Home from Home Day Nursery School

Home from Home Day Nursery School 52a Bernard Street, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 5QN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/12/2014 17/05/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Teaching is outstanding because staff provide children with excellent opportunities to play and learn. They initiate and maintain excellent assessments and planning routines that expertly challenge children to progress beyond their expected age range.  Staff actively promote the partnerships with parents. Together, they identify children's starting points of learning and monitor their next steps of development to continuously meet their needs exceptionally well.  Staff proficiently contribute to children's health and well-being. They provide them with very nutritious meals, plenty of exercise, outdoor experiences and fresh air. Therefore, children effectively learn about healthy lifestyles.  Staff safeguard children extremely diligently. Staff participate in regular child protection training, maintain links with the local authority and promote well-documented practice to protect children's welfare.

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff actively participate in reflecting on their practice. They benefit from highly effective supervision meeting and ongoing training, and confidently implement new ideas, which benefit children extremely positively.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and children at play throughout the inspection. She conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector interacted with children and spoke with staff during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including policies, self-evaluation form, evidence of staff's suitability and safeguarding procedures.  The inspector looked at children's assessment and planning records.  The inspector had a tour of both the indoor and outdoor play areas.  The inspector sought parents' views through written feedback in questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

Home from Home Day Nursery was registered in 1989 and is on the Early Years Register. It is situated in a purpose built premises in St Albans. The nursery serves the local community and is accessible to all children. It operates from two units, with additional use of kitchen, office and staff room. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.15am to 7pm and children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 75 children attending, all of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery employs 20 members of childcare staff who work directly with the children. Of these, six are qualified to degree level and 14 staff are qualified at level 2, 3

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Information about the setting

or 4. The nursery is a member of National Day Nursery Association and works in partnership with the local authorities.

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

 expand on the already great support children have in using their home language to support their language development at home and at nursery even further.

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who attend

Staff have an outstanding understanding of how to implement the learning and development requirements. They expertly start, and maintain, excellent assessment and planning routines that fully support children's progress. Staff accurately identify children's starting points in learning with parents and offer children endless opportunities to expand their skills, imagination and interests, from early days. They proficiently maintain individual learning journals for children, where they accurately tell the chronology of their development and relate, in observations and photographs, their favourite experiences at nursery. Staff accurately tailor the educational programme to meet the needs of children at all times. For example, younger children are interested in technology and staff provide them with a variety of deactivated mobile phones to play with. Children explore those with interest while staff effectively teach them skills, such as developing their language, by

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who attend

encouraging them to have phone conversations with peers. Staff working with older children plan outstanding activities with great focus on challenging their learning and encouraging them to critically think and problem solve. For example, they provide children with nets, sticking tape and age-appropriate building tools. Children build dens together and extend their play as they pretend to fix the furnishings and equipment in the garden. Staff actively teach children of all ages to work in groups and consistently encourage them to persist until they achieve their targets. For example, older children decide to empty a trolley full of clay bricks to make it into a bus. In pairs, they take away all the bricks and then they enjoy sitting in the trolley and pushing each other around the garden. The highly skilled and qualified staff are experts in providing children with outstanding opportunities to learn through play. They fully support children to develop their skills

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who attend

across the seven areas of learning. Therefore, children flourish and rapidly progress in their learning and development.

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who attend

Teaching is outstanding across the nursery. All staff are very knowledgeable with regard to providing for children's learning and development needs. They expertly understand and implement the excellent assessment and planning procedures. Therefore, children fully benefit from accurate support and thorough monitoring of their progress. Staff invest time in playing with children and teach them through inspirational interactions. They understand children's interests and celebrate these in practice exceptionally well. Staff carefully design the environment, enabling children to have a balance of both planned and spontaneous activities. For example, younger children participate in a purposefully planned activity using modelling dough and ingredients, such as pasta, flour and rice. Staff provide children with tools, such as wooden spoons, baking trays and cookery books, to expand their learning opportunities. They lead the activity and gradually allow children to extend

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who attend

their own learning. For example, some children take their modelling dough to the home corner, while others carry on mixing ingredients to create different textures and consistencies. Staff maintain an excellent educational programme for children and provide them with purposeful educational routines. For example, children participate in drama lessons, language groups and exercise sessions to maximise their learning and enhance their skills. Staff organise age-appropriate group discussions, when they expertly engage children in reflecting on their experiences and favourite activities of the day. Older children actively participate in sharing their views on how their own learning can be extended. For example, they learn about Christmas and identify that they have not yet thought about Father Christmas's reindeers. Staff and children decide to create food parcels for the reindeers and reflect on the resources they need. They expertly teach children new skills.

