The Aunties' Old School Nursery

The Aunties Old School Nursery School Lane, Stanton St. John, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX33 1ET

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/05/2014 22/03/2011

p.1

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

p.1

This provision is outstanding

 Staff have an excellent understanding of children's individual needs and meet these very sensitively.  Partnerships with parents are very successful and the nursery is highly proactive in supporting parents with their children's learning at home.  The quality of teaching is consistently of a very high quality. Staff inspire and engage children to support their learning, giving them time to think, do things for themselves and become independent learners.  Children develop excellent skills and staff support them very well so that they are ready to progress to school.  There is a very strong focus on helping children to learn about healthy lifestyles and how to keep themselves safe.  The nursery makes exceptional use of its woodland area to enhance children's learning experiences.  The management and staff demonstrate a high commitment to the nursery and work very effectively together. Self-evaluation is robust to sustain ongoing improvements.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities both indoors and in the woodland area.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector completed a joint observation with the provider of an activity in the woodland area and then at lunch time.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector held a leadership and management meeting with the management team.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of staff suitability and qualifications, and the nursery's self-evaluation form.

p.2

Information about the setting

The Aunties Old School Nursery is a family run setting which opened in 1989, and is one of two nurseries run by The Aunties Limited. It operates from an old school building in a village to the north-east of Oxford. The building comprises of a playroom with an integral area for younger children, a kitchen, toilets, sleep rooms, store room and office. The nursery has its own enclosed outdoor play area and a vegetable garden, and runs a Forest School ethos. Staff make daily use of the woods and recreational field, which are located close by. Access to the nursery includes several steps but there is also ramp access for wheelchair users. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and is caring for 61 children in the early years age range. It is registered on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery cares for children learning English as an additional language. The nursery is open on weekdays all year round from 8am until

p.3

Information about the setting

6pm, except for bank holidays, one week at Christmas and a week during the summer holidays. The nursery employs 19 staff, of whom 17 hold relevant qualifications, including staff who have attained Qualified Teacher Status and Early Years Professional Status. Two members of staff are trained as Forest School leaders and all other staff as Forest School assistants.

p.3

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

 promote further opportunities for children to visit different parts of their local community.

p.3

who attend

The nursery provides a vibrant, colourful and stimulating environment, where staff set out resources attractively. Children engage exceptionally well in interesting activities, which are tailored to their learning and enhance their development. They make parrots from card, glue and feathers; they enjoy cooking activities and have great fun exploring shapes in a mixture of sand and shaving foam. Staff successfully motivate children to try things for themselves, challenge them to think and find out more, and encourage them to speculate. They make very good use of open questions throughout activities and play adventures, which, encourages children to offer their own ideas and solutions with confidence. For example as they name parts of the body that begin with the letter ‘n’. Staff extend children's vocabulary effectively, introducing and explaining new words. Staff routinely use sign language to enhance children's communication and language

p.3

who attend

development. Children show that they know the signs for 'poorly' and 'ow' when talking about germs. This process effectively supports children learning English as an additional language and staff are very proactive in learning words in children's home languages to further aid communication. Staff make good use of familiar songs to help children follow routines, such as moving between different parts of the premises.

p.3

who attend

Children have animated times to be creative as they explore with dough and enjoy performances and dances. Their creativity flourishes as staff encourage them to explore and investigate with paint, in their environment and on themselves. Children of different ages show fascination as they watch a scientific 'volcano' experiment led by staff.. However, there is some scope for staff to build on and enhance children's knowledge of local people and communities. Literacy skills are further developed as children begin to write their names on their own work, forming and tracing over recognisable letters. Staff provide timely interventions, such as gentle reminders of how to hold the pencil before children pick them up. As a result, the children learn to hold the pencils correctly, which means they have effective control for writing and drawing. Mathematics is interwoven exceptionally well into the daily routines and activities for all children. Staff count with all

p.4

who attend

children as they carry out routines with them and sing number rhymes and songs. These experiences, along with excellent social and independent skills, mean that children are extremely well prepared to move to school.

p.4

who attend

Children relish opportunities to play outdoors. They excitedly explore and play in the outside area with delight. Staff make excellent use of the woodland area to enhance children's learning experiences. Children roam freely within safe limits to explore this enticing natural environment. Staff support the children’s learning exceptionally well, with a sense of real-life experiences. For example, staff ask the children to come and look as ‘it is snowing’. Children gather around with excitement and eagerly approach the staff to see she has a tray filled with white foam. Staff encourage the children to cover twigs and branches with the foam, to make snowmen and spread the foam all around the outdoor equipment. Children also pretend to ice skate, as a member of staff turns the tray upside down. Staff encourage language development impressively by linking words to the cold weather. for example, frosty, icy, chilly, freezing. Staff encourage children to share their

p.4

who attend

real-life experiences. For example, a child went ice skating last week and proudly described the skating movements she learnt and names given to them.

