ABC Day Nursery

ABC Day Nursery A B C Day Nursery, 143 Exeter Road, EXMOUTH, Devon, EX8 3DX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/08/2014 27/03/2014

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 4 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

 There are good relationships between children, parents and staff. As a result, children settle well and form close bonds with their key person and other staff.  Children have good opportunities to participate in activities that provide physical challenge.  Staff implement consistent behavioural management strategies to support children's personal, social and emotional development.

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It is not yet good because

 Staff do ensure that planned activities support all children's individual next steps to provide a suitable level of challenge for all children and fully extend their learning.  Staff do not consistently ensure that older children's thinking skills are supported through the use of open questions to encourage investigation and problem solving.  The play areas lack a good range of resources to encourage and extend children's imagination and creativity.  The toddler room environment does not support younger children's understanding of the meaning of print, in preparation for the next stages of their learning.

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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 and management completed a joint observation.  The inspector talked with some parents, children and staff.  The inspector examined a range of documents.  The inspector observed children's play both indoors and outside.  The inspector held discussions with management.

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Information about the setting

ABC Day Nursery is a privately owned nursery, which registered in 2001. The nursery operates from three areas on the ground floor of a large, converted house in Exmouth, Devon. Children use two outdoor play areas, one of which is specifically for the younger children. The nursery is open every weekday from 7.30am to 6pm throughout the year, except for bank holidays and at Christmas. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four-years. There are currently 67 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery supports children who learn English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery employs 19 staff. The nursery manager holds a level 4 qualification in childcare and the deputy is qualified

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Information about the setting

to level 5. Most of the remaining staff hold childcare qualifications to level 2 or 3.

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must:

 ensure that planned activities meet the needs of all children to provide purposeful and challenging play opportunities, based on all children's individual next steps to extend their learning and development.

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

 improve staff skills to consistently develop children's thinking skills, for example, by asking open questions that begin with 'what happens' and 'why'

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

 equip play spaces with a wider range of resources to provide a stimulus for imaginative play

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

 develop the environment to support younger children's understanding of words and pictures as a means of communication, for example, through labelling resources.

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who attend

Children enjoy their time at the nursery and, generally, staff teach them suitably. Since the previous inspection, management have developed systems to link observations and assessment of children with the planning of activities. This provides some children with appropriate challenges. As a result, children are beginning to make steady progress in their development. Staff monitor children's progress through the use of tracking forms, which clearly highlight children's individual achievements and gaps in their learning. Planning covers key steps within most areas of learning for specific age ranges and developmental stages. However, it does not take in to account all individual children's different stages of learning. For example, staff plan to support children in the pre-school room to begin writing their own names. However, several children within the group are already able to do this, and planning does not take this into account to extend the activity

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who attend

to challenge them. Consequently, planning for the younger and more able children in each group is less successful. Although planned activities do not always meet the needs of all children, staff know their children well and at times, plan specific activities to support them. For instance, a key person supported a child's listening skills by planning a turn- taking activity. Staff plan activities and provide resources for all areas of learning. However, there is limited availability of imaginative play resources to support children's creative play, for example through dressing up.

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who attend

Staff take appropriate steps for children who require additional help. For example, they work closely with parents and support them to seek additional assistance from outside agencies. This means staff work consistently to further the development of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff complete the required progress checks for two-year-old children and share these with parents. Additionally, they arrange regular meetings with parents to discuss children's experiences at the pre-school and their achievements. Most parents share children's home learning with their key person, to enable staff to extend children's experiences elsewhere. This all helps to keep parents involved in their child's learning experiences.

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who attend

Staff often introduce mathematical concepts into children's play and routines. For example, children counted how many milk crates they each had to help them learn to share. They learnt about the number of sides of certain shapes and compared different sized wooden blocks. These experiences help children to develop sound mathematical skills and the ability to solve problems. Staff constantly involved children in discussion and positively role modelled correct sentence structure to support their language. However, they do not consistently use open questions with older children, such as those starting with 'why' and 'how', to develop their thinking skills. Children receive good support to engage in some challenging physical activities. For example, they built a balance walkway using milk crates with the encouragement of staff. They added further challenge by taking crates away so that they had to take careful steps over the gaps. Additionally, children

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who attend

engage in further risk when participating in beach and Forest School outings. This supports children's physical development effectively.

