Barn Owls Nursery

Barn Owls Nursery Barnhayes Farm, Frome St. Quintin, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 0HG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/11/2014 06/12/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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

 Children benefit from very exciting outdoor play activities that promote their learning successfully.  Staff respond skilfully to children's choices and ideas. As a result, children are motivated learners and engage well in their play.  Staff engage children very well in learning to recognise dangers around them, to help them learn about keeping safe.  Management and staff demonstrate a good commitment to driving continuous improvements in the quality of children's care, learning and development. Consequently, children make good progress.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not consistently teach children how to handle books carefully, to further strengthen their literacy skills.  Staff do not help younger children to reach all the mud kitchen equipment for themselves; this restricts some children's exploration and imaginative play.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and the quality of teaching in the outdoor play area and main play room.  The inspector sampled children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the registered person/manager to assess the suitability and qualifications of staff, and management's knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Barn Owls Nursery has been registered under this ownership since 2007. It operates from a first floor extension situated in the village of Frome St Quintin, near Dorchester, Dorset. The premises are accessed via an outside stairway. Children have use of three play rooms and toilet facilities indoors. There are three outdoor play areas, incorporating an enclosed garden, tennis court and grassed area. The nursery is open weekdays from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. It is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are currently 26 children on roll in the early years age group. The nursery owner is also the manager of the nursery. She holds Early Years Professional Status and the Montessori teaching

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Information about the setting

qualification. She employs four staff, all of whom hold early years qualifications.

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

 support children better in learning to handle books more carefully, to further strengthen their literacy skills

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

 support younger children's exploration and imaginative play further by helping them to reach all the equipment for themselves when playing outside.

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They obtain information about each child's interests, needs and developmental stage from parents to help them plan children's learning from the start. Staff record their observations of children in a learning journey and review their progress each term, to identify any gaps in children's learning. They create individual learning plans to help children progress well in their favourite activities. Staff keep parents involved in their child's learning. They provide them with a summary of their child's learning each term and the required progress check for two-year-old children. As a result, children make good progress in relation to their starting points.

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who attend

Children benefit from well-resourced outdoor play areas in which they spend lots of play time. Older children join in Forest School activities, in which they study the natural environment and the changes throughout the seasons. For example, children searched for fallen leaves, which they collected to make a collage. A member of staff asked children lots of questions to encourage them to think, such as why some leaves are yellow; children told her 'it's changed colours as it's autumn' and 'new ones will grow again in the spring'. Staff encouraged children to count the leaves, and compare their size and appearance, to promote their understanding of number and size. Staff provide toys and activities to promote all areas of learning in the garden. For example, younger children cuddled up with staff on mats to read books together. However, some children step on and walk over the books when they have finished. This does not help children to learn

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who attend

Children explore many different media and materials outside, and act out their experiences in the mud kitchen. Here, children engaged well, using real utensils and cooking equipment around a large table, where they mixed mud and water and cooked their meals in ovens. Staff interacted to encourage children's imaginations by blowing on the food to ensure it was not hot. They challenged children well by asking them which bowls were bigger or heavier, and how many scoops they might need to fill the pots, counting with them to help them succeed. Younger children played alongside older children, exploring sand, water and mud. Children chose tools to scoop up and transport these resources around the garden. They mixed the materials together in a muddy puddle and took turns to stamp on the mixture, run through it and add more water to extend the activity. Staff interacted to encourage the children's safe exploration. They talked through their actions,

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who attend

described the mixture and named the tools to help the younger children understand. This skilful interaction helps to promote children's learning in their chosen activity. As a result, children engaged for a long period and benefitted from lots of learning experiences.

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

Staff provide a small and consistent team of key persons who know the children well. They work closely with parents and any additional agencies to meet children's needs and care routines consistently. As a result, children are happy and active, and form warm and trusting relationships with staff. This supports children well in the move between their home and the nursery. Staff help children to develop good independence, such as learning to change their clothes for outdoor play and serving their drinks when asked. Staff extend tasks for older children who they encourage to take on the roles of safety helper and lunch time helper. Children show positive attitudes and behave well. They benefit from clear messages and close support from staff who use innovative props, such as Bob, the nursery puppet, to help them understand the feelings of others well. These experiences promote children's personal, social and emotional development well, and prepare children

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

Staff maintain a safe and secure environment in which they supervise children closely. Children of all ages benefit from a good range of activities set out in the playrooms, which they choose for themselves. However, some younger children were not able to reach into the mud kitchen sink unit while playing and, as a result, left the area. This does not help to further promote children's independent exploration. Staff help children to learn about keeping safe through a wealth of valuable practical activities, such as the daily risk assessments in the garden. Here, the safety helper and a small group of children toured the garden looking for potential dangers, which they recorded on paper. Children identified stinging nettles, fungi, water puddles and resources on the ground. Staff asked children to explain what the hazards might be and how they could stay safe. Children suggested they should stay away from the nettles or wear gloves, and not touch the fungi

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

in case they became sick; they also suggested they might trip on equipment on the ground, which they then moved away. This activity also provides the helpers with valuable mark-making experience to promote their writing skills.

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provision

Management and staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They have a secure knowledge of the correct procedures to follow if they have a concern about the welfare of a child. They are clear about their responsibility to safeguard children's welfare. Management implements secure vetting procedures to help ensure staff are suitable to work with children. Staff implement daily checks, risk assessments, policies and procedures to keep children safe and secure.

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provision

Management and staff monitor and evaluate the quality of the nursery provision successfully. Management observes staff practice, provides staff supervision sessions every half term and conducts annual appraisals. Staff have started to complete their own personal learning journeys, which include peer observations, comments from children and their own development. This helps to monitor the quality of staff teaching effectively. Management completes a self-evaluation form and works with the local authority to drive improvements to the nursery provision. As a result, it has implemented several changes successfully. For example, staff make activity bags for parents to promote children's learning at home and have introduced the nursery puppet, Bob, to promote children's learning. Since the last inspection, staff have successfully improved the systems for observing and assessing children's progress, and provide smaller group activities. As a

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provision

result, children make good progress in their learning. This all demonstrates management and staff commitment to drive improvements in the quality of children's care and learning.

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provision

Staff establish successful partnerships with parents, who they provide with clear information about all aspects of the provision. They keep parents informed through daily communication, newsletters, e-mails and updates on their websites. Staff establish links with the other early years settings children also attend. They meet with other professionals involved in children's care and learning. This helps to promote children's needs consistently and well.

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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 EY361933 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 844215 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 26 Name of provider Sarah Jayne Legg Date of previous inspection 06/12/2010 Telephone number 01935 83177

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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

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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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