Hilltop Nursery

Hilltop Nursery Brighton General Hospital, Elm Grove, BRIGHTON, BN2 3EW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/11/2014 14/11/2013

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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

 Staff use effective strategies to promote the children's skills in communication and language. This enables all children to make good progress in their learning.  Staff use effective strategies with parents and other settings to encourage a cohesive approach to children's learning and care. This effectively supports children's development and progress and ensures their individual needs are met.  Staff provide a stimulating and well-organised learning environment both inside and outside. This gives children lots of opportunities to develop good independence, choice and decision-making skills.  Recruitment and induction systems are detailed and have a strong focus on safeguarding children. This means that staff have a clear and secure understanding of supporting children's learning and care, and children are safe.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The staffing arrangements for the key-person system do not always fully support new children to build positive relationships.

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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 children and staff's interaction in all the main play areas of the nursery, including the outside area.  The inspector spoke to children, staff and parents during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed leadership and management with the manager and the business manager, and carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including the safeguarding policy, the complaints policy, evidence of staff's suitability and the accident and medication records.  The inspector held a feedback meeting with the manager and the business manager.

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Information about the setting

Hilltop Nursery opened in 1989 and registered with Ofsted in 2001. The nursery is one of three nurseries managed by Sussex Community NHS Trust. It is a workplace nursery for parents that are trust employees. The nursery also offers some places to children of non- NHS staff. The nursery operates from a converted bungalow in the grounds of Brighton General Hospital, in Brighton, East Sussex. It is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6.30pm for 51 weeks of the year. All children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 29 children attending in the early years age group. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery supports children who speak English as a second language.

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Information about the setting

The provision employs eight members of staff. Seven staff are qualified at level 3 and the manager is qualified at level 5.

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

 enhance the key-person system to further support new children as they settle in to enable them to develop positive relationships.

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who attend

Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They use this knowledge to help children make good progress towards the early learning goals. This helps the children prepare well for school and their future learning. Children are confident and explore independently. Staff encourage babies to be motivated and enjoy using their senses through exploring a good selection of natural and manmade resources. For example, the babies have access to treasure baskets consisting of brushes, netting and wooden items. In addition, they are also able to explore colour co-ordinated theme boxes. Children enjoy exploring paint and making prints using their hands and sponges. In addition to this, the children thoroughly enjoy opportunities to explore musical instruments. Activities such as these help the children to develop skills in creativity as well as effectively supporting their physical development. Children enjoy practising physical

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who attend

skills during a variety of activities. The older children enjoy using water and a range of resources such as buckets and funnels. This helps them to develop their smaller muscle movements. Children also thoroughly enjoy practising skills, such as counting their spades of soil as they add this to water and then stirring the mixture as they make imaginary chocolate. Activities such as these effectively help to develop good skills in numeracy and physical development.

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who attend

All children have good support for their language development. Staff interpret the sounds young children and babies make and repeat the meaning back to them. This helps young children to associate words with actions and develops their communication skills. Staff listen carefully to what older children say and use meaningful open-ended questions as they play. This consolidates the children's growing vocabulary and encourages the children to engage in conversations. Staff effectively help children to increase their understanding of the world around them. For example, children enjoy first-hand experiences of observing and touching reptiles and spiders that outside companies bring into the nursery. Staff also support children that are bilingual well. For example, children are able to enjoy language and picture books that staff have made in the children's home languages. This helps to support the children's developing skills in literacy, communication and language, and

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who attend

Staff use the information from observations well to make sure that children achieve as much as they can. The staff clearly identify children's starting points and complete regular observations and identify the children's next steps in development. Staff effectively use this information to plan activities that meet the children's individual learning needs and interests. They also identify whether children are emerging, working within or exceeding a developmental level, skill or understanding. Staff monitor the children's progress by linking their observations to the ages and stages of development. Staff successfully complete the required progress checks for two-year-old children and share this with parents. This enables them to monitor the children's progress in all the key areas of development.

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who attend

Parents are strongly involved in their children's learning. The staff effectively share information regarding the children's care and achievements. For example, parents are able to see and discuss their child's development files at regular meetings. In addition, staff successfully share information on how learning can be supported at home through letters to parents and through their social media page. The system in place for parents to share information on their child's development and interests at home is also effective. For example, parents regularly talk to the key staff and complete a home diary that informs staff of what is happening at home. This means that children are fully supported in their progress and development.

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

Staff implement good strategies overall to help settle new children in. For example, they encourage parents to participate in settling-in visits and talk to them about their child's care needs and interests. This enables them to gain an understanding of children's individual needs. There is a good key-person system in place. However, it is not fully effective in supporting all the children as they settle. This is because the staffing arrangements result in some key staff repeatedly not working when their key children are present. This hinders the children in developing secure attachments and settled relationships, particularly when they are new to the nursery.

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

Children are encouraged very well to develop habits and behaviour appropriate to good learners, their own needs and those of others. Staff use good methods to encourage positive behaviour. For example, staff concentrate on giving lots of praise and, as a result, young children are motivated and behave well. Staff work well with parents when dealing with negative behaviour. This helps to ensure the children are receiving the same messages in managing their behaviour. The staff also use effective strategies such reading stories and key-ring cards that depict emotions. This helps the children understand and begin to manage their feelings.

