Life Bank Nursery at Kensington Children's Centre

Life Bank Nursery at Kensington Children's Centre 23 Quorn Street, LIVERPOOL, L7 2QR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/05/2014 27/08/2013

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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

 Teaching is good because the staff understand how to promote children's learning. This results in high expectations for their achievements. Consequently, all children's progress including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, is good.  Children are protected through robust procedures to prevent them from coming to harm. Staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities and the correct steps to take should they have a concern about a child.  Children's safety is promoted well through close supervision and monitoring of security and because staff teach children to keep themselves safe.  Very positive relationships with parents and carers are developed through good communication. Information is continually gathered and exchanged for the benefit of each child's continual care, learning and development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Rich opportunities for children to see print, and learn about and use words and numbers, are not fully extended in the outdoor environment.

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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 compulsory part of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the playrooms and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to the children and staff and also held meetings with the manager during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting, the provider's self- evaluation systems, registers, risk assessments and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection and via written questionnaires provided by the nursery.

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Information about the setting

Life Bank Nursery at Kensington Children's Centre was registered in 2008 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It operates from several rooms within a children's centre in the Kensington area of Liverpool and is managed by Sure Options, a subsidiary of Park Options. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There are areas available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The manager holds a foundation degree in early years and one member of staff holds Qualified Teacher Status. Three members of staff are qualified at level 2 and one is unqualified. The nursery is supported by extra bank staff employed by Sure Options. The nursery is open Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year, from 8am to 5.45pm. The creche is open from 9am to 12 noon and 1pm to 3pm during school term

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Information about the setting

time. It sometimes operates in the school holidays. The out of school club is open each week day from 3pm to 5.45pm during school term time, and from 8am to 5.45pm during school holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 91 children on roll; of these, 76 are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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

 increase the opportunities for children to see and use print and numbers in the outdoor environment, for example, by displaying numerals, names and signs and encouraging children to use them for a purpose in their play.

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who attend

Staff have a secure knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which they use well to ensure that children enjoy learning through a wide range of interesting play activities and experiences. Important and useful information is gathered from parents when children first enter the nursery, which is used to good effect as part of the initial assessment to help identify what the children know and can do. Staff recognise the importance of sharing ongoing information with parents and carers about their children's learning. This keeps them well informed of their children's development. Staff use ongoing assessment effectively to identify children's next steps in learning and plan activities. This means that children make good progress given their starting points. As a result, children are making good progress and are gaining the skills they will need for their future learning. Staff carry out the progress check at age two, which provides parents with a picture of the child's

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who attend

development and needs. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified by staff who have appropriate knowledge and skills. They liaise well with parents and work with outside agencies to provide support to ensure all children are fully included.

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who attend

Teaching is good; this is because the staff use every opportunity to extend children's learning. For example, older children thoroughly enjoy the time they spend outdoors in the mud kitchen pretending to be builders. The staff encourage the children to work together to collect the small bricks and build their construction. The staff extend this activity further by providing the children with a wheeled cement mixer and tools to fill it with mud to make 'cement'. Information and communication technology is used to develop children's learning through a variety of simple games. Staff use spontaneous opportunities to develop young children's early mathematical learning, such as counting as they walk across crates and bring in learning about colour whenever possible. They use number jigsaws and shape games accurately. Furthermore, they enjoy participating in sorting games and singing number songs. A good amount of words and numbers are displayed in

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who attend

each of the playrooms, to show children how these are used in context. However, these rich opportunities are not fully extended in the outdoor area, which means children are not supported to the optimum in understanding how words and numbers can be used in context in different environments. Staff use their skills and knowledge to promote children's communication and language well. Parents say that their children have made good progress in their speech and interaction since attending the nursery. Staff ask open- ended questions and encourage children to respond fully, giving children time to think without providing the answer. They use books and stories to support children's communication and literacy skills and to develop their imagination. A good selection of books are easily accessible and all children enjoy looking at them, both independently and with others. Babies play enthusiastically with water and staff notice this, building on it by

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who attend

providing resources that gradually extend the experience, such as to help babies learn colour names. They model how to pour and scoop up water and praise babies for copying them. Staff use their tone of voice to maintain children's attention and use words for them related to the activity. They also repeat and extend babies' one-word utterances in order to build their language development. Consequently, children build their vocabulary and become highly confident talkers.

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who attend

The nursery is currently involved in the project 'Tuning into Children' which is supported by musicians from the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. This programme is designed to provide innovative experiences to support the development of creativity, language, confidence and well-being for young children. Staff support and extend children's thinking as they follow the children's lead. The children develop a sense of willingness to take control and participate because they feel very much a part of the decision-making process. Children also have other opportunities to develop their creative skills. For example, they work with an artist from the Tate art gallery to explore and make objects from clay. Consequently, children are confident in trying new things. The interests of the children are put into the planning of the activities very well. This results in children being interested and motivated to learn. Parents contribute their views on their children's learning and

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who attend

together with staff they share ideas for children to continue their learning at home. This strong partnership increases children's ability to make progress in their learning and development and they are well prepared for school when the time comes.

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

Staff are kind, caring and attentive. As a result, the attachments between them and the children are strong and promote children's well-being. Staff have successfully created a caring and secure environment where all children are warmly welcomed, and feel very well supported. Children are happy and engaged in their play. This helps to promote their emotional well-being. Parents say that their children are happy to come to the nursery and they appreciate how children's feelings are valued. For instance, where a child shows a particular bond with a member of staff other than their key person, this can be changed to help the child build the best possible relationship. Staff work very sensitively with all children helping them to settle at their own pace. For example, the number of visits and length of time children are left initially varies greatly to meet their individual needs. As a result, children are confident and come into the nursery smiling and happy to be there.