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

The staff's welcoming approach to families and children helps children settle quickly. All children have a key person who supports their individual needs well. This system works well as it is flexible to take in to account children's developing relationships with other adults. Staff listen carefully to children and smile encouragingly, which positively supports children's self-confidence. They routinely praise children's achievements, such as 'well done' and 'good idea', to foster children's self-esteem and help them to feel safe and secure. Children move around the playrooms and outdoors confidently and make choices between the activities. This is because resources in the pre-school room are stored at low- height and labelled with words and pictures to help children identify the contents. This encourages children to make choices in their play. However, there is limited print in the toddler room to teach children from a young age that print has meaning.

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

Staff encourage children to be independent in some self-care tasks, such as serving themselves milk and water. This helps children to become self-sufficient ready for school. Staff are good role models at all times and interact with each other politely and with respect, setting a good example to children. Following the previous inspection, management have worked hard to improve staff's understanding of appropriate behaviour management approaches. As a result, children are now familiar with the boundaries and staff use consistent strategies to encourage appropriate behaviour. Consequently, children are well behaved and the staff's positive and calm approach to behaviour management helps children develop good social skills. Children share toys and equipment, and cooperate well as they play. For example, a child saw another child encountering a challenge in their play and enthusiastically shouted 'don't worry, I'm coming!' before going

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

The safety and suitability of the nursery environment is improved. Since the last inspection, management have enhanced security to prevent people from entering the premises unsupervised. Risk assessments have been thoroughly reviewed and staff now follow robust procedures to ensure that children's medication is stored appropriately. Fire evacuations are completed monthly to ensure that staff and children understand how to leave the premises quickly and safely if needed. Effective deployment of staff means they supervise children well at all times. For example, staff inform each other of the need to leave the room to ensure that temporary cover can be arranged to maintain appropriate adult-to-child ratios. This all promotes children's welfare. Children are learning about healthy lifestyles. They understand the importance of hand washing before meals, after being outside and after using the toilet. Staff remind children to take extra care in the sun

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

by wearing hats and sun lotion. This helps children learn how to keep themselves healthy.

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provision

The manager and staff have a suitable understanding of their responsibilities to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff have a secure understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. They demonstrate a clear knowledge of the procedures to follow in the event of concerns arising about children's welfare or other staff's practice. Most staff have undertaken safeguarding training, ensuring they are up-to-date with current procedures and practice. Recruitment and vetting procedures are implemented appropriately to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with young children. The management conduct inductions for new staff members to help them understand their job role and responsibilities. Staff maintain appropriate documentation to help promote children's welfare. For example, parents are required to complete a medication form to inform staff of their child's health requirements.

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provision

Management provide a good range of policies, which they share with parents to keep them involved in the running of the setting.

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provision

Parents speak very positively about the staff, manager and their children's time at the nursery. They say that their children have fun at the setting and look forward to coming each day. Management understands the importance of forming close links with other early years settings children attend to implement consistent approaches to meeting children's individual needs. Staff send transition forms to school detailing children's overall progress and development.

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provision

Self-evaluation is having an impact to bring about changes that improve outcomes for children. The manager holds staff supervision meetings on a one-to-one basis to support staff where they identify the need to enhance staff practice. All staff are encouraged to undertake further training to develop their professional practice. Consequently, they have completed a range of courses to enhance the overall quality of the setting. Management and staff have drawn up an action plan for the nursery with clearly identified targets for improvement to continue to promote improved outcomes for children. For example, management have invited staff to take responsibility for an area of learning and development. They will assess how effectively the setting currently promotes each area of learning and ensure that all staff have a full understanding of them. Overall, the manager and staff have addressed the actions and recommendations set at the last inspection. For

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provision

example, management carefully consider staff deployment to ensure positive supervision levels for children. They have reviewed their planning system to focus on children's next steps, although, they do not successfully take in to account the individual needs of all children in the group. This means that some activities lack an appropriate level of challenge for the more able children.

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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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 EY353064 Local authority Devon Inspection number 973215 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 56 Number of children on roll 67 Name of provider SPL Education Ltd Date of previous inspection 27/03/2014 Telephone number 01395 222 808

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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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