Abacus Day Nursery and Pre-School

Abacus Day Nursery Westside, Oxford Road, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 1XB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 5 January 2016 8 September 2010

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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

 Opportunities for staff to extend their continuous professional development are good. Leaders provide a varied range of meetings, training and monitoring to help staff improve their knowledge and practice. This helps to provide better opportunities for children.  The quality of teaching is good. Staff carry out assessments of children's learning effectively across all areas. This information is used to plan future activities and build on existing skills. Children, including those who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs, make effective progress in relation to their starting points.  Staff work hard to ensure there are strong links with parents. Information about children's learning is shared effectively both ways. This means that staff identify and address gaps in learning quickly to help in preparation for going to school.  Staff make and develop good bonds with children. Children are confident in many areas

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This provision is good

of their learning because they feel safe and secure.  Staff provide children with interesting activities to support the development of communication and early reading and writing skills.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always ensure children use technology resources confidently.  Children are not fully helped to develop or express creative ideas in a range of ways.

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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

 help children to become more confident in using simple technology resources to aid their learning  review opportunities for children to develop their own ideas and creative skills in different ways.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector toured the areas of the premises that children use.  Parents' views were taken into account.  The inspector spoke to staff and managers to determine their knowledge of the requirements.  A joint observation was carried out with the manager.  The inspector looked at a sample of written policies, documents and procedures.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The management team has a good understanding of the requirements of the Early Years requirements. Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a good awareness of child protection and know the procedures to report any concerns about children's welfare. They carry out checks of the environment and the resources children use to ensure their safety. Children learn about procedures that keep them safe. For example, they take part in emergency evacuations and have discussions with staff about the dangers of strangers. Leaders involve staff, parents, children and other professionals in evaluating the service they provide. For instance, parents are encouraged to complete surveys and share their views to help identify improvements. Staff observe and listen to children to determine their likes and dislikes. They work well with others to share appropriate information about children to ensure continuity of care and learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff have high expectations of what children can achieve. They effectively use different ways to encourage children to develop their communication skills and to promote interaction. Children develop their physical skills well. For example, they enjoy threading, making marks and digging sand in the garden. They have plenty of opportunities to socialise with staff and other children, and make friends with others easily. Staff encourage children to use different resources to extend their skills in most areas. Children enjoy dressing up, playing with toy fire engines, and pretending to be different animals or people. They learn about differences within their wider world. For example, activities and resources effectively promote children's awareness of different cultures, festivals and disabled people.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff demonstrate and remind children about acceptable behaviour. Children receive praise and encouragement to acknowledge their own achievements and they behave well. Staff support children well, such as learning to use the toilet by themselves. Younger children have more help to meet their personal care needs. Children are reminded to wash their hands after toileting, before they eat and after handling animals. They have healthy meals and snacks, and fresh drinking water is available at all times. Staff prepare children for moving rooms and for moving to school. The manager invites teachers into the setting to help children become familiar with new people. From an early age, children learn to feed themselves and are encouraged to put on their own coats and shoes.

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Outcomes for children are good

Outcomes for all children are good. Children, including those who speak English as an additional language or have special educational needs, progress well in most areas of their learning. This helps prepare them for moving on to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 511192 Local authority West Berkshire (Newbury) Inspection number 987895 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 70 Number of children on roll 50 Name of provider Kingsclere Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 8 September 2010 Telephone number 01635 550134

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Setting details

Abacus Day Nursery registered in 1992. It is located in Newbury, Berkshire. It operates between Monday and Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, for 52 weeks of the year with the exception of bank holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 12 members of staff employed to work with the children, 11 of whom hold relevant childcare qualifications between level 2 and level 6.

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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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