Seymour Kindergarten

Seymour Kindergarten 23 Seymour Road, Crumpsall, MANCHESTER, Lancashire, M8 5BR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/10/2014 15/05/2014

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 4 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

 Effective teaching strategies are in place to help children develop early language and communication skills and to support their physical, personal, social and emotional development. As a result, all children are well prepared for their next stage of learning.  The quality of teaching is consistently good. All staff complete accurate, detailed assessments of children's progress and plan a range of activities in order to meet their individual learning needs. Consequently, children are making good progress in all areas of learning.  Safeguarding is good. The manager takes successful steps to ensure that all staff have a good understanding of child protection and the whistleblowing procedure. Therefore, children are protected well and kept safe from harm.  Children are valued and respected as unique individuals. They feel completely safe and secure while in the nursery and confidently seek additional support, comfort and

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities are not always sought to find out and encourage children's home learning. Consequently, children are not always fully supported with their learning in the home environment.  Staff have not yet fully explored the use of peer observation as a strategy to further evaluate and build on their already good practice.

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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 had a tour of the whole of the nursery. She observed activities in the three playrooms, the outdoor environment and the interaction and learning between the staff and the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of the staff, and the providers' self-evaluation and improvement plan. The inspector took into account the written feedback of parents and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documents which cover the learning and development requirements including observations, planning, and assessments. She also viewed emergency enrolment forms, staff files and written risk assessments.

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Information about the setting

Seymour Kindergarten was opened under its current ownership in 2003 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from a detached house in the Crumpsall area of Manchester and is run by Toto Nurseries Limited. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play. There are currently 26 children attending who are in the early years age group. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Children are cared for within three rooms located on two floors. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round, except public holidays and a week at Christmas. The nursery employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one member of staff holds higher qualifications. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-

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Information about the setting

old children. The nursery receives support from the local authority early years advisory team. The nursery is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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

 seek further opportunities for engagement with parents which encourage children's learning to ensure that children are fully supported in the home environment

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

 develop ways in which peer observation can be used to evaluate practice, promote professional development and enhance the already good practice of all practitioners in order to help children to excel in their learning.

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who attend

Children make good progress in the nursery. The manager and her staff have a good understanding of children's learning and provide activities that are interesting and unique to each individual child. There is a good balance between adult-led and child-focused activities. For example, children learn how to use scissors, focusing on their small muscle skills. Staff members extend children's language and communication by using words, such as straight and wobbly to describe how they have cut paper. Children remain focused and on the task, motivated to master techniques using the resources available. In the baby room, young children have opportunities to explore their social skills, playing boo with a chiffon scarf. Children interact with each other, laughing and exploring their emotions. Staff encourage children to share and set challenges which are age appropriate. As a result, children learn the vital skills needed to move towards the early learning goals.

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who attend

All staff use observations, assessments and planning to evidence children's progress. Information is taken from parents when children first start attending the nursery to recognise their stage of development, in order to introduce challenging experiences. Children's progress is routinely identified through assessment before sharing with parents. However, opportunities are not always sought to find out and encourage children's home learning. Consequently, children are not always fully supported with their learning in the home environment. Planning is broadly linked to children's curiosities and follows individual children's rate of development. Any gaps in children's progress are recognised and activities are put into place to increase their learning in these areas. The progress check for children between the ages of two and three years is routinely carried out for all individuals to ensure that children's development is shared with health officials. Therefore,

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who attend

children progress towards their next stage of learning at a good rate.

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who attend

The nursery is over two floors. The baby room upstairs is bright and airy. There is a good space for children to learn to crawl and walk. Opportunities to access resources are good. Toys and activities are mainly stored on height appropriate shelves for young babies to access. This helps children to become independent based on their interests. Children have opportunities to discover sand and water. Staff members assist with early mark-making skills, introducing crayons and other ways to make marks, for example, in sand. Downstairs in the pre-school room, children have lots of invitations to play. Children can build in the construction area, or read quietly with books which interest them. Sand and water play is encouraged and staff assist with mathematical development by encouraging children to investigate capacity. All staff use language which children understand and develop them further by asking questions, which encourage children to think critically.

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who attend

This helps develop children's learning and skills in preparation for school.

