Dukes and Duchesses

Dukes & Duchesses Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number EY261963 Inspection date 01/06/2010 Inspector Margaret Patricia Mellor

p.1

Setting address Dukes Terrace, Duke Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 4JS

p.1

Telephone number 0151 709 1186 Email 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 . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

p.1

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

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.3

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).

p.3

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

p.3

Description of the setting

Dukes and Duchesses Nursery was registered in 2003. It is a privately owned provision and is situated in Liverpool city centre. Children use five rooms for their care, play and learning. All children share access to a sensory room and a secure, fully enclosed outdoor play area. It serves families living in a wide catchment area and has full disabled access and facilities.

p.4

Description of the setting

The nursery is registered to care for a maximum of 70 children on the Early Years Register, and there are 130 children on roll. It is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. It supports children who have English as an additional language.

p.4

Description of the setting

The nursery employs 25 staff to work with the children. All staff are qualified in early years at National Vocational Qualification level 3 or above, and three also have either teacher status or Early Years Professional Status. Staff receive support from Sure Start Services of Liverpool Children's Services and the quality improvement adviser. The nursery is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association and provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The children are very happy and confident learners, and are cared for in a vibrant, enabling and inclusive environment. They enjoy learning about their local area, and procedures for keeping them safe on outings are generally good. The staff's well-developed knowledge of each child’s individual needs helps them to promote children's welfare and plan very enjoyable and challenging activities for them. Excellent assessment arrangements and partnerships with parents promote the individual needs and learning of every child with great success. The management has ambitious vision, and regular self-evaluation ensures that any priorities for future development are promptly identified. This results in a provision that is responsive to the needs of all its children and their families.

p.4

further?

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

p.4

further?

 develop further the risks assessments for each specific outing to take into account the nature of the outing before embarking on it with the children.

p.4

the early years provision

The children move freely and with confidence in the provision. All safety measures are in place, and procedures for vetting the suitability of the staff are robust. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Sleeping children are vigilantly monitored, and staff have a strong understanding of their responsibilities in the area of child protection. Risk assessments for specific outings, however, lack some minor detail. Hygiene procedures are consistently followed, which helps to prevent the spread of infection. Meals are freshly prepared by the cook and are well balanced, and individual dietary requirements are catered for. Good action has been taken to record fridge temperatures and review the safeguarding policy following recommendations raised at the last inspection. Well-written policies are shared with parents, and all the regulatory documentation is organised effectively for the safe management of the provision.

p.4

the early years provision

Good consideration is given to the planet's environment, evident in the robots children created with litter following a visit to the local recycling centre. The management demonstrates a strong commitment to continuous quality improvement. Since the last inspection parental involvement in children's learning has greatly improved. Room specific boards detailing the day's activities have been introduced as a result of parent evaluation forms; a lending library has been set up; and the outdoor provision has been identified as a key area for further development. Qualified staff and regular attendance at training events and team meetings to share thinking across the age range further demonstrate the management's desire to promote better outcomes for the children.

p.5

the early years provision

The staff are very knowledgeable about how children learn through play, and excellent thought to organisation means that children safely and with confidence self-select toys and initiate their own learning across all areas of development. Every child has a key person who actively engages with parents to complete 'All about me' forms to make an initial assessment. As a result, staff provide excellent support for children from diverse family backgrounds, and great progress is made in relation to children's starting points. Ongoing sharing of information is superb, and parents' comments about their child's interests at home contribute to activity planning. Communication also supports continuity of learning between provisions. Parents, themselves, speak very highly of the quality of provision offered and the successful transitions children make when moving rooms.

p.5

and outcomes for children

The children are afforded very good adult support and thoroughly enjoy their play while making excellent progress in their learning and development. The playrooms are equipped with good quality toys to meet the needs of all children and provide a variety of safe challenges for them. The staff skilfully judge when to enhance an area of learning, such as bringing sand into role play to stimulate the children's imagination and conversation as they set up a picnic with their friends. Weekly activities are planned around each child's developmental needs and interests and provide a very good balance for them to initiate their own play and participate in focused activities with adults. The child's key person uses starting points, parents' continuation sheets, observations and the early years profile with great effect to monitor children's progress toward the early leaning goals. Every child has a development file where information is recorded; therefore, they successfully

p.5

and outcomes for children

identify and plan for each child's next steps in learning to help achieve their full This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 potential.

p.5

and outcomes for children

The children are afforded plenty of space for active play or rest, and cosy areas with comfy sofas for children to snuggle up help to create a very warm and welcoming atmosphere. Children are safety-conscious when handling the scissors, and thinking about rules before going on an outing helps them to learn to keep themselves safe. The children brush their teeth every day, and in pretend play a friendly dinosaur alleviates any worries about brushing teeth and dentists. As a result, children confidently tell adults how brushing teeth helps to stop the rot. Children learn to listen to their bodies as they help themselves to water when thirsty. Self-selecting meat, cheese and salad at tea time nurtures children's interest in healthy eating. Push-along toys support new walkers, and fresh air and active play every day also help children to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

p.6

and outcomes for children

The staff take pride in the learning environment and work with the children to create stimulating displays, which values children's work and helps them feel that they belong. The children enjoy very warm relationships with the adults, who have a lovely rapport with them. They relish spontaneous hugs or reassuring cuddles, and grow in confidence through kind words of praise, and this is reflected in their happiness. Therefore, they feel safe and secure and become very active learners. The babies show plenty of curiosity when exploring different textures. Toddlers love getting mucky with shaving foam, and all children enjoy soft play and music in the sensory room. Pre-school children confidently make connections as they operate remote control toys and extend their computer skills and awareness of technology as staff teach them how to print.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Excellent regard is given to ensuring an inclusive environment that welcomes differences and each child's unique qualities. For instance, posters are displayed in the children's own language, and taking 'Duke the teddy' home helps them to share news and have an understanding of others' cultures and family make-up. This helps children to feel very proud of their family backgrounds and learn respect for others. Discovering small world beetles in the builder's tray, learning about growth through planting seeds and becoming aware of their local area on outings further enrich children's knowledge of the world around them. Good behaviour and polite interactions are encouraged, and exploring feelings with happy or sad emotion masks helps pre-school children to understand consequences of actions. As a result, they make their own daily rules and support others, contributing to their emotional development.

p.6

and outcomes for children

The children have great fun as they freely experiment with capacity and volume in water play. The consistent use of numbers, calculation and problem-solving in play and practical situations extends children's mathematical development. Mark- making across the age ranges has been introduced as an outcome of a visit to a centre of excellence, which has resulted in children writing with confidence for a range of purposes and significantly contributed to their creative development. Repetition of sounds and words stimulates toddlers' communication skills and in the pre-school room clear and concise questioning helps children discuss and reflect on activities with confidence. The children show obvious enjoyment when looking at books and listening to stories, and the parents are delighted with the story sacks they take home. This complements the children's interests and early This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.6

and outcomes for children

literacy skills between the two environments, along with greatly enhancing their skills for the future. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.7

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.8

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

p.8

children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

p.8

and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 1 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

p.8

Stage

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

p.8

Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 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 1

p.8

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

p.8