Shaping FuturesOfsted inspection, 12 May 2014

Shaping Futures Mansfield I Centre, Hamilton Way, MANSFIELD, Nottinghamshire, NG18 5BR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/05/2014 17/01/2014

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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

 The manager is highly committed within her role, ensuring the setting goes from strength to strength. She works closely with all staff to further ensure this.  Children are very secure and enjoy warm, nurturing relationships with staff.  Children have lots of opportunities to explore their environment, make choices about their play and develop skills to support their independence.  Staff have an excellent understanding of their roles and responsibilities in regard to the safeguarding and welfare requirements, including child protection issues.  Effective monitoring is carried out with regards to planning and assessment to ensure all children's needs are well-met and early intervention is available should it be required.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children to experiment further and extend their experiences of writing are not fully enhanced as some mark making resources are not freely available.  There is room to extend the outdoor provision to enable children to explore and investigate the natural world.

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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 playrooms and outdoor areas.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the owners, manager and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of inspection.

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Information about the setting

Shaping Futures was registered in 2002 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in purpose built premises on the Mansfield Centre at Oakham Business Park in Mansfield, north Nottinghamshire. It is one of four privately owned nurseries. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There are three enclosed areas available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 12 members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds a level 5 qualification, six are qualified at level 3, three at level 2 and two are unqualified. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 67 children on roll, of these, 57 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

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Information about the setting

an additional language and 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:

 develop the outdoor environment further to provide more opportunities for children to explore the natural world and use equipment such as magnifying glasses

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

 enhance children's literacy development by providing an increased range of equipment to enable children to make marks in a variety of situations and for a purpose.

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who attend

Children are provided with a good range of activities and experiences which support their development across all the areas of learning. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and take great care to ensure that children's individual needs and interests are known and catered for. Children are settled and feel secure in the setting, therefore, they enjoy attending and are motivated and enthusiastic to engage in the activities and experiences provided. Communication and language are encouraged with all the children and they receive lots of praise and encouragement from the experienced staff. This builds on children's confidence and self- esteem. Children who have English as an additional language are well-supported as staff learn frequently used words in each child's home language. Staff use these to support children throughout the day. Children are given 'communication fans' in their pockets.

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who attend

These have 10 key words from parents, which staff use and practise their pronunciation. Staff use small group times to ensure that the English language is role modelled well and so children learn from their peers as well as staff. Books in dual languages support children's literacy development. The key person system is very effective in establishing positive partnerships with parents to support children's all round development. Parents contribute to the initial assessment of their children's starting points on entry and share information on their child's individual needs, likes and dislikes. Staff use this information effectively and due to this, know all children well. This ensures every child makes good progress and their individual needs are effectively met.

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who attend

Staff play actively with the children using ball games in the outdoor area to develop coordination. There is a good variety of resources to develop physical skills, such as, bikes, scooters and climbing equipment. However, the outdoor learning area does not facilitate children exploring or investigating the natural world. Children have access to a wide range of books and print is used effectively inside and outside the setting to develop children's recognition of letters and simple words. However, children are not able to access a variety of writing materials independently to make marks and develop early writing skills. This means children do not get the chance to make lists and practise early writing independently as frequently as they could. There are planning systems in place to ensure children have experiences across all areas of learning as well as being able to initiate their own ideas in their play. Staff have good systems in place to assess children's learning and

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who attend

development. They use supporting documents to identify and appropriately plan for the next steps in their learning. Staff complete regular reviews on all children and share these with parents. Children throughout the setting are making good progress in all areas of learning. All children have a learning journal record, which contains a variety of observations and photographs to show children's learning over time. Staff also share this with parents. The setting has implemented the progress check at age two successfully and all related documentation is in place. As a result of the effective assessment and recording of children's progress, parents receive a clear picture of where their children are in their learning. They are actively encouraged to be involved in their children's learning and development within the setting and at home. Parents are kept very well informed about the life of the setting via the noticeboards, parent meetings and through daily chats with

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who attend

Children enjoy sharing books and listen to stories both in group sessions and individually with staff in the comfortable and inviting book areas. This further enhances their understanding of early literacy skills and the importance of caring for books. Children sit well and revel in the adult-led story session. Children listen and join in at appropriate times with repetitive sentences in the familiar story. Children learn about counting and number as they sing well-known rhymes and songs alongside staff. Such group activities help them learn skills for their move to school or the next step in their learning. Children are encouraged to choose their own activities and to move around freely in each room. They are confident to look on the low-level units to choose the items they want to explore. Staff sit with the children during their activities and they understand how to ask them questions that contribute to their ongoing interests. For example, children enjoy playing in

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who attend

the water tray happily engaging with staff to find letter shapes and identifying letter sounds that are in their name. Staff allow children to explore the resources on offer and praise children effectively. Children enjoy coming to the setting where their uniqueness is valued and they are offered a good level of support. Staff have a good understanding of children's development and how it links into the Early Years Foundation Stage. This results in children making good progress in their learning and who are working comfortably within their age and stage of development. This means that children are gaining a good range of skills to ensure their readiness for school when the time comes. The staff work with parents and other professionals to create action plans and set appropriate targets for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This enables them to achieve, in order that they make good progress. Trips out into the local area and to the nearby

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who attend

school help and promote children's understanding of the community around them.

