Wells House Kindergarten

Wells House Kindergarten Ringley Road, Stoneclough, RADCLIFFE, Manchester, M26 1FS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/05/2014 15/05/2013

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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

 Children are welcomed into a warm, stimulating learning environment both indoors and outside. This encourages them to become independent learners and make choices during their play.  The key-person system is well embedded ensuring children receive consistency of care. Practitioners are loving and sensitive to children's individual needs. As a result, children feel safe, secure and are happy.  Children are well protected because clear policies and procedures for safeguarding are in place, which are regularly reviewed and understood by all practitioners.  Parent partnerships are well established and support a consistent approach to children's learning, both at the nursery and at home.

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It is not yet good because

 Practitioner training is not sufficiently focused on the development of teaching and learning for babies. Therefore, on occasions, learning opportunities are not fully maximised and there are missed opportunities for babies to explore using their natural instincts and curiosity.  The monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning is not sufficiently accurate, to ensure that the quality of teaching is at least good, across all areas of the nursery, this results in inconsistencies in practice.

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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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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation and discussed these with practitioners.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager in the baby room.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability, the deployment of practitioners working with the children, safeguarding procedures, health and hygiene practice, monitoring systems of the educational programmes and the self-evaluation and discussed the improvement plan with the manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Wells House Kindergarten was registered in 1996 and is on the Early Years Register. It is managed by Playsafe Nurseries Limited. It operates from five playrooms on the ground floor and first floor, in a detached property, in the Stoneclough area of Bolton. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round, excluding bank holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 91 children on roll. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery employs 14 childcare practitioners including the manager; all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 2 and 3. One practitioner holds an early years qualification at level 5. The nursery receives support from the local

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must:

 ensure that at least half of all practitioners working with babies receive relevant training that specifically addresses the care of babies, for example, by developing their understanding of how babies learn, to enable practitioners to shape learning experiences and ensure all activities provided are suitable and meaningful for each child.

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

 improve and strengthen leadership and management, with regard to the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning, to ensure that evaluation is sufficiently focused on improving and maximising learning opportunities for babies.

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who attend

Children arrive at the nursery happy and move confidently around different areas and are eager to participate in their chosen activities. Babies explore their surroundings and are able to make choices from the range of resources that are located within easy reach. They delight in looking at simple picture books with textures and learn to recognise familiar objects, which they point at excitedly. They are encouraged to investigate resources that involve pressing buttons and lifting flaps to create different movements and sounds. As a result, babies are discovering how things work and are engaged and interested in their play. However, occasionally the planning of activities is not suitably challenging to effectively support their interest and level of development. For example, role play, comprising of a selection of bandages and large plastic syringes does not ignite their interest or promote their curiosity and some practitioners demonstrate insufficient

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who attend

knowledge in explaining the learning opportunities for specific activities. The quality of teaching is not consistently good, as it is variable. For example, on occasions practitioners intervene too quickly or take over in babies' play and do not give them opportunities to experiment with the resources for themselves, because the focus is on the end result. Consequently, opportunities for babies to play and explore using their natural instincts and curiosity are inhibited, resulting in them not being effectively supported in their learning and development.

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who attend

Systems to assess children's starting points on entry are secure. Practitioners work closely with parents during the settling-in period, obtaining detailed information to establish what children can do. Regular progress reports are shared with parents, with identified targets to support children's progress. Practitioners complete regular observations and use the information gathered to identify children's interests. Parents are provided with daily opportunities to contribute information about what their children are doing at home, which are used to inform planning. For example, as a result of children sharing home experiences from their visit to a safari park, children participate in a variety of activities. They engage in songs and stories about animals and express themselves creatively, as they make their own animal pictures and observe different patterns on animal skins. Toddlers delight in outdoor play activities as they search for buried small world animals in

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who attend

soil. They excitedly identify different animals and make relevant noises and sing songs, promoting their knowledge and understanding of the world. The tracking of children's development allows practitioners to set targets to extend learning for individual children. These, on the whole, are evaluative and focus on what children are doing and their next steps, enabling them to make continued progress in their development.

