ABC Nursery

ABC Nursery 11 Sandfield Road, Headington, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX3 7RG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/05/2014 11/01/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Teaching strategies make children excited and curious, particularly older children. This ensures that children make sound progress in their learning.  Behaviour is good as staff develop warm relationships with children.  Staff training ensures that staff are knowledgeable about safeguarding policy and procedures which helps keep children safe.

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It is not yet good because

 Babies do not always settle well as the key person system in the baby room is not fully effective.  Systems for the monitoring and deployment of key persons, particularly those in the baby room, do not always promote children's care needs.  Children who have English as an additional language are not consistently supported to quickly close gaps in their understanding and settle, as staff do not take reasonable steps to support them to use their home language in their 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 observed the children playing in the indoor and outside learning environments.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked safeguarding policies and procedures and the manager's understanding of the notification requirements.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of staff's qualifications and suitability to be working with children.  The inspector spoke to the manager, staff, parents and children.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

ABC Nursery is a privately owned provision, which registered in 1997. The nursery is situated in Headington within walking distance of the John Radcliffe Hospital and it serves the local area. The building provides six base rooms over two floors. Children are grouped according to their age with the older children using the rooms on the first floor. There is an enclosed outdoor play area which is shared by all children attending the provision. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary part of the Childcare Register. The provision is open each week day from 7.30am until 6.30pm all year round. There are currently 71 children on roll. Children attend who are in receipt of early education funding. The nursery employs 15 staff to work with the children on a full and part-time basis and there is also a cook. Of these, 10 hold recognised early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The setting receives support from the local

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Information about the setting

authority. The nursery regularly takes children out on visit to the local area, park, shops and library. The nursery has a visiting music teacher who delivers weekly singing sessions.

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must:

 set out robust procedures for the monitoring of staff to ensure that all key persons fulfil their roles and responsibilities consistently and effectively, with particular regard to tailoring children's care needs as they settle to sleep and for children who are new to nursery.

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

 strengthen planning for children who have English as an additional language by taking account of children's home language, with particular regard to using familiar key words so that they settle quickly so they understand routines and activities better.

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who attend

Staff plan activities that support children's progress and next steps in learning which they have identified from observations of children's play. As a result, children make steady progress towards the early learning goals and are working comfortably within the typical range of development expected for their age. Staff provide a range of activities that capture children's interests. Teaching, during some adult led activities, provides skilful support for children to solve problems, test their ideas, and evaluate their own activities. For example, older children test out whether the texture of coral can be changed by stroking it with bristles, as it was once soft in the sea and being stroked by waves. As a result, children are motivated and excited to learn.

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who attend

Children develop their early language as staff talk to children routinely throughout the day, narrating their play, asking questions and extending discussions. In addition, group time activities, such as retelling the stories, help older children to develop strong listening skills. Children in all age groups enjoy sharing books. Younger children are supported to copy new words and join words together to make sentences. Older children explore letters and sounds in a structured programme and write their names on their artwork. This promotes early literacy skills and prepares them for school. The staff care for a number of children who learn English as an additional language. However, staff do not consistently find out key words in children's home languages. Resources and activities do not support the development of children's home language. This means that children are sometimes unable to wholly understand what is expected of them and take part fully in activities. As a result

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who attend

these children do not settle or close gaps in their learning quickly.

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who attend

Staff count with children routinely through everyday play and children explore shapes by playing with construction toys, interesting puzzles, containers of different sizes and measuring equipment. As a result, children develop a broad mathematical understanding. Toys and resources which are on offer expand children's imagination well, enabling them to act out stories and explore sensory and mark making materials freely inside as well as outdoor. Children enjoy exploring the carefully planned garden area, where they learn how to play cooperatively with friends. For example, they play together taking turns to throw the ball in the hoop and share a tandem bicycle ride. They access a range of suitable resources which challenge their physical capabilities and they find out about the natural world.

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who attend

Parents demonstrate a high level of satisfaction with the provision. They appreciate the extra attention staff give to their children as individuals. Staff talk to parents on a daily basis, offering practical and emotional support where necessary. They ensure they are available on an informal basis to discuss children's progress and share their records of development. Staff caring for two-year-old children carry out the required progress check and provide comprehensive feedback for parents.

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

Overall, staff help children to settle suitably. They generally enjoy warm relationships with their key person and other staff, which helps them to develop secure emotional attachments. However, the key person system is not effective in the baby room. This is because key persons do not always provide appropriate care which matches the needs of their key children and babies. This is particularly evident as they are settling them to sleep, and providing comfort for children who are new to the nursery. Some parents are unsure about the identity of their children's key person which means they are occasionally unsure who to communicate information with. This all means that children do not settle so well.

