Hummingbirds Educational Nursery

Hummingbirds Educational Nursery Castle Lane Community Centre, Castle Lane, Garstang, Preston, PR3 1RB

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 8 June 2015 11 October 2011

p.1

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

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

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

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

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

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

p.1

This provision is good

 Parents are valued and make a positive contribution to the nursery. Partnerships between home and nursery are strong.  Practitioners have high expectations in regards to behaviour. It is managed fairly and consistently by all staff. Children are given gentle reminders about the rules if needed.  Children have continuous access to the outdoors and can make choices about where they would like to play.  Practitioners use the children's interests to plan meaningful activities and arrange the different areas of the room based on this.  Children are able to access a wide range of resources to promote their problem solving skills.  Practitioners use skilful questioning techniques to challenge what the children know and further them along in their learning.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 Managers do not always use the supervision process to highlight areas of staff practice that could be developed further.  Practitioners do not always ensure that children preparing for school benefit from a balance of adult and child-led activities.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 strengthen the staff supervision system to ensure it includes areas of practice that each individual staff member can develop further  ensure that children who are preparing to go to school receive an appropriate balance of free play opportunities and focused adult-led activities to maximise their learning.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and learning both indoors and outside.  The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times throughout the day and carried out a meeting with the management team.  The inspector spoke to parents and took their views into account.  The inspector looked at documentation including children's records, planning and assessment, staff suitability and a selection of policies and procedures, for example, safeguarding and the complaints procedure.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

p.2

who attend. This is good

Children are happy and confident as they interact with each other and the practitioners. They often encourage others to join in with their play. When outside, children made ramps with a plank of wood to climb up the climbing frame instead of the stairs. They called to their friends to assist and they did so willingly. Practitioners ensure that they complete a starting point assessment on each child and, parents and other professionals are asked to contribute to this. Practitioners have developed a simple method of sharing information when the children attend more than one setting. This ensures that the approach is consistent and assessments made show an accurate picture of all children. The learning environment is mainly child led. This does not always enable practitioners to carry out focused activities for individual children that relate to their needs and interests and support their next steps in learning.

p.3

good

Children learn to make healthy choices. At snack time they choose from a range of fruit and water or milk. However, practitioners do not always provide clean plates when a child sits down at the table. Practitioners have developed strong links with the local schools and this is beneficial when children move onto school. Children are supported by visits from the teacher and frequent discussions and activities that prepare them for school. Practitioners encourage the children to be independent within the environment and to complete self-help tasks such as washing their hands. Children know that adults are always close by to support them if necessary. The key-person system is well established and parents are kept informed if any changes are made. Children are encouraged to take risks during play. They collect water from the water butt and use a range of tools safely.

p.3

provision is good

Managers have a clear vision for the setting and use self-evaluation effectively to set targets and drive improvements. This is done with the support of the whole staff team and with parent input. Supervision meetings with each team member are carried out every six weeks and any problems are identified. Managers do not routinely look at the staff member's main strengths and weaknesses in order to improve their practice. Leaders have a good overview of all the children in the setting and this enables them to put targeted support in place when gaps are identified. If necessary managers liaise with other professionals and use their own knowledge to put support in place for the children if needed. Managers and leaders are knowledgeable about the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and implement this effectively when planning for all seven areas of learning. Regular team meetings and discussions with staff ensure that all practitioners feel

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY340518 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 862870 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 41 Name of provider Lancaster Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust Date of previous inspection 11 October 2011 Telephone number 01995 602012

p.4

Setting details

The Hummingbirds nursery was registered in 1997. The nursery employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including one with Qualified Teacher Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday term time only. Sessions are from 8am until 3pm, Monday to Thursday and, 9am until 1pm on a Friday. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

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’.

p.5

Setting details

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

p.5