The Willows - Ofsted

The Willows

Inspection report for early years provision

Unique reference number EY423615
Inspect ion date 16/08/ 2011
Inspector Linda Filewood

Setting address The Willows Day Nursery, The Willows, 21 Firth Street,
BRIGHOUSE, West Yorkshire, HD6 3BB
Telephone number
Ema il 01484715676
Type of setting willowsnursery2011 @ya hoo.c o.u k
Childcare on non-domestic premises

Inspection Report: The Willows, 16/08/2011

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 Suppor t 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 ser vices, 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 0300 123 1231, or email [email protected].
You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational pur poses, as long as
you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the infor mation in any way.

T: 0300 123 1231
Textphone: 0161 618 8524
E: [email protected]
W: www.ofsted.gov.uk
© Crown copyright 2011

2

Inspection Report: The Willows, 16/08/2011

Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the
Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years
provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children
from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group).
The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory
framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early
Years Foundation Stage.
The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the
setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the
report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service
(The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).
The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group
which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare
Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a
comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is
included in Annex B.
Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We
publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we
receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of
registration.

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 3

Inspection Report: The Willows, 16/08/2011

Description of the setting

The Willows Day Nursery was registered in 1995 and re-registered in 2011 under
new ownership. It is managed by a private owner and operates from a two storey
converted house in Brighouse, West Yorkshire. The setting is open each weekday
all year round, apart from one week during the Christmas period and statutory
Bank Holidays, from 7.15am to 6pm. All children share access to an outdoor play
and undercover area.

A maximum of 100 children may attend the setting at any one time, of whom no
more than 76 may be in the early years age range. This provision is registered by
Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the
Childcare Register. There are currently 70 children on roll in the Early Years age
group. Of these, 16 children receive funding for nursery education. The setting
also offers before and after school care and holiday care. It serves the local
community and surrounding areas. Children attend for a variety of sessions
throughout the week.

The setting employs 16 staff, of whom 15 hold appropriate early years
qualifications at level 2 and level 3 or above. Two staff have obtained foundation
degrees in early years and two are undertaking further relevant qualifications. The
setting receives support from the local authority.

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

The nursery meets each child's needs very well through effective information
sharing systems and supportive staff. Children make good progress in their
learning and development and the abundant resources are particularly stimulating.
Staff clearly promote children's good health and welfare so that children feel safe
and secure in their environment. The management team implements effective
strategies and systems to ensure staff and parents are included in their reflective
practice. This effectively ensures they respond to all user needs, identify priorities
for improvements and raises the overall quality of the provision and the outcomes
for children.

What steps need to be taken to improve provision
further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

ensure written risk assessments used daily by staff are unique to the
environment used by the children, particularly for the outdoor area
continue to lead and encourage a culture of reflective practice, self-
evaluation and informed discussion to identify the setting's strengths and
priorities for development that will continue to improve the quality of

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 4

Inspection Report: The Willows, 16/08/2011

provision for all children
continue to develop systems for tracking children's development in order to
easily identify each child's progress across all areas of learning
ensure staff continue to extend children's knowledge and learning using
appropriate explanations and questioning techniques.

The effectiveness of leadership and management of
the early years provision

Clearly defined safeguarding procedures and related training makes certain that
staff understand their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children's welfare.
Effective recruitment and induction procedures ensure that any new staff
employed are suitable to work with children. The well-established and qualified
staff team positively influences the outcomes for children. Ongoing appraisal and
continuous professional development opportunities support staff in developing
their practice. Staff maintain records, such as those for medication, accidents and
risk assessments appropriately and this effectively supports the safe and efficient
management of the nursery. However, the document used to check of the outdoor
play area daily is not unique to the area used by each age group. As a result, it
does not support staff sufficiently in identifying potential hazards in all areas. Well-
documented policies and procedures clearly lead staff's practice in maintaining the
children's well-being. Staff share these with parents so they understand the care
provided.

Staff effectively establish what children know and can do, as well as their likes,
dislikes, daily routines and home life, by gathering key information from parents.
They effectively use a key worker system, to meet each child's individual needs.
Parents comment very positively about the nursery. They state they are fully aware
of the changes the new provider is implementing and that these have had a
positive impact on the care their children receive. Staff communicate very well with
parents to support each child through the next stages in their development. This
enables parents to undertake activities at home that underpin their child's learning.
Staff quickly identify any additional support that may be required for a child. They
raise concerns as and when they arise with parents and colleagues to ensure that
the child gets any support they need. Established partnerships with the local school
that the majority of children attend effectively promote continuity of care and
progression through good transitional arrangements.