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who attend

For example, children independently use spoons to pour oats into small paper bags and learn to tie knots on them by using pipe cleaners. Staff fully engage children in making choices, sharing ideas and challenging their own skills. Therefore, children are confident and demonstrate the characteristics of effective learning as they engage, explore and create during play.

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who attend

Staff support a number of children who speak English as an additional language and provide them with great encouragement. They work with parents to acknowledge, celebrate and tailor practice according to children's cultural needs. For example, children greet each other in their home language and participate in festivals to learn about different countries and their customs. Staff provide children with multi-cultural books, resources and labels around the learning environment. However, there is scope to maximise the already great support children have in using their home language, in order to fully support their language development at home and at the nursery. Staff efficiently make provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and provide them with excellent support through accurate assessments and planning. They skilfully promote diversity and maintain outstanding links with outside professionals to ensure

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who attend

children develop to their full potential. The ongoing partnerships with parents, with regard to children's learning and development, are exceptional. Staff engage parents actively in children's learning and share regular reviews of the development and planning with them. They expertly aid parents with ideas for activities, so they can extend children's learning at home. Staff skilfully obtain ongoing information about children's home learning and accurately use this to maximise their experiences at nursery. Staff complete a thorough progress check for children aged between two and three years and effectively share it with parents. They fully understand the importance of evaluating children's skills at this stage, in order to identify targets for future development. Staff closely monitor children's development in all areas of learning and effectively support them in developing skills to ensure that they are ready for school. They are exceptional teachers and, consequently,

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who attend

children fully benefit from their education at the nursery.

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

Staff create a very welcoming environment for children, where they display their art work and photographs to celebrate children's achievements and personalities. They skilfully organise initial home visits and settling-in sessions to fully support children's individual needs and emotional well-being. Staff accurately implement the key-person system, and key staff work closely with parents to maximise children's experiences from the start of their placement. They fully implement a second key-person procedure, and both key people fully understand and support children's individual needs at all times. Children settle well and form close relationships with all staff and peers. Staff maintain meticulous records of children's care needs and routines at home, in order to extend these into practice. For example, parents complete the All about me form, with relevant information about their children's likes, dislikes, needs and routines at home. Staff expertly ensure that

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

these are fully considered when planning children's care routines at nursery. The partnership with parents, with regard to children's care needs, is excellent. Staff attentively encourage parents to stay and play with their children and regularly invite them to participate in activities and events at nursery. They provide parents with diaries, where they record the daily experiences of children. This maximises the two-way flow of communication with parents, ensuring the ongoing support for children. Staff intuitively engage children in age-appropriate daily routines and children are excellent helpers. Staff have great expectations of children and their utmost priority is to support their needs in an environment that complements their care from home.

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

Staff skilfully support children's emotional development and children behave very well. Staff are very attentive to children's needs and closely observe their personal, social and emotional development to ensure accurate support is given to them. Key staff work with parents to consistently monitor children's feelings and to teach them how to behave appropriately for their age and understanding. There is a designated transition coordinator to support children during important changes in their personal lives, such as when they are toilet training, moving to a different age group or preparing for school. Staff make excellent use of visual aids to support children's understanding of their routines and refer to visual timetables to show children what activities come next. They provide children with play areas that are well-resourced and effectively designed according to their age needs. Staff are excellent role models for children and always praise their achievements, in order

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

to motivate them to continuously behave well. Children from different age groups benefit from a shared garden area, where they interact effectively and learn from each other. They have excellent opportunities to develop their social skills and learn about their community and the world they live in. Staff skilfully teach children about personal safety as they explore the different play areas and playground equipment. They plan a range of outings, when children learn about road safety and the importance of respecting and protecting the nature. Children responsively listen to staff and respect their boundaries at nursery.

