Little Stars Day Nursery

Little Stars Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 205543 Inspection date 18/05/2011 Inspector Kathryn Clayton

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Setting address Grimsby Institute of Further & Higher Education, Laceby Road, GRIMSBY, South Humberside, DN34 5BQ Telephone number 01472 315530 Email bennettt@grimsby.ac.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 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

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 Stars Day Nursery first opened in 1986 and moved to a new building in 2008. It is run under the management of Grimsby Institute for Further and Higher Education. The nursery is situated within the grounds, in accommodation consisting of three sets of units with three outdoor areas. Kitchen and toilet facilities are available in each unit. The nursery serves the childcare needs of the students and staff from the college and any remaining places are open to the general public.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register to provide care for 77 children aged from three months to five years. There are currently 132 children on roll including children in receipt of nursery education funding and children with learning difficulties and those who speak English as an additional language. The nursery has the support of the North East Lincolnshire Authority. The setting opens from 8am to 6pm on Monday to Friday all of the year apart from bank holidays and Christmas week. All 30 employed staff hold a relevant qualification to at least Level 3, four staff are qualified to Level 4, three staff to Level 5 and one to Level 6.

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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

Little Stars Day Nursery provides an excellent service where children thrive and make very good progress. The learning programme is highly effective and exceptional care is taken to ensure children's individual needs are met. Exemplary safeguarding procedures successfully protect all children's welfare. Very good evaluation of the service leads to excellent on going improvements. The partnerships with parents and other agencies are very strong and promote children's learning and development very well. Most aspects of the partnerships with other providers ensure children are well supported.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the links to schools children may attend in the future to ensure a smooth transition and share information which promotes children's achievements and well-being  develop further children's choice and promote their independence by improving the opportunities for them to select resources to explore media and materials. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

This setting is supported by a very wide range of effective well-organised procedures that are understood and implemented by all staff. Excellent recruitment procedures ensure the suitability of staff who work with children. All staff have attended training in how to safeguard children and key staff are trained to a high level. This means should there be any concerns about a child's welfare effective strategies can be implemented to protect them. Security within the nursery is very good and entry to the play units is only through the use of codes known only to staff so protecting the safety of children. Effective procedures such as thorough assessments of risks, regular testing of electrical equipment, fire alarm testing and clear evacuation procedures known by staff all minimise any risk to children's safety.

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the early years provision

This is an ambitious setting, with a well-qualified staff group who receive very good support from management. They have been acknowledged for their high quality work by other organisations, for example, they received an award for training and development in 2009. The evaluation of the nursery is comprehensive; it involves the views of staff, parents and children and helps to drive forward improvements. Parents completed a recent questionnaire which showed that they would like the nursery to provide cooked lunchtime meals. Following this the setting are making every effort to implement this improvement. Children enjoy playing in the attractive units and have very good access to well-resourced outdoor areas. Staffing levels are good and children are well supported. There are many visual aids around the nursery which support children's learning effectively, such as visual time lines of their routines. Excellent support is given to children with

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the early years provision

learning difficulties and those for whom English is an addition language. The home language of all children is reflected within the displays and work that children have been involved in. Sign language is consistently used which helps promote children's understanding and communication skills. Staff observe children very carefully, identifying any concerns in the progress they make at an early stage. They work very effectively with parents and other agencies offering excellent support which helps children to make good progress in relation to their starting points.

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the early years provision

The nursery develops highly positive relationships with parents who are very complimentary about the service they receive. Information about the Early Years Foundation Stage can be provided in a range of languages for parents and when they enter the nursery they enjoy seeing screened images of children playing from the previous day. There are daily diaries for younger children and parents are often encouraged to take their child's progress file home to read and add any comments at their leisure. This means that staff and parents work very well together to help children learn. Parents have the opportunity to borrow books and activities from the setting to share with their child at home. The involvement of fathers is encouraged, for example, by inviting them to have a breakfast at the nursery with the children. The nursery have developed very good links with a number of agencies and work closely with them to benefit the children. For

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the early years provision

example, specialist nurses will provide training for staff to support children with This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 any specific medical needs. The setting work closely with other nurseries, sharing information to support children, although the relationships with the local schools that children attend after the nursery are less well established.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very enthusiastic and eager to play and learn. They experience very good opportunities for indoor and outdoor play with all mobile children enjoying free flow play. This enhances children's choice and as many children choose to play outdoors, their good health as they enjoy the fresh air. The planning and assessment systems used by the nursery are very comprehensive and track children's progress very carefully so that any gaps in their achievements can easy be identified. Senior staff monitor the work of others and suggest areas for development which improves the quality of observations undertaken. So children's future progression is well targeted which helps them to make very good progress in relation to their starting points.

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and outcomes for children

Staff effectively challenge children as they play to extend their knowledge and understand. For example, as children enjoy physical play on blocks and jumping through sheer curtains they are challenged to learn positional language. Discussions are a large part of the play experience and the setting follow the 'Every Child a Talker' programme which extends children's language development very well. Children follow instruction very carefully, they often play in small groups and staff encourage them to take turns. As children play, they are consistently praised when they achieve and this very effectively promotes their self-esteem and good behaviour. There are many mirrors around the setting including one in a hidey hole outdoors, where children can see their own reflection, giving them a sense of self-esteem. They also see photographs of their family members on the wall which give the setting a more homely feel. Children show a real interest and

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and outcomes for children

good skills with technological equipment. Very good individual support is given to young babies and so they feel settled and secure. They are cuddled to sleep, enjoy stimulating play opportunities and their feeding routines are effectively supported.

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and outcomes for children

Children gain a real understanding of their local community. They enjoy visits from a librarian for story telling sessions. Police officers, fire fighters, the community dental nurse and optician all make visits to talk with the children. They experience a very wide range of activities which enhance their creativity very well such as music sessions, role play and dancing. Children enjoy exploring media and materials, although the opportunities to select resources independently are limited. Staff help to effectively raise children's awareness of their own safety. They role play road safety scenarios and talk to children about stranger danger. Children learn to solve problems, such as how to build a safe cave when acting out the story of'Going on a bear hunt'. With sensitive support from staff children learn to move safely in the environment. Good healthy practices are established which help children to learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. High activity levels in

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and outcomes for children

children are encouraged by a wide range of physical play equipment, such as slides and wheeled toys which are all age and stage appropriate. Children know that is important to wash their hands and staff consistently encourage this practice. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Snacks are healthy and nutritious such as apple and cheese with water or milk. The setting follow a programme which encourages young children, in discussions with parents not to use a dummy so helping not only their language development, but also promoting good hygiene routines. Fun activities, such as a healthy teddy bear's picnic further promotes children's understanding of healthy practices. 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 2 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 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 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 2 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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