Acre Wood Nursery School

Acre Wood Nursery School 197-199 Woodside Road, AMERSHAM, Buckinghamshire, HP6 6NU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 30/05/2014 04/11/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 4 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

 Children have good relationships with their key persons, which supports their personal, social and emotional development well.  The leadership and management of the nursery are strong. The manager is proactive in driving improvements to benefit all children.  Staff work closely with parents and place a high priority on developing children's personal, social and emotional development. Consequently, children behave well, settle quickly and enjoy taking part in all activities.  Staff support children's progress well through use of good questioning techniques and allowing children time to think their ideas through.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There are opportunities for parents to be introduced more formally to new staff to encourage continuity and develop further the already good parent partnership working.  There are further opportunities for key persons to share children's on-going progress with parents, to promote children learning and development at home.

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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 took part in a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the provider and manager throughout the inspection.  The inspector held discussion with key persons and staff.  The inspector took into account the views of parents on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at various documents, including policies and procedures, risk assessments, staff training, records of children and evidence of the suitability of staff.

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Information about the setting

Acre Wood Nursery School registered in 2012 and is run by a private provider. The nursery operates from a large detached house in Amersham in Buckinghamshire and is one of three provisions owned by the provider. Children use seven activity rooms, a sleep area and a secure outdoor play area. The nursery provides a service for the local community and it is open each weekday from 7.30am to 7pm all year round, except during Christmas and bank holidays. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 111 children on roll in the early years age group and they attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children who are learning to speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 20 staff. Of these, one is qualified to level 6; one staff member holds anappropriate qualification at level 4, eight at

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Information about the setting

level 3 and five at level 2, of these4 staff arecurrently training, all working towards anappropriateearly years qualifications and 1 staff member is cover staff, supporting the nursery setting during busy periods such as lunch times.

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

 find more opportunities to share children's ongoing progress with parents, to promote further children's learning and development at home

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

 strengthen already good parent partnership by introducing new staff to parents formally.

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who attend

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how to promote the learning and development of young children. The educational programmes provide interesting and challenging experiences that meet the needs of all children. Assessments of children are effective and support staff in planning suitably challenging activities that reflect children's interests. Every child has an individual learning journal which supports their progress. Staff demonstrate that all children are making progress towards the early learning goals. Key persons complete the required progress checks for two-year-old children in cooperation with parents. Relationships with parents make a good contribution to meeting all children's needs. Key persons discuss children's progress verbally and more formally at parent evenings. Parents share information on their child's progress and achievements and staff use this information to plan challenging activities for children. However, information

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who attend

sharing is not yet embedded into practice. Not all parents are fully aware of children's next steps in learning, for them to continue to support their children at home. This means children's learning is not maximised.

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who attend

Staff provide a balance of adult-led and child-initiated experiences and support children to choose their own activities. Children are able to find the equipment they require and make independent choices from the wide selection available. Staff follow children's interests, showing an interest in their play. For example, children design their own taxis alongside staff, using a variety of resources. They paint cardboard boxes and cut out headlights using tools for a purpose. Staff extend children's learning in the outdoor environment encouraging children to mark out a road and pedestrian crossing. As a result, children learn about road safety while having a great deal of fun with their taxis alongside their peers. Staff provide enriching experiences and use good questioning techniques to help children to learn. This enhances children's language, communication and understanding skills extremely effectively. For example, staff allow children to take ownership of group

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who attend

discussion time. Children discuss what Paddington Bear might have in his suitcase. This involves all the children and encourages them to think for themselves and come up with their own ideas.

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who attend

Children benefit from the well-resourced outdoor area. Children have free access to this area, for long periods. Staff fully understand and embrace the importance of outdoor play and create a learning environment that promotes all areas of learning. Children have opportunities to enjoy mark-making activities, supporting their early writing skills. For example, children enjoy messy play and painting activities, exploring texture and expressing themselves freely. They draw pictures describing their drawings, making marks for a purpose. They explore volume as they transport sand, and learn about shape and size as they use their imagination to build towers with bricks alongside staff. Staff challenge children effectively to play and explore. They encourage children to actively engage in their new digging area, and children rake up stones, developing motor skills. They explore their senses as staff encourage them to touch and smell the herbs. They

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who attend

learn how to look after living things as they water their planted vegetables. Staff practice is motivating and innovative, and children are benefiting well from good teaching skills. Consequently, children are making good progress in all areas of the curriculum and are extremely confident to move on to the next stage in their learning.

