Littleways Day Nursery

Littleways Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY265472 Inspection date 12/07/2010 Inspector Shirley Leigh Monks-Meagher

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Setting address 81 Albert Road, Levenshulme, Manchester, Lancashire, M19 2FU Telephone number 0161 248 5889 Email littleways2003@yahoo.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

Littleways Day Nursery is privately owned and operated and was registered in January 2004. It operates from a converted semi-detached dwelling, which is situated in the Levenshulme area of Manchester. Care is provided over three floors of the premises in four playrooms. All children access secure outdoor play at the side and rear of the building. Entrance to the building is via two steps. It is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm with the exception of one week at Christmas, statutory holidays and five training days.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 31 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 46 children aged from birth to under five years old on roll, including eight children in receipt of the educational grant. Some children are in part-time places. The nursery supports children with English as an additional language. The setting is also registered on the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

There are 10 members of staff, all of whom hold early years qualifications to at least level 2. One member of staff has recently achieved an Early Childhood Studies degree. The setting receives support from a Sure Start children's centre teacher and they are members of the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA). They hold a current Quality Counts NDNA accredited award at level one and have worked with the National Literary Trust on the early reading connects project.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The nursery provides children with a welcoming environment, where most children are broadly content, settled and willingly take part in activities, which helps them make satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals. Their welfare and well-being is generally well promoted. Staff work with parents and other professionals to identify and meet children's needs. However, they do not prioritise these needs sufficiently for children whose first language is not English. Management are proactive in driving improvement and action planning to move the nursery forward. Good steps have been taken to address the issues raised at the last inspection.

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further?

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

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further?

 match observations to the expectations of the early learning goals to identify learning priorities and plan challenging learning experiences for each child  develop a consistent approach to tracking children's learning and development throughout the nursery to ensure no group is disadvantaged  prioritise the adaptations of resources and routines to help children with This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 English as an additional language develop a sense of belonging and play a full part in nursery life  ensure consistency and vigilance in hygiene routines and that older children have accessible equipment and resources to reinforce their understanding when they wash and dry their hands independently.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from the understanding staff have of child protection issues and the safeguarding policy and procedures. Robust recruitment procedures ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Good methods are in place to ensure the premises are secure. Staff conduct visual risk assessments on a daily basis and have a clear understanding of the emergency evacuation procedure. Clear strategies are in place to ensure the safe evacuation from all three levels of the property. Children’s health is promoted through generally hygienic procedures and an effective sickness policy. Accident and medication records are appropriately maintained and shared with parents.

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the early years provision

The staff use resources generally well to meet the needs of the children. Within the playrooms, children enjoy access to a suitable range of age appropriate toys and activities. Staff are suitably deployed to support children within the setting. The use of ongoing training, both in-house and external opportunities, encourages staff to further their own professional development. Following training courses, staff cascade information to colleagues in order that all may benefit and gain additional knowledge. Staff, parents and children contribute to the evaluation of the provision. Management gather this input during consultation procedures and regular team meetings, where staff discuss and explore practice issues. The management team have clear ambitions for the future and draw up realistic action plans to target future development and monitor its impact on the children. For example, the review of the children's menu and both the internal and school

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the early years provision

Staff work with other providers and external agencies in order to support children. For example, when preparing children for the transition to school. Translators and translating software enables them to gather and share information with non English speaking parents. However, measures to meet the needs of these parents' children are not recognised as a priority. For example, they do not make sure that they have appropriate resources, such as pictorial routines and symbol cards, to help the children take a full part in nursery life and develop a sense of belonging. Parents are welcomed into the setting and talk highly of the approachable staff. They receive good levels of information relating to their child’s development, particularly through open events and regular summary reports. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from a suitable range of age appropriate activities, which promotes their development across the areas of learning. Staff undertake observations and assessments of their key children. When planning activities, staff are aware of children’s interests and incorporate accordingly, as they plan for group activities. In addition, they plan enhancements for the continual provision. However, they do not fully identify learning intentions based on 'next step' information to plan for individual children. They do not monitor children's learning to establish progress towards the early learning goals or gaps in their learning until children reach three years old. At three years old, they match observations to the early learning goals in a record of achievement. This means children's learning is not regarded equitably. Children enjoy a suitable balance of adult-led and self- chosen opportunities. Toys are readily accessible within the playrooms, enabling

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and outcomes for children

children to follow their own interests and make choices.

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and outcomes for children

Children are at ease within the nursery. For example, they confidently approach others to share their experiences or seek help, such as putting a shoe back on or to explain why their sandcastle will not stand up. Praise and encouragement by all staff boosts children’s confidence and self-esteem. Children generally benefit from the support they receive. For example, staff sit and play with babies on the floor. Listening skills are supported during circle activities, such as stories for the toddlers, where the use of story sacks full of props helps children to understand the plot. Confident pre-school children sing solo to their peers and bask in the applause they receive. Children are developing language skills because staff consistently talk to them about their play. Staff warmly acknowledge the emerging language skills used by the babies, while the older children engage in discussions. For example, while playing in the water children discuss words, such as 'splish' and

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and outcomes for children

'splosh' and are very interested when a new word, 'squirt' is introduced. Children play well together learning to share and take-turns. More able children help others to understand about sharing, for example, when using the headphones. The pre- school children are beginning to work well to achieve common goals, such as discussing, designing and building tracks for their trains. Clear boundaries encourage children to behave well with gentle reminders being given when appropriate, such as reminding them not to run inside.

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and outcomes for children

Mealtimes are social events for the children, when they come together to eat. Where appropriate, all children are encouraged to develop independence in feeding themselves and pouring their own drinks. Babies relax when being given their bottles, as they are held closely by familiar members of staff. Snacks and meals are based on healthy options, which includes a suitable range of home- cooked food, fresh fruit and vegetables. Children are developing an awareness of sensible hygiene routines, such as washing their hands before eating and brushing their teeth after mealtimes. However, staff do not always make sure that children have appropriate resources, such as soap and paper towels, to follow routines independently and they are not sufficiently vigilant about contamination risks with babies dummies. Children are developing safety awareness. They learn how to safely access the staircases, by holding onto the banister and stepping one step at

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 a time and regularly practice the emergency evacuation procedure, which enables them to gain confidence in the procedure to follow. 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 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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Annex B: the Childcare Register

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

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