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who attend

Children's language development is fostered well through regular conversations during different activities, meal times and care routines. All children are secure and confident in communicating their needs. Babies and young infants make sounds in response when practitioners talk to them and they demonstrate their understanding by following simple instructions. Pre-school children's language and communication is developed and extended as they sing and say rhyming words, to make 'silly soup'. Pre-school children confidently explain what they are currently doing and recall previous experiences. For example, they explain that they are going to make a 'strong man, with muscles and a bald head' using a variety of textured, shiny pebbles. They describe one of the pebbles being shaped like a 'banana moon' but explain that 'sometimes the moon is big and round when it comes out at night'. They are effectively supported in recognising and finding their name during

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who attend

registration and discover that print has meaning by looking at books together and reciting stories. This helps them have the basic skills needed for their next stage in learning. Children are encouraged to make marks for a purpose by accessing a range of media. They use a variety of tools to create paintings outdoors, such as rollers and brushes and enhance their artwork by using coloured beads. Younger children make marks in sand and soil, using their fingers and tools. Support is offered to promote children's problem- solving, reasoning and numeracy skills as they are encouraged to count in sequence and compare, match and sort in areas of their play. Toddlers happily engage in group time activities, where they are encouraged to identify colours and look around the environment to find objects that match the colour they have identified. They enjoy exploring as they open drawers and look through boxes and proudly bring their selected item back to the

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who attend

group. Liaison with local schools and sensitive support provided by practitioners ensures that children are prepared for their transition into school.

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

The indoor and outdoor environment of the nursery is bright and welcoming. Each room is set up in an appealing way with a range of good quality toys and resources, enabling children to engage in their chosen play. All children and families are warmly welcomed, which encourages the children to enter confidently and separate from their parents and carers. Overall, practitioners use resources effectively to keep children motivated and engaged. However, there are inconsistencies in practice, as occasionally some practitioners do not make the best use of resources to provide good quality learning opportunities for all babies. Settling-in procedures are flexible to meet the individual needs of children. In addition, each child is assigned their own key person providing them with opportunities to form close attachments with a familiar person, enabling them to feel secure and loved. The settling-in process provides opportunities for parents to share

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

information about their child's individual care needs, such as their routines at home and all children are able to access their comforters when required. This supports their personal, social and emotional needs. Children feel secure with practitioners as they enjoy cuddles and engage in play together. Older children confidently engage practitioners in their play and excitedly share their discoveries of insects and small bugs. They eagerly explain that the 'spider is all by himself but the web is protecting him'. Cosy sensory areas both inside and outside, provide children with opportunities to relax, reflect or talk to their peers, supporting their emotional well-being.

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

Older children are well behaved and understand how to share and play together cooperatively. This is further supported by practitioners who provide children with a range of opportunities to express themselves and discuss their feelings, through individual one- to-one support, or as part of circle time activities. 'Lottie' the soft toy, is used with a variety of stories and breathing techniques that enable children to discuss and reflect on different emotions and find solutions to resolve problems. Pre-school children are encouraged to help each other with tasks and role play being 'busy bees' as 'bees work together as a team to get things done'. They help to tidy away activities and are involved in setting up new activities with resources of their choice. Young infants observe each other with interest, as they engage in exploring treasure baskets with a variety of natural materials, such as feathers. The implementation of familiar routines provides them with

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

security. Practitioners consistently offer meaningful praise and celebrate children's achievements. Toddlers proudly show off their stickers for 'good sharing'. Secure relationships with parents and other agencies mean children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are sensitively supported. Transitions are effectively planned and supported when children move into a new room and in preparation for a move to another setting or school. This approach ensures a strong contribution to meeting children's emotional needs and well-being and promotes a smooth transition. Health and well-being is promoted well. All children are provided with healthy snacks and freshly cooked meals that take account of their specific dietary needs and allergies. Children are cared for in a clean and comfortable environment where they learn the importance of good hygiene and personal care. They are familiar with hand washing

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

routines during bathroom time and before handling food. Babies' hygiene is fully promoted through robust nappy changing procedures and individual face cloths are used to maintain their personal hygiene. Practitioners are vigilant and ensure that the areas and resources accessed by children are clean and well maintained. In addition, effective procedures are followed in the event of a child becoming sick while at the nursery and the appropriate action is taken, reducing the risk of cross-infection. Children are observed to enjoy the benefits of fresh air and outdoor play. Babies sleep in prams outside and children engage in a variety of outdoor activities, promoting their physical well-being. Children's understanding of safety is enhanced through controlled opportunities provided for them to take risks. Babies use appropriate low-level equipment and furniture to pull themselves into a standing position and develop their confidence and physical skills, as they negotiate

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

steps and come down the slide. Older children demonstrate their awareness of safety as they descend the stairs in single file, holding onto the banister.

