Fledglings Day Nursery

Fledglings Day Nursery Little Heath School, Little Heath Road, Tilehurst, READING, RG31 5TY

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/09/2014 04/02/2009

p.1

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

p.1

This provision is good

 Children are content and settled at the nursery because they form secure relationships with staff and other children.  Staff promote children's communication and language very well.  Children make good progress, and are happy and motivated. They freely explore a wealth of resources in the well-organised play environment. Positive relationships and good information sharing with parents promotes consistent care and learning experiences for children.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 Younger children have few opportunities to play with toys and resources which support their sensory development in the indoor environment.  At times, staff do not encourage older children to solve problems for themselves.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the indoor areas and in the garden.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection, during and after activities.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation, including policies and procedures and discussed these with staff.  The inspector and manager conducted a joint observation on a group activity.  The inspector spoke to available parents at inspection.

p.2

Information about the setting

Fledglings Day Nursery originally registered in 1992 and changed ownership in 2002. It is privately owned and managed. The nursery operates from a purpose-built premise, consisting of three rooms and a fully enclosed outdoor area, within the grounds of Little Heath School in the village of Tilehurst, near Reading. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 53 children on roll, all of whom are in the early year's age range. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. It is open from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am to 6pm. There are 15 members of staff working with the children; of these 12 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications.

p.3

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

 extend the opportunities for younger children to learn through sensory experiences while playing indoors

p.3

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

 support older children to create, think critically and build on their problem solving skills.

p.3

who attend

Children are happy and confident, and enjoy a wide range of activities which support and enhance their developmental progression. The staff have a good understanding of the learning and development requirements. This enables them to provide good quality teaching and learning overall. Good settling procedures support children's confidence upon entry. For example, staff gather a wealth of information from parents, about the children's routines and interests so that they can meet their needs from the very beginning. Staff support children sensitively to prepare for changes as they move to the next room in the nursery, or leave to go to school. This has a positive effect on the children's personal, social and emotional development as it helps to develop secure and trusting relationship.

p.3

who attend

Children are self-assured and enjoy in a variety of activities that excite and engage them. Older children demonstrate a positive attitude towards their learning and are acquiring useful skills to prepare them for school. Staff engage well with the children. Together they enjoy group times where they sing songs and celebrate special occasions, such as birthdays. This helps the children to become strong and confident in group activities. Children of all ages benefit from good support to promote their communication and language. For example, staff working with the babies recognise the importance of responding to their sounds and babbling to promote their communication. Older children confidently engage in conversations with staff. For example, children playing in the sand recount details of trips with their families to the seaside. Staff follow their lead well as they discuss how the sand is different at the seaside and ask a good range of questions to

p.3

who attend

develop and support children interests. This helps children to become confident speakers, using a widening range of vocabulary to express themselves.

p.4

who attend

Children have a wide range of toys and resources to support their active play in the garden, such as bikes and climbing frames. This promotes their physical development and coordination as they develop skills to balance and climb. Babies have a safe garden area, which allows them to crawl and explore a broad range of resources in the fresh air. They also enjoy creative activities such as painting and playing in the sand. However, indoors there are few natural resources to enable babies to engage in sensory experiences.

p.4

who attend

Older children enjoy playing in the water, which is made more interesting through the use of natural resources such as shells. As children play, staff encourage them to use mathematical language, such as 'big' and 'little' as they explore the shells, textures and sizes. In addition, children count the number of toy fish they have caught in the net and work out how many are left to catch. This helps children to learn to count for a reason. Older children have daily opportunities to develop their creativity as they play in shaving foam, use chalks and pens. In a bubble printing activity children mix materials together and observe what happens when they add food colouring to water. They enthusiastically talk about the effects of mixing different colours. However, staff do not build on children's interest to encourage them think more deeply about the properties of the bubbles or the different ways they can be created. This does not fully support older children to learn

p.4

who attend

through exploration and problem-solving. The opportunities for older children to learn about the natural world are good. They take an active role in creating and maintaining a welcoming garden area as they plant and nurture plants and herbs.

p.4

who attend

The nursery has good arrangements to assess children's progress and identify the next stages in their learning. Staff regularly undertake observations of the children and record these in a secure software program for the parents to access. This enables parents to be involved in their children's development and contribute to assessments. Staff complete reports for children in their care, and understand the importance of providing clear summaries of children's progress to support future learning. They complete the required progress checks for two-year-old and share these with parents. These checks include parents' comments, evaluate children's progress and identify future learning aims well.

p.4

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

Children demonstrate that they are very happy at nursery. They have use of an adequate range of resources that are suitable for their ages and stages of development. They spend time playing both inside and outdoors each day. Staff deployment is effective and supports children's learning well. Children form secure attachments with their key person. They happily go to familiar staff to play, ask questions or for a reassuring cuddle, for example, when a visitor enters the room. The nursery environment is welcoming, with photographs of children's play and creative artwork on display.

p.4

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

Children behave very well as staff regularly praise and encourage their achievements and efforts. This helps to promote children's self-esteem and emotional development well. Children are beginning to learn about their own safety as they practise the evacuation procedure and receive ongoing advice and support from staff. For example, staff remind children to put their shoes and sock on as they get out of the sand pit so they do not hurt their feet. This helps children think about their actions and understand the consequences.

p.5

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

Children develop a strong understanding of good hygiene. The staff follow hygienic nappy changing procedures, which minimises the risk of cross infection. All children wash their hands before eating. Older children confidently carry out self-care tasks such as independently going to the toilet. Older children also help with the preparation of the lunch table. All children receive regular drinks of water or milk throughout the day, which promotes healthy choices. Children benefit from varied and nutritious meals and snacks. The leadership team and cook ensure they keep up to date on recommended guidance to support young children to eat well. This positively contributes to the children's health and well-being.

p.5

provision

Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They effectively safeguard children through good daily practices and procedures. Staff attend regular child protection training to ensure that they are confident in their roles and responsibilities concerning safeguarding children. The nursery has an extensive range of policies and procedures which are available to parents and fully understood by staff. Risk assessments of the environment, and ongoing daily checks both indoors and outside, promote children's safety and well-being.

p.5

provision

The leadership team implements effective staff recruitment procedures to support them in assessing the suitability of staff. All staff receive a full induction and take part in an ongoing supervision and appraisal process. This helps management to identify any areas where it may be necessary to support staff practice. For instance, all staff have opportunities to complete first-aid training and management monitor that this is updated as necessary. This means staff are well prepared to deal with accidents. The management team has a secure awareness of the strengths of the nursery and a clear vision for the future. For example, they encourage staff to enhance their qualifications to further improve outcomes for children.

p.5

provision

Very good partnerships with parents and other providers are evident and well-established. These contribute to meeting children's individual needs effectively. Parents take an active role in their children's learning. They attend regular parents' evenings and have the opportunity to join the parent's forum group. Management seek parents' views so that they can be involved in the continued improvement of the nursery, for example, through use of questionnaires. Parents explain that staff are supportive and that their children are happy to attend.

p.5

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

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number EY255805 Local authority West Berkshire (Newbury) Inspection number 833103 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 53 Name of provider Fledglings Day Nursery (Tilehurst) Ltd Date of previous inspection 04/02/2009 Telephone number 01189 451545

p.8

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.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

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,

p.9

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’.

p.10

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10