First Friends Nursery and Pre-School

First Friends Nursery and Pre- School Belle Vue Primary School, Beaver Road, CARLISLE, CA2 7PT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/06/2014 19/07/2011

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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

 Staff's good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and the clear policy in place to support practice helps to keep children safe.  The staff team work well together and as a result, the day runs smoothly for children. The manager is effective in her role and supports the staff team well.  Effective partnership working with parents and other professionals supports children's continuity of care and learning.  Staff plan a wide range of interesting play opportunities and provide a good variety of resources that are easily accessible to children, supporting children's learning across all areas.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff sometimes miss opportunities to extend children's learning and critical thinking fully through supporting them to explore their ideas.

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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 staff and children in the main playroom, during outdoor play and at snack and lunch time.  The inspector spoke with parents and children and took account of their views.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed documentation, including assessment and planning records, staff suitability checks and a sample of the policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager to discuss the leadership and management of the setting including self-evaluation, staff training and safe recruitment.

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Information about the setting

First Friends Nursery and Pre-School opened in 2010 and is run by a voluntary, committee managed organisation. The nursery serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. The nursery opens five days a week and sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am and 12.30pm to 3.30pm. There is also an all day option available. The nursery operates during term time only. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Children are cared for in a purpose-built building in the grounds of Belle Vue Primary School, west of Carlisle City Centre. Children have access to the whole building, with two secure outdoor play areas available. There are currently 50 children in the early years age range on roll. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are currently six staff working directly with the children, all of whom have an

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Information about the setting

appropriate early years qualification. Five of the staff have qualifications at level 3. The nursery receives support from the local authority. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register.

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

 build on the good opportunities for children to explore their own ideas in order to develop their critical thinking even further.

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who attend

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery. The learning environment is very well presented and has been thoughtfully planned to provide children with choice and the freedom to explore. Staff make observations of the children and use this information to help them assess their progress and identify next steps in their learning. Staff plan for individual children using their good knowledge as well as information from parents. Staff encourage parents to share what they know about their children in the form of 'wow' moments that are displayed in the setting and in the weekly diaries. Staff use what parent share about children's weekend activities to talk to the children or inform planning. Staff then share examples of what their children have been doing and activities that have been particularly enjoyable or beneficial. This good relationship between staff and parents positively impacts the children as they benefit from continuity of care and learning

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who attend

between home and the nursery. Furthermore, parents are invited to meetings to discuss their children's development. These occasions enable staff to support learning at home through suggesting ideas for activities that parents can continue at home.

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who attend

Staff use effective techniques to support children's communication skills. They ask lots of well-posed, open-ended questions and support children to play, explore and be active learners. Interesting and unusual activities engage children and help them to become deeply involved. For example, staff place ice cubes in the sand tray and encourage children to talk about what it feels like and what is happening as it melts. These quality experiences support children's curiosity well. However, on occasion, staff miss opportunities to maximise children's critical thinking through supporting them to develop their ideas further. Staff plan a wide range of interesting play opportunities and provide a good variety of resources that are easily accessible to children, supporting children's learning across all areas. Children have great fun using their imagination across the setting. Some children enjoy pretend play in the home corner, vacuuming and pretending

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who attend

to cook 'dinner'. Other children dress up as princesses and police officers. Outside, children pretend to be superheroes. They run around wearing capes and masks they have made, pretending to rescue one another. Children enjoy quiet time in the cosy book corner. They snuggle in the large basket among soft cushions and read their chosen books. One child says, 'Right, I'm going to read a story now, this one is my favourite'. Children thoroughly enjoy participating in baking activities. They take turns to mix, stir and spoon the mixture into the cases. Staff include children in the whole process as they set the timer and leave children in charge of notifying staff when it has gone off. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well in their learning and development. Staff work closely with the other professionals involved to establish good links and the sharing of information. Staff use information and guidance from parents and

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who attend

other professionals to plan specific activities for the children in order to support their individual needs.