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provision

The manager displays an awareness of the responsibility in meeting the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All practitioners access ongoing supervision, appraisals and attend regular meetings where information is cascaded. This ensures that they are kept informed of any changes in practice, policies or procedures. The manager has systems in place to monitor and evaluate the planning and implementation of the educational programmes and the assessment of children's progress. For example, the procedure for conducting the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years has been reviewed and parents are more actively involved. This ensures that the assessment process reflects a more detailed account of children's progress. Positive steps have been taken to enhance the quality of learning experiences for children. However, the monitoring of teaching and learning is not sufficiently robust to

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provision

ensure that the quality of teaching is consistently good. Consequently, this has led to weaknesses and inconsistencies in practice and the quality of teaching being variable, in particular in the baby room. Therefore on occasions, activities presented are not appropriate and lack challenge. Training needs are identified through observation of practice, supervision and through interest expressed by practitioners. Practitioners are supported in attending training, which overall, contributes to enhancing practice and providing better outcomes for children. However, practitioners have not received relevant baby training, resulting in some learning opportunities being missed for babies and their learning not being fully maximised. This is a breach of the requirements of the Early Years Register. The self-evaluation system reflects the views of the children, parents and staff and provides a sound overview of the nursery's strengths and weaknesses. The manager

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provision

and her team demonstrate a strong commitment to improve and overall, strategies implemented are successful. They have reflected on the recommendation from the last inspection to enhance the outdoor play area. This is still in the process of further enhancement, as new areas are gradually being introduced. The addition of a sand kitchen has proved very successful with the children. Practitioners demonstrate their enthusiasm as they discuss plans for future developments, such as increasing opportunities to explore the ever-changing environment and reflecting the educational programmes outdoors in more depth and breadth.

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provision

The manager fully understands her responsibility in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Arrangements for safeguarding children within the nursery are effective. All practitioners attend safeguarding training as a mandatory requirement and have a secure knowledge and understanding of how to protect children in their care. Management effectively implement robust systems to monitor practitioners' knowledge and ensure that they are kept fully informed of current procedures to follow, in event of any child protection concerns arising. All supporting policies are in place and practitioners know who to contact and have access to the necessary information and telephone details. The manager and practitioners check the premises on a daily basis against risk assessments, which are updated regularly. In addition, systems are implemented to ensure that practitioners are well deployed

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provision

throughout the day. As a result, children are supervised and monitored effectively to promote their safety and well-being. Daily registers record the hours of attendance for children and practitioners, ensuring that ratios are maintained at all times. Robust procedures are implemented to cover any practitioner absences, via the use of part-time practitioners and the manager. Robust recruitment and induction procedures are implemented. All practitioners working directly with the children hold appropriate early years qualifications and have appropriate suitability checks carried out, which helps to ensure children are safeguarded and that practitioners are suitable to fulfil the requirements of their role. There are clear and well-understood policies and procedures in place which are reviewed regularly and reflected in practice.

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provision

A commitment to partnership working with parents and external agencies is evident and well established and contributes to meeting children's needs. Practitioners work closely with a range of professionals, such as teachers who visit the nursery to deliver music and movement activities and teach the children French. The manager liaises closely with the local children's centre, which enables her to provide additional advice and support to parents of relevant activities and training programmes. Close liaison with local schools and sensitive support provided by practitioners, ensures that children are prepared for their move onto school. Teachers are invited to the nursery to meet children in an environment that is familiar to them and discuss their progress with the child's key person. Parents are kept fully informed about their child's progress through daily verbal communication and parent evenings. Parent questionnaires are issued to enable parents to share their views

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provision

on the nursery and regular newsletters are distributed, informing them of past and upcoming events. A number of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection expressed their delight with the care and learning opportunities presented to their children. They speak highly of the loving attention practitioners bestow on their children and say that they are kept fully informed of the nursery policies and procedures and are aware of the process to follow if they have any concerns.

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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 316028 Local authority Bolton Inspection number 968707

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 54 Number of children on roll 91 Name of provider Playsafe Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 15/05/2013 Telephone number 01204 571 777

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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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