The Co-operative Childcare Sussex

The Co-operative Childcare Brighton, University of Sussex Childcare Centre, University Of Sussex, Southern Ring Road, Falmer, BRIGHTON, BN1 9BT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/04/2014 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

 Learning environments are excellent for all age groups inside and out of doors. Children enjoy a wide range of good quality resources which invite exploration and inspire play.  Leaders and managers have well-established training and mentoring processes in place, which support staff to continuously improve their skills, knowledge and understanding.  Staff use very effective planning and assessment methods to build on children's daily learning and facilitate children's self-initiated play.  Children's independence is very well fostered. Children can easily reach all the resources they need and combine them to set their own challenges and ideas.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Targets for improvement are being considered with staff, parents and children but are not yet not well established enough to guide long-term goals.  There are few indoor communication friendly spaces.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children at play indoors and outside.  The inspector spoke to parents to gather their views.  The inspector and manager carried out a joint observation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with managers to examine documentation and discuss safeguarding and monitoring issues.

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Information about the setting

The Co-operative Childcare Brighton, University of Sussex registered in 2014. It is one of approximately 50 privately nurseries run by The Midcounties Co-Operative Limited. The nursery operates from four rooms within the Childcare Centre in the University of Sussex, which is in East Sussex. It is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6.30pm for 52 weeks of the year. There are four main childcare rooms used by different age groups and two garden areas. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The setting has 87 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. The setting is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years of age. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are learning to speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 25

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Information about the setting

members of staff. All of these, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. Two staff have Early Years Teacher status.

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

 develop further the work with staff, parents and children to set clear, shared long term goals

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

 create communication friendly spaces for younger children, such as indoor dens.

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who attend

Staff have a strong understanding of how to meet the learning and development requirements. They provide a broad and balanced curriculum, which gives children interesting and engaging activities in all areas of learning. Staff have a good understanding of how to balance adult-led and child-initiated play and are skilled teachers. This means that children's learning happens while they are engaged in activities that meet their interests and provide the right amount of challenge. As a result, children make good progress given their starting points and capabilities.

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who attend

Children have good communication skills because staff interact continuously with them. Staff get on the children's level and tailor their conversation to suit the age and stage of development of each child. For example, staff keep good eye contact with babies and echo their vocalisations and facial expressions to create a conversational pattern. With toddlers, staff emphasise key vocabulary and use gesture and sign language to reinforce their speech. Children enjoy a language rich environment at all ages, and staff use open questions to encourage children to share their ideas and experiences. This also helps to support children's critical and creative thinking, as well as their confidence in talking to others. However, there are few small communication-friendly spaces indoors. This means that, particularly for younger children in large, high-ceilinged rooms, there are few spaces that encourage quiet conversation.

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who attend

Staff facilitate children's learning in projects that are inspired by children's interests. Recent activities about spring and new beginnings have meant that children have planted bulbs and created a wide variety of craft items to drape and decorate the branches of a tree. Craft activities are very open-ended so that children can pursue their own ideas and make very individual items. On displays, staff add notes about how children's ideas have progressed and what children have said in describing what they have made. This demonstrates staff's understanding of how the process that children follow is as valued as the final outcome. Children have great fun exploring their ideas and learning the skills they need to achieve their goals. Staff skilfully model their own thinking processes, so that children can see how wondering how something works leads to exploration and experimentation.

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who attend

Staff are very skilled at using planning and assessment to guide children's learning. They work closely with parents when children start to establish children's starting points. They then make close observations of children as they play to note their interests, confidence and learning styles. Staff assess children's next steps based on their achievements and plan adult-led activities each week tailored for their particular needs. Staff are also skilled at supporting children's self-initiated play and adapt the learning environment each day based on how children are using the resources available. For example, staff add further resources such as walkie-talkies for children who are playing at being fire fighters. This enables children to extend and consolidate their play ideas. Staff also skilfully facilitate children in group projects. When children became fascinated by the snails they found in the garden compared to the land snails kept as nursery pets, staff facilitated them in

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who attend

making large snails in a craft project over several weeks. Staff write termly summaries of children's progress in each area of learning and make personal appointments with parents to discuss the child's progress. These reviews also form the basis of the progress check at age two. Staff track children's learning against published guidance on expected levels of development so that they can identify and address any achievement gaps. This means that children make good progress in their learning and development.

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

Staff have a very effective key person system. Children benefit from having a key person who has a buddy, so that the child always has someone present who understands their particular needs. The key person is responsible for the intimate care of children as well as their learning and development. The key person liaises with parents frequently to ensure they have the most up-to-date information about the child, particularly for babies where needs change more frequently. This means that the key people establish very strong relationships with the children, who are very well-settled and secure as a result. When children are developmentally ready to move on to the next age group, the key person works with parents and the new key person to establish the best time for the child to move on. As each room shares facilities with another, children are often already familiar with the staff and surroundings, which help to make the move go smoothly. Staff have

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

created exemplary learning environments with very good quality resources that support children's independent play. Children can easily reach all the play equipment and combine it to set their own challenges. In this way, concentric wooden hoops can be worn as crowns in role play, or rolled across the floor between friends. Displays and windows at child height give children opportunities to explore at their own level, and provide for excellent, child-friendly spaces.

