Nuffy Bear Day Nursery

Nuffield Health - St Albans Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing Centre, Highfield Park Drive, ST. ALBANS, Hertfordshire, AL4 0AH

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/05/2014 16/12/2013

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

p.1

This provision requires improvement

 Children benefit from using challenging soft play climbing apparatus in a covered outdoor area. The equipment provides appealing opportunities for children to develop confidence in movement and good physical skills.  Children's good health and social skills are promoted well. Food is nutritious, tables are set attractively and staff sit with children to help develop conversation, manners and independence at meal times.  The nursery demonstrates the capacity and drive to improve. The management reflects on what works well and promptly takes action to respond to changing needs as a result of the rapid expansion of the nursery.

p.1

It is not yet good because

 There are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching because less experienced staff do not yet have good enough knowledge of how children learn. This affects the quality of children's learning experiences.  There are opportunities to build on the way in which children are helped to settle in so that they more quickly develop self-confidence, make relationships and learn to manage their feelings.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the two main rooms and the soft play garden area.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of policies, records, planning documents and evidence of children's learning.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager, staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the qualifications and suitability of every adult working on the premises.

p.2

Information about the setting

Nuffield Health 'Nuffy Bear Day Nursery' was registered in 2013. It operates from within the Nuffield Health and Well-being Centre in St Albans, Hertfordshire. The nursery is owned and managed by a charity and serves the local area and surrounding villages. The nursery is accessible to all children and there are two separate enclosed areas available for outside play. The nursery opens Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm and children may attend for a variety of full or half day sessions. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 34 children on roll who are in the early years age range. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery employs six members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years

p.3

Information about the setting

qualifications at level 3 or above, including one member of staff with a qualification at level 5. Additional staff are employed for the creche and holiday club facilities. In addition to the day nursery facility, the setting provides a creche facility for under five-year-olds, from 9am until 12pm, Monday to Friday and from 9am until 1pm on a Saturday. A holiday club operates during all school holidays from 8.30am until 6pm for four-year-old school children.

p.3

must:

 ensure that all staff have the skills, training and knowledge to provide a quality learning experience for children, so that teaching is consistently good or better for all groups of children.

p.3

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

 strengthen the key person system and children's personal, social and emotional development by considering the use of home visits and nursery/home link books to ensure that all children build strong bonds and settle as easily as possible.

p.3

who attend

Staff demonstrate a sound knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They use information provided by parents and regular observations in the nursery to establish children's interests and next steps in learning. Key persons appear to know their children well, despite the fact that some observations do not appear to be clearly linked to the guidance associated with the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, the provider is aware of this and is working with staff to review the observation, assessment and planning format. Staff communicate well with parents to involve them in supporting children's learning at home. They encourage parents to share any observations made at home and have regular discussions about aspects of children's learning and development. This is particularly helpful for parents who have children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for those who speak English as an additional language. The nursery

p.3

who attend

has a small range of dual language books for these children and is in the process of making individual books to represent children's language and culture to reinforce identity and self-awareness.

p.4

who attend

Staff encourage babies to develop their communication and language by modelling simple conversations and introducing new vocabulary. For example, at snack time when a baby indicates his preference for banana by pointing, staff clearly name the fruit and encourage him to say 'banana please'. The child then attempts to copy the words, therefore, developing confidence to use emergent language. Babies are really keen to explore their surroundings independently. They make sense of the world around them by using their hands and mouths to examine a range of natural and man-made objects and transporting objects from one place to another. Staff recognise that this is an important stage of development in young children and so allow children to lead their own investigative play. Staff provide a good balance of child-initiated play and adult-led learning focused on children's particular needs and interests. Children have opportunities to explore creative

p.4

who attend

materials using tools and their hands to make marks with paint. As they approach school- age the staff introduce letter shapes, names and sounds into play activities and encourage children to practise writing their name. Similarly, children explore numbers and shape using a range of different play resources. Consequently, children develop some of the key knowledge and skills that help prepare them for the next stage in their learning at school.

p.4

who attend

A rapidly expanding staff team means that the quality of teaching is sometimes variable as new staff settle into their roles. While experienced staff and management demonstrate good practice and effective techniques in order to strengthen the knowledge and skills of new staff, this is not consistent. For example, during a story time with a group of two-, three- and four-year-olds, the children are motivated to sit well and listen because it is read with an enthusiastic tone of voice that captures their attention. However, the pace is somewhat fast and there are no opportunities for children to join in, to reflect on what is happening or to predict what happens next. On another occasion staff are too quick to demonstrate how to use musical instruments without giving children time to explore, to think and investigate for themselves. As a result of these inconsistencies in teaching, children's rate of learning is variable. Some appear to be achieving very rapidly, while

p.4

who attend

others make progress at a steadier pace.

