Abacus Preschool NurseryOfsted inspection, 28 Oct 2014

Abacus Pre-School Nursery 190 Greenmount Lane, Markland Hill, Bolton, Lancashire, BL1 5JE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/10/2014 28/02/2011

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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 quality of teaching is good and as a result, children are eager and motivated to learn. Staff have a secure understanding of how to successfully support children in their learning and development. They demonstrate effective teaching skills, therefore, children are making good progress given their starting points and capabilities.  Children are very settled and content because staff provide a caring and nurturing environment that effectively promotes their emotional well-being.  The key-person system is well established and successful at engaging parents in their children's learning. Parents are extremely positive about the care and education their children receive. This cohesive approach makes a strong contribution to children's care, learning and development.  Staff have a good knowledge of the safeguarding policy and practice. As a result, children are well protected and safeguarded in the pre-school.

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This provision is good

 The provider, management team and staff, show a strong commitment to the pre- school's provision and plans for continuous improvement are well targeted, to ensure that children receive good quality early years education.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always gather as much information from parents as possible about what children know and can do, so they can consistently support them to make the very best possible progress from the outset.

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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 premises.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching and learning activities in the playroom and the outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation and held discussions with the early years professional.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of all staff working with the children, a selection of documentation related to children's learning and welfare and the pre-school's self-evaluation.

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Information about the setting

Abacus Pre-School Nursery was registered in 2003 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the childcare Register. It is one of two settings owned by the provider. The pre-school operates from a detached converted garage building in the Heaton area of Bolton, Lancashire. The children's playroom is situated on the first floor and access is by a stairway. There is an area available for outdoor play. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 8.15am until 5.45pm. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 16 children attending in the early years age range. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children, who speak English as an additional language. There are currently five staff working directly with the children,

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Information about the setting

all of whom have appropriate years qualifications from level 2 to level 6. One member of staff holds Early Years Professional status. The pre-school receives support from the local authority.

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

 maximise the use of information gathered from parents when children first start, so that staff can build even more effectively on what they already know and can do from the outset.

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of the learning and development requirements. Teaching is good throughout the pre-school. Staff plan a wide range of activities, which are adapted to suit all children's stages of development. This ensures that children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. There is a good balance of adult-led activities and child-initiated play. The pre-school is bright and welcoming. Displays are colourful and have images of children and languages from around the world, promoting inclusion and the diversity of society. Staff organise the room well, with clearly defined areas to stimulate children's interests and develop their concentration during activities. Resources are easily accessible for children to make their own choices and further develop their independence. Staff observe and assess children's learning on a regular basis and identify the next steps in learning. The early years professional has worked closely with the

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who attend

management team and staff to develop the planning and assessment process. The changes made are having a beneficial impact for children. Staff place a stronger emphasis on linking the children's next steps in learning to the planning of activities. This means that children are supported well in making continual progress in their learning, so they are ready for school when the time comes.

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who attend

Staff ask many open-ended questions to develop children's thinking skills during play. For example, as children carve out pumpkins, they ask children, 'what does it feel like?' 'Where do you think pumpkins grow?' Children delight in answering the questions as staff skilfully give them time to think and respond. Staff encourage older children to learn the letters in their name and concentrate on a letter sound of the week. Staff share the letter sound of the week with parents, so that they can build on their learning at home. Staff provide good opportunities for children to make marks and to develop early writing skills. For example, when children arrive, they are given the opportunity to write their name to register their attendance. Children are further encouraged to make marks using various media, such as paint and the interactive white board. As part of the daily routine, children take part in well-established circle time and registration activities. Children learn and talk

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who attend

about a variety of things, such as the days of the week, the date and month and what the weather is like. They are actively engaged in this activity as they find the matching picture and are encouraged to count up to the number of the month. Before children go off to explore and engage in play, staff remind them about the behaviour rules and ask them individually if they can think of one. Children delight in sharing their knowledge. Staff give encouragement and praise, which reinforces children's understanding of expected behaviour. They promote children's understanding of number and shape effectively. Staff encourage children to talk about the shapes they draw on their pictures and make sure that they respect what others have drawn. They provide many opportunities to enhance children's understanding of the world and the local community. Children visit the neighbouring school to take part in many activities and they enjoy taking walks around the

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who attend

Staff fully understand the important role that parents play in their children's learning. At the initial visits, staff gather information about children's likes and dislikes and some information regarding their development. While this gives staff a starting point to begin to plan individual learning experiences, there is scope to extend the information gathered from parents in more detail to make initial assessments more sharply focused, in order for children to make even better progress from the onset. Staff regularly share information about how children are progressing through daily discussion, parents' evenings and providing them with a copy of their child's individual learning plan. Staff complete progress reports each term and share these with parents. Parents are then given the opportunity to discuss children's next steps in learning. Staff also complete the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years. The manager sends home regular

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who attend

newsletters with details of forthcoming planned activities. This enables parents to further support children's learning at the pre-school.

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

Children and their families are warmly welcomed into this friendly pre-school. As the children arrive, they have their own designated peg to store their coats and belongings brought from home. Children immediately settle and confidently begin to explore the range of activities on offer. As a result, children demonstrate that they are feeling emotionally secure within the environment. The flexible admissions process in place allows children and parents to build warm relationships. Children demonstrate secure attachments to staff and confidently interact with visitors, which shows that they feel safe and self-assured. The pre-school has an effective key-person system in place. The key person works closely with parents to ensure they follow younger children's routines from home, such as sleep patterns and toilet training. This promotes consistency of care and ensures that all children's care needs are met. Staff are alert to changes in children's

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

moods. For example, when younger children are tired, they provide a quiet space where they can rest and re-charge, to enable them to become active again in their learning.

