Safe Hands Day Nursery

Safe Hands Day Nursery Hopper Way, DISS, Norfolk, IP22 4GT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/06/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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 quality of teaching is good throughout the nursery and on occasion, outstanding. Children take the lead in their play and skilled staff support and extend their learning, enabling all children to make good progress and some to make exceptional progress.  Staff form strong partnerships with parents and other professionals to ensure that children's needs are quickly identified and consistently met.  The management and staff have a strong understanding of safeguarding procedures and children's safety and welfare are prioritised.  Children's emotional well-being is supported well and staff build strong, trusting relationships with them. Children make choices, take responsibility and their views are encouraged and listened to.  Managers and staff are passionate about delivering a high quality service to ensure that all children have the best start in life. They have a positive attitude to improvement and

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This provision is good

staff are supported well in their professional development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children who attend in the morning or afternoon sessions are only less well-supported because they are not always able to access the adult-led group activities.  Children are not always fully extended at every opportunity to develop their independence skills in all routines and activities.

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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 all the play rooms and the outdoor learning environment.  The inspector had a tour of the premises.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the managers of the provision, spoke to staff and interacted with children.

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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, the provider's self- evaluation and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of inspection.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the deputy manager.

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Information about the setting

Safe Hands Day Nursery was established in 2006 and re-registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register, following a change in legal entity. The nursery operates from a building within Diss Business Park in Diss, Norfolk. The nursery is one of nine settings that are privately owned and managed by Alpha Nurseries Ltd. It serves the local area and is accessible to all children. Children have access to three play rooms and there is an enclosed garden area available for outdoor play. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 8am until 6pm, all year round, with the exception of bank holidays. Sessions are from 8am until 1pm, from 9am until 3pm and from 1pm until 6pm and children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery also runs an after school and holiday club for school age children. There are currently 90 children on roll, 84 of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery provides

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Information about the setting

funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, 14 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. Two members of staff have qualifications at level 4, eight at level 3 and four at level 2.

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

 provide all children with the same opportunities to access adult-led activity groups; with specific regard to children in the pre-school room that attend the morning or afternoon sessions only

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

 maximise all opportunities for children in the toddler room to gain independence consistently in all activities and routines.

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who attend

Children are happy, eager to learn and show high levels of involvement in the activities and learning experiences. The quality of teaching is consistently good and on occasion, outstanding. Staff have high expectations of children and are skilled in identifying when to get involved to extend and support children's learning further. They use effective questioning to expand children's ideas and encourage them to think for themselves. For example, when children role play making meals for others, staff ask them if there is a menu to choose from. This inspires children to make their own menus. They confidently and independently access the resources they need and draw pictures of the food on large sheets of shiny card. Staff support more able children to write words, such as, pizza and other children delight in writing down the food orders using squiggles and letter like shapes. Staff work hard to ensure that their practice is inclusive and all children can take

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who attend

part. Babies and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language receive tailored support and as a result, make good progress. For example, staff work closely with physiotherapists to ensure that they know how to use specialise equipment to allow children to access all activities. They also use visual timetables, picture cards and signing to support children to communicate their choices more clearly and to respond well to the routines of the day. Staff fully understand the importance of promoting all languages that children speak and parent's support is valued and encouraged. Parents teach staff words and simple phrases and provide labels to use around the room with the names of toys and equipment in their home languages. This means that children have opportunities to hear and see their home languages in the nursery, helping them to become secure in their communication and language skills.

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who attend

Staff support children to acquire key skills and positive attitudes towards learning, so that they are ready for their next stage in development and their eventual move into school. Staff create an exciting environment, which stimulates children's interests. As a result, children explore all areas and are curious and inquisitive. They use magnifying glasses to look at spider webs and insects and ask questions about what they eat. All children have many opportunities to explore a range of textures and play experiences. Babies enjoy the feel of paint on their hands and happily mix dough with flour. They look at it curiously as it sticks to their fingers and try to pick it off. Play is very much led by children and staff make skilful observations of their play. They make good use of assessment to provide stimulating activities that are well matched to each child's next stage in learning and their individual interests. For example, many children enjoy water play and help to carry bowls

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who attend

of water outside. Staff provide a range of items to use with water and children independently select cups to pour water down guttering, cans to water the flowers and brushes to make water patterns on a table. Children in the after school and holiday club also take the lead in their play and are actively involved in the planning of the activities. As a result, they enjoy the time they spend at the club and take part in a range of stimulating activities.

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who attend

Parents are heavily involved in their child's learning and development within the nursery. They have many opportunities to discuss their child's achievements with their key person and regularly take home their assessment records to share with other family members. Staff provide carefully selected items for 'home bags', which are used to extend children's interests at home. For example, one bag contains a book about insects, laminated sheets labelling different parts of the insects and a range of magnifying glasses and filters to look through. Children take these home to explore insects with their parents in their own gardens. Once a month, children are able to invite extended family members into the nursery to share lunch times with them, involving the whole family in their learning. Staff also organise 'school readiness' workshops, to further support parents to prepare their children for the move into school.

