Holme Park Day Nursery

Holme Park Day Nursery Holme Park, Holme Park Farm Lane, Sonning Lane, Sonning, Reading, Berkshire, RG4 6ST

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/09/2014 03/09/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children are happy, secure and explore the learning environment confidently. They have good relationships with staff which promotes their eagerness to learn.  Management and staff form strong partnerships with parents. As a result children receive secure continuity of care and learning.  Leadership and management have a proactive approach to evaluating their service. They include the views of staff, parents, and children and promote continuous improvement well.  Children enjoy a wide range of activities in the well-resourced environment both indoors and outdoors.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 On occasion, staff do not build on children's interest to fully extend children's learning as they play.  Some information sharing takes place with local schools. However, overall, partnerships are not well established and do not fully support children's move to school.

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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 teaching, learning, and care practices in the main playrooms and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector and manager undertook a joint observation of teaching practice and discussed this.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection and held a meeting with the manager to discuss leadership and management in the setting.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed samples of documentation including policies, staff qualifications, staff suitability checks, and children's learning records.  The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views.

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Information about the setting

Holme Park Day Nursery registered in September 2006. It operates from a purpose built unit in Sonning, Berkshire. All children have access to a secure outdoor play area. The nursery is open every weekday from 7.30am until 6.30pm all year round, except for public holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 54 children on roll within the early years age group, some in part-time places.

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Information about the setting

There are 17 members of staff, one member of staff holds the Early Years Teacher Status, 12 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications, and there is a qualified chef. The setting receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four.

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

 strengthen partnerships with local schools to fully support children's move from the nursery to reception class

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

 make better use of spontaneous opportunities to extend children's learning by more actively building on their interest during activities.

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who attend

Staff have good knowledge of children's development. They use their observations and assessments of children's achievements well to identify the next steps in their learning. They incorporate these in to the weekly planning. This ensures there is a good range of purposeful and focused activities based on children's interests and developmental stages. As a result, staff motivate children in learning very well and they make good progress from their starting points. Staff carefully balance adult planned and child-led activities to support daily routines and spontaneous play.

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who attend

Staff use good techniques to actively engage children. For example, a staff member working with the two- to three-year-olds , extends their creativity and critical thinking through skilful questioning about mixing paint colours. The younger children enjoy sensory play as they explore with sand and materials of different textures. Staff foster children's development of communication and language well by talking to them about what they are doing and extending their vocabulary. For example, when playing with toy animals staff teach children the name of each animal and the sound it makes. The pre-school staff use a listening bear and encourage children to use their 'listening ears'. Consequently children learn the importance of listening when others are speaking. This prepares them for their next steps in learning.

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who attend

Staff recognise the importance of developing children's early love of books. They provide good opportunities for children to hear stories and look at books both indoors and outside. Staff promote children's early reading by teaching them to sound out words and link sounds to letters. As a result, many children achieve well in this area. Children make strong progress with early counting skills as they practise counting in daily routines and through their favourite rhymes. For example, they count how many children are going to play outside, and they help staff count out foam numbers in the garden. Staff very successfully engage children in activities but do not always fully build on their interest to maximise their learning. For example, children are fascinated as a member of staff encourages them to put their hand on their heart to note the change in their breathing after physical play. However, they do not receive additional support to understand exactly

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who attend

Children enjoy daily use of a large outside play area, which staff resource well. It is split into different areas for each of the age groups. This reflects children's differing stages of development so they are challenged well in their physical development. Other resources are chosen to reflect the children's interests, which keeps them purposefully engaged. There are positive representations of diverse cultures shown through displays and toys in playrooms. Staff equip each of the play rooms with age-appropriate furniture and resources. These cover all the areas of learning well and are stored in low shelving enabling children to choose what they wish to play with. This arrangement promotes children's independence as learners. For example, the pre-school children enjoy using the climbing frame to practise their balance and physical skills. The children benefit from a rich outdoor environment including a bug hotel, a fruit and vegetable patch, construction

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who attend

areas, sand and water play, and a mud kitchen.

