Bell Day Nursery Community Interest CompanyOfsted inspection, 29 May 2014

Bell Day Nursery Community Interest Company Bell Day Nursery, Peaslands Road, SAFFRON WALDEN, Essex, CB11 3ED

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29/05/2014 05/10/2011

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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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Staff and children form warm, trusting relationships and as a result, children are happy and enjoy a sense of security at nursery.  Staff have a satisfactory understanding of safeguarding procedures and make sure the nursery is safe and secure. Consequently, children are able to play and learn contentedly.  Effective partnerships with parents and regular communication is generally encouraged, supporting children's well-being and continuity of care.

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It is not yet good because

 Supervision and performance management is not yet sufficiently robust and as a result, there are inconsistencies in teaching, especially for older children, which does not support them to make the best progress possible.  Self-evaluation lacks rigor and the coordination needed to accurately identify areas of development, to drive improvements forward.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all areas of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the managers, and spoke with children and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector and manager took part in a joint observation.  The inspector took the views of parents into account.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journals, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of staff working within the setting and a range of other documentation.

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Information about the setting

Bell Day Nursery Community Interest Company was registered in 2011 and is on the Early Years Register. It operates from a self-contained three storey building in Saffron Walden, Essex. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. The nursery employs 23 members of childcare staff. Of these, 20 hold appropriate early years qualifications, including one with Early Years Professional Status and a manager with Qualified Teacher Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks of the year, from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 97 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 improve performance management and supervision of staff in order that they are fully supported to improve their teaching skills, especially for older children, so that children are supported to make best progress.

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

 develop a more rigorous approach to self-evaluation to inform priorities and set challenging targets for improvement, especially with regards to the quality of teaching and children's learning.

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who attend

Staff at the nursery generally have a secure understanding of how to capture children's interest, providing a range of activities to enhance learning both inside and outdoors. Children enjoy frequent opportunities to visit the local area and take part in 'Forest school' type activities. In this way children learn about their natural surroundings and learn new skills outside in the fresh air. Babies have plenty of room to explore and practise their developing physical skills. They freely crawl around finding things that interest them, such as an activity incorporating dried pasta or bubbles being blown outside by staff. Attentive staff play alongside babies, offering plenty of praise and encouraging them to talk by repeating their first utterances. Staff throughout the nursery also appreciate the need for successful communication and where necessary, have introduced signs and gestures to enhance their spoken word. This helps those children and babies with special educational

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who attend

needs and/or disabilities to convey their needs successfully. Staff learn key words in children's home language to support those learning English and as a result, they too quickly become confident talkers.

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who attend

Staff ensure there is an appropriate balance of adult and child-led activities to promote children's development and, at times, children's learning is enhanced well. For example, staff share a traditional story about three pigs with children in the Sunshine room. The use of props, appropriate language and intervention helps children to successfully engage with the tale and to listen carefully. These skills all support children in their future learning especially when they eventually move to school. However, in the Rainbow room, the teaching of older children does not always mirror this effective practice and interactions are sometimes inconsistent. Here, group activities do not always consider children's level of understanding, and in their freely chosen activities, staff sometimes do not take children's lead and enhance learning appropriately. For example, children attempt to construct a garden from small building blocks while some staff concentrate on

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who attend

Staff observe children as they play and make satisfactory assessment of children's progress. Children's individual 'Learning journey' documents are readily available and generally, parents are well informed about their children's progress during daily discussions and the sharing of daily diaries. Parents are encouraged to share information about children's learning at home and on the whole, this supports children well.

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

The key person system is good and staff are knowledgeable about children's individual backgrounds. Consequently, children enjoy secure attachments to staff and friends alike. Partnerships with parents are generally effective and as a result, staff are well informed of children's likes, dislikes and care needs. Children are happy and confident when at nursery, demonstrating this as they move freely around, following their own interests. Children's good health is fostered by trips to the local community and planned activities in the outside area, where they enjoy fresh air and exercise. Children also enjoy further opportunities to take part in more physical activities in the school grounds nearby. Here children learn about taking risks, and learn how they can help protect themselves and their friends from harm. Children's good health is further promoted by nutritious snacks and meals, which children select and prepare independently. Children's self-help skills are

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

fostered well by staff and as a result, they are largely independent in the area.

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

Both the inside and outside environment offers a wide range of resources to help children develop across the seven areas of learning. Resources are safely stored at children's height, meaning children are able to select their own playthings and become independent learners. Staff have received training in behaviour management and have developed ways to support children in stressful moments. This means that on the whole, most children are learning how to behave in a positive manner at nursery. Staff plan ahead for children's moves to school or their move within the nursery. Visits and supportive activities help children at this time and ensure that changes in their lives are as positive as possible. Staff have a good understanding of how to keep children safe and put effective measures, such as risk assessments and checks to the environment into their daily tasks. As a result, children are able to play and learn as free from harm as possible.

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provision

Managers have a secure understanding of their responsibilities to ensure that practice meets the safeguarding and welfare, and learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff have appropriate knowledge of local safeguarding procedures and have attended training. This means they know how to identify and report concerns they may have about children in their care. Up-to-date policies and procedures are in place to support their work, further protecting children when in the nursery and when out in the local area. The monitoring of educational programmes is satisfactory and ensures that children benefit from an appropriate range of experiences, to help them progress towards the early learning goals. Managers have also implemented improved systems for monitoring children's progress and abilities. This means, where necessary, children receive appropriate interventions to meet their individual needs.

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provision

Managers aspire to improve, sharing an honest opinion when they consider the strengths and areas of development within the nursery. Parents, staff and children contribute their ideas through questionnaires and discussion, and in turn, this supports the managers overall aspiration to improve. That being said, the current level of self-evaluation lacks the rigor needed, to clearly identify and target actions, to improve the quality of teaching and children's learning across the nursery. Recruitment procedures are satisfactory and include background checks, an induction and trial period of employment. Staff have access to training and generally use this well to enhance children's experiences. Managers have introduced a professional management system and this includes an annual appraisal and support for staff. However, methods to monitor staff performance and evaluate the impact of their practice requires improvement, to ensure that staff receive the supervision and

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provision

coaching they need, to improve teaching and interactions with children, and enhance their positive development.

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provision

Satisfactory partnerships are in place with parents and, in discussion, they generally offer positive comments about the experiences they have with the nursery. Partnerships with other professionals are effective in meeting the individual needs of children, contributing well to the coordinated approach to children's care and well-being.

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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 EY430811 Local authority Essex Inspection number 853132

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 97 Name of provider Bell Day Nursery C.I.C Date of previous inspection 05/10/2011 Telephone number 01799 528051

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Type of provision

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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