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

Staff encourage children to share, take turns and be nice to their friends. Children respond well to the praise and encouragement used by the staff. As a result children are well behaved and polite and many say 'please' and 'thank you' with little or no prompting. Older children play gently with younger children and show concern for their well-being. This supports the family atmosphere of the nursery. The nursery has effective procedures in place to help children transfer from one room to the next and older children show good levels of self-esteem and confidence. Effective procedures are in place to help children prepare for their move to school, such as encouraging visits from local teachers to meet children, and sharing assessment information.

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

Staff support children's understanding of safety appropriately, such as reminding them not to climb on furniture and explaining what might happen if they do. The premises are secure and safe and furniture is age appropriate. For example, the chairs which babies use are adapted for their size. This supports children to be safe. Staff are vigilant in supervising children to ensure they are usually within sight but always within sound.

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

Children throughout the nursery enjoy daily opportunities to play in the garden areas, which offer plenty of space and interesting activities. These experiences encourage children to develop their physical skills as well as supporting other areas of learning. The rooms in which children play are clean and well organised. Toys and resources are easily accessible and labels in the environment support older children to read labels to support their choices of toys. The nursery provides healthy meals for children, including breakfast, lunch and tea. Children are able to sleep comfortably throughout the nursery, either in cots or on mats. Staff prepare rooms well to allow children to rest and sleep according to their individual needs. Nappy changing takes place routinely to keep children comfortable and dry. Staff are diligent in keeping records regarding nappy changes so that they are able to share information with parents at the end of the day. Staff work with parents

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

appropriately to meet individual needs regarding nappy changing routines.

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provision

The inspection took place following a concern about how staff encourage children to eat and drink and how accidents are reported and the level of supervision of children. Ofsted found that the nursery was not compliant with the legal requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage at the time of the incident and issued actions to improve practice. The management is quick to respond to any breaches of legal requirements in order to improve safety. As a result the manager has robust systems in place to ensure that all staff working with children are thoroughly vetted and cleared as suitable. The manager has attended training around safe recruitment. This means that the manager now ensures that all staff have clear Disclosure and Barring Service checks prior to working with the children. She requests and follows up all references, to ensure that staff have the abilities and competence to work with children.

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provision

In addition, thorough induction procedures work well to ensure that all staff are aware of their individual roles and responsibilities and the nursery's policies and procedures, with particular regard to safeguarding. All existing staff have undergone recent safeguarding training and are supported by an appropriate policy to ensure that they are all aware of the signs and symptoms of child abuse and what to do should they have any concerns about children in their care. Consequently, staff and the manager show a sound understanding of what to do should there be any allegations made against staff, including reporting any allegations to the appropriate regulatory bodies, such as Ofsted and local borough safeguarding officers. The manager has carried out recent safety checks and furniture, including seating, is now age appropriate. This means that the manager has successfully addressed the actions set. This inspection found that the nursery now meets

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provision

legal requirements with regard to suitability of staff, safeguarding and safety of equipment.

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provision

Comprehensive risk assessments help to promote children's safety and work well in practice. Monitoring procedures of staff by the management team are effective in promoting good quality learning experiences but are not always rigorous in ensuring consistency regarding children's welfare. This means that some children do not receive care which is appropriate for their needs. The nursery maintains appropriate staff to child ratios and the deployment of staff is generally effective. Clear procedures are in place to meet the learning requirements of children who require additional support. Any incidents and accidents are recorded in detail stating what happened, the treatment that followed and subsequent actions taken. Staff are knowledgeable about how to report and respond to accidents. There are first-aid trained staff always on the premises which promotes children's wellbeing.

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provision

The manager is dedicated and fully committed to her role and effectively identifies areas of development to ensure continuous improvement. Self-evaluation is used as an ongoing, working document and the manager is fully aware of the nursery's strengths and weaknesses. Clear, detailed action plans are effectively in place. The prioritised targets for improvement are identified with support from other early year's agencies. This ensures that the nursery is proactive in meeting the needs of the children from the local catchment area. The nursery develops good links with other providers and outside agencies as necessary to promote consistency in children's learning and development. The nursery has good partnerships in place with parents overall. The nursery actively welcomes feedback from parents through surveys and parents are complimentary about the nursery.

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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 134038 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 968898 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 61 Number of children on roll 71 Name of provider Diane Tucker Date of previous inspection 11/01/2012 Telephone number 01865 439051

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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

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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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