Alphabet City Day Nursery

Alphabet City Day Nursery Ltd Alphabet City Day Nursery Ltd, Highfield, Sherborne Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 5TG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/01/2015 26/01/2011

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early years provision

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

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff create dynamic, visually appealing, and purposeful learning environments where they nurture children's growing abilities to discover, reflect, study, and imagine.  Routine and effective planning, evaluation, and supervision of activities by senior staff results in high quality teaching, and helps all children make very good progress during their time at the nursery.  Children's and babies' communication skills are extremely well fostered as staff challenge their thinking and vocabulary with exciting activities to extend their learning.  Staff and parents work extremely well together, sharing ideas and information to nurture children's development in different contexts. Close links with other agencies result in prompt action to support children's individual needs and moves to school.  The leadership and management of the nursery excel in driving forwards improvements to reach increasingly high standards of education and care for children in each age

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This provision is outstanding

group. They are ably supported by the whole team.

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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 a wide range of activities across all areas of the nursery and talked with staff and children about what they were doing.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documents and procedures relating to safeguarding, staffing, supervision, risk assessment, equal opportunities, and health and safety, and checked a selection of other policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of children's records, the nursery's systems for planning, evaluation, and exchanging information with parents and external professionals.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and reviewed written communications from parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the leadership team and discussed observations of staff practice with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Alphabet City Day Nursery Ltd registered in 2007. It is one of two nurseries privately owned by the same provider. It operates from a large house within walking distance of the town centre in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Children are cared for in three main areas according to their age and ability. Each age group has their own enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is open each weekday from 8am until 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. There are currently 82 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who are learning English as an additional language. The provider is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. Of the 21 staff who work at the nursery, 18 hold appropriate early

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Information about the setting

years qualifications at level 3 or above. This includes three staff who hold Qualified Teacher Status and one nurse qualified at level 6. The team also includes a cook, cleaner, and an apprentice.

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

 continue to develop and implement plans for the outer garden to further enhance opportunities for children to explore expressive arts.

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who attend

Children of all ages make excellent progress at this nursery because every member of the team aspires to exceptionally high standards of care and education. The manager prepares and oversees practices, which helps to ensure that staff and parents know what children are learning, and how they are progressing. As staff know the children in their care so well, they effectively plan and deliver activities that build on their interests and challenge their thinking. Regular newsletters and copies of weekly planning mean that parents can contribute to current teaching themes and activities. Home books, resource packs and daily exchanges of ideas also help parents carry over children's interests and learning in their home life. This dynamic and flexible process keeps children highly motivated, inquisitive, and creative in their learning. For example, children's interest in a favourite story was revitalised following a family holiday activity. Staff built on this

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who attend

enthusiasm by helping toddlers create, name, and cook healthy meals that key characters may have eaten for their tea. Staff provide rich, exciting and varied activities that enhance all areas of children's learning and development. Whatever their starting points, children make very good progress during their time at the nursery. The nursery staff are well qualified and experienced. The manager also invests time in staff development and mentoring. This results in high quality teaching for children, with high expectations and support for junior staff as they develop their teaching skills. During the inspection, a group of children discovered some rich hands on mathematical resources staff had left on open shelving. A qualified teacher moved alongside the children to observe and then extend their understanding of concepts of quantity, order, and numbers. These children were making excellent progress towards the early learning goals for

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who attend

mathematics. In another area of the room, the highly skilled room leader followed children's interest in a book they chose on a visit to the local library. She helped children use their own computer to search for more information on animals who hibernate. Through lively conversations, she developed children's understanding of new words and concepts such as the vet, treatment, suckling, and vaccination. These children demonstrated excellent levels of progress in communication and language and speaking. All children make excellent progress in their learning because high quality staff nurture and develop their individual needs and interests.

