What a Hoot Day Nursery

What a Hoot Day Nursery Formally St Andrews Primary School, Albion Way, BLYTH, NE24 5BW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/09/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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

 The quality of teaching is consistently good. Staff interact well with children to enhance their learning, therefore supporting them to make good progress.  Practitioners and the manager value their partnerships with parents and other professionals, as a result, children and families benefit from a coordinated approach to learning.  The manager places a strong emphasis on supporting her growing staff team. Ongoing support and training is provided, which enables all staff to further develop their practice, which enhances the experience for the children.  Children are effectively safeguarded through the nursery's robust policies and procedures. Staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of child protection issues and procedures.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to provide more positive experiences for the children during snack time, by ensuring it is a more relaxed time that fully supports their personal and social development.  Newer members of staff would benefit from more initial support, to ensure they are always fully confident in working effectively with their colleagues.

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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 compulsory part 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 had a tour of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching and learning activities in both nursery rooms and the outdoor learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the room leader of the 2 - 3 year room.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a meeting with the manager of the nursery and discussed a range of policies and procedures and the nursery development plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.  The inspector met with parents to gather their views on the nursery.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Information about the setting

What a Hoot Day Nursery was registered in 2014 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a school formally known as St Andrews Primary School in Blyth, and is owned and managed by private company. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from two playrooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least level 3, including one with Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm.

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

 review the organisation of snack time to ensure that children always have the opportunity to experience an enjoyable, social time when eating together

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

 monitor and support newer members of staff, to make sure that they understand how to work alongside other staff effectively, particularly during daily routines.

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who attend

The nursery is well resourced with high quality equipment. The educational programme has been planned carefully to provide children with support across the seven areas of learning, and staff provide a range of stimulating, interesting and challenging experiences for the children. During the inspection there were two new staff and a number of new children in the setting, however, the nursery was in the main calm, with the children all engaged in activities, leading their own learning, with the support of staff. Staff understand the individual development needs of each child. The staff plan for children on an individual basis, observing them regularly in order to understand their level of development and their interests. The staff plan using the information they have gathered from parents about each child's interests and capabilities. This information is part of the initial assessment which is carried out and recorded in each child's tracker file. This is a

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who attend

record of the child's progress in the setting and includes details of what each child needs to learn next. Children are making good progress as a result of attending nursery. Staff support the children well as they play, allowing them to explore, investigate and take risks while ensuring they are safe. The staff extend the children's learning through observing what they are doing and extending the activity when appropriate, for example, by asking children questions that make them think, such as 'what might happen if you put the ball in the pipe?' The quality of teaching is consistently good. All staff in the nursery are well qualified and experienced at providing appropriate learning experiences, including those who are newly appointed. Storytelling, signing and creativity is given a high priority within the nursery, with staff focusing on communication and language development to ensure that all children, including those with a speech delay, make good levels of progress in this area.

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who attend

As a result, staff use a special programme designed by the nursery manager which combines songs, stories and props, so that children benefit from a focused strategy to develop their speech and language. For example, the welcome song for the children and the story they listened to during the inspection was as a direct result of this work. The staff are also working closely with parents and other professionals to ensure they are maximising the communication and language opportunities for the children. For example, they make good use of support from external agencies, including speech and language and portage, and regularly use signing systems, such as Makaton with children aged between two and three years.

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who attend

The staff ensure that parents are fully involved in their children's learning and development, both in the nursery and at home. The staff visit the children at home before they start nursery to ensure a smooth transition into the setting. The parents also complete information about their child to share with the staff when they start at the setting. The children's learning journal files and tracking books are shared with the parents, and parents are encouraged to sign and make comments in these. Parents are also encouraged to take their child's learning journal files home and add photos and details of what their child has achieved at home. The progress check for children aged between two and three years are completed in detail and shared with the parents and health visitors. There is an effective key person system in place, and all the parents who spoke to the inspector were aware of their child's key person and spoke positively about

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who attend

how this is used to ensure their child is happy during the settling-in process. For example one parent said 'my child loves it here and asks every morning when he gets up, is it nursery today, and cries when it isn't.'

