Hugo and Holly Day Nursery

Hugo and Holly Day Nursery 8 Heathville Road, GLOUCESTER, GL1 3DS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/08/2014 14/12/2010

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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

 The quality of teaching is consistently high and learning is inspirational because staff have a clear and well-informed understanding of the areas of learning and high expectations of themselves and the children. This results in all children making excellent ongoing progress in their learning and development.  A high quality curriculum, covering all areas of learning, successfully combines the Reggio Emilia approach with mainstream early education and provides children with an excellent foundation to their learning.  Children follow a unique pathway in their learning because staff expertly observe, assess and identify each child's needs and learning style. This results in a highly effective programme of individualised learning.  Children's good health and well-being is highly prioritised. The securely embedded role of the key person offers them support in practice, and children are confident, happy

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This provision is outstanding

and curious learners. Staff use the outdoor environment exceptionally well to ensure that children enjoy regular fresh air and exercise.  Partnership with parents and other professionals are highly effective, leading to exceptionally successful outcomes for all children. This fosters a highly inclusive environment, in which all children achieve to their best potential and beyond.

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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 a wide range of activities across all areas of the nursery and talked with staff and children about what they were doing.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documents and procedures relating to safeguarding, staffing, supervision, risk assessment, health and safety, and checked a selection of other policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of children's records, the nursery's systems for planning, evaluation and exchanging information with parents and external professionals.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and reviewed written comments from parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the leadership team and conducted several joint observations with the owner.

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Information about the setting

Hugo and Holly Day Nursery registered in 2007. It operates from a converted Victorian four-storey house within walking distance of Gloucester city centre. Children have access to five playrooms, over three floors and an enclosed garden for outside play. The nursery serves the local area. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory part and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 47 children in the roll. The nursery is open Mondays to Fridays from 8 am until 6 pm all year round except for Bank holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The group offer support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who have English as an additional language. It receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. A total of 16 staff work with the children. All staff have appropriate childcare qualifications. The owner holds a teaching

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Information about the setting

qualification and is currently studying to a postgraduate level. The nursery also employs a qualified teacher to work in the pre-school room. A further number of staff are working towards higher qualifications which include early years teacher status and level 5. A supporting manager and senior quality manager work across the two settings. The nursery has regard to the Reggio Emilia educational approach.

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

 make further use of monitoring information in order to identify any emerging trends in children's learning.

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who attend

Children are enthusiastic and highly motivated to learn at this stimulating nursery. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of both the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and Reggio Emilia teaching methods. This enables them to successfully combine the two and be very confident in their delivery of a high quality curriculum. Staff are very secure in their knowledge about how children learn and progress and this reflect this in the consistently high standards of the teaching and learning taking place. They know children across the nursery extremely well and identify their individual needs by making systematic observations. Staff give these very high priority and, together with children's interests, guide and inform children's development thoroughly. Planning brings together individual goals for each child in the nursery, surrounding every child with opportunities to learn, and skilled staff to help them. Such rigorous, shared planning and

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who attend

assessment means that staff and parents are quick to identify when children excel or need more help in specific areas. Staff then quickly add on strategies to extend or boost children's skills, or support parents as they seek guidance from outside agencies. Consequently, all children make the best possible progress in their learning and development. Parents fully participate in their children's learning and share daily updates of what their children enjoy and do at home which also feeds into the daily activities. They are able to frequently access their children's learning files, meet with staff and discuss their child's achievements. This ensures that staff respect parents as a child's first teacher in line with the Reggio philosophy and are included in all aspects of the curriculum and care. The quality of teaching is exceptional because staff show high levels of skill when observing and interacting in children's play. They are able to expertly judge just how and

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who attend

when to intervene to extend learning by acting primarily as a co-learner. For example, a staff member joins a child in the garden who is experimenting with sounds on a drum. She makes a musical pattern on her drum and the child joins in by copying with his. He then extends the rhythm, she joins in, and together they create a melody of sound. Much of the learning takes place in the outdoors in mixed age groups with days spent exploring, being active and enjoying the fresh air. Staff take the very youngest babies outside to play in their safe, designated garden area. They explore sensory baskets, climb up the small slide or listen to the sounds of the objects in the sensory baskets. Older children love to go bug hunting and spend sustained periods of time excavating mounds of soil in their quest for worms to observe through their magnifying glass. They learn about the natural world as they grow and care for a range of fruits and vegetables throughout the year

