First Class Nursery School (Wirral) Limited

First Class Nursery School (Wirral) Limited First Class Nursery School, 114-116 Storeton Road, BIRKENHEAD, Merseyside, CH42 8NA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/10/2014 13/05/2009

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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 quality of teaching is good. Practice is based on a secure knowledge and understanding of how to promote children's learning.  Children settle happily at the nursery. They enjoy secure and trusting relationships with the staff, which helps them to become confident individuals.  Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how to effectively safeguard children through their knowledge of child protection issues and implementing the nursery procedures.  Partnerships with parents are well established and the nursery has effective procedures for working with other agencies and services. This significantly contributes to children making good progress in their learning and development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff are not always highly successful in engaging all parents to contribute to their child's ongoing planning and assessments to further enhance their involvement in their learning and development.  Children have opportunities to take on small responsibilities. However, staff do not always extend their growing independence at mealtimes, for example, giving children the opportunity to serve their own food.

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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 observed activities in the indoor and outdoor environments.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held meetings with the nominated person and manager.  The inspector looked at observation and assessment records of the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children, the provider's self-evaluation and improvement plan.  The inspector took account of the views of the parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

First Class Nursery School (Wirral) Limited was registered in 2000 and registered again in 2008 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It operates from two large converted houses in the Prenton area of Wirral and is managed by the company. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 31 members of childcare staff. Of whom, 27 hold appropriate early years qualifications; four at level 2, 21 at level 3 and one at level 4. A member of staff holds Qualified Teacher Status and Early Years Professional status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 194 children attending, who are all in the early years age group. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old

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Information about the setting

children. It supports 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 partnership working with parents, for example, by increasing opportunities for them to contribute to their child's ongoing planning and assessments to further extend their involvement in their child's learning and development

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

 extend opportunities for developing children's independence, for example, by giving them responsibilities for serving their food at mealtimes.

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who attend

Staff have a good knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and child development to effectively support children's progress. Teaching in the nursery is good. Staff plan an environment where children are learning through interesting and challenging activities, which have been purposefully planned to meet the individual children's needs and interests. For example, in the outdoor environment a small group of children construct a tent, while others go hunting for bugs using magnifying glasses and torches. The playrooms offer children the continuous provision of a wide range of play materials and equipment. From a young age, children show the characteristics of effective learning as they confidently play and explore. They show deepening levels of concentration. Key persons have high expectations for children's achievements. This is reflected in their commitment to work in partnership with parents,

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who attend

other professionals and providers involved with the children. The partnership working enables key persons to gather as much information about the individual child as they can to ensure teaching matches children's development and learning. As a result of this, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported by staff. The two-way communication systems with parents are well established. These include the use of a daily diary and opportunity for daily discussion with their child's key person. Parents' meetings are arranged with their child's key person and this gives opportunity for them to talk about their child's achievements. This communication provides parents with information to continue children's learning at home. However, opportunities for parents to contribute to their child's ongoing planning and assessments are not fully utilised to enhance the identification and planning for children's next steps, so they make even better

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who attend

progress. The individual records of learning for children contain the tracking record used to monitor their progress. As a result of this, gaps in learning are identified promptly and planning prioritised to narrow these achievement gaps. The records show children are making good progress in their learning and development in relation to their starting points. Key persons implement the required progress check completed for children aged between two and three years. This is completed in partnership with parents in a timely manner to support the assessment by health visitors.

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who attend

High priority is placed on supporting children's language development and they learn to be confident communicators. Staff model language, extend sentences, introduce new vocabulary and use basic sign language as an additional means of communication. Children, who speak English as an additional language, are supported effectively as staff learn key phrases in their home language to use these in their teaching. Children's enjoyment of books is promoted well. These are positioned in different areas of the nursery, including the outdoor environment, to trigger children's interest. Staff make story telling sessions exciting and capture children's attention to listen. This reflects staff's general practice, as they are enthusiastic and they create a sense of fun, for example, children laugh as they run around chasing bubbles blown by the staff. Within this playful atmosphere, staff nurture children's self-confidence to develop a 'can do' attitude to

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who attend

complete tasks themselves. For example, staff give guidance to the children to blow the bubbles themselves and the enjoyable activity continues. Children are offered lots of sensory rich experiences, including continuous access to the specifically resourced sensory rooms. Staff are fully secure in their knowledge of how sensory play has a positive impact on children's learning and development. Children creatively move to music and pretend they are autumn trees, using large pieces of fabric and shredded paper to represent the falling leaves. In another playroom, younger children explore the textures of sand and rice. They notice the sand has spilt onto the floor and independently find the brush and shovel to clear away the spilt sand, showing those from a young age are learning to take responsibility for their environment.

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who attend

Staff fully understand the importance of outdoor learning and know that for some children this is the preferred learning area. Consequently, the outdoor environment is well resourced and features, such as low level slopes, tunnels and dens, make it challenging and exciting for children. There are separate outdoor areas for different age groups of children. The organisation and design of the individual areas ensure children's safety and enjoyment. Children express their delight when staff announce that it is time to play outdoors. Children use their problem-solving skills and mathematical knowledge to arrange large crates to walk along. Younger children are developing their muscle control as they are provided with different sized paint brushes and buckets of water to make marks on the walls. The quality teaching and the range of opportunities, which children experience, results in them being well prepared for the next stage of their learning.