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

Children play in a well-designed and stimulating play environment, which promotes challenge and independence both indoors and out. They are happy, confident and have fun. Staff respect children, listen to them and encourage their views. For example, children are involved in the menu choices and staff have also set up a children's counsel for older children to enable them to play an active role in the shaping of their nursery. For example, four children each month decide on a job that they want to be responsible for. The ideas come from children and range from, watering the plants, making sure all taps are turned off and making sure that toys are not left on the floor where others can fall over them. Staff support children well in their behaviour. They encourage them to listen to one another and to verbalise their feelings and emotions. Staff use picture cards of feelings as prompts to help children to put names to their feelings and to talk about how

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

to manage them safely. They learn how to take turns, share the resources and to be kind to others. Children learn how to keep themselves safe as they wear high-visibility jackets when coming back from school to the after school club. They learn how to carry chairs safely and how to use scissors. Children's independence is promoted from a very young age in most areas of the nursery, through daily routines and activities. For example, babies help themselves at snack time and feed themselves. Toddlers and children in the pre-school room serve their own meals, which gives them responsibility and choice. However, occasionally staff in the toddler room help children to put jackets or aprons on without first checking if help is required. This does not encourage some children to have a go themselves and learn the skills needed.

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

Staff use a very successful key-person system to foster close, trusting relationships with children and their families. As a result, children's emotional wellbeing is fully supported and they settle well. Each key person understands the benefits in building secure attachments. Because of this, they ensure that as children move into the next room, transitions are as smooth as possible. They discuss the move with children and parents and introduce them to their new key person, who ensures that they have a good knowledge and understanding of the child's interests and abilities. Younger children have many opportunities to become familiar with the other rooms and staff. Babies and toddlers regularly meet with older children as they share areas of the outdoor environment and come together with siblings at the beginning or end of the day. Parents are encouraged to bring photographs from home of their child, family members and pets. Staff make these

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

into books to share with children to help them to settle and provide opportunities to talk about people who are important to them. Staff photographs are displayed at low-level, where babies can see them to help them become familiar with all staff to enable them to feel secure. Staff meet with teachers from the many schools that they feed into to ensure that all children benefit from smooth transitions into school. They discuss children's interests and abilities and teachers visit the nursery to get to know children. In addition, children look through books about their new schools, which are used to promote discussions and dress up in school uniform and role-play being at school.

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

Staff put the outdoor areas to good use to ensure that children have daily opportunities to be physically active and benefit from fresh air. Older children enjoy exercising as they move and stretch their bodies in the movement class. Staff use this opportunity to encourage children to think about different ways to use their bodies and to notice what happens inside their bodies. For example, they crawl, slither and jump and notice their hearts beating and their breathing getting faster. The qualified cook ensures that menus are varied and meals are balanced and nutritious. Children gain an understanding of portion size as they choose from the healthy options when serving themselves. Food preparation areas are clean and hygienic and all relevant staff are trained in food hygiene matters. Children's individual toileting routines are managed effectively. For example, nappy changing routines are robust and staff teach children about personal hygiene

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

through hand washing. Babies and younger children sleep in a clean, safe and peaceful environment according to their home routines and staff check on them at regular intervals. As a result, children's health, safety and well-being are successfully promoted.

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provision

Staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting children from harm. The vast majority of staff have attended recent training in safeguarding and managers ensure that all new staff are booked onto a course. Staff use comprehensive policies and procedures to inform and support their practice and as a result, are able to protect children from abuse and neglect. Managers use robust recruitment and induction procedures to ensure all new staff are secure in their knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities. In addition, all staff are subject to rigorous selection and vetting procedures and disclosure and barring checks are in place to ensure they are suitable to work with children. Staff carry out daily risk assessments to ensure that the premises are safe and secure. They monitor the main door to make sure that only authorised persons can gain access. Children are well supervised at all times and receive

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provision

effective levels of care and attention to meet their needs. Overall, the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are effectively met.

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provision

The drive and commitment of the manager and senior staff is clear to see and infectious across the whole staff team. Staff are keen to learn more and develop their areas of interest to benefit children. For example, staff research dinosaurs to find out their names and how they lived to support individual children's interests. They also seek professional advice in how to support children who are gifted and talented with their development through the Early Years Foundation Stage and beyond. A culture of reflection and evaluation is promoted and staff supervision and observation is used to effectively identify staff strengths and areas for development. This means that practice is continuously evolving and improving. For example, a wide range of additional resources have been ordered to improve the environment in the room with two year olds. This will further support children's independent access to equipment indoors and out and provide cosy

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provision

areas for rest and the sharing of books. Staff regularly bring back ideas from courses they attend to enrich children's learning and development. For example, children's communication and language skills are enhanced due to using signing and simple ideas, such as putting two easels side by side to encourage children to chat to each other while painting. Staff in the pre-school room identified a need to provide additional adult-led group activities to further support children with their move into school. These cover movement, listening and exploring. However, at present, these are not organised to provide all children with equal access to them. This is because some are only provided in the morning or the afternoon sessions and not all children attend for the whole day. Staff work in close partnership with parents and others who are involved in children's care and development. There is a special educational needs coordinator in each room who

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provision

works closely with a number of relevant professionals, for example, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, health visitors and the local child development team. This enables staff to fully embrace their advice and guidance when tailoring the provision to meet children's specific needs. Good links are made with the schools to ensure children receive a consistent approach to their learning and development. Parents' involvement and views are encouraged and parents' forum ensures that they have a voice in the shaping of the nursery. Parents speak highly of the nursery and feel very much involved in their child's learning and development. They value the support they receive from friendly and approachable staff and love the wealth of activities that their children take part in.

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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 EY473462 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 949291 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 90 Name of provider Alpha Nurseries Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01379650420

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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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