Toad Hall Nursery Watford

Toad Hall Nursery 100 Hempstead Road, WATFORD, Hertfordshire, WD17 4LA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26/07/2013 15/04/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 The nursery plans a broad education programme that meets the needs of all the children. They receive good support for their developing language, physical and early social skills.  The experienced staff team have a good understanding how children learn through play. The child-focused learning environment engages all children and builds on their interests.  The leadership and management of the nursery is strong. The staff team work well together to meet the needs of the children. Children are cared for in a safe environment, and the safeguarding and welfare requirements are met to a good standard.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is opportunity for the nursery to keep parents better informed about their children's progress and the next steps in their learning in order for them to fully support their children's learning at home  There is scope to extend the use of pictures and photographs; especially in the outside play areas so younger children and those with delayed speech are able to express preferences and thoughts about their routines and activities.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector watched children play in all the home rooms and the garden. She spoke to children and watched the pre-school children have their lunch.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector recorded specific observations in selected rooms, she spoke to staff around the nursery about the children's care, development and the daily routines  The inspector spoke to parents as they came into the nursery to collect children.

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Information about the setting

Toad Hall Nursery registered in 1999 on the Early Years Register and on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. It is one of 13 nurseries run by Careroom Ltd, which operates Toad Hall Nursery Group. The nursery is situated in a large detached house near the town centre in Watford, Hertfordshire. Children are cared for in six home rooms depending on their ages and stages of development. There is a secure garden for outside play. Children come from the immediate and surrounding areas and attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

The nursery offers core hours from 8am to 6pm, although they do take children from 7.30am on request. It is open for 51 weeks of the year, closing for Christmas and Bank Holidays. There are currently 123 children on roll in the early years age range. The nursery supports children with English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The nursery manager holds Early Years Professional Status, she is supported by a deputy who is also supernumerary to the staff team. The nursery employs 26 staff to care for the children. Of these, three members of staff hold qualifications at level 6, 18 staff hold qualifications at level 3 and two hold qualifications at level 2. Staff employed for lunchtime cover have appropriate qualifications and experience. The nursery has a full-time cook and part-time kitchen assistant. The nursery is a member of the National Day Nursery Association and receives support from the local authority early years development team.

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

 improve opportunities for parents to engage in their children's learning at home by sharing information about children's progress and next steps on a more regular basis

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

 develop the use of pictures, photographs and the printed word in the outside play areas to extend the different ways that children learn.

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who attend

Children are happy and settled as each of the home rooms is thoughtfully laid out, well resourced and meets the learning needs of the children who attend. Staff set out activities at the beginning of the day based on the children's interests and likes. These are adapted and changed throughout the session as the children's play ideas and individual needs change. The key person team in each room plans activities that are based on the children's individual next steps. A broad educational programme ensures all children enjoy a wide range of interesting and stimulating activities based on their developing skills. Staff have a good understanding of how children learn through play. The information gained from observations and the overall assessment process is used as the basis for the progress check at age two. It is effective in monitoring the children's developing skills and shows they are making good progress in all areas of learning. However, this information is

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who attend

not consistently shared with parents to support them in building on children's developing skills and the next steps in their learning at home.

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who attend

Children are chatty and keen to share experiences from home; they are confident in talking about previous experiences that involve families and friends. Children's communication and language skills are developing well. Home languages are respected and families provide detail of important words and phrases to help children understand the daily routines. Therefore, children with English as an additional language make good progress in their learning. Opportunities for children to be part of a group, to listen and take turns in speaking are supported by staff who implement the 'early language programme' throughout the nursery. All children take part in activities that support expressive arts and design. Babies enjoy sensory activities such as pushing a sealed plastic bag filled with paint and secured to the table top. The activity is at the level for children to access easily. The enclosed paint is cool on hot days, the flexible, soft texture encourages

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who attend

the young children to explore their senses through a range of materials. Art work on display in the home rooms and hallways around the nursery show a wide range of interesting themes, textures and different materials used in collage pictures.

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who attend

Imaginative play is supported well in all the play rooms with resources that promote and extend children's play ideas. Staff support from a distance when appropriate so as not to interfere with individual play. Children clearly enjoy taking part in spontaneous music sessions. There are plenty of good quality resources for all children to take part in making music, rattling, banging and shaking the instruments. Children ask for the bracelets of bells to be put on their arms and ankles. They move around the room, dancing and jumping to make as much noise as they can. Staff prompt children to join in with favourite songs, they join in making music with lots of laughter. Staff ask children to stop and listen. They show the young children how to play the instruments quietly and loudly. New words and instructions are introduced to promote children's understanding of how to use the instruments. Children are encouraged to make choices about what they want to do and

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who attend

The outside areas provide all children with interesting areas to explore and play. Opportunities to climb, build with large foam blocks and to use a quiet reading area with cushions separate from the floor play ensures children have the space and resources to promote all areas of learning. However, the opportunity to extend and build on different ways that children learn is not always fully promoted in the outside play areas. The nursery does not consistently use resources, such as photographic displays and the printed word to show the resources that are available to extend children's learning through play. Additional displays would further support young children, including those who have delayed speech to be more involved in making decisions about what they want to do. The use of display of words and pictures in the garden which show sunflowers, beans and carrots which the children are currently growing would support early reading

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who attend

skills and reinforce the children's understanding of the project they are working on.

