Railway Children Nursery

Railway Children Nursery The Station Masters House, 61 Station Road, KETTERING, Northamptonshire, NN15 7HJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/05/2014 16/02/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 1 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

 Robust monitoring of the educational programme helps to ensure any gaps in learning are identified and all children make good progress in their learning and development.  Communication between parents and staff is effective, helping to support children and meet their individual learning needs.  Children progress well in their communication and language because staff skilfully engage them in conversations and provide enjoyable songs, stories and rhymes. This prepares them well for school.  Babies and younger children are carefully nurtured by caring and knowledgeable staff. As a result, they are settled and happy and have their individual needs met well.  Safeguarding is good because staff understand the procedures and ensure children play in a safe and secure environment.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Although professional development for staff is valued, opportunities for staff to update and extend their already well-established understanding of early years good practice are occasionally not maximised.  Children's creativity is not fully explored because there is a slight imbalance towards adult-led artwork with a pre-conceived end product.

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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 the children and looked at their individual learning records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with senior staff to look at underpinning management processes including policies and procedures, staff training and recruitment. The provider was spoken to on the telephone about checks made on staff suitability.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with staff about their roles and responsibilities and how they plan for children's learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to a number of parents on the day to find out their views on the quality of the provision.

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Information about the setting

Railway Children Nursery was registered in 2006 and is privately owned. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It operates from the Station Master's House, close to the railway station in Kettering, Northamptonshire. The nursery is open each week day, from 8am to 6pm, throughout the year with the exception of a week at Christmas and bank holidays. All children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 68 children in the early years age range on roll. The nursery accepts children eligible for three- and four-year-old funding. There are nine members of staff; all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The owner/manager and her business manager are qualified teachers. The nursery also employs a nursery cook and cleaning staff.

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

 broaden the range of training opportunities for staff so there is a sharper focus on enhancing their already good teaching skills to enable children to continue to benefit from the best possible learning experiences

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

 enhance children's opportunities to be creative using a broad range of media where the emphasis is on the exploration, rather than the end product.

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who attend

Staff interact with the children positively and develop close relationships with them. As a result, children have confident attitudes and enjoy their learning. Children's communication and language is promoted especially well because staff skilfully engage with them. Children enjoy listening to stories read by staff and join in by anticipating what comes next. As part of preparing for school, older children extend their concentration and listening skills by taking part in structured group times. For example, they have fun identifying shapes and colours on age-appropriate flashcards. Staff talk to the children as they play and ask probing questions that enable children to think creatively about the possible answers. For example, children making a set of steps from interlocking blocks are asked 'how can we support them?'. This enables children to consider solutions and make their own decisions, supporting their future learning well.

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who attend

Children of all ages develop their physical skills using cutters, scissors and brushes in a variety of art and craft activities. During these activities there is a tendency for there to be an emphasis on the end product, rather than stimulating children's senses as they explore and investigate texture, colour and form. However, children have regular access to materials, such as play dough, pasta and sand and therefore have opportunities for some tactile experiences. Older children have writing materials within easy reach to promote their early writing skills. Staff are good role models as they sit with the children and use the writing materials themselves. Children explore a good range of role-play toys and equipment. As a result, they show good imagination. Staff show their own enjoyment of songs and rhymes to encourage younger children to join in with familiar songs and nursery rhymes. Older children know all the actions to their favourite songs and happily go

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who attend

slower and faster, or quieter and louder as they sing about the runaway train.

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who attend

Staff plan well for children's good progress using their in-depth knowledge of their interests and aptitudes. They collect ongoing information from parents about children's activities at home to effectively support their learning experiences. Assessments, including the progress check at age two, are thorough and regular, enabling staff to see the progress children make. As a result, activities are well targeted to ensure all children make good progress and are ready for school. Parents share in the children's learning records often so they are able to extend learning at home.

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

The nursery is well resourced and organised so children have independent access to toys and play equipment. Staff use the nursery rooms efficiently, enabling children to move around and have varied learning experiences throughout the day. Although the outdoor area is small it is well equipped so children benefit from activities that promote their physical development, such as balancing blocks and a climbing frame. Children often go for walks, where they can experience more exuberant play in parks and recreation grounds. Staff provide children with healthy meals and snacks that meet their individual dietary needs. Water is always available and staff proactively remind children about drinking and explain the importance of good hydration to promote their good health.

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

Children quickly develop close links with their key person and other staff in this close-knit nursery. Parents complete comprehensive 'all about me' forms before children start to enable staff to plan for their individual needs from the outset. Young babies have their home routines for meals and snacks at nursery. They are supported well by kind and caring staff, who understand their individual needs. As babies grow they are gently supported to follow nursery routines so they share their learning experiences with others. Staff prepare children well for school by ensuring they have the basic skills they need, for example, children are encouraged to wash their hands and prepare for outdoor play independently. During the summer term children have opportunities to meet with their new teachers so they have a familiar face in school. Staff discuss moving on to school with the children, and provide stories and role play to support their understanding.

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

Consequently, children confidently look forward to the next stage of their learning.

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

Children learn good behaviour because staff are positive role models. They help the children develop their understanding of social expectations by being respectful and caring. Children follow their lead and demonstrate kind and helpful behaviour to adults and each other. Staff encourage children to learn about each other through conversations and exploring photographs from home. Special events and festivals from their own and other cultures are explored, for example, through arts and crafts. This enables children to develop respect and understanding of their differences and similarities. Practical routines, such as tidying away resources or navigating the nursery stairs safely provide children with strategies to keep themselves safe.

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provision

Staff show a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and ensure children are safely supervised as they play. The nursery is a safe and secure environment because staff carry out rigorous risk assessments and any visitors are checked before entry. Robust recruitment procedures mean staff have their suitability checked before taking up their employment, which further protects children. Disclosure and Barring Service numbers are recorded and available to show that all staff checks are up to date. Senior staff supervise and mentor students or new staff so they understand their roles and responsibilities. Students on placement, agency staff and volunteers are not permitted to change nappies or have unsupervised access to children.

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provision

Senior staff and the owner/manager monitor the educational programme thoroughly to ensure all children make the progress they should. They provide feedback for staff on the quality of teaching and ensure written developmental records are accurate and up to date. Training needs for staff are identified and professional development has led to a fully qualified team. The provider/manager offers staff informal supervision meetings and annual appraisals which enable staff to evaluate their training needs. However, the range of training undertaken has been largely focused on the drive towards qualifications. This means training for some staff is not precisely targeted to update and extend the expert practice needed to deliver the highest quality teaching. Nonetheless, this committed and enthusiastic staff team provide each other with mutual support. They discuss good practice amongst themselves and follow guidance from their local advisory team. This

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provision

means teaching remains strong, and children make good progress in their learning and development. The owner/manager is currently updating the nursery's self-evaluation to identify new areas for development.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are strong and contribute effectively to children's well-being. Parents are very supportive of the nursery. They indicate they are pleased with the quality of the provision and say the nursery has a warm, homely feel. Staff ensure parents are kept closely informed about their children's welfare and learning through the written daily diaries and verbal feedback from children's key persons. In addition, the nursery offers regular open events so parents can visit the nursery and discuss their children's progress in detail. Daily diaries and the summary assessments of children's learning are shared effectively with other early years providers, including school. This helps to ensure children benefit well from continuity of care and learning when they move on to the next stage of their education.

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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 EY342183 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 967896

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 35 Number of children on roll 68 Name of provider Railway Children Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 16/02/2011 Telephone number 01536 522377

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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

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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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