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

Children benefit from good staffing ratios. The staff are welcoming to children and parents. As a result, children settle well and their individual needs are continuously met. The key person system, and secure attachments between staff and the children, ensures that all children form positive and trusting relationships with the staff. As a result, children quickly settle in their environment, and the daily routines become familiar to children. Parents comment they are aware of their child's key person, they are happy with the care their children receive and staff are friendly and approachable. They comment that when new staff join the nursery they are notified electronically. However, they would like to be introduced formally, to familiarise themselves with staff that are caring for their children. Children approach staff for reassurance and a cuddle. This provides them with a secure and safe environment that helps to develop confidence and self-esteem. For example,

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

when sitting children outside, children sit and engage in conversation alongside staff, as they, simply enjoying the fresh air in the outdoor environment. Staff have a calm and consistent manner with children, acting as positive role models. Children behave very well. They learn what is expected of them in this nurturing environment and on the rare occasions their enthusiasm overcomes their sense of fair play, staff quietly remind them about sharing or being kind to their friends.

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

Staff are deployed well throughout the nursery. The staff team is very effective. Staff supervise children well and ask each other for support when needed without hesitation, for example, during care routines. As a result, the individual care and learning needs of individual children are consistently met, supporting their emotional well-being. Staff have high regard for children's safety. For example, they remind children that scissors are sharp as they actively engage in craft activities. Staff encourage children to develop self-help skills and a healthy lifestyle. Children are supported extremely well as they learn to use the toilet independently. As they wash their hands the staff chat with them about the importance of personal hygiene. They enjoy nutritious, healthy meals and snacks, which are prepared and cooked on the premises each day by the nursery cook. Account is taken of children's dietary needs and preferences and menus are displayed so that parents know

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

what their children have eaten. Meal times are treated as social occasions, where children are encouraged to serve their own food and use the utensils correctly. Children help themselves to water that is readily available throughout the day, so that they do not get thirsty. They enjoy fresh air in the outdoor environment. Children are supported in their physical development as they move up and down climbing equipment and ride around on bicycles. As a result, they learn how to manage risks and look after their own safety.

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provision

The manager and deputy provide a stable team. Along with the provider, they support the nursery staff effectively across all areas of their work. As a result, the staff team work well together, knowing and complementing each other's strengths and drive for improvement. The managers and staff team have a robust understanding of their role and responsibility to make sure the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are covered. For example, all staff understand the need to protect the privacy of the children in their care and keep children's records secure and strictly confidential. There are a number of policies and procedures in place, including those relating to safeguarding procedures. Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children and meet their needs. They are familiar with the child protection policy and procedures. They know what to do if concerns arise about children's well-being. There are clear procedures

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provision

in place for reporting and responding to complaints, and positive steps are taken to safeguard children's welfare.

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provision

Vigorous procedures for recruitment and induction are in place to check that all staff are suitably qualified and appropriately vetted. Induction systems ensure that staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. Staff are vigilant about the security of the premises and check all visitors before entry. Suitable procedures are in place to manage the deployment of staff to maintain the adult-to child ratios to protect children. Staff are vigilant about children's safety; they supervise children in their play rooms and outdoors. Robust risk assessments are in place, to include the daily monitoring of the indoor and outdoor environment. Fire drills take place to ensure staff act quickly should an emergency arise.

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provision

The managers motivate staff and manage their performance and professional development well. Staff update their skills and knowledge through staff meetings, supervision and access to training. This results in a staff team who demonstrate a good knowledge of their roles and key responsibilities within the curriculum. These positive practices demonstrate staff suitability and experience. The manager now has systems in place to monitor the educational programmes, for example, by accessing assessment data to identify gaps in children's learning. Assessment is focused and includes contributions of parents, and outside professionals so that individual targets for children are appropriate and that children receive all the support they need to make good progress.

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provision

Since the last inspection, the managers and staff have worked extremely hard to address weaknesses. This has led to improvements in children's welfare, learning and development. The nursery now has effective systems for evaluating their priorities and in identifying future targets for implementation in order to improve their practice further. Parents, children and staff proactively contribute to this evaluation through their input and suggestions.

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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 EY444351 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 968690 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 61 Number of children on roll 111 Name of provider Acre Wood Nursery School Limited Date of previous inspection 04/11/2013 Telephone number 01494729007

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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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