St Mary's Nursery Group

St Mary's Nursery Group The Bungalow, Shaw Lane, Albrighton, Wolverhampton, WV7 3DS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/11/2014 16/01/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Teaching is good because staff have a good understanding of how children learn and they plan effectively to ensure children receive a balance of activities across the seven areas of learning. Consequently, children make good progress.  Children are happy, settled and have good emotional attachments to their key person and other staff.  Children benefit from the effective partnerships that exist between their key person and their parents. Information is regularly shared about their progress and how their learning can be extended at home.

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It is not yet good because

 The provider is unable to produce records to verify that Disclosure and Barring Service checks have been undertaken for committee members. This is a breach of a legal requirement as children's safety and well-being cannot be assured.  Staff do not always maximise opportunities for children to participate in group activities, such as meet and greet time. The size of the group means that some children become disengaged as they wait their turn and, consequently, they do not benefit from the teaching during this time.  Management do not rigorously monitor and track children's progress across all areas of learning. Consequently, they are unable to identify easily whether any individual child is falling behind in any area of learning, and take prompt action to close the gap.

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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 in their play inside the nursery and in the outdoor learning environment.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held meetings with staff and the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and discussed the nursery's self-evaluation form and areas for improvement.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

St Mary's Nursery Group opened in 1982 and is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is managed by a committee. It operates from a bungalow in the grounds of St. Mary's Church of England School in Albrighton. The nursery serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. The nursery opens five days a week, from 9am until 3.30pm, term time only. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 23 children in the early years age range. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. There are currently four staff working directly with the children, all of whom have an appropriate early years qualification at level 3. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 make records easily accessible and available to demonstrate the suitability of committee members, including Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

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

 enrich opportunities for all children to fully participate during group activity times, by considering their age and stage of development and the size of the group, in order to extend all children's learning

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

 extend assessment systems by monitoring and tracking children's learning and development for all areas of learning, so that appropriate interventions can be identified and implemented.

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who attend

Staff know the children well and talk confidently about where they are in their learning and development, and children are seen to be working within the expected development band for their age. Staff have a good awareness of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and understand the characteristics of effective learning. Staff translate this effectively into practice, evaluating their observations of children to identify the next steps in their learning, and planning for their continuing progress. They observe and assess children when they start, which means they identify children's starting points. Each child has a written 'learning journey' in which staff record their observations, along with photographic evidence. Parents are encouraged to share their own observations of what their children are doing at home and staff take these into account to ensure that their planning is firmly rooted in children's interests. Furthermore,

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who attend

staff provide ideas for parents to extend their child's learning at home, which promotes continuity of learning. Staff complete the progress check for children aged between two and three years and share the information with parents. They complete reports detailing children's current learning for all of the areas, as well as identifying their next steps. They share these documents with parents to keep them informed about their children's developmental progress.

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who attend

Staff engage well in children's play and become involved in their activities with appropriate interactions. Children chat comfortably with staff and talk confidently to them. Staff engage children in conversation and model taking turns, asking questions to challenge their thinking and giving them time to process the question before answering. The nursery has established routines throughout the session, such as meet and greet time and practising letters and sounds. Children, on the whole, enjoy these activities and participate enthusiastically. However, due to the size of the group some children become bored as they wait for their turn. Consequently, the group activities do not always engage children fully or meet all of their learning and development needs.

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who attend

Staff skilfully extend activities to promote early mathematical skills, such as counting and shape recognition. For example, children are encouraged to count how many cups are needed at snack time and identify the shape of the table. Furthermore, staff introduce different mathematical vocabulary as children investigate which car travels the furthest as they make different sized ramps. Staff recognise that by using effective questions, children add meaning to their play and extend their understanding. Children are encouraged to practise their mark making skills and early literacy skills are promoted through a range of writing resources. Staff encourage children to make shapes and patterns with the play dough. These activities promote children's small physical skills and their creativity effectively. Children enjoy looking for insects and pretend play in the mud kitchen in the outdoor forest environment. They use their imaginative and creative skills well as they use

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who attend

tyres to make a train and discuss where the train is going. Staff provide good opportunities for children to develop their large physical skills, for instance, children enjoy riding bikes and scooters. Staff's good teaching techniques means that children make good progress towards the early learning goals. Consequently, they acquire the skills they need for their next stage of learning in preparation for moving to school.

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

Disclosure and Barring Service checks are available for staff but not for all committee members and, therefore, statutory requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage are not met. As a result, children's safety and well-being cannot be assured. However, the committee members do not have direct contact with the children within the nursery, which reduces the impact of this breach in requirements. Steps are taken daily to ensure that the play areas are safe for children by conducting a daily check. Exterior gates are bolted closed to protect children from unauthorised visitors or from leaving unattended. Children are relaxed and happy at the nursery, as the effective key-person system promotes their feelings of security. The key persons know their children well and they meet their individual needs promptly to ensure that children are supported during the session. For example, children who are upset are comforted effectively by their key persons who use

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

their favourite activities to engage them in play.

