Chiltern Day Nursery

Chiltern Nurseries Ltd 3 Chiltern Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5QP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/07/2014 22/02/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Children flourish in this well-organised, welcoming and inclusive nursery. They benefit from the small size of the nursery and have very good relationships with staff and each other.  Staff plan an extensive range of activities and experiences for children that interest and challenge them. Children make rapid progress in their learning in relation to their age, starting points and capabilities.  Children show very high levels of confidence and independence and are motivated to learn.  Partnerships with parents and other professionals are exemplary and significantly contribute to children's wellbeing at the setting.  Managers and staff are extremely committed to providing a high quality service. They monitor their practice very closely and take highly effective steps to ensure outcomes for children are excellent.

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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 observed children taking part activities indoors and outside.  Discussions were held with the manager, the deputy manager and members of staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled records including children's files, planning, risk assessments, self-evaluations and staff suitability records.  The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector completed a joint observation of an adult-led activity with the deputy manager.

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Information about the setting

Chiltern Day Nursery registered in 2002 and is one of two nurseries run by Chiltern Nurseries Ltd. It operates from a converted single storey residential building close to Sutton town centre and hospital, within the London Borough of Sutton. Children have access to three playrooms and there is an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is open each week day from 8am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 50 children on roll, who are all in the early years age range. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years. It supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language. There are 10 members of staff who work with the children including the manager. The manager has a relevant level 5 early years qualification. There are five members of staff who have relevant qualifications at level 3 and two who have level 2 qualifications. There is an apprentice and one other staff member who are working towards qualifications.

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

 extend the use of peer observations to further support the continuing professional development of staff.

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who attend

Staff have an excellent understanding of how to support children's learning through play. They plan a rich and varied curriculum that helps children make very good progress in all areas of their development. Staff make sure that they have detailed information about each child's background, starting points and needs, so that they can provide high quality individual care. Staff make home visits before children start, ask parents to fill in comprehensive registration forms and talk to them to gather information while children settle in. Staff make regular and precise assessments of children's achievements. They use their assessments, together with frequent information from home, to successfully plan activities based on children's interests and needs. Staff work extremely closely with parents. They involve them in reviews of children's development before they write progress reports, so that their views are included. They agree the next steps for children's

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who attend

learning together so that parents can continue to support these at home. They also encourage parents to spend time in the nursery and join in an activity with their child. This approach is highly successful in involving parents in their child's learning and promotes a consistent approach between nursery and home. As a result, children often make rapid progress from their starting points.

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who attend

Staff teach children a wealth of skills and attitudes that prepare them very well for the next stage of learning or for school. Children are enthusiastic and keen to take part in activities. Staff offer them excellent opportunities to initiate their own play, follow their interests and grow in independence. They support children's language and communication very skilfully, using visual prompts for younger children and those learning English as an additional language. They talk to children all the time as they play, engage them in conversations and introduce new vocabulary. They successfully support children's interest in books by creating comfortable, cosy areas in each playroom, where children relax and share stories. Older children recall stories from memory when they go on a visit to the woods and act out scenes their favourite book. Staff encourage them to use their imaginations as they cross a pretend stream or climb a mountain by joining in with their

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who attend

play. Children use cameras to take their own pictures of their outing and help write the story of their experiences when they return.

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who attend

Staff build on children's interests and experiences exceptionally well to extend their learning and offer them challenges. When children wonder what a footprint they find in the woods might feel like with their bare feet, staff encourage them to begin a journey of discovery. They provide opportunities for children to explore a wide variety of media and materials with their feet, such as flour, paint, wet rice and surfaces that are warm and cold. Staff make sure they ask parents about children's experiences outside of nursery so that they can also build on these. Consequently, after visiting the car wash, children enjoy a happy afternoon creating their own car wash in the nursery garden with a hose and soapy water, or turning the role play area into a hair salon after having a haircut. Staff encourage children to persevere with tasks and offer consistent praise and gentle encouragement.

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who attend

Children all enjoy playing outside and benefit from spending time outside with their siblings and older or younger friends. Staff provide stimulating opportunities to learn about the natural world and young children dig in the sand or the earth, fill cans to water the plants and hunt for mini-beasts in the wildlife area. Older children are delighted to see a butterfly and remember the caterpillars that they watched grow into butterflies and then set free.