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

Children have good opportunities to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Food is freshly prepared on the premises and children benefit from a healthy, well-balanced diet which includes fruit and vegetables. Children eat together in a sociable atmosphere and always have easy access to water. Babies follow their own personal routine for sleeping and feeding which helps them stay contented and happy. Staff support children to be independent in serving and feeding themselves in order to develop their self-care skills. Children understand the importance of keeping clean and spontaneously wash their hands before eating, or after messy play. Pre-school children have easy access to the sinks and toilets so they can begin to take responsibility for their personal hygiene. Children have very good opportunities for their physical development. They have frequent opportunities to play in the fresh air and the outdoor learning environments are excellent. Children enjoy exploring

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

the different areas which include water pumps, challenging climbing frames, steps and a variety of surfaces. This helps children to gain skills in balancing as they walk over slightly uneven floors. Staff are skilled at helping children to learn to manage their safety. Children accompany staff on daily checks and notice, for example, where stones have moved onto the grass and should be put back. Staff are very skilled at understanding the balance of giving children physical challenges in well-managed circumstances. For example, the water play area allows children to pump water and watch it flow over stones and down channels, without any area where the water can reach any significant depth.

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

Children's behaviour is good. The wide variety of play opportunities and resources means that they are always engaged in purposeful play and enjoy playing with their friends. This means they learn how to take turns, share and cooperate in play. Staff are skilled at teaching children to manage any frustration by staying calm and encouraging children to explain what they want or how they feel. This supports children to be assertive and resilient. Children show great pride in their achievements and they develop a strong drive for learning and exploring. As a result, they acquire good skills for their future learning.

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provision

Leaders and managers have a good understanding of how to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements. The company has robust policies and clear procedures regarding child protection and all staff are very well trained in the issues involved. All staff know the procedures to follow should they have concerns about the welfare of a child. All staff are checked as to their suitability before they start working for the company. Policies and procedures are available to parents so they understand the staff's role and responsibilities. All staff have a high regard for children's safety and risk assessments are detailed and thorough. Staff compete daily checks of the premises and have a good understanding of how to deploy themselves to maximise their supervision of children. For example, in outdoor play, staff always stand at the top of the slide to support children in judging when it is safe to go down. All documentation is well-organised and robustly monitored. Accident

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provision

and incident records are accurately logged and reviewed monthly so that issues can be quickly identified and addressed. Staff understand that clear documentation and record- keeping underpins children's well-being.

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provision

The company has well-established procedures for the ongoing support and development of staff. Staff have regular supervision and annual appraisals to maintain and develop their professional skills and qualifications. Peer supervisions, role modelling and mentoring from senior staff are frequent occurrences designed to enhance staff's skills in interacting with children and planning for their learning. Staff appreciate the opportunities they have to take part in online training and in-house courses which help to develop and consolidate their good practice. Managers have strong systems in place to monitor and develop the curriculum. They analyse data about children's achievements and can assess the learning of groups of children such as boys or girls, and those with additional needs. Managers can cross reference this information with evidence from mapping observations and peer observations to identify training issues or issues with resources. This feeds into action

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provision

plans to make improvements which can be assessed for their efficacy at the next review. For example, the mathematical achievement of boys is shown to improve after resources and activities were enhanced in the learning environment. The recent move to a new building and the consequent changes in learning environment and groupings has provided managers and staff with new challenges. They have approached these with a strong commitment to raising standards and meeting the needs of the children and families. However, they have not yet had opportunities to work together with families to set long term goals for the future growth and development of the nursery.

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provision

Parents have good opportunities to share information with staff and take part in nursery life. They have a daily handover with staff and receive regular information about plans and projects. Parents meet with their child's key person each term to discuss the child's learning and development and can add to the learning journals or other home-nursery projects. For example, parents helped children keep a diary book about a bulb they planted at nursery and brought home. Parents state that they really value the advice and support of staff over potty training and moving on to the next age group, commenting on staff's commitment to understanding children's needs. The manager demonstrates a high regard for parents' views and is very open about the underpinning philosophies of the work they do with children. The nursery staff have a good understanding of how to work in partnership with other professionals to provide consistent care for children. For

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provision

example, where children have additional needs they work with speech and language therapists and other specialists, following the same guidance as the parents. Managers and staff demonstrate a strong commitment to preparing children for school and working in partnership with schools to support children as they move on. They have organised resources for parents to use at home to talk about the move to school. This helps to ensure that children enjoy a consistent and coherent experience as they continue with their learning.

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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 EY473592 Local authority Brighton & Hove Inspection number 961209 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 101 Number of children on roll 87 Name of provider The Midcounties Co-Operative Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01273 678356

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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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