Playzone Day Nursery

Playzone Day Nursery Langland Road, Netherfield, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK6 4NP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/05/2014 30/08/2011

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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

 Commitment to effective recruitment, good teaching skills and provision of quality resources results in an effective learning environment for young children.  Staff plan exciting educational programmes which support children to make good progress given their starting points.  Staff place a very strong emphasis on meeting the individual needs of each child by establishing trusting relationships between parents, each other and other professionals involved in the children's lives.  The manager is very clear about her role and monitors the effectiveness of staff and the educational programmes to promote positive outcomes for children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not introduce children to a wide range of music to fully explore rhythm and sound.  There are no opportunities for staff to observe and feedback on each other's practice to further enhance the good teaching techniques.

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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 both playrooms and the garden.  The inspector had discussions with children, parents and staff.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at observation files, tracking systems, the self-evaluation form and a selection of policies and children's records.

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Information about the setting

Playzone Day Nursery registered in 1998 and is run by Milton Keynes council. The nursery operates from purpose built premises at Hedgerows Children's Centre in Netherfields, in Milton Keynes. There is access to two playrooms and a secure outdoor play area. The nursery provides a service for children from the local community and further a field and is open each weekday from 8.00am to 6.00pm all year round except Christmas and bank holidays. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who are learning to speak English as an additional language. There are currently 90 children on roll and they attend different sessions. The setting employs four full-time staff and five part-time members of staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both 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:

 plan further opportunities for children to listen to a wider range of music to explore rhythm and sound

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

 enhance the existing good systems for reflective practice for staff to observe and feedback on each other's practice to further enhance the good teaching techniques and feed into the self-evaluation process.

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who attend

The staff are very welcoming and have a good knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals and how to help children to achieve these. Based on thorough and accurate observations of children during their play, staff provide engaging and well-planned, indoor and outdoor activities. Teaching is purposeful and questions and challenges the children's thinking. Staff evaluate the level of children's involvement in activities and plan effectively for their next learning targets. As a consequence, children become absorbed in learning through play and make good progress given their starting points.

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who attend

Children are highly involved in activities and clearly enjoy the enticing and worthwhile activities, which staff plan using their interests. Children make good progress in their communication, language and literacy. On arrival, they find their name card and observe words and letters in their playrooms. They choose to look at books in the comfortable book area and enjoy stories with puppets and props to further support their understanding. During all activities, staff use questioning well to help children share their thoughts and ideas. Staff provide many good opportunities for children to develop an interest in early writing through mark making activities. Children enjoy making patterns with their fingers in shaving foam, chalking on the boards on the fences and using tools to make marks in the sand tray. Staff encourage children to write for a purpose, for example, by providing notebooks during role play in 'the garden centre'.

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who attend

Provision for children who are learning to speak English as an additional language, and for those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, is a particular strength. The children make good progress given their starting points because of the well-targeted extra support they receive from staff in the nursery. Staff establish good links with other professionals involved such as the speech and language therapist. In addition, boys and girls achieve equally well because activities are designed to appeal to their different interests.

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who attend

Throughout the day, staff provide stimulating and exciting outdoor play opportunities to support all seven areas of learning. Children develop good large muscle skills as they ride trikes and cars, push their doll in the buggy, balance, climb and slide on apparatus. Children have good opportunities to learn about the world in which they live. Staff are currently teaching children to learn about caring for living things and they plan a wide range of activities to support children's learning through repetition. Children work collaboratively as they dig the vegetable patch and they plant fruit and vegetables. Children squeal with delight as they build a wormery and count the worms. At circle time, children enjoy a story about helping a seed to grow. Staff then encourage children to use their imagination as they act out growing from a seed and discuss water and sunshine to help them grow, to get bigger and stretch up tall. This activity also supports children's

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who attend

mathematical development as they talk about number and size. Staff plan many other activities to help children develop a good understanding of mathematics. For example, children enjoy constructing with bricks, filling and emptying containers in the water play and sorting and matching objects. Staff teach children how to use a variety of technology. For example, an exciting activity involves children using metal detectors to search for coins in the sand tray. Children also use light boxes to observe pictures of butterflies, and tablets to complete games.

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who attend

Staff encourage children to express themselves through a good range of art and craft activities, role play, singing and playing musical instruments. However, children have fewer opportunities to explore rhythm and sound through a wide range of music. As keen and motivated learners, children demonstrate enjoyment of their work, play well together and show a desire to discover and find out about new things. Staff give children the means to succeed and prepare them very well for moving on to school.

