Abacus 2000 Nursery School

Abacus 2000 Nursery School Upper Parsonage, Ashfield Park Road, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 5AS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31 July 2015 22 March 2011

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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

 The quality of teaching is good. Staff provide children with a wide range of opportunities to develop their skills across all areas of learning. This effectively prepares them for their eventual move on to school.  Children have strong attachments to the kind and caring staff and are confident to seek support from them when required. This means children's individual needs are well met and they feel secure in the care of the staff.  Children behave well. Staff act as positive role models and talk to children in a respectful and calm manner. They provide guidance to children about what is acceptable behaviour and promote this through lots of meaningful praise and encouragement.  Children are protected from harm. Safeguarding practices are regularly discussed and policies and procedures are implemented well.  Good partnerships with parents ensure that children's needs are met and their learning is successfully supported.

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This provision is good

 Children make good progress in their communication skills. They are articulate and confident during their play and interactions with staff and visitors.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not provide parents with enough information about the nursery's healthy eating policy.  Staff do not always have the opportunity to be actively involved in identifying plans for further improvement.

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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 partnerships with parents, so that more information is shared about the importance of children eating a variety of healthy foods at nursery and how this contributes to their overall physical well-being  extend opportunities for all staff to contribute to improvement plans so that their views are taken into account as the nursery drives the quality of the provision to its highest level.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the nursery with the manager.  The inspector observed teaching and learning activities in the indoor and outdoor learning environments.  The inspector looked at a sample of policies, children's assessment records and planning documentation.  The inspector and the manager jointly observed and discussed the teaching and learning activities provided for children.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and the nursery's self-evaluation form.  The inspector took account of the views of children, staff and parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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who attend. This is good

Staff plan a wide range of activities, both inside and outside, to support children's good progress. Children enjoy their time at the nursery and are eager to learn. Pre-school children learn about growth and change. They explore textures, such as bark and sawdust. Pre-school children enjoy nature walks and plant seeds and small trees. Staff in the baby room are caring and kind. They provide lots of sensory experiences. Young children splash water and explore the texture of sand. Children are encouraged to count and recognise numbers. They use mathematical language to talk about shapes and sizes. Children of all ages enjoy making biscuits. They listen attentively and follow instructions. Pre-school children use small paintbrushes to make marks with water. Staff introduce words, such as shadow and evaporation. Early literacy skills are promoted as all children join in with stories, songs and rhymes. Planning and assessment arrangements are good.

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good

The nursery is warm and welcoming with wide range of resources that are easily accessible to children. Children are confident and happy. There are effective settling-in procedures. Children attend stay-and-play sessions where they become familiar with the environment and staff. An effective key-person system provides children with stability and helps them to form warm relationships. Staff are affectionate and make all children feel valued and cared for. Children's good health is generally well promoted. They enjoy lots of fresh air and exercise in a secure outdoor area. Children of all ages roll hoops and make marks with chalk. Babies use a selection of push-along toys, which help them to stand and walk. Staff prepare nutritious snacks throughout the day and children bring in packed lunches from home. The nursery has a healthy eating policy. However, it is not effectively shared with parents.

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provision is good

The management team has a good understanding of the learning and development requirements and how to keep children safe. They work alongside their well-qualified team on a daily basis, so are able to effectively monitor children's progress and the quality of teaching. This has a positive impact on children's learning and well-being. Most staff are qualified in paediatric first aid. Robust recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that staff are suitable for their role. Staff's professional development is supported. They attend training to further enhance their already good knowledge. The manager is mindful of the nursery's strengths and weaknesses. A comments box is available for parents to contribute their views. The manager meets with staff to discuss best practice and to identify areas for further development. Systems are not fully in place to ensure that all staff have regular opportunities to add their ideas and suggestions to improvement plans. Nevertheless,

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provision is good

systems for evaluating what is working and what needs to improve are emerging.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 223495 Local authority Herefordshire Inspection number 864296 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 53 Number of children on roll 90 Name of provider Kathleen Jones, Susan Davies and Amanda Robertshaw Partnership Date of previous inspection 22 March 2011 Telephone number 01989 566369

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Setting details

Abacus 2000 Nursery School was registered in 2000. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, 15 hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 2 and 3 and one is an early years teacher. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. 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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