p.4

who attend

Staff have an excellent understanding of children's individual learning needs and styles. They know the children exceptionally well and have a very effective system in place to monitor children's progress. Staff undertake meaningful regular observations of children's achievements which they use purposefully to identify ongoing next steps in learning. This enables the staff to be very familiar with children's capabilities and incorporate their individual targets into the planning. The nursery completes very comprehensive progress checks for two-year-old children, taking into account feedback from all staff, providing a wealth of information for parents. The nursery is preparing children successfully for their next steps in learning and for school.

p.4

who attend

Parents report high levels of contentment with the nursery. They state that the staff team know their children very well and routinely support them with strategies to use at home. For example, parents explain that staff give them ideas to manage children's behaviour which they find very helpful and which promotes consistency between the nursery and home. Parents comment that their children are happy, and that they thrive and flourish in the nursery.

p.4

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

The staff team has an attentive and affectionate approach to caring for children. They develop very positive relationships, which help children to feel secure and confident. The provider and supervisor take responsibility as key persons for all children. They have team meetings with staff every day to talk about children's individual needs and next steps in learning. This process meticulously ensures that all staff are familiar with children's capabilities and interests, and parents report that this system works very well.

p.5

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

There is a very strong focus on helping children to learn about healthy lifestyles and how to keep themselves safe. Staff inspire children to undertake and be part of the risk assessments for the woodland area and they carefully explain safety procedures on the way. Staff help children to understand the importance of drinking water to stop them feeling thirsty and what happens if they do not drink enough. In-depth discussions about hand washing are very successful in helping children to understand the impact of germs. Children state that if germs go in their mouths they may have, 'a poorly tummy' or may need to, 'see a doctor'. Staff help children to learn about the importance of eating yogurt for calcium and not eating too much chocolate, in order to promote a clear understanding of a nutritious diet. Children demonstrate an extensive understanding of the routines and children independently help and take on responsibilities, such as cup distributor. Children

p.5

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

develop excellent independence and self-care skills. Staff encourage children to put their own coats and shoes on from a young age which meets a recommendation set at the last inspection. Staff are sensitive to children's individual needs for support and give plenty of positive, warm praise and encouragement. Children independently make choices from the toys and resources stored at a low level in all areas of the nursery. In the outdoor woodland, children of all ages learn to manage the different slopes and uneven surfaces safely, which challenges their physical development successfully. Younger children are able to sleep outside under close supervision of staff, which helps them to benefit from fresh air.

p.5

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

The nursery prepares children very well for starting school, helping them to become resilient and confident. For example, they develop strategies for coping in the playground and learning to sit nicely at the table. The nursery also provides impeccable practical help to parents to support their children in readiness for school. Children develop a positive approach to behaviour, learning to care for each other and developing good manners.

p.5

provision

The staff and the provider have an excellent understanding of their responsibilities to meet the safeguarding and welfare, and learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Robust processes are in place to ensure that staff understand safeguarding children procedures, including annual training and regular discussions. There is a culture of openness within the staff team, as the provider encourages all staff to support each other's practice. The premises are safe and secure with high quality risk assessments in place to enhance safety and accountability for children requiring safety straps on chairs. Extensive procedures are in place to assess the suitability of new staff to work with children. Comprehensive induction procedures ensure that new staff become familiar with their roles and responsibilities. The provider offers ongoing support and coaching to staff through daily observations and meetings. She provides positive feedback

p.5

provision

to encourage ongoing professional development, such as encouraging staff to give children more time to think about their answers. Appraisals, staff meetings and ongoing discussions encourage staff to reflect on their practice effectively, to make improvements and identify further training needs. A wide range of training opportunities are available, tailored to meet the requirements of staff and the nursery, to promote continuous improvement comprehensively. The impact of training and qualifications for children is very positive. The provider monitors practice in the nursery closely and knows all children and their families very well. This approach enables her to ensure that assessments of children's progress are highly consistent and that the nursery is identifying any children in need of additional support. She encourages staff to adapt their practice and activities routinely to meet children's needs exceptionally well.

p.6

provision

Self-evaluation systems are very effective. The nursery completes a variety of quality assurance schemes to maintain high standards of practice. Comprehensive action plans cover a wide range of issues, including the environment, education and organisation, to push forward improvements. The nursery actively encourages the views of staff, parents and children to feed into the self-evaluation process to take account of everyone involved. The nursery is planning a variety of initiatives, such as developing a computer programme tracking system, to more closely assess children's progress.

p.6

provision

The nursery has very strong partnerships in place with parents and this has a positive impact on children. Close links are also in place with the local children's centre and local schools to enhance practice and promote consistency. The nursery provides a comprehensive pre-school assessment for parents to share with children's new schools so that children's new teachers are well informed about their progress.

p.6

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

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number 133499 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 968899 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 61 Name of provider The Aunties Ltd Date of previous inspection 22/03/2011 Telephone number 01865 351215

p.8

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.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

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,

p.9

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’.

p.10

Type of provision

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

p.10