Furness Childcare

Furness Childcare Ltd High Street Sawmills, High Street, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 1QY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/11/2014 27/06/2014

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 4 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 carefully observe children during their play and plan interesting activities that meet children's individual needs. This successfully enhances their learning and development.  There are good partnerships with parents and carers. Staff encourage them to support children's learning at home and at nursery and to share information about their progress. This means they are fully involved in children's learning.  The managers and staff have a good understanding of what they can do to improve their service and they are committed to taking action to achieve their goals and ambitions.  Children are safeguarded and protected from harm. This is because all staff have their suitability to work with children checked and staff fully understand their role and responsibility in protecting children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children are not always challenged sufficiently to develop their thinking skills. This is becuase staff do not always make the most of opportunities to encourage children to consider a variety of responses to questions or solutions to problems.  Occasionally at lunch times, children are not well supported to develop their social skills because the environment is not sufficiently calm or conducive.

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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 viewed the premises, observed and talked with children and discussed aspects of policy and practice with the registered providers, the manager and staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the qualifications and the suitability of all staff working in the nursery.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed a wide range of documents, including relevant policies and procedures, self-evaluation and improvement plans and children's learning and assessment documents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to parents and looked at completed questionnaires to take their views into account.

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Information about the setting

Furness Childcare Limited opened in 2003 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is privately owned and operates from a two-story building in the centre of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The nursery serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. The nursery opens five days a week from 7.30am until 5.30pm all year round, except for bank holidays and a week at Christmas. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Children are cared for across the four ground floor rooms and associated facilities and have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 51 children attending, who are all 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. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are currently 12 staff working directly with the children, 10

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Information about the setting

of whom have an appropriate early years qualification. Eight of the staff have a childcare qualification at level 3 and two members of staff have a qualification at level 2. The nursery is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and the National Day Nurseries Association. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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

 enhance children's thinking skills further by, for example, asking more open-ended questions that encourage children to consider a variety of responses or solutions

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

 review and strengthen the arrangements for and organisation of meal and snack times so that children are able to sit, chat and socialise with each other and their key persons in order to build further on their developing social skills.

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who attend

The staff have a good level of awareness of how children learn and develop. Staff make careful observations of children when they first start, to assess their level of development. Subsequent observations are regularly undertaken and evaluated, which inform the planning of children's next steps. Consequently, children are successfully challenged to make further progress in their learning and development. The key persons know their children well and respect them for their uniqueness and individuality. This means that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress towards the early learning goals. Furthermore, children develop the attitudes and dispositions required for their future learning. Staff ensure that children receive a good balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities. For example, babies and younger children enjoy exploring and engaging in sensory experiences, such as playing with

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who attend

shaving foam or oats and pasta. The two-year-olds enjoy discovering and exploring natural objects, building on their natural curiosity to gather, fill, select, stack and knock down items. The older children are excited as they work alongside staff and each other as they create and write lists for Santa. Consequently, children are motivated to learn and make good progress in their development.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good. Staff are enthusiastic and committed to ensuring children remain motivated and active in their learning. Staff in the Chatterbox room embrace and build on children's competitive nature. For example, staff teach children to recognise letters and words by making the activity into a game. Children try hard to learn individual and combinations of letters so that they can collect the most names to win the game. Children find this fun as they successfully develop their early literacy skills. Staff effectively promote good communication and language skills. Babies are given time to find small objects in the discovery tray. Staff teach them the name of the objects and encourage children to repeat the item name to reinforce their learning. Staff are proficient in asking questions to children to help them think, such as 'How tall is this?' and 'What shall we put on your Santa list?' However, staff do not always promote deeper level thinking skills by

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who attend

asking more challenging questions, such as 'what will happen if...?' and 'how can we make this work?' Children thoroughly enjoy looking at the good range of books available. Staff involve the children in the stories, promoting communication and language through enjoyment of the books. Children point to the pictures and develop their listening and attention skills as they become engrossed in the story line. Children enjoy choosing which songs to sing and delight in doing the actions, using whole body movements as they do so. Children enjoy dressing up in the role-play area and develop their imagination. Staff encourage children to dress and undress themselves, promoting independence. Children look into the mirror, smiling and commenting on how they look. This helps children develop a strong sense of self-awareness and a sense of belonging. The children thoroughly enjoy playing in the outdoor area. They take great delight in weaving materials

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who attend

through the gates, developing their hand and eye coordination. Children work hard to manoeuvre the big blocks to make a platform with ramps. They develop their concentration skills as they balance and negotiate the blocks.

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who attend

Staff seek relevant information from parents and carers when children start at the nursery. The information gathered helps staff get to know and understand the children to enable their needs to be effectively met. Staff ensure that children's routines match those from home, for example sleep patterns. This, alongside the effective implementation of a key- person system, contributes to good relationships between the children, staff, parents and carers. Staff fully understand the importance of involving parents in their children's learning. For example, they encourage parents to tell them about children's achievements at home and encourage them to share reading and stories with their children. As a result, a culture of partnership working is effectively fostered.

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

Children are secure and confident as they independently explore and take part in activities. Staff know and understand children's needs well and establish secure relationships with their key children. Children are effectively supported as they move between rooms. The key persons meet and successfully share relevant information about children's care and educational needs. Children have ownership of their developmental books, which they enjoy sharing with other adults. As a result, children establish a very good sense of belonging and their emotional well-being is fostered well. Staff create calm, comfortable areas for children to sleep and rest. They offer reassurance to children who are unsettled or in need of extra comfort. Consequently, children form good, strong attachments with the staff who are important to them. Children and families are respected and valued. Prominent displays show different cultures and lifestyles reflecting diversity.

