Wishing Well Day Nursery

Wishing Well Day Nursery Waterman Primary School, The Boulevard, ROCHFORD, Essex, SS4 1QF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/04/2014 09/06/2009

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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

 There is a well-established key-person system in place. This means that staff are fully aware of each child's individual needs, interests and personalities to enable them to promote and support their emotional well-being.  The quality of teaching is good. As a result, children are keen to investigate and learn new things and develop good levels of confidence and self-esteem.  Very effective partnership working with parents, professionals, agencies and local schools efficiently enable staff to support individual children's needs, promote smooth transitions and continuity in children's learning and development.  Children's safety is effectively promoted through the implementation of robust safeguarding and welfare procedures. Children are constantly supervised and cared for by suitable and skilled staff.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to improve the opportunities for older children to play actively and make the choice between indoor or outside play.  On occasions, staff are not always confident about how to fully extend children's learning during activities, particularly when they talk with and question children.

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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 activities in the indoor and outdoor learning environments.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held discussions with the management, staff and children.  The inspector viewed a sample of children's development records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector saw evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff, self-evaluation, risk assessment and policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and from responses to surveys carried out by the nursery.

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Information about the setting

Wishing Well Day Nursery opened in 2008. It is one of two nurseries run by the same owner. The nursery operates from four playrooms within the Wishing Well Children's Centre on the site of Waterman Primary School in Rochford, Essex. It serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Opening times are between 7am until 6.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions or out of school care. Children have access to enclosed areas for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 103 children attending, who are within the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children for whom English is an additional language.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 21 staff working directly with children. All hold an appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or higher. The manager holds Early Years Professional Status. The nursery receives support from the local authority. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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

 extend active learning by reviewing the routines, so that the older children have more sustained time to concentrate on outdoor activities of their own choosing

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

 enhance the already good quality learning experiences by ensuring staff use every opportunity to develop children's critical thinking and expressive language skills, by using open questions to expand on what children say and using additional words when responding.

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who attend

Staff demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of how young children learn. They use effective teaching strategies to make learning fun. Planning for the activities is clear, well-balanced over time and in tune with children's individual interests and capabilities. Staff carefully prepare learning experiences before children arrive each day and the playrooms are well-resourced. As a result, there is an interesting blend of challenging tasks led by staff and activities chosen by children. The majority of children enter the nursery with confidence and are motivated to learn and eager to play and learn. Overall, children's language and communication skills are developing well. Staff interact well with the babies helping them to find their voices and giving them opportunities to respond and listen to others. In addition, staff adapt their interactions to support young children who speak English as an additional language and obtain useful words in their

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who attend

home language. Staff sit alongside older children, supporting them as they play and provide time for them to talk about what they are doing. Children also learn about the rules of conversation as staff encourage them to listen to each other. However, there is room to strengthen teaching even further to enhance children's language skills by expanding the questioning used by staff and adding additional descriptive words to extend children's vocabulary. When children have identified special educational needs and/or disabilities, staff are committed to working closely with parents and specialists, such as speech and language therapists, to ensure children are fully included and can progress at their own pace.

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who attend

Assessment is used well to build up a picture of individual children's progress over time and also to immediately plan for their next steps of learning. The key persons observe and support each child in making good progress and the 'learning journey' books provide a wide variety of examples of children's work with photographs of their achievements. Staff consult with parents at the start of a placement to determine children's starting points. They ensure that parents are kept informed about their children's progress through regular reports and consultations. They also have the opportunity to contribute to their child's individual record to aid staff's all-round understanding of what their children can do. In addition, staff discuss children with parents on a daily basis and provide written information about what they have covered that day. This includes ideas for continuing learning at home.

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who attend

All children are making good progress towards the early learning goals, which helps to prepare them well for their future learning and the move onto school. Children's love of books is well-fostered. Each room holds a range of fiction and non-fiction materials that encourage children to pick up a book for pleasure, discuss them with each other and staff. Groups of children also regularly visit the host school to take part in story sessions and borrow additional books from the school. Children practice their early writing skills, holding pencils correctly when drawing or making marks on lists. When playing games, children match and recognise letters and begin to identify the sounds they make. The learning environment helps children to understand the importance of technology. There are computers always available, which children use skilfully and independently for a range of activities. Children demonstrate a good understanding of simple calculation and

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who attend

confidently use the mathematical play materials to match the correct number of items to the numerals they recognise. Babies and younger children have frequent opportunities to make connections through using their senses to explore and discover new textures or sounds. Staff plan activities that allow them to use messy materials, such as baked beans or shredded paper and they enjoy being creative as they experiment with the different sounds made with the musical instruments.

