Ready Steady Grow

Ready Steady Grow Former PRU, Elwick Road, HARTLEPOOL, TS26 9NP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/07/2014 26/04/2012

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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

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This provision requires improvement

 Staff make very good use of activities in the outdoor environment to support pre-school children's early number skills.  Children form close attachments and develop early reading skills when they enjoy a cuddle with their key person and listen to stories.  The manager demonstrates good capacity to improve the nursery and enhance children's achievements over time by identifying areas for development through consultation with staff, parents and children.  Social media is used well by the provider to keep parents up-to-date with emerging events in the nursery.

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It is not yet good because

 Risk assessments are not always fully effective in identifying and minimising all potential hazards children may come into contact with. As a result, children's safety is not always well supported.  Assessment information is not always used well by all staff to challenge and extend children's communication skills. This means that learning activities and experiences are not always shaped for each child and so children are not fully supported to make good progress in this area of learning.  Monitoring procedures are not sufficiently focused to identify weaknesses in teaching and the impact this has on children's communication and language needs.

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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 had a tour of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and the manager's self-evaluation form.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching and learning activities in all nursery rooms, including the outdoor environment.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a meeting with the provider, manager and deputy manager of the nursery and discussed a range of policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

Ready Steady Grow was registered in 2011 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery operates from a converted single story building in the Eldon Grove area of Hartlepool, and is managed by a private provider. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, 13 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, one member of staff holds a level 2 qualification. There are two apprentice members of staff who are working towards childcare qualifications. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 102 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It

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Information about the setting

supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 ensure assessment information is used effectively by all staff to shape learning experiences that reflect children's individual levels of achievement and learning styles, in order to extend and enhance all children's learning, particularly in the area of communication and language

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must:

 improve risk assessment procedures to ensure they are fully effective and identify and minimise all potential hazards which may arise for children, with particular reference to the identification and removal of glass from soil borders and safety of the greenhouse door in the outdoor area.

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

 improve the effectiveness of monitoring procedures to ensure that teaching and staff interactions with children are consistent to maintain good quality practice across the whole nursery.

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who attend

Staff have a generally good knowledge and understanding of how young children learn and develop. They use this information reasonably well to support children in most aspects of their learning and development. Children are provided with an appropriate range of toys, equipment and resources that cover the seven areas of learning. Children enjoy freely accessing these in their individual rooms and in the large outdoor garden area. They engage well and try new experiences, showing curiosity about objects and resources presented to them. Staff sit alongside children as they play and encourage them to explore and investigate. For example, children show curiosity when they play with water outdoors. Staff answer their questions well when they enquire how the water wheel works and what will happen when they pour water from the top. However, teaching is variable and not all staff take full account of children's individual levels of achievement and

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who attend

learning styles when supporting them during focussed activities. Regular assessments of children's learning are carried out and this is documented reasonably well in individual learning journal scrap books. However, this information is not always used well by all staff to shape learning experiences and differentiate activities for each child. This results in some missed opportunities to challenge and extend children's learning further. For example, when staff support younger children, teaching is not yet good enough during group time activities to fully develop the skills all children need to become confident talkers.

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who attend

Staff have a sound understanding of how to promote the learning and development of young children. As a result, most children make steady progress overall, with some aspects of learning being good. Where teaching is good, staff support older children well to develop their mathematical skills. They make very good use of the outdoor area to encourage children to 'hunt' for numbers hidden in the environment. Children are enthused and excited by this activity. They demonstrate good skills for their age when they work together to find numbers and help each other to recognise them. Staff extend their learning well, when all numbers are found, by placing them in order and singing number songs. This provides children with the skills and knowledge required for when they start their Reception Year in school. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Accurate and precise assessments mean that this group of

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who attend

children have their needs quickly identified and intervention is sought at the earliest stage. This enables this group of children to make good progress, based on their individual starting points. Staff have attended training to enhance their understanding of children's needs. They work well in partnership with parents to provide a consistent approach in meeting their specific requirements. Children are provided with good opportunities to develop their physical skills. Indoors, very young children use their hands to build small towers using bricks, make marks on paper using paint brushes and turn pages in a book. Outdoors, all children have access to toys and equipment, such as slides, swings, bikes and a large sand pit and water area. Here, children develop physical and coordination skills as they dig and fill buckets and containers, or pour water through water wheels. As a result, children gain appropriate skills and are reasonably well prepared for the next stage

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who attend

in their learning, including school, when the time comes.

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who attend

Parents have regular access to information regarding their children's learning and development. Each child has a learning journal scrap book containing observations and photographs which is freely available for parents to look at. This information is linked to the areas of learning and is tracked over time to show progress. Parents are actively encouraged to share their child's learning at home. For example, they share information verbally each day and can write this on a notice board in the corridor area. Staff make good use of this and thread this effectively through into their planning. For example, when children are interested in playing with dinosaurs at home, staff set up activities and experiences in nursery to extend their knowledge and understanding further. This helps to create a full picture of a child's development and supports their achievement over time.

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

Staff have a, generally, good understanding of children's safety. However, due to a weakness in leadership and management, the outdoor environment where children play is not as safe as it could be. Overall, children demonstrate they feel safe in the nursery. They demonstrate a good awareness of safety when they climb up steps to access the slide, making sure they are clear of other children. Children's behaviour in the nursery is good. This is because staff set, explain and maintain clear, reasonable and consistent limits so that children can feel safe and secure in their play and other activities. Staff encourage children to develop their independence skills. Young children enjoy the experience of washing their hands in the bathroom area and help staff to place toys and equipment in baskets and boxes at tidy up time. This demonstrates a good awareness of routines and builds their self-esteem. Older children develop independence skills when

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

they know how to find and return toys and equipment and attend to their own personal needs.

