Child First AylesburyOfsted inspection, 28 Oct 2014

Child First Aylesbury Child First, Green End, AYLESBURY, Buckinghamshire, HP20 2SA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/10/2014 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

 Leadership and management demonstrate their highly reflective practice through self- evaluation. They work in partnership with the staff team to drive improvements successfully.  Leadership and management have effective systems to monitor children's development. This helps staff to focus and plan effectively for all children's learning and development.  The staff are very positive role models and give consistent guidelines that help children learn to be kind and considerate.  The key-person approach ensures effective engagement with parents. Children build close bonds with their key person and are confident to move around the nursery.  The chef prepares fresh food daily to ensure the children are well-nourished. She provides cooking activities daily, which help children, make links between healthy eating, and teach them about a range of festivals that they celebrate.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The noise levels and the organisation of group times in the Tots room are not always conducive to further promoting children's listening and language skills.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the indoor and the outside learning environments, and carried out a joint observation of an activity with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability, self-evaluation processes and documents that support the management of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and the planning documentation.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager and deputy manager.  The inspector took account of parents' views.

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Information about the setting

Child First Aylesbury registered in 2006. It is privately owned and is one of a number of nurseries operated by Child First Limited. It is registered on the Early Years Register. The nursery is located in a converted church building in the centre of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. The premises comprise of an office, kitchen and dining room. There are three base rooms for the children's groups to use; these are 'Babies' for children from birth until they can walk, 'Tots' for those who can walk up to two years and 'Toddlers' for two- to three-year-olds. In addition, they have access to a sleep and sensory room. All of the rooms where children are based open onto outdoor play areas. Opening times are weekdays from 7.30am to 6.30pm for 50 weeks of the year.

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Information about the setting

There are 132 children on roll; all of whom are in the early years age group, aged up to three years. The nursery receives funding to provide free nursery education for two-year- olds. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are learning English as an additional language. The nursery employs 38 staff. One member of staff has Early Years Professional Status, another has Qualified Teacher Status and three staff have Early Years Foundation degrees. The team also has 17 staff who hold relevant qualifications at level 3 and five at level 2.

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

 enhance children's listening skills and awareness of sounds in the environment by reducing the noise level

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good. The children are motivated and eager to learn. They flourish under the guidance of the cohesive and attentive staff team. Staff extend learning by carefully observing children as they play, assessing their progress and promoting their interests. Parents receive good information about their children's progress. Staff actively encourage parents to share what their children are learning at home and their interests. They use this to contribute to and personalise the planning for individual children. Staff use the welcoming reception area to provide parents with information and resources to extend their children's learning at home.

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who attend

Staff deploy themselves effectively to promote children's learning. The skilful teaching strategies help children make good progress in their learning from their starting points, with any gaps in development closing quickly. If children require some additional help, the special educational needs coordinator ensures all those involved with the child share vital information. This means they are clear about how they will work together to provide the support required. Consequently, children receive the additional help they need to make progress in their learning. Staff help children who are learning English as an additional language to develop their confidence in speaking English. All children make good progress in their learning in relation to their starting points and staff prepare them well for their eventual move to pre-school.

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who attend

The staff plan a rich and varied environment offering a wealth of resources that stimulate children's imaginations. The baby room is a cosy space for babies. Staff provide inviting baskets with a wealth of objects for babies to investigate and explore. Staff encourage the babies exploration giving a narrative to describe their actions helping to build their understanding of words in context. These close interactions engage the babies in conversations and they gurgle and babble in response.

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who attend

The staff in the Tots room plan experiences so children can have uninterrupted time to explore. Staff are effective at observing children's play and listen carefully to what they say, and consider their intentions. Staff demonstrate how things work and challenge children to discover and resolve problems. Their skilful questions helped children become involved, for example, 'I wonder where this piece goes?' The children worked together to put the shape into a box. The staff sometimes play background music in the room, and during group activities staff do not always position themselves well to face the children. This means the environment is not always conducive to helping staff enhance children's speaking and listening skills. Staff provide a range of tools throughout the nursery to encourage children to practise their early writing skills. This helps children to learn how to hold implements, such as a chalk and paintbrushes, effectively. As children played in the

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who attend

garden, they enjoyed making marks on a chalkboard. They returned later with a paintbrush and a pot of water and were interested in the effect the water had on the chalk. They made movements with the paintbrush to retrace the chalk marks and watched as it washed away.

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who attend

Children in the Toddler's room snuggle in for stories with their key person. They are learning to listen and join in and anticipate what might happen in familiar parts of the story. Staff help children learn early mathematical concepts. They are learning to recite numbers as they count with staff when playing and they are beginning to understand some mathematical language. Skilful teaching encourages children to think and solve problems. For example, children constructing a road with bricks, tried several times to form a bridge. One child says, 'Road has falled down'. Staff provided encouragement and replied, 'OK, what do we need to do?' The children continued to work together and made a ramp instead of a bridge.

