Toybox Day Nursery

Toybox Day Nursery 11 The Drive, Henleaze, BRISTOL, BS9 4LD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/04/2014 08/04/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children make good progress in their learning and development, taking into account their starting points, due to the consistently good teaching practice by staff.  Staff provide a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated play experiences throughout the day, which reflect children's interests, needs and preferences.  Staff provide parents with detailed information about their children's ongoing progress, which they accurately record using individual learning journals.  Staff warmly welcome children and families into the nursery, showing kindness and by attentively paying attention to their individual needs.  Children are well behaved and polite. Staff teach children about acceptable behaviour through role modelling and providing gentle reminders.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff provide less experiences for children to explore numerals in the outdoor area than indoors. This slightly reduces opportunities to promote children's mathematical skills.  Staff do not clearly label play items and toys stored in accessible boxes. This means children are less able to see what resources are on offer, which reduces their free choice and independence.

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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 children engaged in learning, held discussions with the staff team, the nursery manager and the nominated person.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documentation including children's assessment records, staff suitability checks, qualifications, and samples of policies and procedures.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with parents and carers at the nursery and sampled parent questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

Toybox Day Nursery registered in 1990 and re-registered in 2011 when it became a limited company. It is privately owned. The nursery operates from a converted house located in Henleaze, Bristol. The nursery is registered on the Early Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The nursery provides some out of school care for school age children. Opening times are Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, all year round, except Bank holidays. There are currently 64 children on roll. The nursery receives funding to provide free early years education for children aged three and four years. The nursery staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are learning English as an additional language. The nursery employs 16 staff. Of these, 14 hold relevant early years qualifications at levels 3, 4, 5, and 6. This includes one member of staff who holds a BA Honours degree in Early Childhood Studies, two staff

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Information about the setting

who hold early years foundation degrees and a qualified early years teacher who has achieved Qualified Teacher Status.

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

 strengthen the use of labelling for play items kept in low-level storage boxes and trays, so children can see what resources are on offer, thus encouraging their independence skills and free-choice in play

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

 extend the use of numerals outdoors to promote children's early mathematical skills and ability to recognise and count numbers in all environments.

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who attend

Children make good progress in their learning and development taking into account their starting points. This is due to the consistently good teaching practice demonstrated by the staff team. Staff show a clear understanding of their role in meeting the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They work closely with parents to obtain ongoing information about children's likes, interests and preferences. Staff effectively use this information, alongside their own ongoing observations, to plan a balance of suitable activities, covering all seven areas of learning. Consequently, staff are effective in planning for children's next steps in learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have in place individual educational plans. Staff use these plans to set specific targets to meet their individual needs. As a result, gaps in children's learning are closing due to the effective teaching and tailored learning and care that

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who attend

Staff actively encourage parents to contribute towards their children's learning by sharing their child's experiences outside of the nursery. For instance, staff have introduced special soft cuddly teddies and each one comes with a message book. Staff ensure children have turns to take a teddy home. Parents enthusiastically get involved by recording, in the book, their child's experience with their special item including any planned outings. Staff provide parents with ongoing information about their child's progress by sharing initial assessments and detailed observations, which are gathered in their individual learning journals. Additionally, staff complete the required progress checks for children aged two years and share summaries of the children's development with parents. Parents receive daily feedback and staff use a communications book to exchange messages between home and nursery, when necessary.

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who attend

Staff provide a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated play experiences throughout the day. They follow younger children's interests by planning age-appropriate activities including around popular stories. For instance, children who show an interest in a story about a caterpillar create their own caterpillar drawings. Staff encourage them to make marks, count and recognise shapes as they copy the main character from the book. They further extend this activity by reading the story to the children as they draw. This helps to capture the children's attention and develop their communication and language skills, as they confidently recall information from the story. This teaching approach adopted by staff, motivates children as they confidently make links to the main character in the book and their own drawings. Staff extend children learning during their play by asking useful questions thus promoting active learning at all times. Children are given many

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who attend

opportunities to develop their hand to eye coordination skills by using a range of writing tools. These include paint brushes, crayons and chalks which are available indoors and outdoors. Staff provide children with opportunities to develop their early writing skills; they complement these opportunities by using songs to help children to sound out letters. Children acquire and develop effective skills that help to prepare them for their next stages in learning and their eventual move to school.

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who attend

Staff help foster children's mathematical skills and concepts through their play. For instance, staff encourage simple counting with babies as they build brick towers together. Children have access to a range of number puzzles, posters, displays and suitable computer programmes. Staff effectively engage with children, helping them to recognise numbers, count objects and do simple addition, in a fun and enjoyable way. However, staff do not fully extend the use of numerals in the outdoor environment. This reduces learning opportunities at times, in particular for those children who have different styles of learning in a range of environments including outdoors.