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

Children are supported well as they make the move from home to starting at the setting. Their individual needs are consistently well-considered and reflect the needs of both the children and parents at this time. Consequently, children settle well and form secure attachments to their key person and staff. As a result, they are confident and motivated in their play and learning. Staff review what children enjoy and the resources they use, to provide activities that engage and further their interests. They promote an inclusive environment where all children can develop and make progress. Staff work effectively as a team and know the children and their differing needs well. They respond sensitively to them, to enable them to express how they feel. Children are aware of the basic rules in the setting including being kind to each other and to share and take turns, as staff consistently give gentle reminders. This approach reflects on the children's behaviour,

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

which is good, because they feel secure. Staff are thoughtful and understanding and children feel safe and comfortable within their care. This effectively promotes their sense of belonging.

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

The setting has good partnerships with the local school and information is shared to effectively support children as they move on. This ensures continuity in their learning and development. Staff discuss with the children their understanding of safety issues. For example, children are reminded why it is not safe to run indoors and staff explain the dangers of this should they fall. The setting provides healthy snacks and drinks for the children. Menu details are displayed for parents and allergies are displayed in each room to ensure staff are kept aware of these. Children's independence and ability to make decisions for themselves is supported. For example, the older children serve themselves with food which enables them to make choices about what and how much they wish to eat. Good hygiene practices are managed well with all the children, such as hand washing and they learn why this is important.

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

Well-implemented policies and procedures, such as fire evacuation procedures also contribute to children's good health and safety. Children have many opportunities to access fresh air and to promote their physical development throughout the well-resourced outdoor area. Sheltered areas and safety surfacing are in place to further enhance children's safety and well-being while outdoors. Children are cared for appropriately following any accidents. Records are kept of any accidents, as are records of medicines given and these are shared with parents. All staff have received appropriate training on routines to follow if a medical emergency arises and most staff hold a paediatric first-aid qualification.

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provision

The manager competently leads and deploys a well-qualified staff team. She leads by positive example and regularly works alongside her staff, enabling her to assess their performance and monitor the provision for children. There are effective safeguarding arrangements in place. All staff attend safeguarding training and know the action to take and who to contact if they have any concerns about a child's welfare or well-being. Written safeguarding procedures and guidance are in place for referral, including detailed risk assessments. The manager ensures she notifies Ofsted of any serious incidents or significant events. Recruitment procedures are sound and together with background checks, thorough induction training, performance management systems and room meetings, mean that staff remain suitable for their role. No unvetted member of staff is permitted unsupervised access to children in the setting. A full record of all staff Disclosure

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provision

and Barring Service checks is maintained.

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provision

The staff are well supported by the manager to fulfil their responsibilities to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. An established programme of professional development helps staff improve their knowledge, understanding and practice through access to training, staff meetings and annual appraisals. For example, the manager has delivered health and safety training to the whole staff team to ensure consistency across the setting. During staff meetings policies are reviewed on a rolling cycle, which the manager plans and monitors. This makes sure staff are confident and resourceful as they strive towards maintaining good standards of care and learning for children. Children benefit from being cared for by staff who work well together as a team and share a commitment to improvement. They are involved in all aspects of the provision and meet weekly in room teams to contribute fully to the planning of activities and

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provision

evaluation of children's learning needs. Clear records of risk assessment show how safety is prioritised in all areas, both inside and outside. Staff supervise the children well and use clear explanation to help ensure that children learn to understand hazards. Staff to child ratios are maintained at all times. Staff also carry out daily checks before the setting opens, to ensure all areas remain safe for the children to use. Accidents are managed well in the setting because most staff have carried out first-aid training; they record all accidents and give parents a detailed description of what happened and any treatment administered.

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provision

This inspection was brought forward as the setting informed Ofsted of a incident which occurred effecting children's well being. The management team have robustly addressed the issue. The inspector was satisfied that appropriate actions had been taken to prevent reoccurrence and ensure children's safety. Actions and recommendations from the last inspection have been effectively addressed which has had a positive impact on the care, welfare and progress of the children who attend. For example, staff are using open-ended questions with more confidence, which means that children receive more challenging learning opportunities. Effective self-evaluation fosters an ethos of reflective practice. The manager has set a clear action plan for future improvements to develop practice and the environment further, benefitting children's care. The manager tracks children's achievements to monitor that they are reaching expected levels in each area of learning.

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provision

This enables the manager to analyse the progress made by different cohorts of children and ensures that a broad and balanced curriculum is available to all children. The manager and staff ensure that the effective partnerships with parents and external agencies help to secure well-timed interventions to ensure children receive the support they need. There is a secure two-way flow of information to support children's learning. Parents comment that the staff take time to get to know and learn about their child. They say that support, including intervention from outside agencies, is well-timed and proactively sought by the manager and staff. Parents state that the communication between them and the setting is very good and they feel able to support their child's learning at home.

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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 EY221824 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 967920

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 67 Number of children on roll 67 Name of provider Shaping Futures Ltd Date of previous inspection 17/01/2014 Telephone number 01623 600638

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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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