The Little Ripley Day Nursery

Little Ripley Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 228962 Inspection date 15/07/2010 Inspector Patricia Webb

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Setting address 28 Oscott School Lane, Great Barr, Birmingham, West Midlands, B44 9AE Telephone number 0121 360 5095 Email Littleripley@tdmail.co.uk Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises 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 rates 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 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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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.

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Introduction

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).

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Introduction

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.

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Introduction

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

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Description of the setting

Little Ripley Day Nursery in Oscott School Lane is one of a chain of eight privately owned local day nurseries. It opened in 1990 and operates from converted premises situated in the Great Barr area of Birmingham. On the ground floor there are four rooms that accommodate children over two years. The first floor is accessed by way of a staircase and has three rooms that accommodate children under two years. Ramp access is available to the front of the property. The nursery is open each weekday, from 7.00am to 6.00pm, all year round.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 60 children may attend at any one time. There are currently 80 children from birth to under five years on roll. Care is occasionally offered for older children and this provision is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The nursery has systems in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children from families where English is an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs 19 members of staff, the majority of whom hold appropriate early years qualification to Level 3. The nursery receives support from the local authority and is currently working towards a Quality Assurance Scheme award.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children progress strongly in the nursery supported by enthusiastic motivated staff who know the children and their families well. All children are safe and secure in the setting and enjoy the activities and experiences planned to enable them to achieve. Their needs are consistently met through the effective sharing of information with parents and carers. The owner, manager and staff share a commitment to ongoing improvement and have a clear vision of future improvement in the provision.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the medications records by including information about the illness or condition the child requires medication for, with particular regard to non- prescribed medication  improve the assessment process by periodically summarising children's achievements and use this to inform the next steps identified and planned for individual children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is consistently promoted because the nursery has robust safeguarding procedures in place. Staff have a firm knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities in child protection issues and ongoing training in this area is prioritised. Stringent checks are undertaken to ensure that staff are suitable, experienced and have undergone the required vetting procedures. The owner has made a conscious decision to employ only qualified staff and overall ratios exceed the minimum requirements, thereby enhancing the level of care children receive. Detailed risk assessments are carried out both on and off the premises to ensure children's safety and well-being.

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the early years provision

All staff demonstrate a keen enthusiasm for their work and the owner and senior management have a clear commitment to reviewing and improving the practice in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage. Whilst they are working on the formal document for self-evaluation, the current procedures effectively support them in identifying and prioritising areas for future improvement with a realistic vision of how current practice is developing outcomes for all children. Staff have a sound understanding of issues relating to equality of opportunity, enabling them to provide a service which is inclusive for all children and their families. Staff maintain good relationships with parents and ensure that they exchange information regularly about their children. Parents are kept informed of their children's progress and activities through newsletters, daily diaries and discussions. Whilst children's attainment is clearly logged, the process of summarising how individual

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the early years provision

children have achieved certain skills and milestones is not yet fully established to further complement the planning of their next steps.

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the early years provision

Children are enabled to become independent learners as they access a wide range of resources and equipment easily to support their learning and development. Further effective use is made of community resources as children visit local venues and amenities, such as, shops and the park extending their range of experiences. The setting has good procedures in place for liaising with other professionals involved with the children. For instance, they share information with the local schools and can, therefore, help children to prepare for this transition. All of the required documentation is in place for the safe and efficient operation of the setting although the recording of the administration of non-prescribed medication does not clearly record the medical reason for parents requesting the medication.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage enabling each child to make good progress in their learning and development. Staff plan well to ensure that children's learning experiences are maximised and the outcomes for children are woven throughout the daily routines and activities. The learning programme is organised effectively and provides a base for children to gain the necessary skills for future learning. Staff are skilled in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 extending and challenging children to encourage critical thinking as for example, a child is asked to describe how it felt when the millipede crawled on their arm when the 'animal man' brought in some unusual creatures to see. The development of children's vocabulary is extended because staff have high expectations of the knowledge that children can absorb and learn. During a group activity with older

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and outcomes for children

children, they begin to notice the similarities in the sounds and rhyming of some words, sowing the seeds of alliteration and recognising the rhythm of spoken language. As a result, they giggle with delight during the story of the Gruffalo, joining in with the familiar phrases and rendering the member of staff redundant at times as they know it so well.

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and outcomes for children

Babies and young toddlers are offered warm and loving care and support in reaching their developmental milestones. Activities are prepared with a clear objective particularly when enabling babies to gain upper body strength, sit unaided and begin to develop balance as they reach for moving toys and objects. Some excitedly 'search' for the ball hidden behind the practitioner's back and show great delight when they succeed in finding it. They are making connections in their learning as, for example, a toddler endeavours to work out how the ball placed in the top of the helter skelter toy winds round and round and pops out of the bottom. Children are aware of their environment and show that they know how to appreciate and care for their world. They plant and grow flowers and vegetables, counting the seeds as they are sown. They understand how to care for their crops, watering and checking them regularly. They become involved in recycling and

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and outcomes for children

develop a sense of responsibility in caring for their environment through well- planned activities knowing, for example, that bring in boxes and cartons from home for junk modelling is a form of recycling too.

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and outcomes for children

All children develop a strong sense of security and feeling of belonging in the setting. Displayed around each individual child's cot, for example, are pictures of their family members enabling them to be able to see familiar faces and places as they settle off or wake from sleep. This continues throughout the nursery and older children delight in sharing their family pictures with other adults accessing the displays at appropriate levels to enable this activity to happen spontaneously and when some individual children feel the need to refer to them. Effective activities are planned to develop children's awareness of considering the needs of others as well as their own as they are encouraged to consider the consequences of their actions. Staff use a strong vocabulary with older children emphasising concepts, such as, responsibility, consideration and respect developing their moral and social learning. This is also reflected in the setting's philosophies and aims

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and outcomes for children

declaring how they prepare children for responsible citizenship. Consequently, children behave with a sense of consideration of the needs of others and take their lead from the positive role models offered by the staff.

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and outcomes for children

Children understand why it is important to wash their hand regularly particularly in preparation for meals. Intimate care routines for babies and toddlers are effectively implemented to ensure that the risk of contamination or spread of infection are minimised. Most staff hold current first aid qualifications ensuring that minor accidents are managed efficiently. Main meals are cooked on site and children enjoy healthy, balanced and nutritious menus that are planned to take account of any specific dietary needs or preferences. Innovative strategies are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 used by staff to enable children to become aware of their own safety on and off the premises. Older children have been involved in some aspects of risk assessment for themselves and refer frequently to the various signs and directions around the setting, such as, pointing out that the yellow triangle means that the

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and outcomes for children

floor may be wet and slippery. They also participate regularly in emergency evacuation procedures and discuss the codes for crossing the roads safely when out and about. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

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

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

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

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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

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Stage

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

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

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

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