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

All staff work as a team to effectively support children to learn about healthy lifestyles. They prepare nutritious, homemade meals that fully meet children's dietary requirements, preferences and allergies. Staff accurately provide children with regular snacks and drinking water throughout the day. They expertly teach children to be independent with their personal needs. For example, younger children choose their favourite snacks from healthy options, which teaches them to confidently make their own choices and voice their preferences. Staff working with older children engage them in different tasks, such as setting up the table and putting away their plates after they finish eating. Older children independently use cutlery and serve their own meals and drinks. Parents relate in feedback letters that, because of this, their children behave exceptionally well during mealtimes at home and when visiting restaurants. Staff ensure that children have ample,

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

freely chosen opportunities to access the outdoor play area, and they fully benefit from daily exercise and fresh air. Children learn to be self-aware and to manage their own needs. For example, staff consistently teach them to independently wash their hands before meals, after activities and every time they wipe their noses. Staff skilfully implement school-like routines and activities into older children's educational programme, to emotionally support them when they move on to school.

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provision

All safeguarding and welfare requirements are proficiently met. The manager is extremely committed to supporting all staff in continuously enhancing their skills, through training and professional development opportunities. For example, there is a number of qualified and experienced designated staff for leading practice on special educational needs and/or disabilities, safeguarding, behaviour, first aid and transition. The manager fully engages parents and staff in the excellent management of the nursery, and organises thorough inductions to teach them about policies and procedures. All staff are very knowledgeable with regard to protecting children, and regularly participate in safeguarding and child protection training to enhance their knowledge. They maintain meticulous procedures with regards to recording, responding and referring to concerns related to the welfare and well- being of children in their care. Staff maintain strong links with the local authority services

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provision

and monitor and support the needs of children robustly. All staff actively conduct risk assessments of the environment, and throughout the day they ensure that children can explore and play safely. The management team maintains very well-documented practice, including evidence of all staff's suitability checks, qualifications and training. For example, all staff hold safeguarding, first-aid and food hygiene certificates to ensure they can maintain a safe environment for children to learn and play. The manager pays great attention to staff deployment to ensure the needs of all children are met at all times. The management team and staff have exceptional procedures in place to monitor the quality of children's experiences at the nursery. They regularly meet to discuss children's learning and to identify targets to improve practice. The very knowledgeable manager provides staff with outstanding support through supervision meetings, appraisals and

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provision

regular training to enhance teaching. Key staff regularly evaluate their key children's progress and feedback this information to the manager, who accurately evaluates the overall achievement of children and precisely identifies areas where they may need more support. Staff maintain great links with local services for children, such as local children's centres, to ensure that children fully benefit from access to outside professionals. The overall partnership with parents is excellent and children benefit from continuous care and education between home and nursery.

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provision

The manager maintains an excellent culture of reflective practice and fully involves all staff in evaluating the services and outcomes for children. Staff participate regular quality assurance schemes to evaluate the overall quality of the provision and continuously improve practice. For example, staff yearly review their practice to maintain their Hertfordshire Quality Standards Award, which they achieved in 2010. The manager and staff thoroughly evaluate and regularly update the Ofsted self-evaluation form as a team. They enthusiastically celebrate strengths of practice and carefully look at targets for future achievements. Staff fully engage parents in sharing their opinions and suggestions through questionnaires and regular parent/carer and staff association meetings. They also fully engage children in sharing their thoughts about how to improve their experiences. Since the last inspection, the manager and staff have maintained the outstanding services

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provision

for children and demonstrate an exceptional capacity for continuous improvement. Therefore, children benefit from the highest standards of care and education.

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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 123566 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 854160

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 47 Number of children on roll 75 Name of provider Linda Collins Date of previous inspection 17/05/2010 Telephone number 01727 811 212

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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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