Daisy Chain Day Nursery

Daisy Chain Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 253797 Inspection date 06/01/2011 Inspector Jacqueline Nation

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Setting address The Annexe, Norton Community Centre, Kempton Way, Norton, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 3AZ Telephone number 01384 444031 Email nicky24@fsmail.net 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 assesses 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.

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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

Daisy Chain Nursery opened in 1994. It is privately owned and managed. It operates from its own building which is situated in an annexe to Norton Community Centre in Stourbridge, West Midlands. Children are cared for in playrooms based on their age and stage of development. The premises are easily accessible via two steps at the front door. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The provision is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The setting is registered for a maximum of 53 children under eight years at any one time. There are currently 101 children on roll, all of whom are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The nursery is open five days a week all year round from 7.30am until 6.00pm. Children are able to receive funding for nursery education.

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Description of the setting

The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children with English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are 23 members of staff employed in the nursery, of whom, 15 hold appropriate early years qualifications; six members of staff are working towards a recognised qualification and two staff hold Degree level qualifications. The nursery receives support from the local authority and has partnership arrangements in place with other Early Years Foundation Stage providers.

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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

Children settle extremely well in this vibrant and well-organised setting. Outcomes for all children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are outstanding. There is an excellent focus on learning in the outdoor environment, and indoors with the use of a superb range of natural and heuristic resources. All children receive an excellent level of care because the enthusiastic and well qualified staff team work very closely with individual children and their families. Inclusion is given excellent priority and exceptional partnerships between parents and other agencies ensure that children's needs are met and their protection assured. The manager and practitioners are continually looking for ways of enriching every aspect of the learning environment through rigorous monitoring of the educational programme and well targeted and innovative plans for the future.

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further?

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

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further?

 continuing to develop arrangements with local schools to support children's This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 transition from nursery to reception class.

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the early years provision

Practitioners have a robust approach to keeping children safe and safeguarding children is given excellent consideration. Practitioners prioritise children's well- being and demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of safeguarding procedures. Children's health and safety are significantly enhanced by the robust and consistent implementation of policies, procedures and practice that are individual to the setting. This includes effective recruitment and vetting procedures and comprehensive risk assessments which cover all aspects of the premises. They assess potential risks and take effective steps to prevent accident's while allowing children the freedom to discover and learn safely. The manager has high aspirations for ongoing improvement and ambitious plans that are driven by highly reflective and intuitive practice. There is a common sense of purpose between practitioners, who are excellent role models and set high standards across all areas

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the early years provision

of the nursery. The process for managing practitioner's professional development is well established to support their future development.

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the early years provision

Children are at the heart of all that happens in this setting. The setting provides an ethos where children are warmly welcomed and it is evident that each child is seen as uniquely special. Staff are very successfully deployed to support children's welfare and learning. The day is organised to meet children's needs and careful attention is given to the individual routines and care needs of babies and younger children. As a result babies develop a strong sense of security through close and caring contact with practitioners who know them well. Positive outcomes for children are attributed to the excellent use of space, the deployment and innovative use of high quality sustainable resources and the superb balance between indoor and outdoor play. Every area of the nursery is used to its full potential, in the corridor, for example, children can look at and take care of the rabbits, guinea pigs, snail and terrapin. Practitioners know the children very well

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the early years provision

and have an exceptional knowledge of their individual needs and unique characteristics. Effective and well established multi-agency links provide extensive access to specialist knowledge, skills and resources and enable the successful inclusion of children with specific needs. Practitioners liaise closely with parents, other professionals and outside agencies to ensure each child gets the support they need at any early stage to achieve their full potential. Children learn to appreciate diversity and take into account others different needs and backgrounds. The setting takes active steps to learn about the language and culture of the children and their families. Children are proud of their linguistic skills and each day say good morning and count in a number of languages including, Danish, French, German and Welsh.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents are exemplary. Parents are very well informed about the provision and fully informed about their child's progress, achievements and daily experiences. From the outset practitioners learn as much as they can about the children in their care through their interactions with parents. The key person leads the assessment and planning in close liaison with parents to ensure children's This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 welfare, learning and development needs are met. Parents evening are organised and a monthly newsletter keeps parents up-to-date with events taking place. Parents' views are sought, valued and acted on through the use of questionnaires and the 'Home and Nursery Association'. Practitioners actively seek the voice of the child. They give children opportunities to communicate their thoughts and ideas on various aspects of the setting, for example, 'how do you know when you have

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the early years provision

done something well here, who tells you' and 'do you feel safe here'? Parents speak very highly about the nursery, the exceptional staff, the excellent outdoor environment and how their children thrive.

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the early years provision

The setting is expertly led and managed by an owner/manager who is an excellent role model and encourages an ethos of reflective practice throughout the nursery. The setting explores current research and implements a number of principles in the setting from educational approaches, such as Reggio Emilia and the Forest School concept.

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the early years provision

Practitioners work very well as a team; they are well qualified, highly motivated and committed to providing the best support for children. Children benefit because of the diverse practitioner team that offers children positive gender role models. There is a clear vision for the future with many innovative ideas being considered, such as an outdoor classroom. The settings priority for improvement is to enhance their already very effective partnerships with local schools to ease children's smooth transition from nursery into school.

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and outcomes for children

Children are eager to attend this very welcoming and friendly setting. The exceptional organisation of the educational programme reflects rich, varied and imaginative experiences that meet the needs of all children exceedingly well. As a result, children make significant gains in all aspects of their learning and development in relation to their starting points and capabilities. Expectations of children are high and they are given responsibility and develop independence. Practitioners work well together to promote children's learning in an atmosphere of infectious enthusiasm. As a result, children make outstanding progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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and outcomes for children

Assessment through observation is rigorous and seen as integral to supporting children's progress. When planning activities practitioners take cues from children and also use their observations to guide planning based on children's interests and play preferences. Learning Journey records give a very accurate account of children's progress and achievement. They include transition notes, a delightful range of photographs, children's next steps in learning and individual play plans. Excellent systems are in place to monitor the effectiveness of the educational programme to make sure each child has the opportunity to reach their full potential in all areas of learning. There are regular opportunities for parents to talk to their child's key person, look at learning journey records and to be involved in their child's learning at home. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are very happy, motivated and interested in the broad range of activities and take responsibility for choosing what they want to do. Children learn to think and understand for themselves inspired by practitioner's open questions, and an excellent balance of adult-led and child-led activities. Older children are very keen to share their ideas and knowledge with practitioners and their peers. All children, including babies and younger children show high levels of independence, curiosity, imagination and concentration.

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and outcomes for children

Excellent emphasis is placed on children's personal, emotional and social development. Children quickly develop excellent social skills and a good disposition to learn. Children are very self-assured and develop very close bonds with practitioners who know them well. These consistent, positive interactions help children to feel secure. All children make very good progress in developing their communication, language and literacy skills. They all access comfy book areas and are encouraged to develop a love of books. Children confidently take part in discussions, for example, they suggest names for the new hamster and talk about events in their own lives. A self-registration system helps children to recognise their name and all children including babies have excellent opportunities to practise their mark making skills using a wide range of media. Children's understanding of numbers and problem solving skills are significantly enhanced through a range of

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and outcomes for children

activities both indoors and outside. They use an excellent range of equipment and natural resources as they measure, compare, sort and match items.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about the wider community and respect of others through planned activities. They develop their knowledge about other festivals, celebrations and traditions in a meaningful way and visitors to the setting and parents support children's learning very well in this area. Children learn about the local area and take great interest in looking at a map where they have identified features close to the nursery, and where they visit, such as the recycling centre, the library and the woods. Excellent emphasis is placed on play and learning in the outdoor areas. All children enjoy exploring the secure and appealing areas which make an excellent contribution to children's enjoyment and achievement. Children play out in all weathers, they are able to make decisions for themselves and guide their own play and learning using the vast range of resources. Children appreciate nature and discover the joy of being able to climb a tree, dig a hole for a pirate ship and make

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and outcomes for children

mud pies. Children's creativity is fully supported and their beautiful art work is displayed around the nursery. Children enjoy using natural materials, such as leaves, cones, glass pebbles and shells, some of which are displayed on the 'light table' to encourage children to observe these from a different perspective. There are good resources for children to develop their knowledge and understanding of technology, and computers and remote control toys are easily accessible. Babies and younger children have excellent opportunities to explore a wide range of resources in their own way. They love to delve into treasure baskets and have great fun using torches, home made shakers, brushes, and explore the properties of sand and water.

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and outcomes for children

Children's understanding of healthy lifestyles is outstanding. They are very confident when seeing to their personal hygiene and understand the importance of washing their hands and brushing their teeth after meals. All children enjoy a very This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 sociable lunch time meal. They are highly independent; children set the table, serve themselves to food, and wash-up their own plates. Children's dietary needs are very well met, they enjoy a healthy and nutritious snacks and freshly cooked meals. Practitioners are highly skilled and thoughtful in their management of children and their behaviour. Consequently, children demonstrate exceptionally positive behaviour and display high levels of self-control. Relationships are strong at all levels; children are kind to each other, share and take turns. Children have an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe. In the outdoor play

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and outcomes for children

area children test their skills and make new discoveries within safe boundaries, for example, when playing in the tree house. Older children expertly talk about the rules for outdoor play. They use a number of pictorial cards which helps them to understand potential hazards while playing outdoors and the importance of respecting the animals who share the space, including chickens and ducks. 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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Early Years Foundation Stage

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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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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