Change font size (currently medium):  Aa..Za 

About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage.

The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality
Good: this aspect of the provision is strong
Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound
Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Holding the Reins Nursery opened in 1991. It is situated in a dormer bungalow in the Mutley area of Plymouth and is privately run. There is a secure garden to the rear for outside play.

The nursery is open from 08:00 until 18:00, Monday to Friday, 50 weeks of the year. Children can attend for part of the day or the full day. There are currently 35 children on roll, including 14 children who are in receipt of nursery education funding. The nursery supports children with special educational needs.

There are five members of staff employed to care for the children, four of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery receives support from the Local Authority, and belongs to several organisations, which include the Pre-school Learning Alliance, the National Day Nurseries' Association, the National Autistic Society, Stars support group and the Aphasic support group for communication and language difficulties.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROVISION

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are developing a good understanding of what it means to be healthy as a result of the nursery's clear policy on the promotion of healthy eating, nutritious home cooked lunches, and the provision of healthy alternatives at snack times. Children can recognise when they are thirsty and ask for drinks which are readily provided. Children with special dietary needs have their requirements met by staff who work closely with parents. Staff employ good hygiene and housekeeping routines throughout the nursery so that children can enjoy access to a clean and orderly environment. Children are also increasingly independent in their own personal care, as they are encouraged to wash their hands after toileting and before food, and to wash their faces and clean their teeth after lunch. Well designed documentation systems that keep parents fully informed of accidents or the administration of medicines, as well as the majority of the staff team being first aid qualified, ensures that children's medical needs are effectively met within the setting.

Children move around the setting in confidence and safety. They have regular access to outdoor play with trikes, bats, balls, and large equipment for climbing and balancing. When the weather is inclement, children can access the 'ball pool', as well as participating in group physical activity, such as dancing while rehearsing the Christmas play. Children also access a wide range of equipment that promotes the development of their manipulative skills, such as scissors, pencils, stencils and jigsaws.

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in an orderly and spacious environment. Hazards are minimised through the implementation of good housekeeping routines and through regular risk assessment procedures to which staff promptly respond. Equipment is well organised to give children access to a broad range of appropriate play resources. Fire drills are held regularly and are evaluated to ensure children are kept safe in an emergency, and the potential for accidental injury to children is minimised through close supervision at all times. Children are very secure as a result of particularly effective arrival and departure procedures that are rigorously applied by all staff members. The welfare of children is also fully promoted while they attend the nursery, as staff have a good understanding of their child protection responsibilities and are confident in following the procedures should they have concerns about a particular child.

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children settle quickly upon arrival as staff use a number of good strategies to help them. Warm, friendly relationships between children and staff are in evidence, and, as children spend time in their key working groups, they have plenty of opportunities for small group and individual support from consistent adults. Staff are also beginning to make good use of the Birth to three matters framework in order to provide younger children with a pleasing range of activities that promote their development and learning.

Nursery Education

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are quick to become engaged in activities and are generally able to concentrate well on tasks that are either self chosen or adult led. Thus they persist at completing an alphabet jigsaw or making a polar bear face. They use their initiative when working together on group tasks, such as building a house with lego. Children are keen to participate in group activities such as rehearsing the Christmas play, learning their parts quickly and confidently performing in front of others. Children are aware of the group's agreed codes for behaviour, responding well to the nursery's reward system and enjoying taking part in shared tasks, such as tidy up time. They are also beginning to use good manners towards adults and each other.

All children are making good progress towards the early learning goals in all six areas of learning. Children enjoy taking part in group activities that promote discussion, such as register time, and are confident conversationalists with staff and each other. Children readily access books and very much enjoy story time. Children also access writing materials throughout the nursery, indoors and out, and receive individual support for practising name writing. They are regularly encouraged to count and recognise numerals, and there are regular planned activities that encourage children to compare size, shape and measure. Children participate in meaningful activities that help them develop an understanding of the natural world, such as caring for hatching eggs in an incubator, or exploring the properties of ice. They enjoy regular opportunities to design and make objects, using a range of media and materials, such as Christmas stocking pictures or different world flags. They are also developing a good understanding of the different people and cultures of the world as a result of teaching which promotes their understanding of difference and diversity well. For example, children enjoyed the recent theme of Poland, learning words and eating food from the area. Children also enjoy singing songs and exploring the sounds made by musical instruments, as well as dancing.

