The Old Barn Day Nursery 6 Woodmansterne Lane, Banstead, Surrey, SM7 3ES

Inspection date Previous inspection date

18/03/2014 28/09/2011

The quality and standards of the early years provision

This inspection: 3

Previous inspection: 2

How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend

3

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 3

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

The quality and standards of the early years provision

This provision requires improvement

Children are safeguarded well. There are sound procedures in place for staff

recruitment, induction and performance management. This helps to ensure that children are safe and protected from harm.

Children benefit from being able to move freely between the indoor and outdoor learning environment. This helps to support their physical development and a healthy lifestyle.

The key person system is well established and means children settle quickly and are happy and confident to explore.

It is not yet good because

The quality of teaching across the nursery is variable, which has an impact on children's

progress in their learning and development.

Staff do not always ensure that all children have access to fresh drinking water at all times to support their health which is a breach of requirement.

Babies lack good opportunities to explore natural materials and sensory play resources to actively learn.

Staff do not consistently identify children's next steps across all ages to support their planning. This limits the progress children make in their learning and development.

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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 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.

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. Inspection activities

The inspector observed activities in all playrooms and the outside play area.

The inspector held meetings with the manager and owner of the nursery and undertook joint observations with her in the outside play area and at lunchtime.

The inspector looked at a sample of children's assessment records, planning documentation and a selection of policies.

The inspector reviewed the suitability checks for staff working with children.

The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

Inspector

Daphne Brown

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Full report Information about the setting

The Old Barn Day Nursery registered in 1990 and operates from six rooms in a converted house and barn. It is located in Banstead, Surrey. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 108 children on roll in the early years age group. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged three years. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery currently supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. It is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm all year round with the exception of Christmas and bank holidays. The nursery employs 25 members of staff including a cook. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. What the setting needs to do to improve further To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must: improve the quality of teaching across the nursery, to ensure that all children are

sufficiently challenged, in order to provide opportunities for each child to reach their full potential

ensure all children have access to fresh drinking water at all times.

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should: consistently identify children's next steps and include them into the planning of

future activities, in order to strongly improve achievement for all children

increase the range of natural materials and sensory play resources accessible to

babies to create further opportunities for them to explore, investigate and actively learn.

Inspection judgements

How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend

Most staff demonstrate a sound understanding of how children learn and develop. However, some are not as confident in their ability to know how to help children progress in their learning and development. Consequently the quality of teaching is variable and this has an impact on the progress children make. Staff establish children's individual starting points as they use a suitable system to obtain information about children's

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abilities, preferences and interests from parents. They use this information well to help children settle and to provide toys and plan activities which link to their interests. However, although staff regularly observe the children they do not consistently use this information across all age ranges to identify children's next steps. Therefore even though activities may be of interest to the children they are not clearly focused and targeted on their next steps in learning and development. This limits the progress children make. Staff provide an enabling environment where children are able to independently select from a wide selection of toys and resources. However, some staff do not interact purposefully to provide good levels of challenge for children. Therefore, they miss opportunities to promote the children's learning and development, especially with regard to their communication and language skills. For example, whilst outside staff sit supervising children playing in the sand with limited interaction. Children are not encouraged to think why the wet sand would not go through sieves and funnels, or discuss the texture of the sand. On other occasions activities are too adult led, limiting children's time and opportunities to think and use their own imagination and experiment for themselves. For instance, during a painting activity staff paint stampers for the children to print with; children are then told the names of the different insects on the stampers, rather than giving them the time or opportunity to think for themselves. Although children enjoy these activities, they do not benefit from opportunities to extend their learning or inquisitive nature further. In contrast, other staff engage in purposeful learning experiences such as talking about the different colours young children choose to paint with and discussing emotions and feelings as children water paint faces on walls outside. Opportunities for outdoor play are good as children have free flow access to the outdoor area for the majority of the day. Staff provide many opportunities to promote children's physical development. The children run and climb using a range of equipment to support this. Children enjoy using the slide and trampoline, under the watchful eye of staff, who encourage them to share and take turns. They enjoy digging and being creative as they use the outdoor garden area to dig and hunt for mini bugs and then observe them through microscopes. Others concentrate as they write and draw with chalk on the ground and staff mark out a 'hop scotch' game helping children develop their mathematical skills counting and recognising numbers. Staff provide plastic bags filled with paint as another way of encouraging children's mark making and early writing skills. Children hunt for hidden insects around the garden, count them and then use their fingers to make the impression of the number in the paint. In addition to the outdoor play area, there is also a planting and growing area. Staff and children enjoy digging and preparing the soil together ready to sow and tend vegetables and fruit plants. Staff promote babies and very young children's personal, social and emotional development well. They are calm, caring and responsive to their changing emotions and needs. This helps the babies settle and feel confident to explore and seek out toys and activities. Staff remain close by offering reassurance and a comforting cuddle when necessary. However, staff do not provide regular opportunities for the babies to explore and investigate concepts through a wide variety of natural resources and sensory play. For example, on the day of the inspection this was limited to just play dough. Staff complete a summary of children's development for parents in time for the progress

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check at age two so they are aware of the progress their child is making. The nursery supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and works with parents and other professionals to help promote continuity in the children's learning and development.

