Bright Star Nursery

Bright Star Nursery Bright Star Nursery, Picktree Lane, CHESTER LE STREET, County Durham, DH3 3SR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/12/2014 26/07/2012

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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

 The quality of teaching is good as staff effectively promote children's learning and development through a variety of fun and interesting activities. As a result, children make good progress and are engaged and motivated in their play.  Children are effectively safeguarded because robust systems are in place to ensure all staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of child protection procedures, which ensures they act appropriately to safeguard children.  Partnerships with parents and other professionals are good and strong relationships with parents help staff to recognise and support children's individual needs. As a result, children are happy and have formed strong attachments with the staff, which helps them to feel safe and secure.  Leadership and management is successful. Staff are supervised well, which includes monitoring of staff practice and accurate tracking of children's development. As a

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This provision is good

result, children's interests and learning are well supported.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Occasionally pre-school children are not provided with a comfortable and relaxing area for their activities, such as after lunch in the dining room.  Staff in the birth to two-year-old room occasionally have background music playing on the radio when carrying out activities, which impacts on children's ability to concentrate on the activity.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the premises.  The inspector observed children in the indoor and outside areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to children and staff, and held meetings with the manager and director during the inspection.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment and planning records, checked evidence of the suitability of staff working with children, the safeguarding policy, and discussed the self-evaluation and improvement plans.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Bright Star Nursery opened in 2012 and is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is owned and managed by a company. It operates from purpose-built premises in Chester le Street, County Durham. The nursery serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. The nursery opens five days a week from 7.30am until 6pm for 51 weeks a year, excluding bank holidays and the days between Christmas and New Year. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Children are cared for across four playrooms and have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 104 children in the early years age range. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for three- and four-year- old children. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English is an additional language. There are currently

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Information about the setting

19 staff working directly with the children, all of whom have an appropriate early years qualification at level 3 or above. This includes the manager who holds Early Years Professional Status and one member of staff with Qualified Teacher Status. The deputy manager has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Years. The nursery receives support from the local authority. The staff follow the High Scope philosophy.

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

 promote pre-school children's well-being further by providing a comfortable area for children to be able to relax or play quietly in the dining room after lunch

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

 make sure that background music does not impact on group activities, such as singing time.

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who attend

Staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They provide an interesting and motivating range of activities and resources, which help children to develop and progress across the seven areas of learning. As a result, children benefit from a good quality educational programme that effectively promotes their learning in all areas. All staff have high expectations of children and regularly assess their development. Observations and accurate assessments, which include the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years, are successfully completed by staff to identify the next steps in learning for individual children. This information is skilfully used to provide a wide range of exciting, challenging activities that lead from the children's interests. As a result, individual children's needs are identified and targeted. The quality of teaching is consistently good and children learn through a balance of adult-led

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who attend

and child-initiated activities. Staff skilfully build on children's learning, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who speak English as an additional language. Consequently, children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning, such as school.

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who attend

Teaching and learning are good. Staff understand the Early Years Foundation Stage and use this knowledge effectively to support learning. They use language as a powerful means to share feelings and experiences. For example, they get down to children's level and follow children's lead in their play. Staff show children their enjoyment as they do this and that they are happy to join in. They add language to children's imaginative play, saying they are waiting for a bus, when told by children to wait there. This helps to develop children's imagination and they happily collect resources from the shop, after asking if the member of staff would like a drink. Staff that care for children under two years develop children's personal, social and emotional skills. They bring them together for a short period of time to sing familiar rhymes. Children are keen to join in and more able children tell staff which rhymes they would like to sing. Staff involve children in the rhyme

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who attend

as they show them the actions and children attempt to join in. However, staff sometimes have the radio playing a music station in the background and do not turn this off when they gather as a group. This clashes with some group activities, such as singing rhymes and makes it difficult for some children to concentrate. All children have excellent opportunities to learn about the local environment and to observe plants, animals and things that they find. They go out on a weekly basis to the local field at the leisure centre or park. There is a wealth of learning experiences on these outings. For example, pre- school children discuss and recognise the written numbers on the doors as they walk past the houses. At the field they examine mole hills with magnifying glasses and dig in them to see what they can find. There is great excitement when they find some worms. The discovery of a small bulb growing leads to a discussion about how big it might grow. This

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who attend

leads to the story of Jack and the beanstalk being discussed and children use their imagination as they say they will climb to the top of the beanstalk and they might see a giant. Staff respond to this interest and read the story to children, asking them questions, such as 'how would they feel if there was a giant?' This helps children learn to understand their own emotions and feelings and they respond that they would feel scared.

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who attend

Parents are warmly welcomed into the nursery by the approachable staff. A daily diary is completed for children under two-years-old and an information sheet for children between two- and three-years-old. Verbal discussions are held with pre-school parents. This means parents are kept well informed about their child's day, what they have been involved in and means they can continue their child's learning at home. Parents have access to their children's learning journeys, which show the progress that children are making in their learning and development. Staff meet with parents to discuss these and invite parents to add their own comments about what their children have achieved at home. This means staff are kept up-to-date on children's interests and they include this information in their planning.

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

Children's emotional well-being is effectively promoted throughout the nursery. A well- established key-person system ensures all children benefit from secure attachments. The caring and supportive environment helps children to feel safe and secure, which provides a strong foundation for their well-being and independence. New children are supported with settling-in visits where parents share information with their child's key person. For example, staff learn about children's likes, dislikes and favourite activities. Information gained contributes to initial assessments of their child's starting points and helps children to settle well into the nursery. Children are well behaved and are supported by effective daily routines, consistent praise by staff and by celebrating children's achievements. Staff promote the benefits of tidying away resources when they have finished with them. Involving children and praising them for their efforts raises children's self-esteem and

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

enhances their emotional development. Practical experiences teach children how to manage their own safety. For example, on outings staff remind children about how to cross the road safely and children show their understanding as they look both ways.

