Bright Horizons Cambridge Science Park Day Nursery and Preschool

Kidsunlimited Nurseries - Cambridge Science Park 319 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB4 0WG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/06/2014 17/05/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 There is an interesting educational programme and a high standard of teaching. This ensures that children, including those who speak English as an additional language and have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress.  Children make secure attachments with caring staff. This is supported by a key-person system that has been developed well. This secures children's emotional well-being.  There is a drive from management and within the team to consistently review and improve the overall quality of the provision.  The safety of the environment and knowledge of the staff ensures that children are protected within the nursery.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff use appropriate questions to extend children's learning. However, particularly in the toddler rooms, this is not consistently utilised to fully extend children's development and critical thinking skills.  The nursery has developed good partnerships with parents and communicate well with them on a daily basis. However, occasionally information is focused on care practices and routines. As a result, opportunities to provide parents with information to extend children's development in the home environment are not maximised.

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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 toured the premises with the manager.  The inspector observed activities in all the main playrooms and the outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked policies and the suitability of the staff, their qualifications, assessment records, self-evaluation and planning documents.  The inspector held discussions with the children, staff and parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager, regional manager and early years advisor.

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Information about the setting

Kidsunlimited Nursery at Cambridge Science Park was registered in 2000 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a purpose built, two-storey building in the Science Park in Cambridge. The nursery serves parents working at the Science Park and the local area. The premises are accessible to all children and parents. A stair lift is available to access the first floor. All children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery employs 36 members of childcare staff. Of these, 27 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above, including one member of staff with Early Years Professional status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, with the exception of bank holidays. Opening hours are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 115 children attending in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded

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Information about the setting

early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 provide children, particularly in the toddler rooms, with additional opportunities to think critically, through the consistent use of open questioning in order to maximise their development

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

 provide additional information to parents about children's daily learning experiences in order to fully utilise the link between the home and the nursery.

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who attend

Children take part in a very wide range of interesting activities and experiences across all seven areas of learning. The overall quality of teaching is good and this ensures that all children, including those with English as an additional language and special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress. Children are given opportunities to use imagination in their play, utilise various creative resources and engage with literacy resources. For example, during a planned activity with the pre-school children, the staff provide resources to allow children to express their creativity while taking part in an imaginative play activity. This is led expertly by a staff member, and children are allowed to lead and dictate their play and use their knowledge to extend it further. Additionally, the use of open questioning extends children's understanding further. For example, the children pretend to drive to the supermarket and staff ask about what the colours of the

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who attend

traffic lights they are approaching mean. However, the use of questioning is not always consistently utilised in this manner throughout the nursery, in particular in the toddler rooms, to fully extend children's learning. Children enjoy the variety of materials that are provided for them, including water, sand and dough. Staff plan appropriate activities that allow children to encounter meaningful experiences in these areas. For example, the children wash animals in the water and identify their familiar characteristics. A different activity within the outdoor area, allows a child with a particular interest in boats to play and use these in the water. This is achieved through individualised planning that is based on a thorough understanding of the children's next steps in learning and interests.

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who attend

The nursery is taking appropriate measures to ensure that children are well prepared for school or the next stages in their learning. For example, within the pre-school group there are structured activities that are closely linked to how schools operate. Additionally, there are opportunities for children to become increasing independent. This means that children are acquiring a thirst to attain more knowledge and demonstrate the characteristics of effective learning. For example, children are able to make associations about their chosen activities with their prior knowledge and demonstrate an eagerness to find out more. Furthermore, the broad range of learning opportunities allows children to develop key aspects of their learning and ensures their readiness for school. Children persist with their chosen activities for a sustained period of time with adult support or independently. The nursery plan activities to extend children's knowledge and thinking about the world around

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who attend

them. For example, a growing and planting area has been developed in the outdoor space and children are learning to take care of the vegetables in order to maximise their growth. Children enjoy this experience and spend a great deal of time caring for the various items they have planted.

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who attend

Regular and robust assessments are undertaken and used to inform planning. Additionally, the promptness of the initial assessment allows the nursery to quickly identify any additional needs that the children may have, and put appropriate measures in place to support them. Positive measures are in place to share these assessments with parents. For example, a recent parents evening allowed parents a formal opportunity to share these assessments of their child's learning. However, in informal situations in particular, this information is not always consistently shared. For example, during regular daily feedback with parents, information about children's learning is limited. Additionally, parents stated that they wanted more information about their child's learning. The nursery are taking some positive measures to increase the frequency and detail of this information. For example, a father's day breakfast is planned in order to engage parents

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who attend

within the nursery further, and provides another opportunity for staff to discuss information about children's learning. Parents comment on the warmness and approachability of the staff.

