Head Start Day Nursery

Transcription

1 Head Start Day Nursery The Old School, Milton Keynes Village Hall, Willen Road, Milton Keynes, MK10 9AF Inspection date Previous inspection date 08/01/ /12/2008 The quality and standards of the 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 The quality and standards of the early years provision 2 This provision is good The children develop close bonds with their key person and all staff, which promotes their personal, social and emotional development well. Staff plan and provide a broad educational programme, which supports children to make good progress in their learning and development. Children feel safe and secure and staff meet their welfare needs effectively. The nursery team has very good relationships with parents and effective communication systems, so everyone works together for the children's benefit. It is not yet outstanding because Although children clearly make good progress, in the pre-school room there is scope to review small group and circle times to help all children join in. While younger children develop good physical skills, they do not always have opportunities to use equipment to strengthen their larger muscles. Although the manager works alongside and observes staff, there is scope to plan more focused observations to enhance existing good teaching practices.

2 Inspection report: Head Start Day Nursery, 08/01/ of 10 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 2016 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. Inspection activities The inspector observed activities in all play areas indoors and outside. The inspector had discussions with children, parents and staff. The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager. The inspector looked at observation files, tracking systems, the self-evaluation form and a selection of policies and children's records. Inspector Kim Mundy

3 Inspection report: Head Start Day Nursery, 08/01/ of 10 Full report Information about the setting Head Start Nursery registered in 2007 and it is one of four nurseries run by Head Start. The nursery operates from the Old School in Middleton, Milton Keynes. Children have access to two main playrooms, two smaller areas and outdoor play areas. The nursery is open from 9am to 2.30pm on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and until 1.15pm on Tuesday and Friday during term times. There are currently 89 children on roll. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who are learning to speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs eight members of staff. Of these, seven staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. What the setting needs to do to improve further To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should: improve the planning of small group and circle time activities to fully meet the age and stage of each child's development enhance younger children's physical skills by helping them to strengthen their larger muscles, for example by using equipment they can pull and push strengthen staff performance by planning the observations of staff practice to develop, share and enhance existing good teaching practice. Inspection judgements How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The professional team provides a very welcoming environment, which successfully supports children's emotional well-being, learning and development. All staff have a good understanding of how children learn and make progress. There are good systems in place for observing, assessing and tracking children's learning. Consequently, a very clear picture emerges of how each child is developing. Overall, the quality of teaching is good and the staff present the activities attractively. This results in a welcoming and stimulating environment, which encourages children's learning, interest and exploration. The staff use questioning well to extend children's communication and language skills. However, staff in the pre-school room do not always plan small group time and circle time in enough detail to engage all children.

4 Inspection report: Head Start Day Nursery, 08/01/ of 10 Good achievement starts in Busy Bees with the younger children and continues through Wise Owls, which is the pre-school children's base room. Children achieve particularly well in their personal, social and emotional development. They have close bonds and trusting relationships with staff, the children feel secure and acquire independence skills for future life. For example, they help themselves to toys and resources and begin to dress and undress themselves. In Busy Bees room, staff model language effectively by chatting to the children. For example, they encourage them to look at and talk about photographs of their families displayed in their play environment. Staff encourage younger children to repeat words and short phrases to develop their early speaking and listening skills. Younger children use their senses and develop hand-eye coordination as they explore natural resources, such as wood, sponges, leaves and seashells. They use a wide range of media and make marks with their fingers in paint and shaving foam, and they prod and squeeze dough, which helps to strengthen the muscles in their hands in readiness for their early writing. Overall, the nursery is well-resourced with a good range of play materials, for both the indoor and outdoor play areas. The younger children develop good physical skills as they swing, balance and slide on apparatus. However, there are limited opportunities for them to strengthen their larger muscles by using equipment that they can push and pull. In the pre-school room, staff provide many opportunities for children to acquire good communication, language and literacy skills. During all activities, the staff demonstrate good teaching techniques such as modelling language and open questioning to extend children's vocabulary. There are good opportunities for children to recognise their name when they self-register. In the role-play area, children practise early writing, for example as they 'write' menus. Staff encourage children to take a keen interest in books and they enjoy choosing library books from the visiting mobile library. Pre-school children also take books home to read with their parents in preparation for moving on to school. Several preschool children are able to draw recognisable pictures and begin to form letters and words. Staff plan activities to help all children make good progress in mathematics; to develop an understanding of number, size, shape, colour and measurement. During the inspection, younger children posted shapes, threaded beads on wires, built with basic bricks, and sung number songs and rhymes. Pre-school children used a wider range of more challenging construction toys and puzzles, and children counted confidently during their play. Staff enrich the educational programme by providing all children with good opportunities to learn about the world they live in and to explore their local environment. Staff plan enjoyable walks in the adjacent parkland and they visit the village church to celebrate festivals. Participating in other festival celebrations, such as Chinese New Year, and playing with multicultural toys and resources also helps the children to learn about diversity. Staff encourage children to find out about living things as they plant flowers and observe a wider range of animals, which are brought in to the nursery. Children learn how things work, for example when they use magnifying glasses on bug hunts. The pre-school children have fun together sharing and learning to use hand-held tablets. Staff plan plenty of opportunities for children to develop their creativity and imagination. For example, they enjoyed participating in make-believe play with medical sets in the hospital and they sang songs and played musical instruments. Staff planned activities for children to explore and investigate. They had fun mixing paint and talked about the changes in colour they

