Free Spirits Nursery

Free Spirits Nursery Freeman Hospital, Freeman Road, High Heaton, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, NE7 7DN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12 May 2015 10 August 2009

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff are highly resourceful and provide lots of challenges through effective teaching that build on children's spontaneous interests. Consequently, children make rapid progress.  Children are effectively safeguarded. Managers and staff have a clear knowledge of child protection and know what to do if they are worried about a child's care or welfare.  Staff plan and provide an excellent range of stimulating activities that motivate children. This ensures that they are actively engaged and thoroughly enjoy their experiences in the nursery.  Children are vey safe and secure. Daily safety checks on the environment are carried out, special dietary requirements are adhered to and any accidents are closely monitored.  Staff work extremely well together as a team and build excellent relationships with parents and children. Therefore, children build strong attachments.  Parents speak highly of the nursery and staff. Parents are very well informed and their

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This provision is outstanding

contributions are valued because of a constant two-way flow of information, which results in excellent partnerships.  Children are extremely well supported when they are ready to move into the next room. Key persons share information, so that children have settling-in periods that are tailored to meet their individual needs.  High-quality supervision and appraisals are in place and very good training opportunities are offered to staff. This means that there is a highly capable and effective staff team who look after the children competently.  Staff work extremely well with other professionals, such as support teachers and hospital chefs, to ensure excellent outcomes for children in their overall learning and health.

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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

 enhance the way in which children's independence can be supported even further, such as by encouraging them to spread butter, cut up their own toast and pour their own drinks.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the premises and observed activities and routines in the main nursery rooms and the outdoor areas.  The inspector looked at children's records, including learning journals and assessment information.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and from information included in the parents' surveys.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the manager.  The inspector spoke to key persons, members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and held a meeting with the registered person, manager and deputy.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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who attend. This is outstanding

Staff provide an exceptional range of educational programmes through fun activities that are built around children's immediate interests. For example, when children find a snail in the garden, they talk about it, use factual books to find out more and have a go at drawing and painting it. Staff build on what children know and can do, to further promote their learning. For example, when staff notice children bouncing balls off the wall outside, they draw different shaped targets for them to aim at. This helps children to develop their mathematical knowledge and supports their coordination successfully. Consequently, children are extremely self-motivated and eager to have a go. Children are very well prepared for school. Staff provide 'finger gym' activities, which help pre-school children to develop their hand control, which supports early writing skills. Parents regularly contribute to their child's learning journals and actively participate in planned activities. For example,

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who attend. This is outstanding

when children learn about life cycles and watch tadpoles turn into frogs, they make their own 'frog' models at home and bring them in to display in the nursery.

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outstanding

Staff caring for babies are highly competent and others are very well deployed, friendly and highly attentive. Consequently, children are happy, safe, confident and extremely settled and their emotional needs are very well met. Children's well-being is highly promoted. For example, two-year-old children love to play outside. They develop their overall physical skills successfully as they eagerly make marks on boards, use water in a variety of ways and competently climb and balance. Children also enjoy varied healthy meals, they help themselves to fruit and water during the day and their personal care needs match routines at home. Children are very independent; they help to set tables for lunch and serve their own food. There is scope for this to be extended even further by encouraging children to butter their toast and pour their own drinks. Children's behaviour is excellent; they relate well to their peers and share their toys successfully.

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provision is outstanding

Staff and managers clearly understand the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The nursery already provides an excellent standard of care and education. However, the managers are not complacent. They have worked hard to achieve their goals, and self-evaluation is sharply focussed on what needs to be done to improve even further. They set targets with staff in each nursery room, which support children's care and learning exceptionally well. Managers oversee children's progress accurately by using robust assessment trackers. These are analysed regularly, which show how children make excellent progress in relation to their starting points. This also helps staff to target support and intervention for children where needed. All staff hold paediatric first-aid qualifications and carry out yearly updates. Many of the staff hold higher level childcare qualifications. This has a highly positive effect on children's overall safety, welfare, learning and

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Setting details

Unique reference number 319181 Local authority Newcastle Inspection number 868561 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 88 Number of children on roll 134 Name of provider Newcastle upon Tyne Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Date of previous inspection 10 August 2009 Telephone number 0191 2336161

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Setting details

Free Spirits Nursery was registered in 1999. It is situated in the grounds of Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne. The nursery employs 33 permanent members of childcare staff and regular sessional staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 5, 4 or 3, including one member of staff with Early Years Professional status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday for 52 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 7am until 5.30pm. 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

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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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