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

Space is organised very well in all areas of the nursery. The learning environment is well resourced. It has a wide range of child-accessible, stimulating resources both inside and outside. For example, children have access to a wealth of equipment in the outside mud kitchen as well as ball pools and a sensory garden with a hidden tepee. Staff also provide a good level of freedom and independence for the children. For example, older children can move freely between rooms, giving them good opportunities to explore and direct their own play. Babies in particular are helped to rest and sleep through staff using a bubble machine, a soft sensory light display and music from the womb to settle them.

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

Children are developing a very good understanding of how to keep safe. Staff sensitively support young children by discussing safety issues as they engage in their play. Children also have opportunities to further their understanding. For example, through visitors to the nursery such as the police and hospital fire team. Staff encourage children to engage in regular routines that promote their understanding of good hygiene. For example, they remind children to wash their hands before meals. Children are developing a good understanding about healthy eating through participating in activities, such as growing their own vegetables and sampling them and making fresh fruit salads. They are also able to make choices about what they want to eat and help to serve their meals. Children are physically active and all children have daily opportunities to play outside even when it is raining. This means they can regularly enjoy fresh air and have good opportunities to

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

develop their physical skills, and understanding of types the weather.

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

Staff are effective in helping children prepare for moves within the nursery and into their new schools so they feel happy and secure. Children have regular opportunities to be with other age groups during their everyday play. They are also able to visit their new room several times before they move in. This helps them to gather confidence and familiarity. Older children are able to practise dressing up in uniforms that reflect their local school. They also meet their new teachers and read and discuss the prospectus about their new schools. These strategies help the children to feel confident when they ultimately transfer to school.

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provision

The management team has a good understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements and the safeguarding and welfare requirements. However there is a minor weakness in the staffing arrangements regarding the key-person systems that support children in developing a settled relationship. Risk assessments are regularly conducted, reviewed by both staff and the trust and there is appropriate action taken to keep children safe. For example, staff keep all external doors locked when children are present and admit all visitors into the nursery. They are also vigilant in ensuring that visitors record their times of arrival and departure. Staff and management are currently working above the required adult to child ratios and children are within sight and hearing of staff at all times so they keep safe. All staff are qualified in first aid and in addition do resuscitation training. This means staff are able to safeguard children's health

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provision

and safety, and provide emergency first-aid treatment quickly.

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provision

Recruitment, vetting and induction procedures are extremely robust. As part of the recruitment checks staff undergo a health check with the occupational health department of the Trust. They also complete declaration on cautions and convictions. This is reviewed again when they go for a new post as well as each time they have their six weekly supervision meeting. New employees undergo a six month probation period. During this time they have induction days both with the Trust and the nursery management in addition to being allocated a mentor in the room where they work. This means that staff have a clear and secure understanding of supporting children's learning and care needs.

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provision

The leadership and management team has good systems in place to evaluate their provision and practice. They complete a self-evaluation form, send out parent surveys and set targets for improvement in the outcomes for children. For example, they have assessed their current situation regarding the children's learning and development. With the help of their sister nursery the management has developed an improvement plan to improve their practice with the assessment system. Management and staff have successfully addressed actions and recommendations made previously at the last inspection. For example, staff have updated their understanding of the safeguarding procedures by re-reading the safeguarding policy and procedures and then signing a record to confirm they have read and understood it. This helps to ensure they are secure in knowing to inform the relevant agencies about any concerns in a timely manner. In

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provision

addition to this the staff have improved the organisation of the nursery by introducing a free-flow system in the older children's rooms as well as into the garden at certain time of the day. This effectively supports children's emotional well-being. Management and staff have also successfully created more open play space and provide a more clearly defined play area for very young children in the outside area. This gives the children good and safe opportunities to move around and explore. The management team regularly observes and monitors staff practice. Regular supervision and appraisal meetings take place for staff to enable them to effectively identify training needs and secure opportunities for development. This effectively supports and helps drive improvement within the nursery and therefore benefits the children.

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provision

Staff provide a good range of information for parents, which include the nursery's policies and procedures. The staff display information on notice boards, providing good general information on aspects of the early years learning, as well as details about children's activities. Management has also recently introduced social media methods to further share information with parents. This helps everyone be aware of their responsibilities and what is happening in the environment.

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provision

Parents are pleased with the care and learning provided for their children. They say they are encouraged to share lots of information to help to settle their children and the children love to come to the nursery. They are also pleased that their children can enjoy the outdoor play area in all weathers. Parents are very happy with the information shared and are positive that their children are making good progress. Through discussion and documentation staff demonstrate they are fully aware of the need to work with other professionals. They are aware of procedures to support children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and liaise with the local authority advisory team to obtain further advice and support in meeting the children's individual needs.

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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 130691 Local authority Brighton & Hove Inspection number 962640 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 29 Name of provider Sussex Community NHS Trust Date of previous inspection 14/11/2013 Telephone number 01273 696 011X3302

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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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