5 Inspection report: Head Start Day Nursery, 08/01/ of 10 observed on their hands and paper. Children make good progress in all areas of learning in order to prepare them for their next stage of education. The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children The staff team provides warm and nurturing care for young children. When children start, they find out as much as they can from parents about their routines and development. The gradual settling-in procedure also helps each child to develop a sense of belonging and trust. The key persons help children make secure emotional attachments. These good relationships mean that staff know the children well and continue to meet their individual needs in the absence of their key person. The staff have high expectations of children's behaviour, therefore children are very well-behaved. Children also respond positively to the praise and encouragement they receive, which develops their self-esteem and confidence. Good hygiene practices are apparent throughout the nursery. Staff follow good hygiene routines for nappy changing and children learn healthy routines, such as hand washing. Children enjoy healthy snack options provided by the nursery. In pre-school room, they pour their drinks and staff teach children to use knives safely when preparing their sandwich, which further develops their independence skills. Parents are required to provide a packed lunch for their child. At lunchtime, children come together to experience sociable meal times and learn good manners. At all times, the children can help themselves to drinks when they are thirsty. Children enjoy fresh air and exercise every day when they use equipment in the nursery and apparatus in the adjacent park. Children increase their good physical skills when they climb, slide and balance on apparatus. Visiting teachers for sports, and music and movement also enhance the educational programme for physical development. Staff keep very comprehensive records to promote children's well-being, such as incident, accident and medicine administration records. The management team monitors these closely and takes any necessary action to minimise risks. The staff teach children to be aware of their own safety. They help children practise the emergency evacuation procedure, so they know what to do in the event of a fire. They also teach children to use tools, such as scissors safely during art and craft activities. Staff follow good procedures to promote the children's well-being. The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision The management team has a good understanding of their role to implement the safeguarding and welfare requirements. As a result, they lead and manage the nursery well. All staff have a good knowledge and understanding of child protection and a thorough safeguarding policy is implemented should they have concerns. The management team has established robust recruitment procedures. Therefore, they recruit knowledgeable and suitably qualified staff. The nursery is safe for children because staff

6 Inspection report: Head Start Day Nursery, 08/01/ of 10 follow the effective risk assessment process for all areas and on outings to identify and eliminate risks. The motivated and enthusiastic management and staff team have an accurate overview of the nursery's performance. Staff are reflective in their practice and they are keen to develop their skills through training opportunities, staff appraisals and meetings. The staff value parents' and children's views and put their suggestions into place wherever possible. The manager works alongside staff in the rooms and takes some opportunities to observe their practice. However, there is scope to extend this more formally to enhance and share existing good teaching techniques across the staff team. The nursery is currently expanding the good outdoor play opportunities for children. The management team is fully inclusive and welcoming to all. The manager is well aware of her responsibility to monitor the educational programmes, which leads to children making good progress given their starting points. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children learning to speak English as an additional language have good opportunities to make equal progress in their learning. The staff closely track the children's progress. Therefore, they quickly identify any gaps in children's learning. This means that, staff make links and work with other professionals to provide early intervention, such as an educational psychologist and speech and language therapist. The staff working with the younger children complete the progress check for two-year-old children and share information with their parents. Staff establish positive links with the local school teachers to prepare and support children to move on to school. Partnership with parents and carers is a particular strength at the nursery. Parents receive newsletters, attend parent days when they meet and discuss their child's progress. They receive plenty of information about the educational programme and activities going on in the nursery through the newsletter and displays. Parents are warmly welcomed in to the nursery and they attend for various activities and celebrations. Parents comment that they feel fully encouraged to be involved in their children's learning and staff share ideas of how they can extend children's learning in their home environment. All of the parents spoken to at the inspection were very complimentary about all aspects of the nursery.

7 Inspection report: Head Start Day Nursery, 08/01/ of 10 What inspection judgements mean Registered early years provision 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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of inspection. 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 monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

8 Inspection report: Head Start Day Nursery, 08/01/ of 10 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. Setting details Unique reference number EY Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0-5 Total number of places 39 Number of children on roll 89 Name of provider Head Start Day Nursery Date of previous inspection 18/12/2008 Telephone number Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted s website: If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone , or enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. Type of provision For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply: 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. 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

9 Inspection report: Head Start Day Nursery, 08/01/ of 10 and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration. 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. 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.

10 Inspection report: Head Start Day Nursery, 08/01/ of 10 The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone , or 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 alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to Subscribe. Piccadilly Gate Store St Manchester M1 2WD T: Textphone: E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: Crown copyright 2012