Railway Children Nursery Treeton

Railway Children Day Care Nursery Treeton Village Hall, Wood Lane, Treeton, South Yorkshire, S60 5QS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/10/2014 01/06/2011

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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 staff's teaching is of high quality. They engage fully with the children through their play and monitor their development well. This means that children's learning needs are supported and effectively met.  Children develop rewarding and trusting relationships with the staff. As a result, they flourish in their care.  Staff have a strong knowledge of safeguarding and prioritise children's safety and well- being at all times.  The staff build strong relationships with parents. This means that children's individual needs are responded to quickly and efficiently.  Very effective systems to continually evaluate and develop practice means that children's care and learning is continually improved.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always maximise opportunities to teach children about diversity, to extend their understanding of the wider world.  Children's ability to make independent choices is not always fully supported, this is with particular regard to the books they are able to access.

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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 the staff engage in a range of indoor and outside learning activities with the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the owner/manager, deputy manager, staff and children.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the deputy manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at samples of children's assessment records, planning documentation, the nursery self-evaluation and a range of other documentation.  The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of the staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Railway Children Day Care Nursery was registered in 2011 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a converted village hall in Treeton, South Yorkshire, and is one of four settings owned by Railway Children Day Care Limited. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from an open-planned area with sectioned age-allocated areas. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and two at level 2. One member of staff holds a qualification at level 4 and one holds a degree in Early Years. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, except for a week at Christmas and bank holidays. Opening hours are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. The nursery also offers before and after school care, school holiday care and wrap around care for

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Information about the setting

children aged up to 11 years. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 100 children attending, of whom 47 are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 enhance opportunities for children to extend their learning about diversity, for example, within imaginative play and by providing a wider genre of recorded music

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

 build on children's ability to make independent choices, for example, by making a wider selection of books consistently available for children to choose.

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who attend

The good quality of teaching in the nursery supports and extends children's learning and development. Children take part in a wealth of experiences and activities that result in them becoming confident and self-assured, eager and motivated learners. The staff have strong skills and knowledge of the learning and development requirements and a first-rate understanding of how children learn. The stimulating environment, both inside and outside ensures that all children make effective progress towards the early learning goals. Children's interests, development and next steps in learning lead the planning of activities so that children receive challenge and consolidation to help them make continuous progress. Staff complete purposeful, formative observations of children's achievements to carefully monitor their progress. Information from children's learning journals is used to complete progress reports for parents. This includes the progress check for children aged

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who attend

between two-and-three years. The staff work effectively with parents to gauge children's starting points. Detailed information is gathered from them when children start attending the nursery. This provides the staff with a clear starting point for their learning. Opportunities to extend children's learning at home are well-established. For instance, a home to nursery communication book provides parents with opportunities to share children's activities and development. Children are supported strongly through routines and activities to develop their independence and skills in readiness for school and the next stage of learning. This means children are well prepared for entry into school and their future learning. The nursery is proactive in establishing partnerships with other settings the children attend. This includes, linking with the schools to support and enrich children's learning. For instance, the nursery has recently introduced a communication book to

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who attend

ensure continuity of children's learning and development.

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who attend

Staff have a high focus on the prime and specific areas of learning. Children's speech and communication is given a high priority throughout the nursery. For example, information for parents and carers is on display about how dummies can affect children's communication. Staff promote children's language and communication skills very strongly through discussions, routines, spontaneous and planned activities. This includes for children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The staff are skilled in extending all children's communication levels and in effectively helping them to think critically. They use expressive speech in their conversations with the children. Staff routinely use open questions and help children to think critically. They are effective in promoting active learning. For example, children freely experiment with sticky tape as they tape their drawings into small parcels. Younger

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who attend

children experiment as it curls and rolls into itself. Staff extend and challenge children's thinking as they introduce other concepts during activities. For example, as children play with a small world farm staff encourage them to identify the animals. They extend this by asking if children have been to a farm and who went with them. The children then go onto to discuss different family members. The staff support children's learning fully as they extend a parachute and ball game. They use words to match the actions, such as 'fast' and 'quick' as they bounce the ball quickly in the parachute and when they bounce it slowly, they pronounce the words slowly. Staff enhance the activity by asking, 'What animals go slow?' The children state snails. Their learning about number is extended as the children count before they throw the ball in the air. Staff know when to step back so that the children have the time and space to think for themselves. For instance, children

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who attend

independently dress and feed a doll. They model staff routines as they put on plastic gloves to change the dolls nappy. This contributes to effective teaching because it supports children in becoming active learners. Therefore, this means children develop the skills to solve problems and it promotes their confidence to explore new ways to do things.

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who attend

Children are provided with a wide range of experiences, which enrich their overall development. As part of an autumn theme the children go foraging for natural items and use them for art and craft. They learn about the written word as there is an extensive range of text throughout the setting. Early writing skills are widely supported and children have many opportunities to practise these. Children are supported generally well to make their own choices in their play. For example, staff give them the option to join in circle time or continue with their own activity. However, children are not always able to access the books they are interested in because the higher tier of the book frame is not easily reached by all of the children. Natural resources and household items are used effectively throughout the nursery. For example, babies have access to treasure baskets. Tin pans, pots and wooden spoons are used so that they can experience different sounds. Babies

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who attend

explore their own features as they use a low-level mirror. Therefore, children have opportunities to explore using all of their senses.

