Avondale Cheeky Monkeys

Avondale Cheeky Monkeys Dyke House Sports and Technology College, Mapleton Road, HARTLEPOOL, TS24 8NQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/05/2014 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

 Staff have a good understanding of where children are in their learning and plan interesting and challenging activities based on children's individual interests.  The outdoor environment is resourced well and provides exciting and challenging experiences that help children to concentrate and become engrossed in their play.  Children are happy and thoroughly enjoy the time they spend at the nursery. This is because relationships are strong and staff are skilled in helping children form secure attachments.  Children are very safe in the nursery because there are robust procedures in place to ensure the safety of children at all times.  Parents receive a warm welcome at this friendly and supportive nursery. Staff highly value the knowledge they share about their children and use this well to further promote children's learning and achievements.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to extend the use of open-ended questions to enable children to find new ways to do things and have their own ideas.  Opportunities for children to maximise their early writing skills are not always provided in the indoor environment.

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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 had a tour of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of the staff working with the 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 the main nursery room and the outdoor environment.  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

Avondale Cheeky Monkeys was re-registered in 2013 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is located within Dyke House Sports and Technology College in Hartlepool and is managed by Northern Education Trust. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from three designated rooms within the college and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, the manager holds a level 4 qualification and one member of staff holds Early Years Professional status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday for 50 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 35 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-year-old children. It

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Information about the setting

supports a number of 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:

 extend staffs' use of open-ended questions to enable children to find new ways to do things and have their own ideas in order for them to enhance their problem- solving and thinking skills

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

 extend the range of resources provided indoors to promote children's literacy development in order to further enhance their already good early writing skills.

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who attend

Children are provided with a wide variety of toys, equipment and resources in this bright and spacious nursery. Staff ensure all activities provided, both indoors and outdoors, are interesting, enjoyable and challenging. This supports children's individual learning and development needs very well. Each area of learning is implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Staff work very well together to discuss and develop an overall plan for the week. For example, 'room stories' clearly document how children's interests and stages of development are incorporated into practice. As a result, children's next steps in learning are identified and effectively addressed, therefore supporting them to make good progress overall. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are equally well supported to make progress, based on their individual starting points. Staff make effective use of information

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who attend

received from services, such as the hearing impairment team, to implement strategies to support children's individual needs. Good use is made of the outdoor environment to support children's learning. The area is resourced well and provides exciting and challenging experiences that help children to become engrossed in their play. For example, children watch intently as they pour water through drain pipes attached to the fence and run to the other end to catch it in buckets. Children thoroughly enjoy the wide range of activities and resources available outdoors to develop the physical skills required for early writing, in readiness for school. They maintain focus for long periods of time as they use rollers to 'paint' the fence with water and enjoy using paint brushes and paint to create their own pictures. However, there is scope to enhance children's good skills even further by ensuring the indoor environment is equally resourced well. For example, by

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who attend

incorporating early writing materials in areas, such as role play and construction.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is consistently good. Staff support children's mathematical skills well through group time and during play-based activities. They use glove puppets when singing number rhymes and songs and encourage children to count the number of cookies they have made using play dough. Staff model language very well for younger children. They respond and repeat early words spoken by children, pronouncing them correctly, rather than saying they are wrong. Staff support older children's language generally well. They provide ongoing commentary as the children play, talking to them about their activities and allowing children to talk about their own experiences. However, there is room to strengthen staffs' use of open-ended questions to enable children to think about and discover new ways to do things and have their own ideas. For example, by thinking of their own ways to mix different shades of paint and describe what is happening to the

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who attend

fence when they paint it with water. Children are provided with very good opportunities to develop an understanding of growth. Effective use is made of the outdoor environment for children to grow their own plants. They use small trowels and watering cans to dig holes and plant their bulbs, talking to staff about conditions required for them to grow. This helps children to understand the world they live in and describe features of their own environment.

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who attend

Children have individual learning journey books containing examples of their work, observations and photographs as evidence of learning. Parents have access to this information which keeps them well informed of their child's progress, and they are actively encouraged to talk informally to staff either before or at the end of each day. Effective strategies engage parents in their children's learning in the nursery and at home. They complete documentation to share examples of children's learning at home. For example, they receive 'cloud-shaped' documents from staff to share children's observations from home. This means there is shared knowledge about children and a complete picture of children's learning and development is obtained.

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

Children are supported well emotionally when they begin attending the nursery. Good quality information is received from parents to ensure continuity is provided in children's emotional and physical development. Information, such as medical needs, allergies and children's comforters, is obtained and used well by staff for each individual child. For example, when staff know children like animals, they use toys and pictures of animals to help them settle if they become upset when separating from their parents. Good use is made of electronic systems, such as text messaging, to reassure parents that their children are happy in the nursery. In response, parents make comments, such as 'thank you so much, I can relax now', when they receive messages to say their child has settled. Children of all age groups spend time playing together in the nursery; therefore they move into the next age group with ease. This further supports their emotional well-being.