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who attend

fruits. They monitor the fruit closely and then harvest it to eat. Staff provide excellent support to those children who are in the early stages of developing their speech and language. The staff model language in a reassuring and positive way, which supports those groups of children who are less confident in their ways of communicating. Staff take time to listen to children's conversations and ideas with interest and sensitivity. This means that children develop extremely good communication skills that prepare them well for their future learning. Teaching is clear, well-paced and sharp, showing an in-depth understanding of children's overall and specific learning needs. Staff ensure that children have opportunities to discover and guide their own learning and provide plenty of opportunities for children to practise new skills both independently and with support when needed. Child led play leads to further outdoor opportunities to learn as children fill up

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who attend

pots of water and mix and create potions in the mud kitchen. Staff are on hand to encourage the children to compare and contrast the different textures as they mix them together. They allow children time and freedom to become deeply involved in activities which are accessible and open-ended and which challenge children's thinking. For example, a group of children experiment with the natural resources on offer and select some drainpipes to play with. Together they consider the best way to create a drainpipe run, create and re-create their design in order to maximise the speed of the balls as they are dropping through. They concentrate for long periods, persist through difficulties and show pride in their achievements. Later they build on this design and adapt it to achieve a new idea. These opportunities help them to think critically, to make links in their experiences and to test out their ideas. It also builds on concentration and team building

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who attend

skills through play in readiness for school. As a result, children are exceptionally curious and active learners, showing a high degree of confidence and enthusiasm. Indoors children have abundant opportunities to draw and write throughout the day. They freely use a range of paper, pens and crayons from the art unit to draw, and older children write with purpose. A good range of art and craft materials is easily accessible so that children can explore colour and texture and produce original pieces of artwork. Children collaborate and create unique large-scale artwork that adorns the walls of the nursery rooms and children eagerly describe how they contributed to the work. In the garden, the children use chalks to write down the 'dish of the day' in their mud kitchen and younger children use water and paintbrushes to make marks on the fences. Staff very ably support children's early literacy skills as they sound out and model how to form letters.

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who attend

Consequently, children are making excellent progress in their learning and are developing extremely good skills for their future learning. Partnerships with parents are exemplary. Parents are highly complimentary about the staff and highlight the extremely strong bond that exists between the nursery and home as one of its key strengths. They comment that they have gained a better understanding of the meaning of play and now know how they can support their children at home. As a result, home-nursery links are strong. Staff fully involve parents in setting individual targets and sharing in future learning and milestones that their children achieve in the nursery.

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

Children are secure, settled and very happy in this vibrant nursery. They develop strong bonds and secure attachments because staff show excellent levels of sensitivity, care and consideration, towards each child and their family. In particular, the relationships between staff and children in the toddler age range foster a strong emotional basis for children to initiate friendships with others. Siblings also frequently visit each other throughout the day, to re-affirm secure relationships and enjoy playing in the garden areas together. As a result, all children develop close, affectionate relationships with their key person and each other, and develop the confidence with which to explore their surroundings and increase their independence. Children move freely between inside and outdoors for much of the day as staff provide a wonderfully rich and varied learning environment in both areas. Ample and attractive spaces enable children to group together for physical education

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

sessions or big art and construction projects. Similarly, indoor rooms and outdoor corners offer soft, cushioned retreats for a rest or cuddle. Children choose and easily access the activities and locations that interest them, with staff nearby to observe, keep them safe and when appropriate extend their ideas. Staff deploy themselves well to meet children's needs and work as an exceptionally efficient team. Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff act as positive role models and have high expectations of children's behaviour. Staff support younger children to play together particularly well. They provide plenty of resources and one to one attention, so younger children learn to play alongside each other in a happy and exciting environment. Older children share and negotiate throughout many aspects of their play. For example, during a mixing activity children help themselves to the ingredients, taking what they need before passing on the tubs to their friends. Children

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

are developing strong friendships as they play together in pairs and in groups. This prepares children very well for their future learning and eventual move to school. Children enjoy plenty of fresh air and exercise that enhance their physical development and help them to develop a healthy lifestyle. They enjoy a very healthy, nutritious and varied menu of food, freshly prepared each day by the nursery cook. Mealtimes are sociable occasions and are often organised into group sittings where siblings enjoy the company of family members. Older children set the tables, serve their food and enjoy each other's company as they talk about their day. Cooking is part of the curriculum provided each week and offers children the opportunity to learn many different skills. For example, they learn about weights and measures and they know how to handle utensils safely. They grow fruit and vegetables in the garden, which they harvest and prepare for their meals, effectively

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

helping children to understand where food comes from. Staff respect and carefully follow individual dietary requirements. As a result, all children are happy, energetic, well- nourished and ready to play. Children's understanding of how to keep themselves safe is excellent, as they are actively involved in devising and implementing positive rules to ensure their safety in the environment. Close supervisions of younger children at all times ensures their safety and well-being. Staff support children's individual care needs and routines very well, allowing children to access the bathroom and wash their hands independently before meals and after messy play activities. There are robust systems in place to manage any accidents at the nursery and these demonstrate that staff have an extremely high regard for children's safety. The nursery links effectively with local schools, in partnership with parents. Teachers visit the nursery to meet the children and the key

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

person shares information about the children's interests and needs. This promotes excellent continuity to support children's ongoing learning and care needs as they move on to school. Staff provide further activities to help children feel confident and self-assured about what their future holds.