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

Children and parents receive an enthusiastic welcome into this warm and friendly nursery. There are pictures and evidence of the children's work displayed on the walls in each room and in the entrance area, and this creates a child-friendly and stimulating environment. Staff are well qualified and experienced and use their skills to help the children feel at home. This means that children settle into the nursery well and are quickly comforted by experienced and knowledgeable staff if they become upset. The children are visited at home by staff before they start nursery. This means that important information is gathered from the parents about their child before they start at the nursery, so that each child's interests, routines, likes and dislikes are known. Settling visits are planned for each child and reviewed with the parents on an individual basis, ensuring that these reflect and are based on each child's individual needs. The staff have developed strong attachments

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

with the children and are very secure in their knowledge about their own and other staff's key children. Staff regularly review activities and make appropriate changes where necessary, to ensure that the children are gaining the most from each activity and the resources offered.

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

Overall children are developing a clear understanding about healthy eating and the importance of sitting sociably with their friends to enjoy their food. Dinner time is a very positive experience, where children sit at the table together and are encouraged to serve themselves, which they manage very well. They learn to use appropriate utensils with support from staff, who clearly know the children well and understand those who need a little more support to stay seated. However, snack time is sometimes less well organised and, therefore, not as effective. For example, during the inspection there were a lot of children sitting at the same table and even though there were four staff available to help the children to choose their fruit and serve their drink, snack time remained busy, noisy with some children moving around. This resulted in there being little opportunity for children to benefit from a relaxed, social time.

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

The nursery, which only registered this year, is now expanding and has recently improved the facilities for children by opening a second care room to accommodate the younger children and allow staff to focus on meeting the needs of this age group. The staff know the children well and have worked with and consulted parents to ensure that this move for some of the two-year-olds is a positive experience. There is a lot of support provided for children who have additional needs. Referrals have been made to other professionals when appropriate and the nursery currently have the outside support of speech and language, occupational therapy and portage agencies who are supporting children in the setting. The staff are confident in identifying the support that is needed for each child and this ensures that all children get the help they need to support their well-being and make good levels of progress.

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

Children's physical development is promoted well. The outdoor area is still currently being developed, but already offers children a large selection of learning opportunities and experiences. For example, children enjoy exploring in the mud kitchen and sand pit, using mark making equipment outside and developing their physical skills when playing on the grassed area or using wheeled toys. The children have open access to the outdoor area for most of the daily session and staff talk to the children to help them understand the need to stay safe when playing both inside and outside.

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provision

The nursery manager is actively working with the children and staff to ensure the best outcomes for all. The manager and her staff have a clear understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and know the stages of development they would be expecting for the children, relevant to their age and starting points. The manager takes all necessary steps to ensure the children are kept safe and well. She demonstrates effectively her commitment to developing and maintaining a high quality nursery. There are effective recruitment procedures in place, which includes interviewees preparing and delivering an activity with a group of children, and parents are included on the interview panel. New staff are provided with the policies and procedures for the nursery on their first day and there is a robust induction process in place for every member of staff. All staff are aware of the nursery's safeguarding procedure and of the process to follow if they have concerns

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provision

about a child. There are detailed policies and procedures in place for safeguarding, and these including the appropriate use of mobile phones, cameras and social networking sites. Staff sign these policies during their induction to confirm they understand and will adhere to the nursery's procedures. Risk assessments are in place for all areas of the nursery, both indoors and outdoors, and these are checked on a daily basis, ensuring the children's safety remains paramount.

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provision

The staff have attended training both in-house and externally. The manager is planning to access further training through the local authority for herself and the staff. The manager is currently included in the staff ratios, working alongside her staff to gain a good overview of the effectiveness of the nursery. Staff performance and children's progress is monitored, and the nursery's development plan details the priorities for continuous development. This includes employment of additional staff, accessing local authority training, continued development of the outdoor area and the ongoing development of the additional nursery facilities. The manager welcomes support from the local authority and has also accessed the support from a consultant and is currently acting upon advice given. Self-evaluation is used effectively and has resulted in reviewing how the children's achievements are recorded and making plans for introducing peer observations that will

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provision

then feed in to staff supervision arrangements. Overall daily routines run smoothly, however, newer members of staff have not yet gained the confidence they need to work alongside other staff effectively during daily routines, such as when preparing for snack time. The nursery will benefit from the manager reviewing this aspect of practice during the early stages of employment with new staff.

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provision

The relationships with parents are very positive. The entrance area of the setting provides detailed information for the parents about the setting and external agencies, including a newsletter which keeps the parents up to date with topics in the nursery and events that are planned. They talk to key workers daily, and have regular access to their child's learning folders to ensure that they are kept well informed about their child's progress and achievements. The manager has plans to further develop the parental involvement in the nursery, and has a very welcoming approach that includes making sure she has the time to talk with both children and parents.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY473428 Local authority Northumberland Inspection number 965813 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 59 Name of provider What a Hoot Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01670 798060

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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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