Apricot Day Nursery

Apricot Day Nursery Lescun Close, Pangbourne Road, Upper Basildon, Reading, Berkshire, RG8 8LN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22 January 2015 25 February 2010

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Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Good 2

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3

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Requires improvement The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Requires improvement The setting does not meet legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 Some staff lack confidence in implementing policies and procedures and feel the need to refer to more experienced colleagues for guidance. The impact of this is minimised as there are staff in each room who have a secure knowledge of all working practices.  The positioning of drinking water in the baby room means that children cannot always see this to choose to have a drink independently.

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It has the following strengths

 Methods used to manage behaviour are effective as staff explain to children the consequences of their actions.  Parents speak highly of the nursery. Staff effectively pass information to parents keeping them well informed on their child's progress.  Assessments of children are strong and, as a result, children are progressing well across all areas of learning and development.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 monitor staff awareness of procedures and working practices to ensure that they are all fully confident in their individual responsibilities.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 position babies' water so that they are able to see and reach their drinks independently.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children and staff throughout the inspection.  The inspector spoke to parents to gather their views.  The inspector spoke to staff to check their understanding of practice.  The inspector sampled policies and documentation.  The inspector toured the premises.

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who attend. This is good

Staff provide interesting, suitably challenging activities. As a result, children are making steady progress in all areas of learning. Staff support children well to become independent and to develop skills to prepare them to move to older groups within the nursery, and on to school. Babies are learning sign language, helping them to communicate effectively, while older children sound out letters and words. Staff encourage children to enjoy books and older children are beginning to recognise and write their own names. Staff have high expectations of what children can achieve and encourage them to take part in activities, building confidence with lots of praise. Staff model behaviour and communication effectively for children. They consistently explain to children the importance of sharing and being kind to their friends. Parents state that their children settle well. Staff inform parents about their children's progress on a daily basis and parents have ongoing opportunities to

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who attend. This is good

make contributions to children's progress reports.

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requires improvement

All children are allocated a key person, helping them to form appropriate bonds with familiar people. Overall, arrangements to safeguard children are adequate, although some staff have a more precise knowledge of the nursery's procedures than others. Children are happy and confidently explore their surroundings. They comfortably chat with staff, enjoy reading stories and like to play in the dressing-up corner. Children receive appropriate support to develop physical skills and to keep themselves healthy. Staff provide nutritious meals and discuss healthy options. Drinking water is available, although the positioning of beakers in the baby room does not always encourage them to make a conscious choice to have a drink. Staff visit local schools to identify what is expected from children who are preparing to move up from the nursery. This helps them to offer better support and prepare children more effectively.

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provision requires improvement

The provider and manager understand their responsibility to promote children's safety, welfare and learning. The manager holds regular staff meetings, during which staff discuss issues such as safeguarding procedures, and are able to share any concerns. Staff make effective use of training to develop practice, such as guidance on improving assessment arrangements. However, arrangements to monitor staff are not fully effective. The provider has not identified that some staff have developed a clearer understanding of working procedures than others. Staff are developing strong relationships with parents and liaise with local schools to support children effectively. Staff welcome all children and families and provide effective opportunities for children to progress. Staff are proactive in making changes to improve outcomes for children. For example, children used to all be grouped together but are now in separate age groups, offering better structure.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY317616 Local authority West Berkshire (Newbury) Inspection number 834521 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 22 Name of provider Eve-Maria Loisel Date of previous inspection 25 February 2010 Telephone number 01491 671 044

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Setting details

Apricot Day Nursery opened in 2006. It is privately owned and is situated in Upper Basildon on the outskirts of Pangbourne, Berkshire. It operates from one-storey premises with an additional baby unit within the same grounds. The nursery opens each week day from 8am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged three and four. All five staff hold relevant early years qualifications.

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Setting details

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

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

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Setting details

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Setting details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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