The lead practitioner and her team have a secure understanding of the Foundation stage curriculum, and this knowledge is used to plan and provide a pleasing range of activities for the children. Together the staff team create a pleasing and well organised learning environment that offers a broad range of equipment and resources for purposeful play at each session. Thus staff implement their plans generally well and do use some naturally arising opportunities to extend children's understanding. However, staff do not always use teaching strategies, such as asking questions at register time or during creative activities, that would ensure that all children, including the older and more able children, are challenged sufficiently. As a result, some potential for taking children's learning and development further is lost. Nevertheless, the programme is monitored to ensure that all children are able to participate and there is a clear commitment to inclusion. Children's behaviour is also well managed. Assessment systems ensure that the achievements of each child are well known to staff, and this information is then used to plan the next steps in each child's learning.

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. The nursery staff go to a great deal of effort to ensure that the individual needs of the children in their care are well met. This is achieved through an effective key working systems that ensures that every child is well known to a staff member. Children with special educational needs enjoy high quality care, as the nursery maintains very strong links with outside agencies for advice and support, as well as having an experienced Special Needs Co-ordinator practitioner on the nursery staff. All children are encouraged to respect and appreciate difference and diversity within our society, and, because they are familiar with the group's agreed codes for behaviour and the routines of the nursery, they give of their best throughout their attendance. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is therefore fostered appropriately.

The partnership with parents is outstanding. Strong relationships between parents and staff are very much in evidence, as staff recognise the enduring role parents play in their child's development. Parents are asked to provide the nursery with detailed information about their child at the point of registration in order that the key worker can get to know the child quickly. Parents views are regularly sought, and suggestions for improvements are promptly responded to. Staff are open with parents about the inspection process, inviting them to raise issues with the inspector. Regular meetings between staff and parents to discuss children's progress means that parents have an opportunity to contribute to the planning for their child, and going home books are completed daily in order to give parents insight into their child's day.

Organisation

The organisation is good. Children enjoy good levels of care as a result of high ratios and well organised deployment. Senior staff have a clear understanding of their regulatory responsibilities, responding promptly to changes in requirements. For example, they have introduced a complaints log in response to very recent changes to the National Standards. The majority of staff hold an appropriate early years qualification, and staff attend a substantial number of training courses throughout the year. As a result, children are cared for by staff who are confident in their roles. Polices and other documentation systems are in largely good order, with only minor amendments necessary to bring the complaints procedure fully in line with regulatory requirements. The nursery meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

The leadership and management of the nursery is good. The nursery manager is confident, competent and proactive, and a positive team ethos is very much in evidence. Consequently all are committed to the continuous improvement of the provision, and all are involved in the evaluation of the programme of activities and staff performance. Staff are highly valued and very well supported by the management team. Similarly, the management team recognise the benefits of working closely with outside agencies as a way of bringing about further improvements to the provision, and are committed to undertaking an external quality assurance programme in the near future to further enhance quality. When taken overall, the leadership and management team is able to identify areas for improvement as they arise and to respond positively.

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection of nursery education the group were asked to improve the provision of facilities in order that children's climbing and balancing skills could be more effectively promoted. In a relatively short period of time the nursery has fund raised to purchase further equipment and is now devising a more detailed programme for the use of the outdoor area in order to ensure that children access the full range of equipment throughout the week.

Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record any contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):

ensure that the complaints policy accurately reflects the role of Ofsted and is fully available to parents.

The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):

further develop staff's ability to use teaching strategies that will challenge and extend all children, and older and more able children in particular.

Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk