Little Legs Nursery

Little Legs Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY409512 Inspection date 17/02/2011 Inspector Janice Walker

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Setting address Colster Way, Colsterworth, Nr Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG33 5JT Telephone number 01476860053 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 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. 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.

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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 Legs Nursery registered under its current owner in 2010 having previously been registered since 2009. It is a privately owned provision and operates from the Community Youth Club building in Colsterworth in Lincolnshire. Children are cared for in one main room which has a partitioned area for the under two's. All children share access to a secure outdoor play area. The provision is all on one level. It serves families from the local and surrounding rural area. There are strong links with the local school.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and also on the compulsory and the voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is registered to provide care for a maximum of 32 children aged under eight years, all of whom may be in the early years age range. There are currently 31 children in the early years age range on roll. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years. A before and after school club operates during school term times and a holiday club during school holidays. This provision is for school-aged children up to the age of 11 years, there are currently 11 children on roll for this provision. It is open week day from 7am to 6pm all year round, closing only for public holidays and for a week over the Christmas period. Children attend a variety of sessions each week depending on the individual requirements of each family. The setting supports children with special educational

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs five staff to work with the children, four of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications with the fifth member working towards a qualification. The setting 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 satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are cared for in a safe and comfortable environment. Their welfare is effectively promoted with a strong emphasis on promoting their safety and a healthy lifestyle. They access a good range of toys and some interesting activities which enables each child to make satisfactory progress in their learning and development. However, systems for planning and assessment do not link together well enough to maximise learning opportunities. The friendly staff team foster warm relationships with every child and their family and respect their individuality. There are good links with others who are involved with the children, ensuring that there is an integrated approach to children's care and learning. The developing systems of self evaluation support the ongoing improvement of the provision but are not yet fully established to ensure effective monitoring of all aspects of the provision. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the observation and assessment systems to ensure children's progress is more effectively monitored across each of the areas of learning and use this information to inform planning to support each child's continuing development  develop further the use of self-evaluation to gain a broader and more detailed view of all aspects of the provision in order to support ongoing improvement  review the organisation of group times to ensure that activities are pitched at a level that is appropriate to children's abilities in order for learning to be meaningful  develop further the systems for sharing information with parents at the outset in order to establish clear starting points for learning and extend the information shared to include precise ways parents can support their children's learning.

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the early years provision

The setting has developed robust systems to ensure that children are safeguarded and their welfare promoted. Recently reviewed recruitment and vetting procedures help to ensure the suitability of staff and good security measures ensure that the building is secure and that children only leave with authorised adults. The staff team have a sound understanding of their responsibilities relating to child protection and senior staff have attended relevant training to enhance their knowledge and ensure that they are fully aware of local procedures. Detailed risk assessments are in place and staff carry out daily checks of all areas prior to use by children, in order to identify and minimise any potential hazards. All required documentation, policies and procedures are in place and contain a good level of detail.

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the early years provision

Positive relationships are established with other professionals ensuring all children are well supported to achieve their potential. There are good systems in place for sharing information with other providers that the children attend, supporting consistency and continuity in their care and learning. Staff establish warm and friendly relationships with parents, sharing relevant information to ensure that they are able to respond appropriately to children's care needs. Monthly newsletters and information displayed in the setting provide a good level of information about what children are doing and parents' views are actively sought and responded to regarding improvement. Parents have, for example, been instrumental in designing the newsletter, setting up the nursery's website and supporting with fundraising events. However, information shared at the outset does not yet extend to include information about what children can do with regards to their learning and

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the early years provision

development which means that clear starting points for learning are not clearly This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 established. Whilst there are general strategies to help parents and carers support their children's progress, these are not yet precise about how they can support their learning across different areas.

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the early years provision

The nursery is light, airy and welcoming with good quality resources throughout. Good use is made of space and staff are well deployed, supporting the smooth running of daily routines along with good levels of supervision for the children. The setting's policies relating to equality of opportunity and admissions help to promote equality and diversity generally well. Staff develop a good knowledge of individuals and ensure that all children and families are valued and respected in line with their personal beliefs and backgrounds. Senior staff actively seek external support as appropriate in order to ensure that each child gets the support they need.

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the early years provision

This is a newly registered provision and the owner and manager are committed to providing a high quality service. The staff team regularly attend training in order to build upon their existing skills and knowledge and respond positively to the advice and guidance offered. Senior staff have recently undertaken a self evaluation and demonstrate a generally good awareness of the nursery's strengths and areas which would benefit from further development. A clear action plan is in place which evidences continual progress. However, the process of self evaluation is still in the very early stages and is not yet well enough established to ensure continuous improvement across all aspects of the provision.

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and outcomes for children

Children attending this nursery are happy and well settled. Staff offer a warm, friendly, family-orientated environment and children develop close and trusting relationships with them. They enjoy a wide variety of indoor and outdoor play experiences and the good organisation of freely accessible toys and resources enables them to make their own choices regarding their play for much the day. Adult-led group times support children's developing social skills and help to create a real family-feel in the setting. However, the wide age group of children attending means that these activities are not pitched at a level that is appropriate to children's levels of abilities in order for learning to be meaningful. Staff undertake useful observations of the children and have a good understanding of what they can do. However, best use is not made of these as next steps are not clearly identified and they are not used effectively to monitor children's progress towards

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and outcomes for children

each of the early learning goals. Additionally, the links between planning and assessments are not effective in ensuring that learning is tailored to the needs of individuals.

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and outcomes for children

Children thoroughly enjoy imaginative play and become deeply engrossed with vehicles and in the role play area. They have fun mixing colours and making marks with paints using different objects in the creative area. They are encouraged to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world through the provision of toys and activities that help them investigate and explore, such as magnifiers, battery operated toys and natural resources such as shells and cones. Children This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 confidently use the computer. Regular outings to the park, to visit local animals and nature walks extend children's learning in this area and also provide opportunities for them to learn about safety and their local community. Babies receive individual attention. They are held and cuddled throughout the day. They develop their senses through access to safe, interesting and natural everyday

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and outcomes for children

items which they happily touch, smell and explore.

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and outcomes for children

Children are cared for in a safe and secure environment. They begin to develop an understanding of possible dangers and how to stay safe through good guidance from staff. For example, when on outings, they wear fluorescent jackets and learn about road safety and stranger danger though discussion and practice. On trips to the park and in the outdoor area, they learn to use large equipment such as swings and slides, with care. Children show a strong sense of security in the setting; they have very warm relationships with staff and even very young children and babies have favourite staff members to whom they confidently express their needs and wishes. Good hygiene routines help to minimise the risk of the spread of infection, effectively promoting children's health and they learn these though daily routines. Morning and afternoon outdoor sessions help to promote their general good health and regular trips to the adjoining park provide opportunities

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and outcomes for children

for them to develop their physical skills. Children enjoy healthy, home cooked meals which are balanced and nutritious and take account of children's individual dietary needs. Children develop good independence skills during meal times as they competently spread the butter on their crackers and pour their own drinks. Children form good relationships with each other and play co-operatively together. They generally behave well. Staff offer good levels of interaction and through appropriate intervention support children to be able to share and take turns. Positive images of diversity are portrayed around the setting, helping to raise children's awareness of the wider world. This is supported through planned activities such as 'food around the world' along with those linked to festivals such as the recent Chinese New Year. Children have good opportunities to make their own decisions regarding their play and are securing the skills they require in order

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and outcomes for children

to progress in their learning. 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 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 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 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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