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

Children learn to be independent through toileting procedures and personal care. They wash their hands before meals, and babies are supported with hygienic wipes. Meal times encourage children to gain skills in feeding themselves. Young babies have spoons to encourage their developing feeding skills and older children use knives and forks, pour their own drinks and serve themselves from bowls on the table. Staff provide effective support at lunchtime, so that children are relaxed and confident. Children dress independently putting on shoes and coats when preparing to go outside, which promotes their confidence and self-esteem. All children and staff practise regular fire drills to ensure everyone knows how to evacuate the building and remain safe in the event of an emergency. Children are provided with nutritious meals and snacks. Staff sit with children as they eat and sensitively help them to develop a positive attitude towards healthy

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

eating. For instance, they encourage very young children to eat up their 'tasty' toast. All children have access to drinking water throughout the day with bottles and cups provided according to their age and development. This is an inclusive nursery where staff make sure every child is valued and treated equally. Children who speak English as an additional language receive very good support. Staff work closely with parents to gain key words in each child's home language to support them during their time at the nursery. Staff are deployed well and ratios are consistently met. This ensures children are appropriately supervised and receive a good level of attention and support. The learning environment is well organised so that children can choose resources and move freely between activities while learning about safe behaviour.

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

Each playroom has access to an outdoor area where the equipment is tailored to their ages and stages of development. This encourages children to investigate outdoors as this is welcoming and provides children with further challenge as they explore and discover. For example, children learn to carefully manoeuvre wheeled toys around the garden to avoid bumping into others. The nursery works closely with parents to reinforce boundaries for children who demonstrate unwanted behaviour and this means children receive clear and consistent messages. They learn about sharing and turn taking as staff skilfully intervene to help them resolve their difficulties when it comes to sharing popular resources. Staff act as positive role models, reinforcing children's good behaviour as they provide them with lots of praise and encouragement. They are patient and deal with incidents, such as tantrums with understanding and tolerance. This helps children to

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

develop a good understanding of right and wrong and, as a result, behaviour in the nursery is good. As children get older they learn how to sit, remain focused and listen to staff during activities, providing them with the key skills needed for when they start school. Arrangements for supporting children's move to school are good, particularly due to the close links the nursery and staff have with the adjacent school. Information is shared to ensure the new setting is aware of children's starting points. This enables children's learning to be continually promoted when they move to their new provision.

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provision

This inspection was brought forward due to information received by Ofsted in the form of concerns regarding accidents to children in the nursery, and the security of the premises. The new manager and her team are working well together and standards are good and improving. The inspection found that good arrangements are in place to ensure that children are closely supervised. The environment is stimulating and the premises are secure. The manager carries out a regular analysis of any accidents or incidents that occur to inform and shape risk assessment procedures and she is aware that Ofsted need to be notified of significant events. This ensures a safe environment for children by initiating positive adult action to reduce and eliminate risks or hazards. A team meeting has also been conducted to ensure that staff are familiar with, and fully up to date with, all procedures to be followed in the event of an accident. This means staff are aware of the

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provision

need to keep thorough records of accidents, incidents and medication, which helps to further protect children and promote their welfare. Security of the building is well monitored and there are security cameras in place and identification of all visitors is scrutinised before gaining entry. All staff attend safeguarding training and confidently know the action to take and whom to contact if they have any concerns about a child's welfare or well-being. Written safeguarding procedures are in place, including the nursery's safeguarding policy and risk assessments. Performance management is well managed and staff training needs are identified through regular supervision and annual appraisals. Effective recruitment and induction arrangements are in place. This ensures all staff are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities and are suitable to work with children.

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provision

Since the last inspection the new manager has made many changes to practice within the nursery, which has had a positive impact on the education and care for all children. The manager and staff work closely with the local authority advisers to improve what is offered and are proactive in meeting any actions set. As a result, children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Each action set at the last inspection has been met through careful consideration and clear targets set through development plans. A new system developed by the manager is now fully implemented to ensure that all children's learning and development needs are met in an inclusive, respectful environment. The setting employs a qualified teacher who closely supports the quality of teaching provided by all staff. The manager also maintains a good overview of the curriculum and monitors educational programmes, to ensure children are helped to make progress in all areas of

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provision

learning. She has secure knowledge of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and uses this well to support the staff team. As a result, staff are motivated and clearly enjoy working at the nursery. Documentation for tracking children's progress is in place. This information accurately identifies children who are working below expected levels of development in the prime and specific areas of learning. Consequently, appropriate interventions are secured and children receive the support they need.

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provision

Partnerships with external agencies and other professionals are good. The manager and staff work exceptionally well with professionals in the children's centre and effectively use advice to provide targeted interventions to meet the specific needs of individual children. Partnerships with parents are strong. They take an active part in their child's learning and are involved in decision making on key matters. For example, active parental involvement is fully promoted through a parents' committee. Parents spoken to on the day of the inspection use words, such as 'very good' and 'brilliant' to describe their satisfaction with the level of service provided. The nursery has developed good working relationships with the local school. Consequently, they can deliver an effective and coordinated service and the move for children going to school is smooth because they feel confident.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY376559 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 971407

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 84 Number of children on roll 91 Name of provider Sure Options Ltd Date of previous inspection 27/08/2013 Telephone number 0151 300 8420

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

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

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