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

The strong key person system helps staff to promote the emotional well-being of all children so that they feel safe and secure in the nursery. Before children start in the nursery, staff arrange settling-in sessions so children can begin to feel at home. During these sessions, managers identify whether the child is forming an attachment with a particular member of staff who will then become the key person for that child. This helps children feel secure and comfortable in the nursery. Parents are encouraged to provide the nursery with photographs of the children's families and staff use these to support the settling-in process and children's emotional well-being. The children behave well, showing that they feel safe in the nursery and this further supports their emotional well-being. Staff regularly play games with the children helping them learn to take turns and share toys and resources. However, because the quality of teaching is variable, opportunities to extend children's communication and language by encouraging them to say 'please' and 'thank you' are sometimes missed. The youngest children regularly spend time with older children and this helps to create a caring and homely environment for them to learn and develop in. The children are gaining an understanding of risk as they explore the nursery, knowing that the staff are there to support them. Children learn to keep themselves and others safe. For example, they help to tidy away toys during the day, take part in fire drills so that they understand what to do in an emergency and learn about road safety when they go on walks to a local park. Staff deploy themselves well so they are able to meet the needs of the children and maintain their safety. For example, staff support children as they climb up the steps and go down the slide and bounce on the trampoline. Staff have training in first aid and implement suitable hygiene practices, such as when changing nappies or serving food. This safeguards children's health and well-being. Children benefit from eating a varied diet of nutritious snacks and healthy meals, which the nursery cook prepares. Staff make sure the individual dietary needs of all children are met, which helps them promote equal opportunities. However not all children are able to freely access fresh drinking water at all times. This is a breach of requirement of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and has an impact on their healthy development. The staff share and display information appropriately regarding the care of children when ill and in managing cross-infection at the nursery. Children are cared for appropriately following any accidents and staff deal sensitively with any injuries they have to promote their well-being. The nursery keeps records of any accidents, of medicines given and these are shared with parents so they are aware of the care their children receive.

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Staff support children's understanding of the world in a range of activities. They incorporate various cultural celebrations into the planning, such as sampling food from different countries. They also make sure that there are resources, books and visual images that represent difference and diversity throughout the nursery. There are suitable arrangements for children when they move to a new room in the nursery. The staff plan settling in visits, which help the children become familiar with the new staff and children. Parents are informed so they can also help to support their children moving within the nursery. Links are developing with local schools as the manager invites teachers to visit the children at the nursery. Staff send a summary progress report to the child's next setting, providing them with information on the child's starting points for learning. This helps children to make a smooth transition when they move up to school.

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision

The inspection was brought forward due to a concern received by Ofsted regarding how the nursery safeguards children and implements its safeguarding policy, including supervising children. Concerns were raised about how the nursery deploys staff and uses risk assessment appropriately to ensure the children are safe. Concerns were raised about the provision of food and drink and how the nursery promotes equal opportunities. At the inspection it was observed that not all children have access to fresh drinking water at all times, which is a breach of a requirement of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. There is not a significant impact on children's welfare because they do have drinking water at times during the day. Children are safeguarded because the manager and staff have robust policies and procedures embedded within their practice. These are shared with staff on induction and with parents upon registration. This ensures that everyone understands what is expected and the reporting procedures that will be followed should there be concerns regarding a child's welfare. Effective recruitment and vetting procedures are in place and staff are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities. Staff consistently follow safeguarding procedures as all visitors' identification is checked before they are allowed into the nursery. Also, recent reorganisation of part of the nursery layout helps staff to ensure they safeguard children well, for example when changing nappies. The manager has a sound knowledge of the learning and development and the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She works closely with the deputy managers, who regularly work within the rooms supporting staff and monitoring the quality of teaching and learning. This approach helps to identify any staff's training needs, although managers do not always monitor staff's teaching skills efficiently to ensure their practice is helped to improve. The system for observation, assessment and planning is currently being updated with more concise development trackers being introduced. This is because systems, at present, are not accurate and consistent enough to identify children's next steps and monitor progress. Staff receive

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regular supervision and appraisals to ensure they feel supported and able to share any concerns that they have to help drive improvement in the quality of the nursery provision. The nursery staff access a range of training to help develop their knowledge of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The nursery has a developing self-evaluation system. Parents have an input through questionnaires and verbal feedback to staff and management. Staff have a regular input during staff meetings, identifying areas of strength and areas to improve, such as creating a separate outside area for the babies to further support their development. The partnership with parents is positive. They receive information about the nursery and their child's day through daily diaries and notice boards. Parents also receive information through email on a regular basis. The nursery has developed some partnerships with other professionals. Contact is made with local schools and professionals, such as speech and language specialists, to support children's learning and development. Parents praise the 'homely atmosphere' of the nursery and the way staff get to know their children.

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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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 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.

Not met 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.

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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.

Setting details

Unique reference number 122749

Local authority Surrey

Inspection number 956872

Type of provision Full-time provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic

Age range of children 0 - 8

Total number of places 62

Number of children on roll 108

Name of provider Richard Martin Bennett and Alison Jane Bennett Partnership

Date of previous inspection 28/09/2011

Telephone number 01737 373715

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: 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.

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

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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.

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