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

Leadership and management provide a strong focus on the key-person approach. They ensure children and their families are welcomed warmly. The key persons value each of their key children as uniquely special. Children build close bonds with their key person and quickly become confident to move around the environment. The staff prepare children extremely well for their move to the next room or pre-school. They use the close relationships they have with parents and the sister pre-school to assist them in providing the children with the reassurance they need at times of change. Key persons take the babies and tots for visits to their new rooms to meet their new friends and key person. A staff member from the sister pre-school visits the toddlers at nursery every week to play with and get to know the children. The toddlers learn to use the toilet, to follow good hygiene practice and to dress and undress themselves. These skills help prepare the

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

children for a smooth transition to the pre-school.

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

Staff are good and positive role models; they are calm and polite. They provide children with clear explanations about behavioural expectations and give gentle reminders to say please and thank you. This helps children to be good mannered and kind and considerate to others. Staff offer praise in abundance; this means children are developing self- confidence and positive self-esteem. The effective teaching of appropriate boundaries means that children learn how to keep themselves safe. Staff routinely give children gentle reminders to be careful and how to avoid an accident. Children are learning to experience some risk under close supervision and rise to the challenge, for example by climbing on tyres, and climbing up and walking along small walls. Staff plan activities to teach children about safety awareness. For example, visits from the police help children learn how people in the community help them to keep safe.

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

Staff teach children about keeping healthy by helping them to understand the importance of physical exercise and a healthy diet. Staff plan regular opportunities for children to spend time outside in the fresh air and a good range of activities to help promote children's physical development. Children initiated an activity to build a tractor. With a little help from a member of staff, they worked out where to place old tyres and crates to create the wheels and seats. The children worked together to succeed and clamoured inside, and set off on their 'journey to the farm'. The chef plans a healthy and nutritious menu. There are good procedures in place to ensure food safety and to meet children's individual dietary requirements. The children are well-nourished and enjoy the freshly prepared foods. The chef provides cooking activities for the children daily, which help them make links between healthy eating and learn about a range of festivals that the

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

children celebrate. The key persons make younger children who require a sleep after lunch comfortable, ensuring they meet children's individual routines.

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provision

The leadership and management have good systems in place to monitor the planning and delivery of the educational programme, including teaching and learning. The manager effectively monitors individual and group learning to identify where early interventions are needed. This helps to ensure that gaps are narrowing for children identified as being in need of additional help. The manager monitors staff practice and has clear plans for professional development through a rolling programme of training. Staff receive regular supervision where they have time to discuss children's progress and their own development. This contributes to improving the effectiveness and consistency of the quality of teaching and contributes to helping children make good progress in their learning.

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provision

Leadership and management have made significant improvements since the last inspection. They demonstrate reflective practice through self-evaluation and a comprehensive development plan. The staff team contribute to the development plan and take ownership of actions for their room, which drive improvements. For example, the key-person approach is stronger; therefore, children have close relationships with their key person, which helps them feel special and individual. In addition, management now employ a housekeeper so staff do not have to leave their rooms to carry out routine tasks. The management deploy staff effectively to ensure they meet children's individual needs.

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provision

Leadership and management follow safer recruitment procedures ensuring that relevant checks are completed. This helps check the suitability of staff working with the children. The manager ensures all new staff complete the comprehensive induction, which means that they are effectively trained to carry out their roles. Staff implement the policies and procedures that underpin their good practice. The manager makes effective use of risk assessments to identify hazards and takes prompt action to minimise risks within the indoor and outside environments, to help keep children safe. The premises are safe and secure with effective safety procedures in place that staff follow diligently. This ensures a safe play and learning environment. Leadership and management ensure staff have the skills they need to provide for the particular needs of individual children. For example, safeguarding training provides staff with the knowledge they require to respond with

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provision

confidence to any child protection concerns. Consequently, they all have a good understanding of their responsibilities to keep children safe from harm. Staff attendance at first-aid training means staff can attend to any accidents and minor injuries effectively. They assist with children's growing understanding of how to keep themselves safe and healthy.

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provision

There are extremely effective arrangements for sharing information and working in partnership with parents and other professionals. Parents and carers join staff at meetings and take part in discussions about the nursery, which the management team value. The reception area provides the opportunity for parents to learn about the life of the setting and view their children's learning through digital displays. The lending library and factsheets provide parents with fun learning ideas to complete with their children at home. The parents say how happy their children are at nursery. One parent expressed that she was so pleased with the nursery and 'doesn't know how she would cope without their support.' Another parent said, 'The babies are always happy and engaged, playing or having a cuddle'. She said she feels she could not have picked a better nursery for her baby.

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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 EY342513 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 980897 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 3 Total number of places 90 Number of children on roll 132 Name of provider Child 1st Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 15/05/2014 Telephone number 01296 392516

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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

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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