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who attend

Staff make timely and precise assessments of children's progress and share their updates with parents. They also listen to parents' concerns, and promptly engage and follow guidance from outside agencies when children need more specialist help. For example, early referral for checks of hearing and eyesight result in highly effective coordinated action from staff and parents. Young children thrive as staff adapt environments to meet their needs, and babies learn to accept and enjoy using their new glasses. Sharply focused assessments also support children's readiness for school and their new teacher's knowledge of children's starting points. A written comment from a parent clearly expresses the views of a significant number of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection, stating, 'You have taught us a lot about parenting, teaching, and learning with our child and we can never be grateful enough for that. We feel so prepared for school and that's

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

Individual greetings from the manager and the nursery cook warmly welcome families into the nursery. Along with the dedication and care of room teams, this contributes to parents' -enthusiasm and praise for the 'happy family feel' and 'homely nature' of the nursery. New babies settle quickly in an environment where staff sensitively meet their needs and show them they are loved and cherished. Children's attachments to their key carers are strong which gives them the security to flourish as they take on new challenges within a familiar context. Staff also prepare children extremely well for their moves to new rooms, and new schools. Younger children know the staff and their new play areas before they make the transfer. Staff and the older children regularly make visits to the local shops, library, playgrounds, and schools to prepare them for their moves to new activities. This means children are ready to enjoy the next stages in their learning.

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

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and encourage increasing independence through daily routines. For example, staff expect toddlers to wait for all their friends to finish their main course before serving their pudding. They help children learn to sit politely and patiently by introducing songs and rhymes as an enjoyable and beneficial distraction. Staff teach toddlers to serve some foods, and to use and clear away metal cutlery. Children learn to pour and return drinking cups, and to mop up spills, so that no one slips. Children become increasingly able to manage their own needs and to take risks and responsibilities appropriate for their ages.

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

Ever safety-conscious staff equip separate outdoor play areas to meet the needs of children in the different age groups. They also retain a large garden area where specialists teach children how to exercise their bodies, strengthen muscles, and develop specific physical skills. Children learn to care for their environment as staff teach them to plant and grow vegetables and herbs. Staff show children how to nurture, harvest and prepare produce to share with their parents during stay and play sessions. Children learn to act responsibly as they recycle and compost waste. Staff use the series of outdoor environments to greatly enhance children's progress across all areas of their development. Opportunities for children to explore the expressive arts in the large communal play area are less evident, although children thoroughly enjoy experimenting with different materials in the construction zone. Staff help them to make decisions about how to solve problems,

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

review their success, change tactic, and improve their chances of achieving their aims. Staff use the different environments as exciting opportunities to develop children's imaginations and knowledge of their world.

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provision

The nursery staff effectively implement all the policies and daily procedures necessary to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All staff receive regular updates in key training initiatives to refresh their already excellent knowledge of safeguarding children, administering medicines, and giving first aid. They know and follow procedures to keep children safe and minimise daily risks that may cause them harm. The leadership team follows stringent procedures for safer recruitment and induction of new staff. New and improved systems for supervision and training of existing staff help to ensure that everyone remains highly suitable and skilled to meet their roles and responsibilities.

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provision

The leadership team work consistently to drive up and maintain high standards of education and care across the nursery. Higher levels of study, and diligent attention to new guidance in nursery practice, ensure continuous improvement, and clear plans for future developments. For example, the leadership team has recently updated tracking systems to coordinate all services, communication, and progress updates for every family at the nursery. This ensures they respond very quickly and effectively when children, families or supporting professionals need help or information. Relative to their training levels and responsibilities, all staff implement the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage to a high standard. An enthusiastic team work hard to meet and maintain managers' expectations because they have a clear focus on helping the children succeed. Parents say they appreciate the efficiency of the manager in responding

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provision

to their communications and in engaging specialist guidance.

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provision

A clear emphasis on reflection and evaluation of practice, at all levels, helps staff to fine tune the effectiveness of their work with children and their parents. For example, the pre- school team introduced experiments with ice, and the effect of vinegar on eggs, when they realised the children's enthusiasm for scientific experiments. Parents also contribute their reflections and ideas for experiments. For example, children caught a parent's enthusiasm for a particular artist who used large-scale abstract designs. With the help of staff and the internet, children identified and printed their favourite examples of the artist's work, and displayed their own art exhibition. The quality and standards of children's care and learning at the nursery is consistently impressive and provides children with excellent foundations for their future development.

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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 EY350884 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 837900 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 61 Number of children on roll 82 Name of provider Alphabet City Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 26/01/2011 Telephone number 01256 322 090

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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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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