St Nicholas Children's Centre

St Nicholas Children's Centre 83 St Nicholas Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR30 1NN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24 March 2015 8 June 2009

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This inspection: Good 2

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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This inspection: Good 2

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is good

 Children have many opportunities to be creative. Pre-school children demonstrate their good skills as they paint pictures of daffodils. Toddlers enjoy expressing themselves through dance and babies enjoy using musical instruments as the staff sing with them.  Learning outdoors is outstanding. This is because the manager and staff seek and implement the views of children on what they want in the garden. The children's shed holds many exciting resources that children can freely choose to use. Children use the sensory area to sit quietly on benches or to chat with their friends.  Staff support children well for their future learning at school. They make contact with all the schools the children are moving to. They invite teachers to visit the nursery to observe the children in their secure, familiar environment.  Staff support children's communication and language development very well. They use strategies such as signing and visual timetables. Consequently, children who speak

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This provision is good

English as an additional language progress well in this area of their development.  Staff implement effective safety procedures and help children to understand how to keep themselves safe and healthy. There are effective risk assessments to minimise risks to children, while promoting their development.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 On occasions, children are not able to complete tasks to their satisfaction. This is because staff do not always let children know that it will soon be time to tidy up.  Older children sometimes have to wait for chairs and cutlery at mealtimes and they do not always have the opportunity to sit with their friends. As a result, on occasion, some children become upset.

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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

 encourage children's good engagement in learning by giving them more opportunities to complete their chosen activity, for example, by giving them notice of tidying up times  review the lunchtime routine in the pre-school room, for example, by ensuring there are enough spaces set for children and by giving children more choice of where they want to sit.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the inside and outside play areas. She also spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector carried out joint observations with the nursery manager and the deputy manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection and of the nursery's self-evaluation form.  The inspector looked at children's records, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of staff working in the provision, and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures to safeguard children's welfare.

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who attend. This is good

The well-qualified staff team effectively observe children. Staff use this information to accurately measure children's progress based on their starting points. Children benefit from the rich, varied and imaginative experiences that the staff provide. For example, the role-play area in the toddler room is an exciting place for children to explore. The staff carefully observe children's interests and use these to plan further role-play experiences. Pre-school children have consistent opportunities throughout the day to choose to play outdoors. The staff make learning outdoors fun. For example, they provide number targets on the fence and encourage children to squirt coloured water on the numbers as they call them out. However, on occasions staff interrupt children's learning indoors without warning. For example, when it is time to prepare for lunch the computer is turned off before giving children the opportunity to complete the programme. This results in

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who attend. This is good

some children feeling frustrated as their good engagement in learning is, at times, interrupted.

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good

Children are happy and enjoy their time at the nursery. Staff promote children's confidence and physical development well in the outstanding outdoor area. For example, children climb up the climbing frame and show good awareness of space as they ride bikes. The staff provide rain suits and boots for all the children. These enable children to feel comfortable as they enjoy splashing in puddles. Babies have many opportunities to develop their physical skills. The staff plan activities at different levels, so that babies can sit, kneel or stand as they play. Children learn appropriate hygiene practices through the daily routine. They know to wash their hands before eating and after messy activities. Staff promote positive behaviour as they talk to children about what is right and wrong. However, preparation for lunch in the pre-school room is not always effectively managed. This is because, at times, children have to wait for a chair or for cutlery. Furthermore,

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good

children do not always have the opportunity to sit with their friends. This results in some children feeling less happy than when they are playing well with each other.

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provision is good

The manager and staff deliver the safeguarding and welfare requirements to a high level. Staff are clear and confident about the action they would take if they have a concern about children's welfare. The experienced staff team are effectively supervised and they regularly attend relevant training. For example, staff attend courses on sensory experiences for children. They share their learning with the staff team and this gives continuity across all the nursery rooms. Staff turnover is minimal and all new staff are employed via a robust recruitment and induction process. Managers regularly check the quality of teaching and learning. The managers involve staff, parents and children in monitoring and evaluating their practice to meet the needs of all children. Parents are very complimentary about the nursery and feel that staff help their children to make good progress.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY311395 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 862069 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 62 Number of children on roll 109 Name of provider Brundall Care Date of previous inspection 8 June 2009 Telephone number 01493 858502

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Setting details

St Nicholas Children Centre was registered in 2005 and is privately managed. It is situated in Great Yarmouth. The nursery employs twelve members of staff, who all hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery opens each weekday from 8.30am until 6pm. The nursery supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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

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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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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