Victoria Hospital Nursery

Victoria's Happy Days Nursery Victoria Hospital, Whinney Heys Road, BLACKPOOL, FY3 8NR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/10/2014 23/09/2008

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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

 The educational programme is well planned to cover all areas of learning and provide challenging and motivating teaching and learning experiences for all children. As a result, children consistently make good progress.  Staff give upmost priority to the safety of children and effectively support children's growing understanding of how to keep themselves safe.  Children develop healthy lifestyles and strong physical skills. They have good opportunities to exercise rigorously in large spaces, such as outdoors in the fresh air.  Established partnership working with parents and other agencies results in information being shared and therefore, children's needs are well met.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always make best use of parents' contributions to the initial assessments of children's starting points, to enable them to more accurately plan individual, purposeful play opportunities right from the start.

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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 spoke to the children, parents and members of staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's arrival time and activities in the indoor and outdoor play areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed records of the children's assessment and planning and regulatory records including adult qualifications and suitability to work with children and the setting's safeguarding policy.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager and deputy manager of an adult-led activity.  The inspector reviewed the provider's self-evaluation form.

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Information about the setting

Victoria Happy Days Nursery was registered in 2001 and is run by Happy Days Childcare Limited. The nursery is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is situated in the grounds of Blackpool Victoria Hospital and provides a service for National Health Service employees and nursery staff. The nursery operates from five rooms in a single storey, self-contained building with enclosed areas available for outdoor play. It opens Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm all year round apart from bank holidays. The holiday club runs from 8am to 5.30pm for children who are aged up to eight years. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 129 children on roll who all are in the early years age range. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. lt supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or

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Information about the setting

disabilities. The nursery employs 24 members of childcare staff. Of these, 22 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2, including two with Early Years Professional Status or Qualified Teacher Status and 17 hold a qualification at level 3. Support staff are also employed to manage other aspects of the provision, such as a cook, cleaner and an administrator. The nursery receives support and advice from the local authority including an advisory teacher. It has gained the National Day Nurseries Association quality assurance award and are Investors in People Champions.

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

 include the contributions of parents to the initial assessments of children's starting points to ensure more accurately planned purposeful play opportunities are tailored to the individual interests and needs of children right from the start.

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who attend

Staff provide educational programmes that offer interest and challenge across the seven areas of learning to meet the needs of all children. They provide children with plenty of time in an environment which enables them to initiate their own play and learning. This is balanced well with a good mix of playful adult-led activities, where staff skilfully introduce new ideas or revisit previous play opportunities so children consolidate their learning. For example, children make their own malleable dough and remember what ingredients they require and when they need to add water to make the right consistency. Staff provide activities that are prompted by children's interests, following their knowledge of what children can already do. For example, they provide cars for children to roll and make marks in the sand and foam, and fabrics for very young children who enjoy putting them over their head. As a result, children engage in a range of activities where they continue

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who attend

to be interested, maintain attention and concentrate. Staff know their children well and tune in to their play. They know when to join in to offer support and extend their learning and when to let them try things for themselves. For example, children position large crates to climb on and when they find they cannot climb any higher, staff intervene to suggest they make a step so they can get to the top. Consequently, children remain motivated and excited to learn.

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who attend

Staff assess children's skills, knowledge and abilities accurately and use this information to plan how to promote children's learning and development. Individual next steps in learning are recorded on the planning documents for each room. This enables staff to effectively provide suitably challenging activities for all children who attend. Staff use consistent methods for completing children's learning journal records so that when children move up to each room in the nursery, staff have a clear picture of children's progress. Progress checks for children between the ages of two and three years are completed in a timely fashion to ensure that any need for early intervention can be promptly identified and supported. Therefore, any gaps in children's progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language, are quickly closing. Staff give children plenty of opportunities to

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who attend

engage in purposeful dialogue as they play. They provide a running commentary to the very young children as they explore the treasure baskets. Children enjoy joining in with songs and rhymes and develop confidence singing and talking in small groups. Staff offer challenges to older children by asking questions, for example, as they play in the sand and water. As a result, children persevere with problems and develop good language and thinking skills. Staff teach children the early stage of mathematics, for example, as they look for different shapes, count and calculate during different activities. The indoor and outdoor environment is rich in numbers, print, pictures, signs and symbols. As a result, children learn to recognise familiar words, such as their own name and develop good literacy skills, preparing them well for their journey on to school. Books are available throughout the environment for children to choose independently as well as during story

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who attend

time. Staff also use props, such as puppets to reinforce comprehension and as a result, children enjoy acting out familiar stories. Children thoroughly enjoy their play in the outdoor areas. The covered outdoor classrooms ensure that children can experiment with different ways of moving in all weathers. There are plenty of opportunities for children to practice their writing using a range of tools and equipment. Consequently, they develop good physical skills to help prepare them for school.

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who attend

Each child is given they own key person who promotes engagement with parents. Staff invite parents to join their child in initial settling-in sessions where they discuss children's skills and abilities. However, staff do not always fully include parents' contributions to the initial assessments of children's starting points, to enable them to more accurately plan individual, purposeful play opportunities right from the start. Staff provide different methods of communication with parents, including text messages, parents' evenings, newsletters, daily diaries, notice boards and monthly emails to share ideas to support and promote children's learning at home. For example, they suggest activities to encourage turn-taking. Parents comment that they are very happy with their children's progress and the communication methods used.