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

Staff demonstrate a caring and affectionate nature and this means that all children, in particularly the babies, make secure attachments. There is a well-established key-person system that supports engagement with parents and children. A unique feature of this is the co- key person system. For example, when staff are on holiday or away, responsibility falls to the co key-person. This means there is always a familiar face to the children and always consistent communication with parents. Additionally, the organisation means children usually have their nappy changes and other routines with a familiar person. These measures ensure that children's emotional well-being is secure. Staff are positive role models and this means that children are able to enjoy a calm environment. Additionally, it allows children to fully explore the environment safely. Children are encouraged to share resources and staff implement fair and consistent strategies. This means that children

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

generally find it easy to share resources with their friends and behave well during their time in the nursery. Children remain settled for the duration of the time they spend in the nursery because they are consistently engaged with their learning. Care routines are extremely well organised according to children's individual needs. For example, in the baby room there is specific information relating to each child's preferences for their sleep and milk. This means that their care routines are tailored to their preferences and needs. Additionally, there is a stringent monitoring of children's sleep with staff setting a regular alarm to ensure children are regularly checked. Care routines are shared effectively with parents and there is written daily information provided, containing information about food intake, sleep and nappy changes.

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

The environment is set out in a manner which provides children with opportunities to free- flow to the outdoor space, with the exception of the pre-school room. However, a skilful system has been devised in this area which allows children to make choices about their play and ensure their access to the environment. The outdoor environment has been developed and is extremely inviting for the children. Accordingly, children spent a great deal of time outside and enjoy the variety of experiences offered. Children are increasing their learning about how to manage their own personal hygiene. For example, children wash their hands with minimal support before each meal or snack. Children are provided with daily opportunities to engage in rigorous play activities and take manageable risks within their play. The nursery utilise creative methods in order to teach children more about managing their own safety. For example, a superhero has been created to teach

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

children about managing their own personal safety as well as engaging them in other learning opportunities.

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

The nursery is taking positive steps to promote children's healthy eating and lifestyles. For example, there is a nutritious menu that uses fresh ingredients and ensures children encounter a wide variety of different food. All food is prepared from a hygienic kitchen area. Additionally, there are stringent procedures in place to ensure that children's dietary requirements are catered for. For example, the nursery use different coloured plates to ensure that children's individual requirements are met. Furthermore, additional checks are undertaken by the senior staff within each room when the food arrives, to ensure that any dietary requirements are met. Transition arrangements are given careful consideration by the nursery and this ensures that children adapt to their new environment quickly. For example, children spend a considerable time in their new environment before their permanent move, to become accustomed to their surroundings and develop attachments

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

with staff and their peers. Staff carefully consider the individual needs of children and plan their transitions accordingly. Furthermore, a wealth of information is shared with the staff within the nursery. This helps them to quickly plan for children's individual learning needs and preferences.

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provision

The management team have a good understanding of their requirements to safeguard children. Following recent incidents that have resulted in children being injured, they have appropriately notified Ofsted and conducted their own investigation into each incident. The findings in relation to each event were that the incidents could not have been foreseen or prevented by the staff. These investigations were thorough and included members of the senior management team within the chain. This included a health and safety investigation, to look into the safety within the affected areas. Additionally, positive measures have been taken to react to the accidents in order to prevent future reoccurrence. For example, matting has been put onto the concrete ramps leading into the outdoor environment in order to decrease the potential risk to children's safety. Furthermore, risk assessments and staff supervision in each area have been scrutinised to ensure that they remain suitable.

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provision

The nursery have a strong commitment to protecting children. For example, as part of a 'world class welcome' for new staff, safeguarding training is undertaken as a priority. Additionally, very stringent checks are undertaken on all new staff before they are allowed access to the nursery. This includes identifying any gaps in their employment history, suitability checks being undertaken and references taken up. This ensures that only suitable adults have access to children. Furthermore, staff have a thorough understanding of the nursery's safeguarding policies and this protects children.

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provision

There is a consistent strive from the management and staff teams to improve the overall quality of the nursery. For example, the early years advisor and regional manager of the nursery regularly visit and identify improvements that can be made. This ensures that there is a robust monitoring of the educational programme and the overall quality of teaching. Additionally, the very good development of the outdoor environment and how it is used, demonstrates the nurseries ability to act positively and reflect on their practice. The staff team have appropriate qualifications and are deployed effectively. This ensures that there is a high quality of teaching throughout the nursery. Furthermore, the more experienced and highly qualified staff use their knowledge, experience and expertise to positively affect the quality of the nursery. Staff demonstrate their eagerness to extend their qualifications and commit to keeping their knowledge up-to-date. For example, the

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provision

nursery have developed relevant online training for the staff. This ensures that their knowledge and understanding is kept up-to-date.

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provision

On the whole, positive partnerships with parents have been developed, and this enables the nursery to work well with families to meet children's' individual needs. Additionally, partnerships with the local school have been developed. This supports children and their families with the transition to school and allows parents to set up links. For example, there is a board displaying the school that children will be attending in order to allow parents to set up links in order to provide support for each other. Furthermore, teachers are provided with a wealth of information about children attending their school and where appropriate, they are invited into the nursery to find out more information. The nursery work closely with specialists to provide support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 221633 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 977542

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 147 Number of children on roll 115 Name of provider Kidsunlimited Limited Date of previous inspection 17/05/2013 Telephone number 0845 365 2930

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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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