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

The staffs' strong emphasis on partnerships with parents enables children to settle easily into the supportive atmosphere of the nursery. Each member of staff is a key person for a group of children. They know their children very well in order to plan for their individual needs. Some staff work part-time and therefore, there is a buddy key-person system in place to share information and provide continuity of care and learning for children. Staff work closely with parents and involve them in their child's on going learning and welfare.

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

Children behave very well and they respond positively to constant praise and encouragement by staff. As and when any small behaviour issues arise, staff are close by to provide sensitive support and they help children to resolve issues themselves. This teaches children to learn to be responsible for, and to manage their own behaviour. Children demonstrate caring attitudes towards one another, for example, as they help one another to match cards during a game.

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

Staff teach children about living healthy lives. Children's individual dietary requirements are catered for and they enjoy nutritious food, which is delivered to the nursery. Children experience relaxing and sociable meal times and the provision of good quality furniture means that they sit comfortably to eat. Snacks are available in the morning and afternoon and children decide when they feel hungry or thirsty. Drinking water is accessible at all times and children develop their independence skills as they pour their drinks. Good hygiene practices are apparent throughout the nursery. Staff wear protective clothing when changing nappies, children have individual bed linen and are taught to wash their hands during the routine of the day. This minimises possible cross infection.

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

Staff teach children to keep themselves safe, for example, they take part in emergency evacuation procedures so they know what to do in the event of a fire, and they learn how to use different tools such as scissors safely. Children enjoy daily fresh air and exercise. During the summer months, parents provide sun hats and give consent for staff to apply sun cream. This raises children's awareness of keeping safe when playing in the sunshine.

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

There is a range of good quality resources and materials to encourage children to explore and investigate. Staff plan the use of space well to enable children to move around with ease as they select their activities from low-level drawers and shelves. Staff successfully promote the well-being of the children.

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provision

The inspection took place as a result of a notification to Ofsted by the provider about staff failure to adequately check the temperature of food and supervise children at teatime, resulting in a child sustaining a burn. The provider correctly notified Ofsted of the incident and carried out an investigation of the event. The parents sought medical attention for the child, and found the wound to be healing with no further treatment required. Following this event, the provider reviewed the nursery's policies, risk assessments, and levels of supervision to ensure that staff followed appropriate procedures for handling food, checking its temperature and managing accidents and injuries. The provider spoke with staff to reiterate their responsibility to re-check the temperature of food before they serve it to children. A notice is now in the kitchen to further remind staff to re-check the temperatures. The risk assessment for serving food has been updated as a result of this

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provision

incident. Staff supervision levels of children and procedures for managing accidents are appropriate. We are satisfied by with action taken by the provider.

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provision

The nursery is well led and managed because the manager has a good understanding of her role and responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements. The enthusiastic and established staff work effectively as a team to provide a caring and nurturing environment in which children flourish. Children are safeguarded because staff have up to date knowledge and understanding of child protection issues. In addition, robust recruitment and effective induction procedures for staff ensure their suitability to work with children. The ongoing reviewing of risk assessments and staff's close supervision of children means that they are safe and secure in the nursery and on outings. All staff hold first-aid qualifications and manage accidents quickly and effectively to minimise any possible impact. The manager accurately maintains all of the necessary paperwork such as accident and medication administration records. The daily attendance

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provision

registers demonstrate staff to child ratios are met.

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provision

The manager has a good understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the learning and welfare requirements. She monitors the effectiveness of the educational programmes by observing staff interactions and the children's progress towards the early learning goals. There are good systems in place to complete the required progress checks for children aged two years and staff provide a written summary for parents and health visitors.

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provision

The manager uses the Ofsted self-evaluation form well to help her and the staff team to reflect on their good practice. This helps them to continue to develop the service for children and their families. Self-evaluation includes the valued opinions of children and parents. However, staff do not have the opportunity to observe and feedback on one another's practice to further enhance the existing good teaching techniques. There are effective systems in place to support staff in their work with children. For example, staff appraisals, one-to-one meetings with the manager and the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills through training opportunities.

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provision

Staff establish strong and purposeful relationships with parents, carers and other people involved in the children's lives. Staff keep parents well informed of events that are happening in the nursery through daily discussions, home-link books, the nursery's digital photograph display, notice boards and newsletters. Staff develop positive links with the schools the children move on to and teachers are invited in to the nursery to get to know the children. The nursery operates within Hedgerows Children's Centre, and the staff across both settings establish very close working relationships. This benefits parents and children, because they can access a wider range of services and supportive group sessions. Parents are very complementary about this aspect of the service and state they feel as equally valued and supported as their children. Parents also state they are pleased with their children's progress because staff provide support and challenges to prepare

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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 141848 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 975048 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 34 Number of children on roll 90 Name of provider Milton Keynes Council Date of previous inspection 30/08/2011 Telephone number 01908 394996

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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

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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