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provision

The impact of the inspirational and motivated owner is evident throughout this outstanding nursery. She recognises the individual skills of her staff team, knows them well, and rewards dedication and hard work. She acts as an outstanding role model for staff and often works within rooms within the nursery. This visible presence benefits both the staff and children and ensures all aspects of the nursery receive the very best possible care and attention. Regular staff and supervision meetings and appraisals and a targeted programme of peer observations and mentoring for each staff member brings about a sustained level of exceptionally high quality service, for children and their families. Staff continually strive to enhance their skills and expertise through advanced training and high achieving qualifications. They talk with pride about the work that they do and there is a tremendous feeling of passion and total commitment throughout the staff group. Staff

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provision

work as a team with a common aim, shared responsibilities and a culture of celebrating successes. Their enthusiasm, professionalism, commitment and dedication to raising standards are exemplary. As a result, they deliver an exciting programme of learning experiences that enrich children's development and progress. This enables all children to reach their full potential. The staff team demonstrate a very strong understanding of their role in meeting the learning requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Securely embedded systems to monitor and evaluate the educational programmes, and the 'can do' attitude of the staff team, leads to continuous and rapid improvement. Robust self- assessment is based firmly on the analysis of outcomes and leads to challenging target setting. A newly devised system for monitoring and evaluating the educational programmes ensures that children make the best progress possible and that staff meet

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provision

their individual needs. While systems to monitor the progress of children are already strong, staff strive to further this by including a more detailed analysis of children's individual progress and trends across the nursery in order to inform daily practice. This keeps children moving forward and better meets the needs of the whole family. As a result, the nursery demonstrates an excellent capacity to maintain continuous improvement. Safeguarding procedures are rigorous and robust. Rigorous health and safety, and safeguarding procedures provide safe premises for children and their families. All staff are exceptionally well-trained in the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures so that they are up-to-date with all current legislation. Effective and rigorous recruitment and vetting procedures apply. This ensures the thorough checking and suitability of each member of staff, prior to them working unsupervised with children. The manager further

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provision

strengthens this by close monitoring of staff practice through observations and a comprehensive induction programme, which ensures staff are aware of their responsibilities to safeguard and nurture children in their care. Staff and management give the utmost priority to children's safety through comprehensive risk assessments. They monitor and revise these in response to any events or new information. Staff attend regular training in safeguarding and child protection with further items for discussion at every staff meeting. The nursery has clear policies and procedures for administering medicines, managing health and hygiene and caring for children who are ill while at the nursery. A highly effective key person system ensures that all children benefit from the additional security and reassurance of staff who know them extremely well. This ensures that keeping children safe and healthy is the highest priority for all staff at all times. Highly

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provision

effective self-evaluation fosters a vibrant and energetic culture of continuous professional development. The team make excellent use of reflective practice and regular self- evaluation, which involves staff, parents and children's views, as well as advice from local authority advisors. This provides an excellent opportunity for staff to expand their knowledge, skills and expertise, as well as highlighting areas for further development. Recommendations from the previous inspection have been successfully addressed. Partnership with parents is outstanding and parents speak highly of the nursery and are very complimentary about the staff. The wealth of knowledge that staff have about their child particularly impresses parents. They also understand from staff how this helps to 'nurture' their child's development. All were extremely happy with the care and education provided. Parents receive a wide range of information through daily chats, parent

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provision

evenings, newsletters and daily communication books. The information staff receive from parents about their children's learning at home fully contributes to the assessment procedures. Staff include this information in their planning as they promote children's development to their full potential. The nursery has developed very good links with a variety of other professionals supporting children and their families to ensure that children receive timely and appropriate support to meet their individual needs. The result is an atmosphere of community and collaboration that is developmentally appropriate for adults and children alike.

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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 EY356746 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 835353 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 47 Name of provider Hugo and Holly Day Nursery Partnership Date of previous inspection 14/12/2010 Telephone number 01452 417 123

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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

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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