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

As a result, children learn to value and respect differences in society. Staff are skilled at helping children manage their feelings and behaviour by implementing clear and consistent boundaries. Staff remain calm and are good role models, teaching children the difference between right and wrong.

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

There are good opportunities provided for children to spend time and develop relationships with children of other age groups. For example, children mix during outdoor play and sometimes come together for meal times. Staff ensure that children are kept safe and staff-to-child ratios are maintained. However, occasionally, the numbers of children coming together at lunch times is too many to promote a wholly conducive, social atmosphere. This means that children are not always able to chat, concentrate on their food and enjoy their lunch. Children receive healthy, nutritious and well-balanced snacks and meals. Children are offered milk or water and are discouraged from drinking juice from bottles. This helps to protect their teeth. Children are taught about making other healthy food choices through discussion and creative art displays. These are visible in the dining room reinforcing the message further. Parents are made aware of the snack and

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

meal menus as these are clearly displayed outside the dining room. Consequently, parents are able to complement the meals for their children, ensuring a good balance is maintained. Children have access to the outdoor area on a daily basis. Staff are developing the area to ensure that there is a wide range of activities that suit the individual age groups for the children. Children are able to ride bicycles and scooters, climb, balance, practise their ball skills and benefit from the fresh air. Children are taught to take care of their environment and put things away. They are reminded about being careful as they learn about possible hazards and how to manage risk safely. Children's independence is fostered well. Babies and younger children learn about cross- contamination as they are encouraged to wash their hands. Older children confidently use the bathroom, and are reminded to wash their hands after using the toilet and before

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

Staff in the Chatterbox room effectively prepare children emotionally, educationally and physically for moving on to school. Staff are aware of the skills and attributes children need so that they benefit from their continued learning experiences. For example, they ensure children are independent and confident. They provide activities that promote learning in early literacy and mathematics. Staff understand that children are inquisitive and provide experiences to enable children's curiosity to be fostered further. Teachers are invited into the nursery to meet the children and talk with them about expectations and routines. The good links between the pre-school staff and linked schools means that communication is effective. Consequently, children are suitably prepared for their move on to school.

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provision

Leadership and management are good. The provider, managers and staff demonstrate a strong understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Since the last inspection and subsequent monitoring visits, the team have addressed each action set by Ofsted. They have devised clear, focused improvement plans, which have resulted in significant progress. Parents comment on how recent changes have impacted positively on the nursery and staff practice. The manager regularly ensures that staff are fully aware of all the requirements and are up to date with changes in legislation. Safeguarding children takes high priority and procedures are very robust. All the managers and staff are well trained and clear in the procedures to take, should they have a concern over a child's welfare. All areas are kept safe through consistent daily monitoring and all staff are aware of the need to remove or discard any hazardous

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provision

materials. Staff-to-child ratios are maintained at all times through efficient deployment of staff. This means that children are always well supervised and their needs are effectively met. The security of the nursery is very tight and all visitors are greeted and their identity checked. This helps to keep children safe from unwanted intruders. The leaders and managers ensure that the recruitment and selection of new staff and students is robust. New staff have their identity checked and are vetted through the Disclosure and Barring Service check system. Induction procedures are thorough. This means that all adults working with children have full working knowledge of the policies and procedures. This helps to ensure the safe operational management in the nursery. The manager is very organised and has all the relevant documentation, including the policies and procedures readily available. For example, she ensures there is a written account of any complaints

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provision

and the actions taken to address them. All the policies are regularly reviewed and any amendments are shared with staff and parents accordingly.

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provision

The manager undertakes supervision sessions with staff on a regular basis. This opportunity gives staff a chance to discuss professional and personal issues, such as further training and development and their key children's progress. The manager has recently started to implement more focused performance management sessions to help staff improve their practice even further. New knowledge acquired at any training and professional development opportunities is successfully shared between the whole team. This has a positive impact on the outcomes for children. For example, staff have developed areas of play for the two-year-olds, following recent training. Staff and parents comment on how improved the areas are and how children are benefitting. The manager works closely with staff, parents and carers to monitor children's progress in their learning and development. Assessments are clear and precise, highlighting any gaps in children's

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provision

development. Targeted intervention strategies are put in place for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. In addition, the assessments identify any areas of learning where children are not making suitable progress. These areas are swiftly addressed so that all children are effectively supported in making consistently good progress.

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provision

The provider and managers are self-reflective and committed to improving the quality of the nursery. Parents are invited to provide constructive comments through the use of questionnaires. Parents comment on how thankful they are for the support and guidance offered by staff and say that their children have made excellent progress. Staff are equally involved in the self-evaluation process, which means there is a collective approach to maintaining standards. The effective partnership with parents means that they feel comfortable and confident to offer their views and ideas. Children's views are taken into consideration and there are plans to involve them even more. Parents comment on how they are kept fully informed and feel involved in the nursery. A regular newsletter is informative and staff and parents value daily discussions. The managers and staff have good links with other professionals, including local authority advisers, speech therapist and

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provision

health visitors. This helps maintain the quality of the nursery and contributes well to meeting children's 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 EY239993 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 988341

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 69 Number of children on roll 51 Name of provider Furness Childcare Ltd Date of previous inspection 27/06/2014 Telephone number 01229 828444

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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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