Little Owls Nursery Parklands

Parklands Children's Centre + Creche Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 512425 Inspection date 28/06/2010 Inspector Tony Anderson

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Setting address Dufton Approach, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS14 6ED

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Telephone number 0113 2328099 Email parklands@leedseyc.domon.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 . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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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

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

Parklands Children's Centre and Creche has been in operation since 1998. It is run by the local authority and is situated in the Seacroft area of Leeds. It operates from the site of Parklands Primary School and children have access to two main rooms for children under and over three years of age, both of which have dedicated outdoor play facilities. The crèche operates from the family play room and there is also a studio for extended provision. The centre also offers the local community a base for other groups to meet and support families. It is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm and the crèche from 9am to 3pm. Both are available all year round apart from public holidays and Christmas week. The centre is on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 70 children under five may attend the centre at any one time, and of these, not more than 30 may be under three years of age. There are currently 97 children on roll who attend a variety of

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Description of the setting

sessions. The centre has procedures in place to support children with special educational needs and for those who speak English as an additional language. There are 23 members of staff, the vast majority of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. Two hold qualified teacher status and twenty have attained level 3. The centre receives support from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Excellent, well-managed care and welfare systems are in place and are effectively monitored on a day-to-day basis. Observations and assessments of young children are used exceptionally well to support their learning and to plan for their next steps of development. Partnerships with parents and carers are excellent and very positive use is made of the extremely close links with the host school's foundation stage management team to support children's development and progress. The highly effective and dedicated management team implement robust systems and procedures to evaluate the provision's strengths and areas for development, and their capacity for further improvement is outstanding.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 ensuring that the frequency of fire and evacuation drills matches the centre's documented systems and procedures.

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the early years provision

Recruitment and appropriate vetting systems are fully in place, and staff are suitably qualified and understand their roles and responsibilities. Safeguarding This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 procedures are in place to support children's well-being. All relevant welfare policies and care procedures are fully documented and the systems of monitoring and record keeping are extremely robust. The centre's professional and dedicated staff work together very effectively as a united team and they provide a very high degree of learning and development opportunities for all children in the centre. The promotion of equality is a high priority for the centre and they promote tolerance of diversity in many ways, for example, through carefully planned opportunities.

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the early years provision

Frequent observations of learning and development are made by children's key workers and are kept up-to-date in beautifully maintained learning journey files. These include an 'All about me' page at the start of each file detailing each child's profile, together with photographs taken in each child's home during the very effective induction programme for new admissions. The observed information noted for each child is used very well to support day-to-day planning and record keeping, leading effectively to their next steps of learning and development.

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the early years provision

Parents speak exceptionally positively about their own and their child's experiences at the centre, and they say that they are very impressed with the home visits which are a key part of the centre's child and parent induction programme. Parents are also kept very well-informed through regular newsletters and by the information attached to several notice boards within the centre. There is an outstanding level of additional support provided by the host school's foundation stage management, who visit the centre as part of the transition programme and who have regular meetings with the centre's teaching and other staff in order to support children's onward development. For example, children moving on to school are provided with several carefully planned opportunities to visit the host school in order to ensure that their eventual transfer will be seamless and that high-quality continuity of care and learning will be assured. The centre's

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the early years provision

systems of self-evaluation, and analysis of its strengths and areas for development, are very effective and embrace all levels of staff as they work together towards continuous improvement.

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and outcomes for children

The centre's very effective management team clearly embrace the importance of 'the unique child', and the continuous free-flow provision successfully stimulates individual young minds. For example, enthusiastic staff guide children to carefully plant seeds into little pots, to which labels are added showing children's names. Each child enthusiastically takes responsibility for the individual plants and will observe the rate of growth and the effect of water and sunlight as part of their developing knowledge of the world around them. Children display excellent levels of coordination as they manoeuvre tricycles with attached trailers which contain objects such as bricks or wooden blocks for creative building and construction activities. Children thoroughly enjoy playing with play-dough and use their creative skills to roll it into shapes of their own choice. Their attitudes and behaviour are outstanding and are a reflection of the excellent provision in which every child,

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and outcomes for children

including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 speak English as an additional language, make outstanding progress.

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and outcomes for children

Children know and follow health and safety routines exceptionally well. For example, they put on sun cream and hats before playing outside and they know that this supports their safety and well-being. Others put on protective clothing to keep them safe and dry and have fun in the wet play area. Children enjoy their time in a relaxation and movement area with scatter cushions where they can safely roll about and move to music. Children love to visit the 'heuristic room' in which they can experience sensations and express their feelings and thoughts as they touch and feel different shapes and objects. Children's emotional development is supported very well through their use of the sensory area where their senses are stimulated, for example, by light and textured resources.

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and outcomes for children

Children demonstrate growing confidence and dexterity as they effectively use a knife and fork to eat their lunch. They enjoy balanced and nutritious meals, such as jacket potato, peas and cauliflower. When children have difficulty with words like 'jacket', for example, their friends are quick to help and point out that the jacket was really the 'skin' of the potato. They display excellent manners, saying 'please' and 'thank you', and independently help themselves to drinks of juice or water. As a result of the very positive provision and the dedication and knowledge of the enthusiastic staff, young children make excellent progress towards their future development and well-being. 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 1 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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