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

Staff warmly welcome children and families into the nursery by showing kindness and attentively paying attention to their individual needs. As a result, children are happy, content and settle quickly into the daily routine. An established key person system is effective. Parents know their child's key person and, together, they share information to promote the child's well-being. For example, some children have comforters to help them settle when they first start. Staff work in partnership with parents to meet the personal care routines of babies and younger children, including sleep patterns, dietary requirements and toileting needs. A detailed 'All about me' form is used by staff to ensure children's needs are fully recorded when they first start. This helps the key person to follow children's individual interests and needs, and build secure emotional attachments with their key child. Staff give parents opportunities to attend formal key person evenings

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

to share in their child's progress and discuss any concerns. They also actively promote an open-door policy and welcome parents to discuss their children's learning and care at times to suit them. This approach fostered by staff, helps in building and maintaining positive relationships with parents and carers. Children are well-behaved and polite. Staff teach children about acceptable behaviour through role modelling and providing gentle reminders. For example, staff encourage children to be safe indoors by encouraging them to use their 'walking feet'. Children are caring towards their peers; they share resources well by taking turns and being considerate towards one another. Staff encourage older children to negotiate and work out any squabbles over toys independently. This helps to build their self-confidence as they learn to manage relationships in readiness for school. Children also learn to care about nature and living things. For example, the staff are

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

currently incubating chick eggs and teach children about the process of caring for the eggs. They do this through daily discussions and using pictures and diagrams, including a calendar, to encourage children to count down to the 'hatching' day. Children show great excitement as they follow the cycle of the living egg and staff capture this very well and effectively know how to extend on this. Staff encourage children's independence skills throughout the daily routine, which helps to build their self-confidence and acquire the necessary skills they need for starting school. For example, older children are encouraged to use the toilet facilities independently. Staff have introduced an item known as the 'red duck' which children take along with them to indicate to staff that they have left the main room to access the bathroom independently. During mealtimes, children sensibly approach the serving table and wait patiently as staff serve up their meals. Staff provide children

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

with opportunities to prepare their own sandwiches for tea. For instance, children spread butter and filling onto their bread, developing their skills in using a knife correctly and then folding their sandwiches. Children have access to a wide range of stimulating resources, both indoors and outdoors, which are accessible and safe for them to use. However, staff do not clearly label all play items that are stored in accessible boxes and trays. As a result, children do not see what play items are available to them, despite being within reach. At times, this reduces their independence skills and free choice during play.The staff promote children's awareness of healthy lifestyles by providing opportunities for daily exercise. For example, children move around in different ways when using a designated area for soft play. They jump, balance, climb and move through objects showing good coordination and physical skills. Children have access to a range of outdoor play equipment including

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

balancing frames, slides and balls. They use these to actively move around in different ways. Children learn about healthy food choices including eating vegetables. For example, photos on display show how children participate in preparing vegetable soup by peeling and cutting vegetables. In addition, staff offer children a healthy range of meals and drinking water throughout the day. A displayed weekly menu reflects this. Children show a good understanding of appropriate hygiene practices. Staff ensure children wash and dry their hands before mealtimes and after using the toilet, in order to prevent the spread of germs. The staff team caters for children with special dietary needs including for medical and religious reasons. Staff regularly update dietary information which they clearly display, so all staff are fully aware of individual requirements. Babies benefit from regular walks out in their buggies in the local area, including parks. Older children often visit the local

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

library and shops to extend their learning.

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provision

The manager oversees children's progress by closely tracking their learning and development. For example, she reviews individual learning journals to ensure children's assessments are accurate, consistent and their next steps are suitable. The manager is the designated person for coordinating special educational needs at the nursery. She works closely with parents and professionals to ensure early and timely intervention for children with additional needs. Following the last inspection, the manager, in response to the previous recommendation, has developed the use of key words in different languages spoken by children at home. In addition, all staff have attended training in using sign language and signs are displayed through the nursery to help foster children's communication skills. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All staff have received suitable

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provision

training. The nursery has in place an effective safeguarding policy with clear procedures to ensure staff know what to do if they have any concerns. The manager oversees safeguarding issues and is the designated person. She regularly updates staff of any changes to the safeguarding policy. The recruitment of staff is effectively managed with clear vetting processes in place to check staff suitability, including thorough induction training for new staff. These clear measures help to promote children's welfare. The provider employs highly skilled and experienced staff who hold suitable early years qualifications. The manager ensures staff are suitably deployed in all areas of the nursery and children are appropriately supervised by qualified staff at all times. The manager offers ongoing support to staff following their initial induction. For example, staff meet with the manager regularly for one-to-one supervision meetings as well as yearly

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provision

appraisals. This provides an opportunity to discuss staff training needs and identify areas for improvement as part of their ongoing professional development. The manager oversees the health and safety requirements of the nursery. Staff complete daily safety checks of the rooms and the manager closely monitors risk assessments to identify any reoccurring issues. This helps to minimise any hazards and reduce potential risks to children. All staff have undertaken approved first aid training and the manager has attended advanced training for safeguarding. The manager has identified forest school training for staff, as part of the self-evaluation process, to help staff improve planning for this provision in the nursery. The nursery is taking part in a local quality assurance scheme. This demonstrates the provider's commitment to improvement. Management positively uses the self-evaluation process to assess all aspects of the provision. As part of

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provision

their improvement plan, the provider is developing the outdoor provision by creating an enclosed library for children to access at all times. Therefore, the provider is effectively creating future learning opportunities for children. The provider has established good links with staff at other early years settings that children also attend. With parental consent, they share assessment records and exchange information about children's progress, which promotes continuity of learning and care for children outside of the nursery. The staff team work closely with parents to support them during their child's transition to school. They arrange for the reception class teacher to visit children at the nursery, so to foster positive links. Parents' feedback is encouraged through questionnaires and information boards, including the nursery website. This provides a wealth of information and helps to keep parents informed about the nursery. Parents and carers are very complimentary

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provision

about the nursery and remark about the 'lovely energy' and 'calmness' in the nursery. Others feel they 'cannot praise the staff enough' and value the care and support their children receive.

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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 EY424988 Local authority Bristol City Inspection number 962146 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 39 Number of children on roll 64 Name of provider Toybox Day Nursery (Bristol) Limited Date of previous inspection 08/04/2013 Telephone number 01179 623 010

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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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