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

Close and caring relationships and strong attachments ensure children are secure, happy and confident in this friendly, welcoming setting. Staff know the children well. Therefore, they are able to meet their care and learning needs effectively. Children thrive and enjoy the different experiences offered. This is because the staff nurture and encourage them. Children are settled as a result of the successful key-person system and effective staff deployment. Detailed information is obtained from parents when children first start at the setting and then continually exchanged to enable staff to effectively meet each child's needs. This means that all children are fully supported with their move from home to the nursery and are well equipped for their future moves to other rooms within the nursery. All children are encouraged to help with appropriate jobs, such as tidying away resources after they have used them. Consequently, children are developing good social awareness

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

and older children are well prepared emotionally for any move and the next stage of their learning, including, school.

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

Children learn about other cultures and people through planned and spontaneous discussion and activities. They enjoy national and international festivals and celebrations. However, children's learning about diversity is not always fully supported as on occasion the staff miss the opportunity to promote diversity during activities and discussions. For instance, staff create a cafe in the imaginative area but do not use this as an opportunity to extend children's learning to consider different cultural foods. In addition, the nursery does not provide the children with a diverse range of recorded music to enable them to experience a rich and full range of music. Children gain a strong sense of self as they see an extensive range of photographs of themselves throughout the nursery. Staff are good role models and use positive techniques for managing children's behaviour. This has a positive impact on helping them to develop their social skills and builds their self-esteem.

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

Staff fully understand the challenges that can affect the behaviour of children and the frustration that can occur for them. They have effective strategies in place to support all children. As a result, significant progress is made as children develop coping mechanisms to manage their own behaviour. In addition, they gain a sense of self as staff support them to consider what acceptable behaviour is.

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

Children have a wide range of opportunities to learn about being healthy through activities and discussions. Children have fun taking part in vigorous play opportunities each day. For example, they extend their physical skills as they enjoy active rhymes to music and explore the outdoor area. Staff talk to the children about how exercise affects their bodies as they enjoy a parachute and ball activity. Younger children's physical skills are extended as they are able to explore in their own allocated outdoor area. Children increase their understanding about health and hygiene through established daily routines. Their health is protected as staff provide clear explanations about why they must wash their hands. They are proactively learning about personal safety because they respond to clear safety procedures both in the nursery and when on outings. For example, staff discuss with the children why they must not run inside and why they have to wear florescent vests when

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

they go to and from school. Children are actively involved in fire evacuation practices and staff support them to understand what to do in an emergency situation.

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provision

The management team and staff take all necessary steps to keep children safe and well. There is a strong commitment to create and maintain a high quality nursery where children are safeguarded. Many of the staff have a high level of safeguarding training and all staff fully understand their responsibilities with regards to child protection. They are clear regarding what to do if they have a concern about a child. Robust recruitment and induction ensures the suitability of adults employed. All staff have been vetted for their suitability to work with children. There is an effective system in place that ensures staff remain suitable for their role. Accurate records of suitability checks are maintained by the owner. Efficient procedures and routines support the staff's strong vigilance to protect children in their care. A wide range of policies, procedures and records are maintained, which underpin practice. Policies are shared with parents, providing them with an insight

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provision

into the nursery's role and responsibilities. Children's welfare is effectively assured, as the premises are secure and robust safety and security procedures are followed to make sure children are well protected. Thorough risk assessments as well as daily checks and robust routines ensure children are safe. This means that children are protected and their well- being assured. The staff gather the required information from parents to promote children's health and well-being.

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provision

Very robust monitoring systems are in place to ensure staff are challenged, supported and receive any extra training needed to enhance the children's experiences. Regular supervision, appraisals, staff meetings and informal discussions are held to support and develop staff practices. In addition, the completion of management and peer-on-peer observations means that positive staff practices are assured and any issues are efficiently recognised and addressed. For example, during a staff meeting all staff complete a quiz so that management have a general overview of what the staff know and identify any gaps in their knowledge. This is extended because all staff take responsibility to research and extend their knowledge in identified areas. There is a secure system for monitoring the educational programmes and tracking of children's progress. This ensures the children receive the best experience and are able to make good progress in their development.

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provision

Recommendations from the last inspection have been positively addressed. There is an excellent ethos of self-evaluation and reflection on practice within the nursery, which is complemented by active development plans. Staff training is well embedded and managed, ensuring that all staff have the skills to meet children's needs. Therefore, children's welfare is promoted well.

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provision

Strong partnership with parents contributes significantly to meeting children's learning and development needs and promoting their well-being. Therefore, they are confident to leave their children in the nursery's care. There is a high level of communication with parents, which ensures continuity of children's care, learning and development. The two-way sharing of written and verbal information enhances parents' experience and extends children's learning. Parents are kept well-informed through the use of daily care and learning information sheets about their child's day. In addition, there is information about all aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage throughout the nursery. Therefore, parents are clear about how their child is cared for and how their learning is enhanced. Children and parents assist in the continuous improvement of the nursery. Parents share their views about the nursery through discussions, questionnaires and a suggestion box.

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provision

Children's views are actively sought. For instance, children's opinions are displayed through a 'What we like to play with' display. All of this means that parents and children have a real sense of ownership and involvement. Staff work closely with other professionals to support children when the need arises, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Good relationships with the local children's centre have helped the nursery to develop effective links with other agencies and results in a good exchange of information among carers.

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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 EY421451 Local authority Rotherham Inspection number 852220

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 41 Number of children on roll 100 Name of provider Railway Children Day Care Limited Date of previous inspection 01/06/2011 Telephone number 07932 728582

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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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