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

Children thrive in this very welcoming, friendly, home-from-home environment. They have excellent relationships with staff and each other and form strong bonds with their key person. Staff greet children warmly as they arrive and are highly sensitive to their individual needs. They support new children very effectively, making sure they follow their home routines when they start. Staff successfully prepare children for changes in their lives. They ensure children regularly spend time with the children and staff in their new room well in advance of moving there permanently. This supports children's physical and emotional wellbeing extremely well. Staff are warm, calm and patient in their approach. They provide consistent guidance for all children and make sure they are familiar with their expectations. As a result, children's behaviour is very good. They quickly learn the daily routines. For example, they wait patiently for their turn at the easel and are eager to

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

Staff create a well-organised, interesting environment and make sure that children can easily select an excellent variety of resources and play materials. Young children choose materials to play with from low level shelves and baskets. This enables them to explore and initiate their own learning experiences. Older children show very high levels of independence, taking responsibility for getting activities out and putting them away. Staff pay very close attention to ensuring children's safety at all times. They supervise children vigilantly, making sure that enough staff are present and children are always in their sight. The building is fully secure and the door is alarmed to alert staff to any unauthorised entry or exit. There is also a camera system in place that includes the front driveway to monitor access to the nursery. Staff complete daily health and safety checks of the premises and garden to make sure they are safe for children to play in. As a result, children move safely

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

around all areas of the nursery. They develop an excellent understanding of risks and how to keep themselves safe. Staff involve children in their risk assessments checks and encourage them to think about things that might not be safe to do. Children take part in regular fire drills, so that everyone knows what to do in an emergency.

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

Staff support children's understanding of healthy practices very effectively. Young children manage their own personal needs well. For example, they wash their hands before snack or get a tissue to blow their nose. Children learn about food that is good for them as they plant and grow fruit and vegetables, such as runner beans, courgettes and strawberries in the garden. They pick and help prepare them and then eat them for lunch. They benefit from freshly prepared, well balanced meals and snacks that meet their nutritional needs. Young children begin to feed themselves with spoons and their hands with vigilant support from staff. Older children serve themselves rice and chicken and confidently wash up their own plate in a bowl of soapy water when they have finished. Children play outside every day in all weathers, enjoying the fresh air and exercise in the well planned garden. They have fun practising their existing physical skills and gaining new ones and enjoy navigating

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

the big climbing frame or taking part in a planned rugby session.

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provision

Highly effective arrangements are in place to safeguard children's welfare. Staff have a thorough understanding of their responsibilities towards the children in their care and the need to provide a safe environment. Robust recruitment procedures ensure children are cared for by appropriately vetted and qualified staff who are suitable to work with them. A thorough process for induction means that policies and procedures work very well in practice. All staff complete child protection training and know what steps to take if they have concerns about a child. The manager and provider have a good understanding of their responsibility to notify Ofsted of any significant incidents or events. All required documentation that supports the smooth day to day running of the setting is in place and is well organised and comprehensive.

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provision

Staff work very well together as a team, sharing tasks and responsibilities effectively throughout the day. Staff performance is closely monitored through a well-planned system of staff meetings, supervisions and appraisals. Staff have frequent opportunities to develop their skills by attending local courses and in-house training. This results in a well trained, effectively supported and highly motivated staff team. Managers also conduct observations of staff to monitor their practice and give them useful feedback and suggestions for improvements. They have not currently fully extended this process to include staff observations of one another or other playrooms, to further promote their professional development.

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provision

Staff show an excellent understanding of the learning and development requirements. They deliver a highly individual and personalised programme of learning for children. They seek appropriate support and interventions where they identify any gaps or differences in learning, and plan and adapt activities very effectively according to individual learning style and needs. They work very closely with other professionals if children have additional needs to ensure a highly consistent approach. Staff and managers constantly reflect on their practice and rigorously review the provision to evaluate what they can do better. They take effective steps to develop the setting, such as a recent initiative to increase the use of natural materials within the nursery and reduce plastic resources. As a result, children benefit from new and interesting experiences, such as exploring real fruit and vegetables in role play. Staff continually review and develop their outdoor play provision,

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provision

often acting on ideas from children, such as the creation of a mud kitchen. Consequently, children are very keen to play outdoors and enjoy a wide variety of exciting activities. Staff actively seek the views of parents and respond positively to their suggestions. For instance, they recently made changes to the way that rotas are organised. Therefore, promoting consistently for parents when they bring and collect their child each day.

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provision

Staff have very positive relationships with parents and keep them extremely well informed. They talk to them every day to gather information from home as they arrive, and provide verbal feedback at the end of the day as well as a written diary for younger children. Parents have access to a wealth of information through newsletters, emails and the notice boards. Parents speak very highly of the nursery. They particularly value the supportive, nurturing and individual approach of staff. They believe that staff give high priority to the care and safety of their child and meet their individual needs exceptionally well.

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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 EY250794 Local authority Sutton Inspection number 981922 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 50 Name of provider Chiltern Nurseries Ltd Date of previous inspection 22/02/2011 Telephone number 020 8643 6831

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Setting details

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

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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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