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

Children are equally well supported when they attend other settings alongside nursery and when they prepare to leave to go to school. Good quality information is shared with school teachers to ensure continuity in care and learning and nursery staff prepare children well by talking to them about what to expect when they start school.

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

Children are happy and thoroughly enjoy the time they spend at the nursery. Relationships are strong and staff are skilled in helping children form secure attachments. Staff supervise children well and provide sensitive care when children become upset or hurt themselves. For example, they talk gently to children and run their fingers under water when they trap them during large block play. This supports children's physical needs and allows them to quickly return to carry on with their play. Good opportunities are provided for children to develop their independence skills. They access aprons for craft and water play independently, wash their own hands and face following meal times and find tissues to meet their own personal needs. Independence is further supported as both the indoor and outdoor environments are well organised. Children make their own choices about the equipment they require and make decisions to support their play. Staff, including students,

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

ensure children develop a good understanding of keeping themselves safe in the nursery. They provide gentle reminders of safe practices, such as keeping their feet on the floor when sitting on chairs. As a result, children demonstrate safe practices throughout the day. For example, they ensure the gate is closed to the outdoor environment when they return indoors with staff.

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

Children's behaviour in the nursery is good. This is because staff provide good role models and implement agreed procedures for how to respond to changes in children's behaviour. Policies and practices are shared with parents and a two-way exchange of information is maintained, where necessary. This joint approach supports children very well. Daily opportunities are provided for children to be physically active and exuberant. They access a wide variety of opportunities in the outdoor environment to support their all-round development, and regularly make visits to places nearby. For example, they visit the park, local pond and enjoy seasonal walks around their local area. Staff provide good opportunities for children to develop an understanding of the importance of eating a healthy and balanced diet. They talk to them about eating vegetables, telling them they will make them 'big and strong'. Consequently, children learn about healthy lifestyles and

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

make comments, such as 'carrots are good for your eyes' to demonstrate their understanding. Good hygiene routines are maintained and all staff wear protective aprons and wash their hands when serving food. Good practices are further extended when children brush their teeth following meals and snack times.

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provision

The manager has a good understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare and the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She ensures all staff, including students, have a comprehensive knowledge of safeguarding and that they implement policies and procedures effectively. For example, they know what action to take if they have concerns about a child and know to contact the manager, as the designated person for safeguarding. All staff have undergone checks to ensure they are suitable to work with children. All areas accessed by children are monitored well and are free from hazards. This is because effective risk assessments are carried out by staff both inside and outside the nursery and when children are taken on visits. The manager keeps staff regularly updated with safeguarding information and ensures she is available to speak to if there are any concerns. Children are safeguarded

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provision

further as a rigorous security system for entry to the nursery is in place and children and visitors are signed in and out.

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provision

The manager has a good overview of the effectiveness of the nursery. She carries out regular supervision meetings with staff where they discuss their strengths and highlight individual training needs, in particular those linked to the nursery's improvement plan. Staff have undertaken a range of training, including safeguarding and paediatric first aid. This supports their already very good practice and helps to keep children safe. The manager and her deputy monitor the children's learning journey books staff complete so that they can highlight any gaps in achievement and plan appropriate interventions. This ensures there is consistency in planning and assessment procedures across the nursery. In addition, the manager and her deputy observe staff regularly and monitor the quality of teaching and learning through ongoing observations and monitoring. Self-evaluation is good because the manager and her staff team identify what they do well and how they

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provision

help children learn. They have a detailed self-evaluation plan with clear priorities for improvement, which takes into account the views of parents and children. They welcome support from the local authority and act on the advice given. This means that the nursery has a good capacity to improve.

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provision

Partnerships with parents, other providers and external agencies and services are good. Parents receive a warm welcome each day from the manager and her staff team. Staff talk to them on a daily basis, sharing children's welfare needs, achievements from home and other general matters. Opportunities are provided throughout the year for parents to become involved in the nursery and the manager has plans to extend parental involvement even further in the near future. Partnerships are well established with local schools and children's needs are well met when they access 'wrap-around' care provided by the nursery. Partnerships with external agencies and services are well embedded and make a strong contribution to meeting children's needs. Information received from services, such as hearing impairment services, is well used. This ensures children get the help and support they need to address their individual needs and circumstances.

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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 EY467928 Local authority Hartlepool Inspection number 944140 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 35 Name of provider Northern Education Trust Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01429266377

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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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