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

Staff are caring and supportive in their practice, which contributes to children feeling safe and secure and forming trusting relationships. The settling-in procedure significantly supports the successful relationship building with children, key person and parents. Key persons use the information gathered from parents about children's routines and interests to help them to feel emotionally secure. Key persons encourage parents to provide photographs of the important people in their child's life. These are positioned at low level in the playrooms for children to freely access and look at. These further promote children's self-awareness and self-confidence and offer comfort if needed. Children are very well supported when they move to the next stage in their learning within the nursery. Staff work closely with parents and the handover between key persons is seamless, to ensure children's well-being during times of change.

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

Children's behaviour is good and their sense of belonging is demonstrated by their familiarity with staff and the environment. Staff are positive role models for children's behaviour. They sensitively encourage and support children to manage their feelings and behaviour appropriately. A group of children playing with the sand talk about sharing and taking turns, this is without prompts from staff. Staff use day-to-day opportunities to discuss safety with children. For example, when the children and staff are building a tent, staff ask children questions to prompt their thinking about safety issues. Children eagerly answer saying they must be careful with the sticks to make sure they do not poke another child. Regular fire drills are practised with children. This process ensures that they are familiar with the procedure and raises their awareness and understanding of how to stay safe. Children fully engage in their activities and experience varied learning opportunities.

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

This includes involving children in many fund raising events to support an extensive range of charitable organisations. These experiences help to develop children's understanding for the needs of others. Throughout the nursery, there are resources and colourful displays to help raise children's awareness and respect for the diversity of society.

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

The staff team have created a stimulating and welcoming provision, which is a comfortable and enjoyable place for children to learn and develop. Children benefit from spacious playrooms and outdoor environments where they have good opportunities to enjoy energetic and lively play activities on a daily basis. These contribute towards nurturing children's understanding about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. There are displays promoting fruit and vegetables and staff introduce discussions about healthy eating. Children are provided with a varied range of nutritious snacks and meals. Information is gathered from parents about children's specific nutritional requirements and allergies to ensure that each child's individual dietary needs are met. Parents have the option to provide their own meals for their child. The nursery has been awarded the highest grading in the National Food Hygiene rating by the Department of Environmental

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

Health. Mealtimes are valued by staff to continue to support children's social skills and learning. Staff sit with children at the tables and they talk happily together. Staff continue to use their questioning to promote children's language development. However, the older children's independence skills are not fully encouraged at mealtimes, as they do not have the opportunity to serve their own food. Staff support children to develop skills to manage their own personal needs, such as washing hands after toileting and dressing themselves. Developing these skills contributes to children being ready to start school. Children's good health is promoted through the implementation of procedures to prevent the spread of infection, such as the sickness policies and bedding being washed after one use. Arrangements for first aid in emergencies are effective as staff, who have up-to-date training, are deployed in both nursery buildings.

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provision

The safeguarding and welfare requirements are given high priority as staff have a good knowledge and understanding of their role in safeguarding children. The designated safeguarding officers have undertaken safeguarding training to offer leadership in protecting children from harm. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the procedures to follow if they have any concerns regarding the well-being or safety of a child. The recruitment and vetting procedures ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. All staff complete an induction procedure. This is to ensure they develop their knowledge of the policies and procedures to inform their practice. Risk assessments are completed to ensure a safe environment for children. Staff supervise children well and implement measures when necessary. For example, when children walk up stairs, staff talk to them about how to keep safe and staff deploy themselves effectively. Legally required records

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provision

for children's welfare are accurately maintained.

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provision

Through effective monitoring of the educational programmes, the manager ensures that children are provided with a wide range of challenging experiences to support their good progress towards the early learning goals. This includes monitoring the quality of planning and observing staff's practice. Staff are effectively deployed according to qualifications, including first aid and experience with specific age groups of children. Evaluation of the nursery's strengths and areas for development is ongoing and involves contributions from staff, parents and children. The nursery has ongoing improvement plans and staff work well together to achieve identified developments. This demonstrates the aspirations of the staff team to continuously improve the quality of the provision. The recommendations from the last inspection have been implemented to improve the quality of the planning and the accessibility of drinking water to promote children's good health.

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provision

The staff team are committed to partnership working with parents and external agencies to meet children's individual needs. Consequently, children receive the appropriate support and interventions they need. Parents are well informed about the organisation of the nursery and the Early Years Foundation Stage. This includes being given regular newsletters, which offer guidance to continue learning at home. The nursery provides a separate parents room. This room enables parents to talk to staff in private, talk to each other and have a comfortable base to read the wealth of information available. Parents are provided with copies of the policies and procedures, which helps them to develop an understanding of the organisation and responsibilities of the nursery. Parents expressed their views about the nursery during the inspection. They are very complimentary about the staff and the care and education their children receive.

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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 EY376515 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 858379

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 150 Number of children on roll 194 Name of provider First Class Nursery School Wirral Limited Date of previous inspection 13/05/2009 Telephone number 01512 012 239

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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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