Extremely well planned, easily accessible play spaces and resources, both indoors
and outdoors, ensure children fully enjoy their learning. Activities follow each
child's current interests. Children confidently access a superb range of high quality
resources. They have daily access to the outdoors whenever possible. The nursery
is now implementing plans for children to learn abut growing and planting. Parents
have collected supermarket vouchers to enable the nursery to obtain a good
variety of gardening equipment. This will enable children to grow some of their
own vegetables. The management team has high aspirations for the nursery and
demonstrates a very positive attitude to continually improving this recently re-
registered provision. They are developing new self-evaluation systems in order to
provide an accurate identification of the strengths and weakness of their provision.

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 5

Inspection Report: The Willows, 16/08/2011

The provider is keen for children to reach their full potential during their time at
the nursery. Parents and staff complete written questionnaires about the quality
and their knowledge of the provision and its policies and procedures. The
information helps and informs the self-evaluation system in highlighting key
strengths and areas for development.

The quality and standards of the early years provision
and outcomes for children

All staff have a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage learning and
development requirements. They regularly observe children, record their findings
clearly in the child's learning and development record and assess each child's
progress against the early learning goals. However, the tracking system is not
completed consistently so does not enable the information to be easily access ed.
Staff are aware of each child's interests, assess their individual developmental
needs and effectively plan to meet these. They create a warm caring environment
by using successful grouping of children. This ensures children feel safe and
secure. Children are very happy, settled within the nursery, and are making good
progress in all areas of their learning. Staff generally work well with the children to
encourage each child's learning, and children respond well to them. For example,
they talk about the height of a tower they are making together to see if it is bigger
than the child is. However, sometimes staff miss opportunities to extend a child's
thinking by not using clear explanations or appropriate questioning techniques.

Children play in a rich environment, well resourced to maximise each child's
learning potential. They gain a sense of well-being, as they are encouraged to take
responsibility by helping with manageable tasks. For example, older children help
to set the table at mealtimes. Staff use the opportunity to develop children's
problem solving, reasoning and numeracy skills as they decide if they have set
enough places for everyone at the table. Older children use mathematical language
well in play and know that numbers can be combined and be added together. Staff
promote inclusion well, do not stereotype play and all children confidently make
choices in their play. There are plenty of opportunities for children to enjoy
physical activities indoors as well as out. Children enthusiastically dig in the large
sand pit in a covered area adjoining the outdoor play space. They are excited
when they see a spider and talk about where it hides and whether it is a mummy
and a baby. Children's imagination is stimulated with the range of equipment and
tools available. For example, a long handled spade spontaneously becomes a
guitar to 'play', create a tune with, sway and sing along to.

Older children are forming friendships with their peers and are successfully
learning to share and resolve situations by themselves. They are also content to
play alone, often becoming deeply absorbed in their chosen activities. For instance,
they listen carefully to the sounds made as they lift pieces of jigsaw up and then
move onto explore another interesting resource. Younger children enjoy
developing their physical abilities by playing with a balloon. They throw it in the
air, catch it as it drifts down and engage staff in the game. Children are developing
a good understanding of keeping themselves safe. Good procedures are in place to

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 6

Inspection Report: The Willows, 16/08/2011

ensure older children walk safely to and from school. Children are learning to play
safely and only require occasional reminders from staff, although they do not
always explain the consequences of the actions. Staff successfully promote
children's good health and well-being. They encourage children to adopt good
hygiene practices to prevent the spread of infection. Meal times are social
occasions during which children sit in small peer groups to enjoy their meals. Staff
ensure children in highchairs are included in the social atmosphere. The meals
children receive are of good quality. They are freshly prepared on the premises,
and staff display the daily menu for parents. Children learn about what healthy
eating means and older children know that eating fruit, for example, keeps them
healthy.

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 7

Inspection Report: The Willows, 16/08/2011

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean
Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality
Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong
Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound
Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision 2
2
How well does the setting meet the needs of the
children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?
The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous
improvement

The effectiveness of leadership and management of the early
years provision

The effectiveness of leadership and management of the 2

Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding 2
ambition and driving improvement

The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 1

The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and 2
diversity

The effectiveness of safeguarding 3

The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the 2
steps taken to promote improvement

The effectiveness of partnerships 2

The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and 2

carers

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation

Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage

Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation 2

Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2
The extent to which children feel safe 2

The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2

The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2

The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

Any complaints about the inspection or report should be made following the
procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website:
www.ofsted.gov.uk

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 8

Inspection Report: The Willows, 16/08/2011 Met
Met
Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the
compulsory part of the Childcare Register are:
The provider confirms that the requirements of the
voluntary part of the Childcare Register are:

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 9