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

Children's emotional needs are met well. All children have key persons who work with them daily to encourage their learning. In the baby room, young children's self-confidence is evident as they move freely from their adult carer positively. Their self-esteem is promoted by the staff's eagerness to praise. Positive encouragement entices children to have a go, and older children support each other by taking turns and sharing. Children look to support each other during care routines, for example, by giving each other paper towels after they have washed their hands. This builds on their independency skills ready for school. Children's behaviour is good. Their well-being is promoted positively. Children look to staff if they are upset or unsure, and adults talk gently to them using soothing words. This reassures children, which raises their self-esteem and encourages them in a calmly manner.

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

Lunch and snack times are social occasions. Older children help set tables and give out cutlery. Children help themselves to food using utensils and pour their own drinks. Conversations between the staff and children help them to understand how to be healthy and have strong bodies. Parent's preferences with regards to food are adhered to at all times, and staff know individual children's likes and dislikes towards what they eat. Care routines are managed effectively. The staff support children with toileting routines if required, and encourage children to build on their personal skills by going to the toilet unaided. Children have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe, for example, by taking their shoes off before they slip at the water tray. Consequently, children develop the vital personal and social skills ready for their next stage of learning.

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

Children have lots of opportunities to play outdoors. There is free-flow access from the pre-school room and children can help themselves to resources which interest them. Younger children climb up ladders and slide down unaided, knowing that an adult is close by to help them if required. Older children enjoy making pies with the mud kitchen or ride on bicycles. There are lots of visual displays, which identify early literacy recognition and children use the numbers displayed when counting. This enhances their mathematical development. Children form obstacle courses and play with tyres. They build and climb using crates and develop their large muscle skills with a football. Children take an interest and become inquisitive in the small garden available and look for mini beasts in the bug house under the tree. Subsequently, children enjoy their time outdoors and develop good physical skills to support their future learning.

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provision

The manager has a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. There are beneficial displays in place in each of the rooms to remind, and ensure, staff have a good understanding of safeguarding practice. All staff have a good comprehension of the whistleblowing procedure, and have independent access to numbers of outside agencies involved. Staff have received training in safeguarding practice and understand the policies and procedures to follow if they feel a child is in need or discloses information to them. All statutory checks for employees are in place. The manager ensures that fire evacuations are carried out periodically and children understand the procedures to follow in the event of a drill. Daily risk assessments identify and highlight any areas which need attention to ensure children remain safe. Alarms and high level locks on external doors ensure no children leave unattended. As a result,

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provision

children play securely in a safe and effective environment.

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provision

The manager has a good understanding of the learning and development requirements. She has procedures in place to effectively recruit staff and induction training makes sure staff have a general understanding of the nursery. The manager has begun to observe her practitioners. She is planning to extend this good practice to develop further effective teaching and learning through mentoring and shadowing experiences. There are also plans to develop peer observations to extend this approach further so that children continue to achieve good and even better levels of progression in all aspects of their learning. The manager's self-evaluation of the nursery's practice is constructive. It highlights areas for improvement, which allows inclusion for all children. For example, they provide good access ramps to the nursery for children in wheelchairs to gain full entry in to the setting. The manager takes into account the views of parents by asking them to fill

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provision

in evaluation forms for the setting. She evaluates and reviews the pre-school on a regular basis in order to improve the outcomes for children. The manager encourages staff to attend trainings which enhance their professional development. She identifies their needs through regular staff meetings, and as a result, ensures the learning of children is boosted by a fully knowledgeable staff team.

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provision

The manager works with outside agencies that support individual children's needs, for example, social workers and speech therapists. She encourages local schools to work alongside the nursery to aid the transition for children smoothly. This ensures a more efficient partnership with fellow professionals. Parents' verbal feedback highlights the caring and happy service that staff provide. They comment on how important it is to have a nursery on their doorstep that provides the care and learning they require for their children. Written feedback identifies the positive feelings of parents. For example, they state 'Thank you so much for everything you have done for my child. They have had a lovely time making friends and learning through play'. Consequently, children have a good start to their learning in the nursery and work successfully towards their next stage of learning, and in particular, their entry to school.

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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 EY230750 Local authority Manchester Inspection number 977134

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 29 Number of children on roll 26 Name of provider Toto Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 15/05/2014 Telephone number 0161 795 2003

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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

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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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