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who attend

Children have many varied opportunities to build on their existing skills and to take part in new learning experiences. Their sense of belonging and self-esteem is supported well. This enables children to move on to new settings, such as school, with the skills they need to take part and succeed.

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

Children of all ages build strong bonds and attachments to both their key person and other members of staff. Information taken from parents when children start at the nursery is used to ensure children's individual care needs are met to a good standard. Staff give one-to-one support to children who are in the process of moving rooms and taking part in new activities, such as Spanish lessons. Staff sit with the children to explain what they are going to do, and who with. This ensures all children feel valued and secure. In everyday play, children are co-operative and are learning to share and take turns. "Golden Rules" are shared at small group times to share the high expectations the staff have for children's behaviour. Staff get children's attention at important times through the day with well- rehearsed routines.

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

Children learn about a healthy lifestyle through everyday routines. Meal times are calm and social events. Healthy and nutritious meals based on the children's individual dietary needs are cooked on site. Photo reminders and information on the children's place mats ensure their individual needs are met. Children clearly enjoy their food, they eat and manage their cutlery well. Their finer physical skills are supported to a good level. Children in pre-school are supported in serving their own meals and pouring drinks. Opportunities to take part in cafe style, self-service lunch times and practice how to use a lunch box ensure children have the skills and relevant experience to move on to school with confidence.

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

The growing area set out in the garden provides opportunities for children to plant, care for and use the vegetables they have grown. This builds on their understanding of the natural world. Children of all ages enjoy the opportunity to run and play in the large garden. Access to the outside area is managed well in the hot weather. Children have sun cream applied and drinks are readily available at all times. Children are beginning to understand how their actions impact on others when they use the outside space. Ride on toys are restricted to a large cordoned off area. Children are learning how to manoeuvre the bikes, to steer and to stay within the lines. This develops their understanding of risk; staff give gentle reminders of how children can take responsibility for their own and other children's safety. Children are acquiring the skills which enable them to take part in physical activities and experiences with confidence.

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

Outside play is planned into the daily routines so all children have opportunity for physical play and fresh air several times a day. Babies have direct access to the outside from their room; textured 'grass' mats are taken outside in all weathers so non-mobile babies can crawl and move around safely. The nursery provides all children with a varied and interesting range of toys and resources. These are of good quality and readily available around the play rooms and the garden.

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provision

The manager has good expectations for the quality of care that is provided for children and families. Regular reviews and audits of the documents and overall practice ensure the requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage are met to a good standard. Movements of children and staff between rooms are recorded in the daily register. Notes are made when children and staff visit other play rooms. This ensures all staff are aware of the children in their care and when other adults come to work in the room. Staff deployment is monitored and ratios are met. The management team take responsibility overseeing safeguarding issues; there are comprehensive procedures in place, including robust checks on all staff. The nursery uses the Local Safeguarding Children Board code of practice to monitor and manage any concerns about children. Information is available to parents with posters and information in the parent pack. There

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provision

is a requirement for all staff to attend regular safeguarding training to ensure they are confident in taking appropriate action when needed. Children's welfare is further protected as staff are aware of the robust process to record complaints. All staff are first aid trained and robust risk assessments ensure a safe environment both in the nursery and when children are taken on outings.

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provision

The nursery has established good relationships with parents which enables them to consistently meet the children's needs. Parents are kept well informed about the day to day routines and special events with regular newsletters, emails and notices around the nursery. Parents spoken to on the day of inspection said they are very happy with the service the nursery provides. They feel the staff are very approachable and tell them about their children's experiences with great detail. The nursery understands the importance of making links with local schools, they liaise whenever possible to ensure a smooth transition for children and families to new settings. There is a good working relationship with the local children's centre and other support services to ensure children's needs are identified and met to a good standard. Teachers from local schools are welcomed to the nursery to meet the children and to see the learning environment,

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provision

therefore they move on to school with confidence.

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provision

There is an effective evaluation system in place. It is based on the outcomes of regular nursery audits, staff appraisals and activity observations. This process enables the management team to consistently review the overall practice within the nursery and plan future training to develop the staff's professional skills specific to this nursery site. The management team have a good understanding of the different aspects of the nursery that work well and have identified areas to be developed with comprehensive action plans and check lists in place to ensure continuous improvement. This inspection took place following an unannounced visit carried out by Ofsted due to the receipt of some concerns. A notice to improve was issued to the provider and this inspection found that appropriate action has been taken. The management team ensures a comprehensive record shows the names of children cared for and their hours of attendance. The detail in the complaints log

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provision

is effective, and staff are aware of the importance of recording complaints correctly. The actions laid out in the notice to improve have been met.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

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

Unique reference number 130641 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 924718

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 90 Number of children on roll 123 Name of provider Careroom Limited Date of previous inspection 15/04/2013 Telephone number 01923 254637

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

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’.

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Type of provision

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

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