Abacus Children's Nurseries Ltd

Abacus Children's Nursery Kingfisher Drive, Walderslade, Kent ME5 7NX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 30 November 2015 10 December 2014

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 The senior management team has developed a culture of continuous professional development and improvement in the nursery.  Actions and recommendations from the last inspection have all been addressed.  Children are secure, safe and content in the nursery. They arrive happily and settle quickly.  Parents praise the nursery highly. They feel staff are warm and approachable and have the children's best interests at heart.  Staff understand their responsibility to safeguard children. They know what to do if they have concerns about children's safety and protection.  Children make good progress in their learning and development. The nursery work closely with other agencies such as Portage, speech and language specialists and the local children's centre to support those children that need additional help.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff gather information about children's interests and care needs prior to a child starting at the nursery. However, they are not ensuring that parents share information about what their children know and can do to help staff understand where children are in their learning and development.  Staff are planning for children's individual learning and development. However, there is more to do to ensure that precise and relevant next steps are identified for all children.

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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

 ensure that initial assessments take into account parents' knowledge of what their children know and can do  ensure that children's next steps in their learning are sharply focused, especially for those that need additional support.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching and learning in all three nursery rooms and in the outdoor areas.  The inspector spoke to parents, staff and children at appropriate times throughout the day.  The inspector spoke to a representative from the local authority who has been working with the nursery.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with one of the senior management team.  The inspector held a meeting with the members of the senior management team.  The inspector sampled the nursery's documentation, including self-evaluation and development plans, staff suitability and training records and folders of children's learning and development.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Leaders and managers are ambitious for the nursery and have worked hard since the last inspection to build a strong staff team. Staff are enthusiastic and keen to develop their practice. They have attended a wide range of training and use their new skills effectively to improve the provision for children. For example, a member of staff is leading on the development of the new outdoor learning activities. Staff are encouraged to share their views and take responsibility for aspects of the nursery provision; this is evident in the improvements that have been made to indoor spaces and the enhancement of the outdoor learning area. Staff discuss the progress of children for whom they are responsible, and their own professional development, regularly with senior managers. Frequent team meetings, observations of staff practice and moderation meetings have brought about improvements in teaching. The staff team is a good role model for children as staff

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

support each other well. Safeguarding is effective. Regular risk assessments are conducted in all nursery rooms and the outside areas. Self-evaluation is accurate. The nursery has made good use of the external support provided by the local authority to drive improvement.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Teaching is now consistently good across the nursery. Careful monitoring has identified some children, including funded two-year-olds, in need of additional support with their communication and language development. This has led to a strong focus on developing children's speaking and listening skills. Children benefit from staff role-modelling language and asking open-ended questions. Strategies are proving effective as children are progressing well from their starting points. Children enjoy a wide range of activities that cover all areas of learning. All children benefit from playing and learning outside every day, for example, they listen to the wind blowing and collect leaves on a trip to the wooded area.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff in the baby room provide a calm and relaxed environment in which babies play, explore and rest safely. The key person system is effective. Managers ensure that children experience as few changes as possible; this helps to support children as they move from room to room. Children, including babies, receive reassurance and cuddles when needed. Older children have opportunities to take measured risks and learn to keep themselves safe. For example, they stay within the boundaries set by 'Dangerous Dave' the pre- school's toy fox while playing in the wooded area.

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Outcomes for children are good

Systems to track the progress that children make in the nursery have been introduced. Although quite new, these have been used effectively to ensure that children at risk of under-achievement and in need of additional support are identified early. Staff build children's confidence and independence in readiness for school. For example, they encourage children to wipe their own noses, manage their own clothing and clear away their plates after eating.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY331809 Local authority Medway Towns Inspection number 1006100 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 80 Number of children on roll 107 Name of provider Abacus Children's Nurseries Ltd Date of previous inspection 10 December 2014 Telephone number 01634 863 332

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Setting details

Abacus Children's Nursery registered in 2006. It is owned by Abacus Children's Nurseries Ltd. It operates from a purpose-built, single-storey building in the grounds of Kingfisher Primary School in Chatham, Kent. There is a secure outdoor area. There are currently 107 children on roll aged from birth to up to five years. It is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. It is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm, all year. The nursery serves the local community and children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery has two directors and employs 14 members of staff, 13 of whom hold appropriate early years and childcare qualifications. The nursery has close connections with the local children's centre.

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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

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Setting details

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