Petit Enfant strive to be the best setting, and as such signed up to the National Day Nurseries Association’s e-Quality Counts Award Scheme.

The e-Quality Counts is NDNA’s online quality improvement scheme created specifically for nurseries, to support nurseries through the process of self-assessment, reflection, planning, development, change and implementation to promote quality improvement and to achieve a recognised award with a certification mark.

The scheme aims to ensure children receive the best possible care and early learning education, whilst reviewing quality across all areas of the business to achieve the highest judgement at inspection.

This prestigous kite mark is awarded at three levels

Level one: Above the standard expected by Ofsted

Level two: Excellent Practice

Level three: Outstanding Practice

Carterton setting worked for many months gathering evidence, improving practice and supporting staff to achieve their goals, enabling the setting to achieve a Level 3 for Outstanding Practice, huge congratulations must be passed on to the whole staff team for their hard work, particularly Emma Jackson and Janice Savage, who can now breathe a sigh of relief!

Caterpillar and Butterfly staff Tiffany Hall, Katey Stansfield, Anna Smith and Laura Newman, Winners of the ticket sales competition!

As a company caring for children we make it our job each year to make a special effort for Children in Need, and this year was no different…..or was it?

This years charity fundraiser served to raise funds for both Children in Need and a local charity Just for James.

Just for James was set up by new parents Steve and Phillipa following the birth of their son James in April this year.  James was born with a rare condition of the brain.  You can read more about James by visiting his face book page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Just-for-James/256512747706800#!/pages/Just-for-James/256512747706800?sk=info

Steve is our local postman, and to ensure we could do our best for his family and Children in Need, event organiser Louise Mcveigh and very willing helper Emma Jackson worked tirelessly, scouring the streets of Witney and targeting local business, Bakers Butchers, Cargo, Past Times, Cafe Bake House, Shaan India resturant and The Golden Eagle for prize donations.

With each of the settings base rooms in stiff competition with one another  to sell tickets, and a number of local residents selling tickets in the community we managed to sell over 4000 tickets!

Friday 18th November hosted the prize draw.  James’ dad Steve was kind enough to stop in a draw our winners, with a gathering of staff and children all in Fancy Dress for the special day.

We are pleased to say that we managerd to raise £964.41 split between the charities.

Petit Enfant would like to thank all of those who contibuted to such a great day, and each of the companys that so generousley donated.

The inspector highlighted many positive aspects of the setting  stating that ‘expert practice and clear commitment from the whole staff team in a vibrant setting ensures all aspects of children’s care and learning are promoted’  The report gave praise to the ‘highly motivated, passionate and professional managment and staff team’.

The excellent safeguarding procedures and the robust procedures in place for the recruitment of staff and their ongoing suitability were also praised by the inspector, ensuring children’s safety and welfare are given the highest priority.

The inspector commented on partnerships stating ‘the nursery team are sucessful in building exceptional working partnerships with parents and other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage’ acknowledging that ‘parents are fully involved in their child’s learning and progress in the setting’.  Parents also reported ‘highly complementary feedback about their child’s experiences in the nursery and the dedication of the staff’.  The local network of practitioners involved with the shared care and learning of the children ‘contributes significantly to a consistant approach and a smooth transition’ for children, when moving settings.

The inspection report gave complementary feedback regarding the settings ‘thorough self evaluation process’ which ensures that the ‘nursery’s very strong practice and commitment to individual children is acknowledged and celebrated.

Within the base rooms the report highlighted that ‘all children who attend the nursery receive care to a consistently high standard’  Praise was given to staff who spend time ‘sitting on the floor with babies, giving them lots of positive facial expressions and reassurance’.

The breautiful nursery gardens and play areas which include pets corner and a digging area, along with decorated fences were also mentioned in the report and the hard work of the staff and children to make creative planters and to use the outdoor area as an extention to their learning enviornment were acknowledged.

‘Highly effective partnerships with parents, which enable key people to find out about the specific needs of children’ were among some of the key themes in the report and are paromount to ensureing children’s individual needs are being met.

The inspector was pleased that the ‘children behave very well’ and believed this to be due to the children being ‘fully engaged in their exciting activities, and through effective organisation of the flexible routines’

A key point in the report stated that ‘children benefit from highly positive, gentle and sensitive interaction from staff’, and that the setting has ‘effective systems to monitor each child’s progress through written observations that link with planning of future activities for individual children, that follow their unique interests’, ensuring that children have ‘inclusive and interesting experiences that are tailor made to to meet their unique requirments’.

Positive acknowledgement was given to the ‘freshly prepared and nutrious meals’ that children are provided with along with praise for the ‘individual patterns for feeding babies’.

I am sure you will agree this is a glowing report and all the staff, management, children and parents can feel justly proud of this ‘outstanding’ achievement.  The full report is available and can be found by following the link.

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/CARE/EY417436

The report highlighted that ‘children make good progress towards the early learning goals in a safe and stimulating environment’ and went on to add that there are ‘strong partnerships with parents and other early years settings’, and that ‘staff and management teams have a very positive approach to continuous improvment’.

Within the actual base rooms the inspector commented that ‘children are settled, appear to feel safe and happy’  she was also pleased to see that children ‘develop close friendships, play well together and show high levels of good behaviour’.

As part of our approach to healthy lifestyles we continue to strive to ensure children are provided with healthy meals, therefore we were delighted to see the report recognised the ‘nutritious meals’ we provide in the setting.

The inspector was lucky enough to catch the children on a Forest School day.  The report recognised the staffs efforts at securing the use of an ‘idyllic rural woodland’ where children are able to ‘freely explore a very natural environment’

Praise was given to the settings ‘robust recruitment and induction procedures, ensuring that staff are suitable to care for children’.  In addition staff received positive comments stating ‘staff consciously use sustained shared thinking, clarifying what children say’ and the use of ‘open ended questions to help children make connections in their learning.

Staff were recognised for the ‘good use of observations, assessment and the planning cycle’ to ensure children’s activities are based on children’s individual interests.

The full report is available for parents and can be found at:

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/CARE/EY355997