example, the manager carries out regular observations of the quality of teaching. She provides excellent feedback to enable staff to further develop their already very good practice. The manager has a very good understanding of her role in monitoring the delivery of the educational programmes and maintains an overview of the continuous provision for children in the indoor and outdoor environments. Good use is made of observation to monitor how areas of provision are used by children. This helps to identify what is working well and amendments are made to practice, as required, to further meet children's needs. Observation, assessment and planning documentation is monitored to

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provision

make sure it is consistent, precise, and displays an accurate understanding of all children's skills, abilities and progress. The manager and her senior leadership team maintain a comprehensive overview of progress tracking documentation. This ensures children's needs are quickly identified and exceptionally well met through good partnerships between the nursery, parents and external agencies. The manager has many years of experience of managing the nursery and constantly evaluates the quality of practice and provision provided. As a result, areas for improvement are consistently identified, taking into account the views of parents, staff and children. The manager is fully committed to creating, maintaining and improving the nursery so that it meets the highest standards and offers the best experience for children.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are excellent. They take an active part in their child's learning and are involved in decision-making on key matters. For example, a parents forum has been set up. Parents use words, such as 'excellent', 'very flexible and understanding' when describing the relationships between staff and children and the quality of care and educational programmes provided. Partnerships with local schools and childminders are equally well-established and significantly enhance children's all-round development. Partnerships with external agencies and other professionals are superb. The manager and staff work exceptionally well with services in their local area and effectively use advice to provide targeted interventions to meet the specific needs of individual 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 EY468025 Local authority Sunderland Inspection number 942456 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 81 Name of provider Buttons Daycare Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01914192442

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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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