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

A well-established key person system is in place, which helps children to form secure attachments and good relationships with staff. Children show they have close bonds with their key person when they receive cuddles when they are listening to a story. Staff meet babies and very young children's individual needs well and respond sensitively when they become upset. For example, they gently talk and reassure children when they change their nappies. Staff work closely with parents and carers to support their emotional development. Parents spoken to during the inspection describe how well staff support their children's all-round development. Good quality information is gathered from parents when children begin attending the nursery. For example, 'All about me' documentation describes children's allergies, medical needs, family set-up and other key information. This provides continuity in children's physical and emotional well-being when they move from

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

home into the nursery. Children are equally well supported emotionally when they move rooms within the nursery. They make a number of visits, dependent on need, with their key person before staying for short period on their own. Effective systems are in place to share information between staff. This ensures children are supported and continuity is provided in their care during these times of transition.

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

Children's all-round development is well supported and their physical well-being is enhanced by daily opportunities to access fresh air and be physically active and exuberant. Children enjoy playing on the number of pieces of large, fixed equipment and running in and out of the trees and bushes. There are plans to develop opportunities for very young children's learning even further in the outdoor area by establishing a smaller area, exclusively for their use. Children are provided with a range of opportunities to learn about healthy eating. They grow their own plants, such as potatoes and tomatoes and staff give clear messages to children to ensure they are developing a good understanding of why it is important to have a healthy diet. They provide them with fresh, balanced and healthy foods throughout the day and talk to them about the importance of eating fresh fruit and vegetables. Children are encouraged to try new foods and textures and the provider is

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

enthusiastic about serving unusual and different tastes for children to try. For example, he recently served a vegetable called 'Romanesco', similar to cauliflower and broccoli. Feedback from children and staff was highly positive and reports stated that 'not a scrap' was left.

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provision

The manager and her staff team carry out ongoing risk assessments in the indoor and outdoor areas of the nursery. However, on the day of inspection, there were pieces of glass found in soil borders in the outdoor area and the door of the greenhouse was found lying on the grass. This presents a potential hazard to children. Routine checks of the area on the morning of the inspection had not identified any risks. As a result, on this occasion, ongoing risk assessments were not as effective as they could be and did not minimise hazards for children. Although this is a breach of requirements as well as for the Childcare Register, the manager effectively addressed this as soon as she became aware of the issue. She demonstrated a good attitude towards children's safety. Other risk assessments are effective and ensure all areas children come into contact with are safe. For example, floor spaces and fire exits are kept clear at all times. The manager and her staff team fully

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provision

understand their responsibility for safeguarding children and have effective policies and procedures in place to ensure children are kept safe at all times. All staff know and understand procedures to follow should they have any concerns regarding children's welfare or if they are concerned about inappropriate practice of fellow colleagues. There are clear procedures in place for the use of cameras and mobile phones. Permission is obtained from parents for staff to take photographs and other images of children. Effective recruitment and vetting procedures are in place. As a result of comprehensive induction procedures, staff and apprentices are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe.

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provision

The manager and her deputy lead are a well-qualified staff team. They are deployed reasonably well and use their skills appropriately to support young children's learning and development. The manager has sufficient understanding of her role in monitoring the delivery of the educational programmes and maintains an overview of the continuous provision for children in the indoor and outdoor environments. She is supported by her deputy to maintain an overview of the quality of teaching and learning provided. However, the monitoring of some teaching and learning activities is not as effective as it could be. For example, it is not sufficiently focussed on how children's communication skills are developed when staff support children during focussed activities. Generally good systems are in place to monitor progress for each individual child attending. This ensures children's strengths and weaknesses are quickly identified and intervention is received at the earliest

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provision

possible stage. This is further supported by regular one-to-one meetings, induction and mentoring arrangements. This enables staff to discuss individual children's progress, address any issues and accurately identify training to support their own professional development, promoting the interests of children. The manager and her deputy demonstrate a strong drive to improve the setting and identify, through consultation with staff, parents and children, areas for improvement. A clear development plan is in place. This shows how actions aim to overcome weaknesses over time. For example, there are plans to develop an outdoor area specifically for babies and very young children. This aims to further promote their exploration and investigation skills.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are good. Those spoken to on the day of inspection speak highly of the support provided to children to meet their individual and specific needs. A wealth of positive comments are available to view, such as those posted on the nursery social networking site and other internet pages. Comments include, 'We would like to thank the pre-school room at 'Ready Steady Grow' for all the care and education you have given my child and to the rest of the lovely staff who have always made them feel welcome and happy.' Social media is used well by the provider to keep parents up-to-date with emerging events in the nursery. For example, they used a light hearted, but informative message to let parents know about the inspector's arrival, which enables parents to be immediately involved in the inspection process. Good use is made of 'Parents Corner' in the entrance area of the nursery to signpost parents and carers to services in the local

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provision

area, such as the children's centre, to support and address their individual needs. The provider and manager demonstrate a proactive approach in establishing links with local schools, external agencies and services. This results in relationships that are well- embedded and make a strong contribution to meeting children's needs.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks, with particular reference to the identification and removal of glass from soil borders and safety of the greenhouse door in the outdoor area (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks, with particular reference to the identification and removal of glass from soil borders and safety of the greenhouse door in the outdoor area (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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 EY430611 Local authority Hartlepool Inspection number 874552

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 58 Number of children on roll 102 Name of provider Ready Steady Grow Partnership Date of previous inspection 26/04/2012 Telephone number 01429 423295

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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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