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

The nursery offers children the opportunity to choose to play indoors or outdoors during the session, effectively meeting the needs of children who have a preference to learn outdoors. Children are encouraged to be healthy by playing outdoors and engage in a range of different activities. The nursery has regular visits to the forest area in the school grounds, where children learn about their local environment and nature, as well as promoting their physical development. Children also learn to take small risks in a safe way as they explore this environment. Children are aware of the routine of their day and carry out tasks independently, such as washing their hands after outdoor play, messy activities and prior to eating, with little support from staff. Children's independence is further promoted during snack time where children are supported to pour their own drinks and clear away afterwards. Parents provide children's snacks and lunchboxes, which are stored

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

The nursery use different recycling boxes for their rubbish, which enhances children's learning about recycling and their environment. Children participate in tidying away activities as a group. Children are given small tasks through the day to increase their confidence, such as taking responsibility for being the special helper and giving out cups at snack time. Staff remind children about the boundaries of behaviour and consistently reinforce rules about sharing and taking turns with the toys. For example, staff use sand timers to ensure that all children have equal opportunities to use the scooters outside and children wait patiently for their turn. Consequently, children's behaviour at the nursery is very good. The nursery has in place good activities to support children's move to school, such as school visits. This helps children to be emotionally prepared for moving on, when the time comes.

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provision

All of the staff working directly with the children at the nursery have an appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service check in place. However, these are not available to view for all committee members and, therefore, statutory requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage are not met. This indicates a need for the leadership and management of the setting to improve, so that all records are appropriately maintained and available for inspection. All other requirements are met. Staff's knowledge and understanding of safeguarding is sound because they are fully aware of the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child or another staff member. They have attended training for safeguarding and a policy is in place. Additionally, there is a policy for the use of mobile telephones and the use of cameras. This helps to protect children from their inappropriate use. The manager has recruited and retained a team of staff, who are experienced and

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provision

well-qualified. As a result, the quality of the learning environment and planned activities support children's learning well. There is a safe recruitment process in place to employ new staff. Parent partnership working is good and a number of strategies are employed to engage parents with their children's learning, such as newsletters, parent's evenings and the sharing of learning journeys.

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provision

The manager oversees and monitors the overall educational programme. She supports staff as they plan for children's ongoing learning needs and oversees all learning journey records for children, including the progress reports that are completed by staff. However, the manager has yet to implement a rigorous system in order to track children's learning across all areas of learning. Therefore, she is not able to easily identify any gaps or areas where children's learning can be further extended. The manager is aware of this and is formulating different strategies to address this. The manager holds regular staff meetings, supervision and annual appraisals with the staff team. The manager and staff identify training needs and staff attend training courses to ensure that their knowledge is kept up- to-date. For example, a newly recruited staff member participated in an online Early Years Foundation Stage course to increase her understanding of how to support children's

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provision

learning and development. There is a supervision process in place to support staff and any new staff are assigned a mentor. Staff have regular observations of their teaching practice to further enhance the quality of teaching, so that children are best supported to reach the very highest levels of attainment.

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provision

The manager has in place a process for self-evaluation, which includes staff and all stakeholders. This is used effectively to identify priorities for improvement and set future targets. The management team welcome feedback from parents and staff to further improve the nursery. Partnerships with parents and the local school make a strong contribution to meeting children's individual needs. Parents spoken to during the inspection are very happy with the nursery and the care their children receive. They state their children look forward to coming to the nursery and comment upon how the staff share information about their child's progress. They particularly like the key-person system as they feel that it is effective in meeting their child's individual needs. The nursery has also developed strong processes for when children move to school, such as organising school visits to promote familiarity. The nursery also encourage teachers to join the

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provision

nursery sessions to meet with children. Staff throughout the nursery create an environment that is welcoming, safe and stimulating, where children enjoy their learning and grow in confidence. This means every child receives a happy and enjoyable experience that prepares them well for school or the next stage in their learning.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 make records easily accessible and available to demonstrate the suitability of committee members, including Disclosure and Barring Service checks (compulsory part of the Childcare Register).  make records easily accessible and available to demonstrate the suitability of committee members, including Disclosure and Barring Service checks (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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 224192 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 866146

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 18 Number of children on roll 23 Name of provider St Marys Nursery Group - Albrighton Committee Date of previous inspection 16/01/2012 Telephone number 01902 375 533

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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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