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

The nursery environment is welcoming and offers children opportunities to play in a number of well-equipped areas. The playrooms are arranged so children can access resources themselves and have spaces to be messy, as well as comfortable, carpeted areas for activities, such as looking at a book. However, there are occasions when pre- school children are not as comfortable, such as when having a story read to them in the dining room after lunch. Children's physical development is positively promoted and they gain confidence as they move around the spacious indoor and outdoor environment. Each room has their own outdoor play area and children are encouraged to choose where they would like to play, either indoors or outside. Staff plan activities for the outdoor area and plan follow up activities when they notice children have a particular interest. For example, children show an interest in watching the birds. Staff provide binoculars for this and plan

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

an activity where they make some bird feeders for the garden. Children enjoy this sensory experience as they squeeze the fat and bird seed into yogurt pots or balls. Staff develop children awareness of the effect that exercise has on their bodies. During the outing pre- school children run up and down a small hill and staff get them to feel their heart beats to see if they are going fast. Children are encouraged from an early age to become self- sufficient in dressing and undressing themselves. Due to having the open door into the garden during the session they have opportunities to find and put on and take off their own coats and to put on suitable footwear, such as boots. They receive praise from staff for their efforts, which supports their well-being. Good procedures are followed regarding the changing of children's nappies. Staff wear appropriate protective clothing and keep a record to make sure that children are changed at regular intervals or when needed.

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

Staff prepare the children for changes and movements through the nursery that supports their well-being. They go for short visits that build up to a time when their key person is satisfied they are ready to move permanently. This enables children to meet and form attachments with their new key person, which supports a smooth move. Staff are aware of their responsibility to prepare children emotionally for their move to other settings or school. Children's independence skills develop at lunch time. Pre-school children serve their own food, which means they make decisions about what and how much they want to eat. Staff encourage them to use a knife and fork to cut up their food. Children are supported to use the bathroom independently. Staff share information with the school that children will attend prior to them moving and school staff are invited to observe children in nursery, particularly where staff feel a child may need ongoing support. This helps children

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provision

The provider, management team and staff pay close attention to the safety of children that attend the nursery. They have a good understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children are effectively safeguarded. Staff are aware of potential and actual harm to children and have a strong knowledge of procedures to follow if they have a concern about the welfare of a child or conduct of a member of staff or manager. Staff supervise children well, adhere to adult to child ratios and consequently, children are suitably protected. For example, the nursery keeps thorough records of accidents, medication administered, nappy changes and attendance records, which helps staff to protect children and promote their welfare. There are effective processes for selection and safe recruitment of new staff. The manager ensures that suitability checks are undertaken, induction processes are in place and

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provision

references are gained prior to any new staff starting at the nursery. Staff are supported through inductions, appraisals, staff meetings and supervision sessions. The manager is keen to further promote and support staff professional development and observes staff as they work. This provides discussion points within supervision sessions so that staff gain feedback on the quality of their practice. The manager is fully committed to improving practice through staff attending training. She offers this in-house and staff also attend local authority training. The manager monitors any training that staff attends and discusses with staff what they think the impact of this will have on their practice. As a result of in-house training by the manager, staff's knowledge, understanding and practice have been improved so that all children's learning is consistently supported well. Written policies and procedures provide guidance for staff and parents, such as safeguarding, the

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provision

use of mobile phones and social networking sites.

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provision

Safety is promoted through robust arrangements for assessing any risks to children, and checks are carried out on a daily basis to minimise these and to ensure that safety measures remain effective. The manager's drive for improvement is demonstrated by a clear improvement plan, and all previous actions and recommendations from the last inspection have been effectively met. The manager has successfully improved the observation and assessment system to enable staff to understand children's level of achievement. Staff now use the information to tailor activities to meet each child's individual learning needs and ensure they make consistently good progress towards the early learning goals. The manager monitors all planning and assessments to guarantee they are consistent and precise. Consequently, individual children or groups of children with identified needs are targeted so that appropriate interventions are sought and any

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provision

gaps are closed. The manager uses self-evaluation and action planning effectively to make changes and improvements, and she sets clear targets for development. Staff are involved through developing their own focussed improvement plans for their own playrooms. These then feed into the main self-evaluation that the manager carries out. Parent's views are invited through a wide variety of ways. Staff hold open days where parents come and give feedback. The provider is currently setting up a web page, which parents will be able to access through their own portal and so will be able to leave comments. The nursery works very closely with the local authority, seeking and taking on board suggestions for improvement.

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provision

Partnerships between staff and parents are very positive. They are kept informed about the general running of the nursery through a termly newsletter, which also shares with parents the achievements their children have made in the last term. Parents spoken to comment that they feel it is a really well run, organised, warm and welcoming nursery. They are happy that their children are making progress. They are confident about the procedures to report to staff any concerns that they may have about how the nursery is operated. Staff have established strong links with external agencies and other professionals to ensure that children's individual needs are met by receiving appropriate intervention and support. They work with other settings that children attend to ensure that children receive continuity in their learning and promote effective transitions.

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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 EY441200 Local authority Durham Inspection number 999603

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 92 Number of children on roll 104 Name of provider Gainford Care Homes Date of previous inspection 26/07/2012 Telephone number 0191 3895817

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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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