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

The emphasis on the promotion of personal, social and emotional development as a basis for learning, prepares children well for the next stage in their learning, such as when they start school. Consequently, children are emotionally prepared for the times of change. The pre-school works very closely with a neighbouring primary school, which a large proportion of children will attend. Together, they have devised a summative report of children's achievements before they start school, which has been well received by schools and parents. Additionally, teachers are invited into the pre-school to observe the children, so they have a good understanding of their needs before they start school. Staff support children during this change by talking to them, encouraging them to share their experiences of school visits with their friends and enhancing areas of the provision. Children, who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational

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

needs and/or disabilities, are supported well. Staff work closely with their parents and with any other agencies, who are involved, to discuss how their needs can be met most effectively.

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

Children learn to keep themselves healthy through daily routines, such as washing their hands before snack and after going to the toilet. Staff talk to the children about the importance of using soap and washing their hands to make sure there are no germs. Children are developing very good independence skills when carrying out this routine and older children are encouraged to attend to their personal needs independently, with staff close by, should they need any help. At snack time, children independently pour their own drinks and have a go at cutting or peeling the fruit they have selected. Staff are skilled in adapting their use of interactions as they talk to children about their choices. They use age-appropriate language and shorter sentences when needed. Children also have the opportunity to attend a cooking club, whereby they talk about healthy eating and share their creations and recipes with their parents. Staff ensure that children have good

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

opportunities to play outside in all weathers. There is a good range of equipment for children to develop their physical skills. They are able to balance along planks of wood, tyres and crates, practise climbing on the play frame and learn how to pedal bicycles. In addition, children attend a gym club once a week, whereby they learn how to move their bodies to music and gain some vital skills in readiness for the move to school. For example, children independently get changed into suitable clothing for a physical education session. This promotes their developing self-help skills. Staff ensure that children adopt safe practice. They remind children to use the handrail to walk down the steps leading to the outdoor area. Children also take part in regular fire drills, to ensure they are able to respond in the event of an emergency. They demonstrate good behaviour, which is influenced by the positive role modelling of staff. Children's behaviour

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

is managed effectively in the pre-school because staff provide clear boundaries. They encourage children to take turns and share the equipment. Staff use praise and encouragement and value the achievements that are made, therefore, promoting children's confidence and self-esteem to a high level. They model courteous language, such as 'please' and 'thank you', so children learn from their example.

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provision

The provider and her management team take effective measures to ensure that the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are met to a good level. Safeguarding procedures in the pre-school are rigorous. There are detailed policies in place, which offer very clear guidance of the procedures the manager and staff undertake, to ensure children's welfare is promoted to a high level. All staff have completed safeguarding training and demonstrate a good level of knowledge about their role to protect children in their care and who to contact should they be concerned about a child's welfare. Staff supervise children well, consequently, they are well protected. There are clear guidelines, which restrict the use of mobile telephones and cameras in the pre- school, which are implemented effectively by staff. Notices are displayed to advise parents and visitors. This helps to further safeguard children in their care. Recruitment procedures

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provision

are thorough and ensure all adults involved in the operation of the pre-school undergo the required clearance checks to assess their suitability to be with the children. There is a comprehensive induction procedure for new staff and students. This ensures that staff and students are clear about their roles and responsibilities. Staff are further supported through effective appraisal and supervision meetings, in order to continually discuss and improve practices. There is a clear training programme in place, which is having a beneficial impact for children. For example, recent training attended for supporting two- year-old children now means that staff are placing more emphasis on developing children's communication and language skills. As a result, children are making very good progress in these areas.

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provision

The learning and development requirements are clearly understood by the provider, early years professional, manager and staff. Collectively, the staff team have vast amounts of experience, they effectively plan for and review children's learning and the activities they provide. The manager alongside the early years professional monitor the staff's assessment of progress, which children make across all areas of learning and together, they analyse the data to identify any areas of learning where children may have gaps. This enables them to identify any possible further training needs for staff and to ensure any identified gaps in children's learning are speedily addressed. This contributes to the nursery's ongoing commitment to further improvement and to provide the best outcomes for all children. The manager and the early years professional monitor the quality of teaching through direct observations, reviewing the outcome and setting performance

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provision

targets for staff members. Staff carry out peer observations, in order to raise their practice to the highest level through honest and critical reflection.

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provision

Staff are extremely proactive in building strong relationships with parents. They provide a wealth of information to parents about their children's day and ongoing progress. As a result, children's individual needs are met well. Parents and carers spoken to on the day of inspection, are very happy with the care and education that staff provide. Their comments include, 'my child is really happy and settled and their key person is always available to talk to' and 'staff are very kind and caring, my child has made good progress, especially with their language development'. The manager displays important information for parents in the main corridor, along with a copy of all of the policies. Parents are also able to access the nursery's website and are kept up to date with events through regular newsletters. The management team has a strong commitment to further developing the service, which they provide, using a clear process of self-evaluation to monitor the

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provision

effectiveness of the pre-school's practices and procedure. Parents and children are fully involved in the self-evaluation process. Staff carry out discussions with the children and recently, they completed child-friendly questionnaires. This robust approach fully promotes collaborative working and ensures that the pre-school offers the high standards, which parents and children require. Staff work well with external agencies to meet the individual needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and attend meetings to ensure consistency. They receive support from local authority advisers and the pre-school values input from other professionals. Staff have clear links with other settings. They liaise closely with teachers at the local schools, to exchange information about children's individual needs. This ensures continuity in children's care and learning.

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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 EY243716 Local authority Bolton Inspection number 855861

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 16 Name of provider Nila Faulds Date of previous inspection 28/02/2011 Telephone number 01204849193 or 07932 650787

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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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