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

The staff provide a welcoming environment where all children and their families are warmly greeted. The well-established key-person system promotes good partnership working with parents and information is shared daily about children's care needs. From the start, parents are asked to provide information regarding care routines so that staff can effectively ensure their needs are well met. Staff maintain caring and respectful relationships and a result, children settle in easily and they form close bonds and attachments with the staff. Staff tune in and listen to children's words and gestures. They help children to respond to their own feelings and emotions, for example, as they talk to young babies about how the soft paint brush feels on their skin and look at their facial expressions in the mirror. Older children enjoy feeling the different textures as they make their own dough and cheerfully move their bodies to different rhythms. Staff provide

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

resources that children can freely select and use themselves, to enable them to confidently follow their own interests. They provide time for children to explore the environment and carry out their own play. Staff give prior notice of routines, such as tidy up time to enable children to get to know what will happen next. Consequently, children feel emotionally secure. They offer flexible settling-in sessions when children first start and then as they move up to each room. This helps children to become confident and familiar with their new key person and environment.

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

Staff are good role models and offer clear guidance and praise for acceptable behaviour, for example sharing and taking turns. Consequently, children know what is expected of them and they play cooperatively and show respect to each other. Staff provide children with opportunities to use equipment safely. For example, they manoeuvre large building blocks to climb on and balance on large tyres. As a result, children are confident and self- motivated and learn to take sensible risks in their play. Staff demonstrate that they have a clear understanding of the requirements regarding safeguarding issues and know what to do if they were worried about a child's safety and well-being. Children participate in regular evacuation procedures so they learn how to keep themselves safe in the event of an emergency.

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

Staff invite parents to share their professional expertise with the children. For example, a fire fighter brought in equipment and talked about fire safety. A nurse talked about helping people who are sick and showed children bandages, blood pressure monitors, x- rays and a device for seeing whether children's hands are clean and hygienic after washing. As a result, children learn how to stay healthy and safe. Children enjoy a range of nutritious food, which is balanced and healthy and freshly made on the premises, for example, hot pot and rice pudding. The outdoors provides opportunities for children to move in the fresh air freely, and with imagination and confidence in a range of ways. As a result, children's emotional health and well-being is supported well and they learn to keep themselves safe.

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provision

Staff plan around the seven areas of learning and development to shape educational programmes for all children. They carefully consider children's individual needs, interests and stage of development to plan purposeful activities and experiences, through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated play. As a result, children develop effective skills and attributes to prepare them for school. The manager ensures that planning and assessment are consistent throughout the nursery. Robust monitoring systems, including the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years, are used to highlight any gaps in learning, so that appropriate early intervention is promptly sought. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and English as an additional language, make good progress from their starting points. The manager offers a regular and effective professional development programme to start. Training

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provision

attended is discussed at monthly staff meetings so that all staff can put this new learning into practice and improve the quality of teaching. For example, following recent training to promote mathematics, staff from each room shared ideas together and enhanced their own environment with ways to help develop children's skills further. The staff are currently involved with the National Day Nurseries Association mathematics project, sharing ideas and best practice with other nurseries across the country. Communication programmes and training attended by the staff has led to the introduction of talking points around the nursery and pictorial story lines are used to help promote children's language and communication skills. Consequently, children are benefiting from being taught and supported by knowledgeable and skilled staff.

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provision

The safeguarding and welfare requirements are well promoted and fully met. The manager provides additional in-house training to all the staff to ensure that children's safety is given utmost priority and that all staff understand their responsibilities in meeting the requirements. Staff demonstrate they are familiar with the procedures to follow, including those regarding the use of mobile phones and the steps to take to report any concerns about the well-being or safety of children. The relevant agencies are easily located on displays around the nursery. Recruitment systems and induction procedures are in place to ensure all staff working with children are suitable. Rigorous risk assessments ensure that the premises, environment and equipment are safe and any risks identified are minimised. There is always at least one member of staff with paediatric first-aid training accompanying children on outings to ensure children are safeguarded and

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provision

protected. Monthly supervision ensure staff performance is monitored and any training needs identified.

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provision

Good progress has been made since the last inspection and the manager demonstrates a strong commitment to continuous improvement. Staff comment that they feel their views and ideas are valued by the manager and they contribute to the changes made to improve the quality of practice. Parents' views are also incorporated into the self-evaluation process to clearly identify the strengths and areas to develop. Parents comment that they are very pleased with their children's progress and the information shared with them by their key person. The manager and staff have close links with other professionals and external agencies to secure appropriate interventions. Consequently, the needs and well- being of children are well met and they make good progress to ensure they are well prepared for their journey on to school.

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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 EY224560 Local authority Blackpool Inspection number 869854

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 92 Number of children on roll 129 Name of provider Happy Days Lancashire Limited Date of previous inspection 23/09/2008 Telephone number 01253 655537

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Type of provision

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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