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

The effective key-person system ensures that children receive high levels of support and consistency of care. Staff are sensitive and attentive to children's individual needs and get to know them really well. New children to the nursery are well supported so that they feel settled and secure. For example, children are phased in gently and parents offered reassurance. Staff work closely with parents to discuss children's routines and care needs, so that individual requirements are met. Babies and young children are cuddled when they are unsettled and they are given the opportunity to talk about their home life and the people who are important to them. Regular opportunities to look at the family photographs in the 'learning journey' development records provide a further way for children to feel close to their special people when they are apart. This means that even children who have recently started the nursery feel safe, secure and happy. Very good

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

attention is given to the transition process as children move up into the next room and they are offered plenty of opportunities to get to know their new play environment and carers. In addition, the extremely good links with the host school and other local primary schools are used effectively to promote a seamless transfer for children when they move on to full-time education.

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

Staff promote a calm environment and through their positive, gentle handling of children, they provide very good role models. Consequently, children are polite, kind and thoughtful towards each other. They are keen to make friends and extremely willing to help with simple tasks, such as washing up their plates after snack or laying the tables ready for lunch. The nursery places a high priority of maintaining children's good health and successfully ensure that children make healthy food choices and learn about the importance of good hygiene. Babies and children sit together in small groups to eat and mealtimes are promoted as social occasions. This means that children confidently become independent in their self-care, when babies and toddlers learn to feed themselves and older children adeptly prepare their snacks or serve their own meals. High standards of cleanliness are maintained in the nursery and the 'no shoe' policy means that babies and

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

toddlers develop their mobility in very hygienic conditions. Staff change small children's nappies in private, clean and comfortable areas and wear protective clothes to help reduce risks of cross-infection. All staff are well-informed about the care needs of children with medical conditions or special dietary requirements, with detailed information recorded for their guidance.

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

Children have regular opportunities for physical activity. All children have daily opportunities to play outside in the fresh air and develop their physical skills. Children thoroughly enjoy playing games with the parachute, riding wheeled toys or taking part in construction on a larger scale. Staff use these activities well to enable children to consider the risks involved in their play. Children also learn about their personal safety when they practise fire drills so they can swiftly evacuate the premises in an emergency. For much of each day, children are able to make choices about what they do and where they play. However, the older children do not always have free access to the outdoor play area. Consequently, there to scope to improve the opportunities for them to pursue their own interests in their preferred learning environment.

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provision

The management and staff team are effective in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements and demonstrate a good understanding of how to protect children in their care. Staff have completed safeguarding training and they are familiar with the procedures to be followed in the event of a concern related to child protection. The management carry out rigorous checks to ensure that all staff are safe and suitable to work with children. Robust recruitment and induction procedures ensure that staff are suitably qualified and experienced. As a result, staff display a clear understanding of their individual responsibilities. Risk assessment and daily safety checks are carried out in all areas used by children to ensure that children can play safely. The majority of staff hold first aid certificates so they can capably deal with minor accidents and injuries. Following a recent accident, the registered provider appropriately notified Ofsted and carried out a full

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provision

investigation into the circumstances of this event. The provider found that the accident was unavoidable and acceptable records were maintained to keep parents informed. Nevertheless, all associated policies and procedures have subsequently been reviewed to strengthen the already good health and safety arrangements. This information has been shared with staff and parents to ensure everyone remains vigilant and the safe and efficient management of the nursery is maintained.

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provision

The management provides skilful leadership and the staff team are dedicated and work well together. Everyone has a clear drive for positive improvement to enhance the provision for all children and there are well-targeted action plans. The managers regularly monitor all aspects of the educational programmes and ensure children are offered a wide range of experiences across all areas of learning. Children's individual 'learning journey' records are routinely reviewed and achievements are carefully tracked to ensure that any gaps in development are appropriately followed up. The managers actively spend time observing and monitoring the quality of teaching and staff observe the practice of their peers. There are also effective arrangements to monitor staff performance through supervision and appraisal meetings, which means that staff are well supported. Staff are encouraged to continue their professional development and regularly access additional

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provision

training opportunities to enrich their qualifications and experience. The regular staff meetings are used effectively to discuss any issues that arise and to share ideas about best practice.

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provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are extremely good and the nursery has ensured that there are regular opportunities to involve them in their children's experiences. The key persons build friendly and helpful relationships and chat to parents on a daily basis about their children's achievements and well-being. A wealth of information on display boards provide details about forthcoming events and what children will be doing during each week. Parental input is constantly sought, for example, through surveys and discussions held at forum meetings. The managers and staff take the views of parents seriously. There is an effective complaints procedure to ensure that prompt action is taken if parents are unhappy with any aspect of the care provided. Parents speak very highly of the staff team and say they really appreciate the impact that attending the nursery has had on their children's confidence and development. There are also excellent partnerships with

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provision

other early years professionals. The nursery is well placed to work in partnership with the local children's centre which is also onsite. Staff from the nursery complement the family support work by attending meetings. This means that children and their families receive the help that they need because professionals work together. The nursery also takes a lead role in establishing effective working relationships with local schools to promote continuity in care and learning when children move onto the next stage in their education.

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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 EY368042 Local authority Essex Inspection number 966109

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 66 Number of children on roll 103 Name of provider Bradleys Childcare Ltd Date of previous inspection 09/06/2009 Telephone number 01702 546666

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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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