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who attend

Staff place high priority on ensuring children are emotionally and developmentally prepared for school. Staff are aware of the important skills children require for a smooth move to school and plan to support children to acquire these skills in the lead up to leaving for school. For example, older children are invited to engage in more focused activities during the session to develop good concentration and listening skills. This helps children have the necessary skills needed for the next stage in their learning.

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

Children share positive relationships with the staff that care for them. Staff are warm, friendly and enthusiastic with the children. They value their contributions, resulting in children feeling confident and settled, with high levels of emotional well-being. Key persons know their children well and use their good knowledge to support children both developmentally and emotionally. Staff are close by for support, responding promptly to children's needs. Children behave well and play harmoniously together. This is a result of the good level of engagement children have in their play and the consistent approach staff take to managing behaviour. Staff encourage children to resolve problems themselves. For example, when too many children are at the sand tray, staff ask children what they think they should do about it, encouraging children to think about what is fair. They suggest ideas which results in two children happily coming away to play something different until it

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

Children demonstrate a good understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles and good hygiene. Children are encouraged to notice the changes to their bodies during physical activities. For example, children are encouraged to feel their racing heart beats after doing lots of running around. Being aware of the changes to their bodies helps children understand the importance of living healthy lifestyles. Furthermore, staff talk to children during every day play about the importance of healthy eating. As a result, children demonstrate a good understanding. For example, when asked why it is important to eat breakfast, children reply, 'Because it gives you energy'. Children develop their large muscle movements as they use a range of equipment during outdoor play. Children have great fun building obstacle courses outside. They lift and pull the different resources to build their course. They use crates, planks and wooden blocks to create bases to jump to.

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

Children use good risk assessment skills as they notice some gaps are too wide to jump safely, quickly moving them to a more manageable distance. As a result of these good open-ended resources and staff's close supervision, children are able to take safe risks and learn about managing their own safety.

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provision

Robust safeguarding procedures and staff's firm understanding of safeguarding, help to keep children safe. All staff have attended safeguarding training and are clear on the actions to take should they have any concerns about a child. The manager is the designated safeguarding officer who takes the lead in dealing with any concerns. She has received relevant training to support her in this role. She ensures all staff members are clear on their role of safeguarding children, for example, through ensuring training is kept up to date. There are clear recruitment and vetting procedures to check staff suitability, meaning children are cared for by staff that are suitable to do so. Risk assessments are carried out on all areas used by children and for outings undertaken. The environment is well organised, enabling children to freely access resources and make choices in their play. There are suitable places for children to relax and eat comfortably.

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provision

The staff team work well together and share an enthusiasm for their role in providing good quality care and education for the children. This reflects in the happy and welcoming environment and strong practice. Staff are supported well by the manager who is aware of the importance of ensuring the staff team remains skilled and knowledgeable. As a result, they attend regular training and implement their new skills into the setting. The manager is entirely involved in the day-to-day running of the nursery, working directly with the children. This provides a valuable opportunity to monitor closely the children's progress. Furthermore, regular tracking of all children's progress allows the manager and staff to identify gaps in learning. Staff work collaboratively to reflect on the service they offer. Staff use systems of self-evaluation to highlight areas where practice is most effective as well as areas for development. This helps to ensure the setting maintains continuous

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provision

Staff share positive relationships with parents who are made to feel welcome in the nursery. There is much information available on the parents' noticeboard and a good, regular, two-way flow of information further enhances the good partnerships in place. Good links with other professionals support continuity in children's learning and development. The setting works effectively with the schools children go on to attend. For example, staff invite teachers from the link school in to see the children and talk to staff about the individual needs of the children due to attend. This supports good continuity of care and learning for the children when they move to school. Staff also work in close partnership with the other professionals involved in the care and develop of the children attending. For example, key persons work with speech therapists and local authority special educational needs coordinators to share information and contribute to a

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provision

collaborative way of working to support children's individual needs.

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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 EY406959 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 850790

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 21 Number of children on roll 50 Name of provider First Friends Committee Date of previous inspection 19/07/2011 Telephone number 07900 562837

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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

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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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