p.4

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

Each child is allocated a key person who takes the lead in settling children into the nursery. Parents complete an 'All about me' document that provides valuable information and insight into the child's routines and personal care needs. Overall, the key-person system is effective in helping children to build secure bonds and attachments, although in a few cases, children take longer to settle and build confident relationships with new adults. Staff recognise this separation anxiety and do their best to reassure and pacify children who are upset. However, they have not explored additional ways to ease the transition into the nursery, such as using home visits or developing links between the child's home and setting before they start attending. This means there is capacity to strengthen the overall programme for children's personal, social and emotional development. Once children are settled they go on to make positive relationships with

p.4

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

familiar adults and their peers. Staff help children to manage their feelings and adapt their behaviour by offering consistent reminders of expectations, clearly pointing out that some actions affect how others are feeling. They remind children to express themselves through using words rather than actions and consistently praise children's positive behaviour. Arrangements are underway to build links with other providers that children attend or will be moving on to in order to share information and support children's continuity in care and learning. For example, there are plans to make joint visits to children's new schools and to use photographs of the new environment to share positively with children to ease the transition.

p.5

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

Children's good health is promoted well throughout the nursery. Babies and children rest and sleep according to their routines and whenever they express that they are tired. Staff are vigilant in frequently checking that children remain safe and well while they are asleep. Children enjoy nutritious snacks and meals which allow them to select their preferred fresh fruits and make healthy choices. Meal times are occasions when all children come together. Tables are beautifully presented with a vase of flowers in the centre and staff sit with children to act as positive role models for polite manners and social conversation. Children are encouraged to eat independently, to pour their own drinks and to wash their hands and faces at appropriate times. This helps prepare them emotionally for managing their personal needs when they move on to school. Staff follow nursery procedures for managing children's individual health needs. Accidents are

p.5

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

attended to by staff trained in first aid and records of all accidents are maintained and reported to parents. There are effective arrangements for sharing information with parents and safely managing any specific medical or dietary needs.

p.5

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

Children use good quality, age-appropriate equipment and furniture in bright, welcoming rooms. Resources are organised well so that children become self-confident in choosing what they want to play with. As part of the daily routine children are encouraged to tidy up the toys and staff clear away table activities to allow for outdoor play times. A partly covered outdoor area containing challenging soft play apparatus means children benefit from fresh air and exercise in all weathers. Staff supervise children well when moving between the areas and children demonstrate that they are beginning to understand the importance of holding on to a rope by walking sensibly and looking where they are going when walking around the edge of the car park. Staff remind children about rules for keeping safe when using the equipment but encourage children to take considered risks within a safe environment. Children confidently use the climbing apparatus with

p.5

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

developing control of their bodies as they climb ladders, clamber over obstacles and balance on a rotating wheel.

p.5

provision

This inspection was prioritised following concerns being raised about the provider's ability to safeguard children in the nursery. The inspection found that entry arrangements to the premises are normally robust and that no parent and visitor can enter the nursery without ringing a bell and being let in by staff. However, on one occasion a visitor gained access to the entrance foyer because the door was held open by a departing visitor. This was immediately noticed by staff because the internal glass walls that divide the nursery into different rooms create a sense of openness where practice can be observed easily by everyone. Although there was no risk to children on this occasion, this lapse in security is a breach in safeguarding requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and also a breach of the requirements of the Childcare Register. Following this incident the nursery reviewed its security arrangements, which included reinforcing to parents via notices and

p.6

provision

newsletters that under no circumstances should they leave the entry door open to others. Therefore, children's safety and well-being is now fully assured.

p.6

provision

In other respects the arrangements for safeguarding children are robust. There is a rigorous recruitment, vetting and induction process that ensures staff are suitable. The manager holds regular supervision meetings and performance reviews with staff to identify individual targets and training needs. Through this system, she demonstrates that she has an accurate knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses. The nursery endeavours to strengthen its team of practitioners as it expands rapidly. However, on occasions, inexperienced staff need more direction and monitoring than is given by senior staff. The manager encourages continuous reflective practice in order to adapt to constantly changing needs. For example, there are plans to create a separate area for the two-year-old children so that provision can be more suited to their specific needs. In addition, through monitoring of the educational programmes and following feedback at the

p.6

provision

last inspection, there have been recent changes to the planning. Key group times for the oldest children are now more focused on helping children develop literacy and numeracy skills in preparation for their entry to school.

p.6

provision

Parents report that they are completely satisfied with the provision. They appreciate the approachability of the staff and report that their children are always well cared for. Parents receive all the necessary information about nursery policies and routines as well as enjoying daily communication with their child's key person. Parents are encouraged to share information from any other agency that is involved in the care of their child, such as health professionals, so that children's individual needs are understood and met. Nursery staff are in the process of receiving training to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. In the meantime, the nursery receives support from an expert in special educational needs and/or disabilities based at a sister nursery site and from the local authority Inclusion Development Officer.

p.6

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

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number EY463946 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 974276 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 48 Number of children on roll 34 Name of provider Nuffield Health Date of previous inspection 16/12/2013 Telephone number 07971267770

p.8

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.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

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,

p.9

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’.

p.10

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10