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who attend

Staff work effectively with parents to involve them in their child's learning. They consult with them during initial settling in sessions to determine their children's starting points. Management and staff effectively share information regarding children's progress through progress reports, parents evening and daily discussions. Staff also complete the required progress checks for two-year-old children in partnership with their parents.

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

Staff are good role models for children. They teach them to understand boundaries and expectations of behaviour. They also support them to learn to keep themselves safe. For example, children are aware that they must only use the slide and climbing equipment when an adult is present. Staff explain why this protects them from falling and hurting themselves. Staff consistently provide praise to acknowledge children's achievements and efforts. This helps to increase their self-esteem and positive dispositions to learning. Staff are on hand to support children who may be slow to settle in the morning and provide comfort and cuddles for younger children who need additional reassurance.

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

There is an effective key-person in the nursery. Younger children seek out their key person and are responsive to them. Consequently, children create secure bonds with familiar adults. Staff sometimes rotate around the nursery and visit children in different rooms. This helps familiarise children with different members of staff. Staff are loving and affectionate with the children, and as a result, they build good relationships. Staff encourage children to take turns and share at all times, this helps them to build skills in social situations and to play cooperatively.

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

Pre-school children are beginning to gain skills to promote independence in their self-care. They serve their own meals, find their name on tablemats, go to the toilet alone, and help themselves to drinking water. Toddlers receive appropriate help to understand the order and routine of the day through the aid of a visual timetable. Children receive balanced meals cooked by a qualified chef. Staff promote good hygiene practices and children know to wash their hands before meals times, and after they have used the toilet. Children learn about the importance of being active and enjoy movement during games, and singing indoors. Staff help children to learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they involve them in practise fire drills so they know how to evacuate the premises in case of an emergency.

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

Staff keep parents well informed when children move rooms. For example, parents receive a letter inviting them to meet the staff and the new key person in the new room and discuss the settling visits.

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provision

The owner and manager have a thorough understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They implement effective policies and procedures to help ensure all the requirements are met and that children make good progress in their learning. These include robust recruitment and employment procedures to ensure staff are suitable and qualified for their roles. Comprehensive induction and performance management systems also ensure staff have a secure understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

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provision

Management and staff have a clear understanding of safeguarding. They have all completed child protection training. Consequently, they know what to do if they have concerns about a child in their care. Daily safety checks take place and staff are proactive in addressing any safety issues as they arise. For example, staff noted the high level of supervision needed to keep children safe in the garden and erected a new fence to make the space more manageable. Children benefit because this enables staff to focus more on supporting play and promoting learning.

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provision

Management have good systems to evaluate the quality of their service. They identify and act promptly to address areas identified for improvement. Management fully involve staff, parents and children in this process. There is a parent nursery association, regular staff meetings and a children's committee. There are good arrangements to maintain the professional development of staff through annual appraisals, supervision meetings and peer observations. The manager and deputy monitor planning and assessment arrangements well. This helps to ensure staff are consistent in delivering the educational programme and have an accurate understanding of children's progress.

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provision

The positive relationships staff maintain with parents provide children with continuity and help them feel secure. As a result, outcomes for all children are good. Parents have ample opportunities to speak to staff and management about their child. They comment on how happy they are with the nursery and the care their children receive. Parents feedback that they feel well informed through the weekly newsletters, parents evenings and website. They also value the daily discussions and individual settling routines, which are tailored according to each child's needs. However, arrangements to work with local schools are not as effective. Staff provide transfer documents for reception teachers but do not generally communicate directly with them to ease the move to school for individual 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 EY339360 Local authority Wokingham Inspection number 834923 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 56 Number of children on roll 54 Name of provider CR Childcare Limited Date of previous inspection 03/09/2010 Telephone number 01189 695545

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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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