Towers Tiny Tots Day Nursery

Towers Tiny Tots Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY361948 Inspection date 18/05/2011 Inspector Fiona Robinson

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Setting address The Towers School, Faversham Road, Kennington, ASHFORD, Kent, TN24 9AL Telephone number 01233 665 573 Email freeman@towers.kent.sch.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

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

Towers Tiny Tots Day Nursery opened in 2007 and operates from a converted and extended premises situated in the grounds of Towers Secondary School on the outskirts of Kennington, Ashford in Kent. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery provides support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language. It is registered with Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 32 children under eight years may attend at any one time, of whom not more than 12 may be under two years. There are currently 80 children on roll, of whom 60 are in the early years age range. There are 33 children who receive funding for education. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm for 50 weeks of the year. A holiday play scheme operates from 7.30am to 6pm during the holidays in the enterprise centre of the host school. It may care for no more than 24 children aged from three to under eight years. Children attend from the surrounding area, for a variety of the sessions on offer.

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Description of the setting

There are nine members of staff who work directly with the children. All staff hold a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at level 3; two of whom hold level 4 and are working towards an Early Years Foundation degree. The nursery 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 good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are fully included in a wide range of enjoyable, exciting and interesting activities and usually achieve well. They behave very well and develop excellent levels of confidence and self-esteem. Partnerships with parents and carers and the host school are outstanding and information is shared very effectively. Staff know the children well and take into account their individual needs and interests. The manager and staff clearly identify where their strengths and areas for development lie, such as refining ways of recording the children's achievement and progress. They demonstrate a good commitment to continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 developing problem solving and investigatory skills in the outdoor area  develop further the range and use of technology to support children's learning and development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff safeguard and promote children's welfare exceptionally well. Excellent policies, procedures and documentation are fully implemented to ensure children's welfare and safety. Staff have an outstanding awareness of health, safety and child protection issues and know their responsibilities. Staff are deployed very well to ensure babies, children and toddlers are fully supervised at all times throughout the nursery. There are robust staff recruitment and vetting procedures in place to ensure that all staff and adults having contact with the children are suitable. Risk assessments are conducted regularly to keep children safe in the well-maintained indoor and outdoor environments. There is high security at the main door and rigorous collection procedures in place that are followed carefully by staff and parents. Fire evacuation procedures are practised regularly to familiarise staff and children with the routine.

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the early years provision

The nursery is well led and managed. There are good self-evaluation systems in place which ensure that improvements made have a positive impact. Good progress has been made in addressing the recommendations from the previous inspection. Staff are very experienced in caring for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, and support them well in their learning. They actively promote equality and diversity to an outstanding level and ensure children are fully integrated into all that the nursery has to offer. Children enjoy bird watching and are all involved in preparing bird food for the blue tits nesting in their garden. Staff regularly monitor their activities and set challenging targets for the children. They work hard to enhance their existing qualifications and experiences and regularly attend training. Staff make effective use of a good range of resources to meet most of the

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the early years provision

needs of babies, toddlers and children. Staff are widening the use of technology in the nursery. However, at present the children do not have full use of information and communication technology (ICT) resources, which limits their awareness ICT.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are outstanding. They consider that staff are very caring and approachable and keep them well informed of their children's achievement and progress. Key staff meet with parents and carers every term to discuss their children's development and share their learning journeys with them. They are encouraged to share information with staff about observations they have made at home with their children. They are kept very well informed of special events and activities through informal discussions, comprehensive newsletters, the parents' notice board and the website. Parents receive questionnaires which invite them to comment on the provision. They are very supportive of special events, such as the opening of the garden and the Kings and Queens High Tea held recently for parents and children. There are excellent links with the host school and the nursery benefits from the use of its environment. Staff liaise regularly with

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the early years provision

children's parents, outside agencies, other settings and schools to ensure a smooth transition into full-time education. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Staff place a strong emphasis on learning through play and children achieve well in this bright and stimulating environment. Staff value the children's ideas and interests and include these in their planning. Staff evaluate the achievement of the children on a regular basis. Themes, such as Spring, Growing and Under the Sea, enhance the children's experiences. The outdoor garden is used effectively to support their learning. However, planning shows that opportunities for children to develop their problem solving and investigative skills in the outdoor environment are not fully developed. This limits some aspects of the children's development but overall it is good across all areas of learning.

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and outcomes for children

The children are highly valued as individuals and behave very well, because staff have a consistent approach to managing behaviour. Staff are excellent role models with high expectations and children have excellent relationships with one another. Babies are given lots of attention and build meaningful relationships with staff. Toddlers are encouraged to share toys and equipment which interest them. Children learn to take turns and show respect for others. They are very thoughtful and considerate of one another as, for example, they search for dinosaurs in the sand. Festivals, such as Harvest, Diwali, Chinese New Year and Easter, enrich their experiences and give them an excellent appreciation of other customs, lifestyles, food and dress. For example, they learn about life in France from a parent and enjoy tasting food in their French restaurant. They also enjoy listening to traditional stories told in French and German, so further extending their awareness

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and outcomes for children

Children develop a good understanding of keeping themselves healthy. They learn how to make healthy choices at snack time and choose from a selection of fruit and vegetables. They taste food such as dragon fruit, salami, mango and avocado and learn about where these come from. Their good health is further promoted as they choose their own healthy fillings for their pitta bread. Their physical skills develop well as they climb, balance and play ball games. At the holiday club they enjoy playing football and team games with the older children. Children develop an excellent understanding of keeping themselves and others safe. For example, they use knives and tools very safely when preparing fruit kebabs and smoothies and know the correct way to tidy away their resources. They benefit from talks on fire safety from the fire service and practise their road safety skills. Overall, children feel very safe and secure within the nursery.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy a wide range of activities and make confident and independent choices when they select their own activities. Their creative skills are developed well as they print colourful patterns, paint pictures of spring and create colourful collages. When staff read stories they listen eagerly and answer questions based on the story so extending their vocabulary and understanding of books and stories. Children make good progress with their literacy skills and most can write their names by the time they leave the nursery. Most children can count up to fifteen and beyond and recognise shapes in their indoor and outdoor environments. Babies and young children receive quality time in small groups and respond well to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 songs and games. Overall, children are prepared well for life outside the school day and future learning experiences.

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and outcomes for children

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 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 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 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 2

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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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