Tiny Gems Nursery

Tiny Gems Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 226992 Inspection date 11/08/2011 Inspector K.A.Bryan

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Setting address 2 Ambassador Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 4DL

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Telephone number 0116 2760504 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

Tiny Gems Day Nursery was registered in 1994, it is privately owned and operates from a converted bungalow close to the Leicester General Hospital. Children are cared for in three group rooms and have use of a secure rear garden. Children attend from all over the Leicester area.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register to care for 24 children under eight years. There are currently 17 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. The setting supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The group opens five days a week all year round and sessions are from 8am until 5.30pm.

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Description of the setting

There are 10 members of staff working with the children and all hold relevant childcare qualifications. The setting receives support from the local authority and the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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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 cared for by a motivated staff group who know them well as individuals. This means they can plan a wide range of interesting and challenging activities for children. Positive working relationships are in place with parents and others involved in the children's lives to ensure their changing needs are met effectively. Staff generally make effective use of planning and assessment to ensure children make good progress in their learning and development. All required policies and procedures are in place and are generally well used to underpin the management of the nursery. Good systems are in place to monitor and evaluate staff performance, and self-evaluation is used effectively to enable the nursery to make continuous improvements. All recommendations from the last inspection have been met.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop the safeguarding policy and procedures in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board reporting procedures  promote links between children's starting points and the areas of learning so their achievements can be built upon  ensure that staff understand they must declare all changes to circumstances which may affect their suitability to work with children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff have a good understanding of their role in safeguarding children and some have attended training in this area. They are clear about reporting procedures and a useful policy is in place, which is shared with parents. However, procedures for reporting allegations made against staff or volunteers are not up to date with current guidelines, which means they may not be as effective as they could be. Recruitment procedures are generally robust, although staff associations are not routinely checked to ensure children's safety is maximised.

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the early years provision

Detailed risk assessments are in place and the premises are checked daily to ensure the environment and resources are safe for children. Children also learn to be aware of their own well-being as they are reminded not to run inside and the consequences of this. The nursery is welcoming, with lots of displays of children's work on the walls, which helps them to feel valued and raises their self-esteem. There is free-flow from all rooms to the garden, which is imaginatively designed to support children's learning in all areas.

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the early years provision

All staff members have a childcare qualification and training is well supported, which means children are cared for by motivated staff. In-house training has also been implemented to meet children's individual needs and this demonstrates the setting's commitment to providing a quality service to children.

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the early years provision

The manager understands that self-evaluation is a working document and has used this effectively to identify areas for improvement, such as making the outdoor area more of a learning resource. Actions have also been identified which are linked to staff training in order to improve the service to children.

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the early years provision

A useful range of operational policies and procedures are in place and parents receive a prospectus with many of these included. They also have the opportunity to comment on the running of the nursery via questionnaires and a suggestion box. Staff are always available to speak to parents, and young children have a daily diary so parents are well informed about their day. Parental participation in children's learning is also well promoted as they have access to their children's learning journeys and attend parents evenings. Good progress has also been made in working with others who deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage to children, which means they receive consistent care.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which means planning ensures children make progress in all areas of learning. They ask children what they would like to do and respond to their interests, so learning is fun. Regular observations are recorded and show what children have achieved, and from this the next steps in learning are planned. However, starting points are not linked to the areas of learning, which means recording may not be as effective This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 as possible.

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and outcomes for children

The nursery is very well resourced and rooms are used imaginatively to provide children with opportunities to engage in a wide variety of activities. For example, the baby room has lots of interactive toys which help children to learn about cause and effect as they push buttons and listen to instructions. Many resources are at children's height and are labelled, which promotes their independence and also helps them to recognise words. Staff assist babies to develop their physical skills by encouraging them to crawl, and children are delighted with the praise they receive for this. Older children have physical challenges which help them to negotiate space as they climb, crawl and use steps.

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and outcomes for children

Children eagerly enter the nursery and are pleased to see each other. They select their favourite books and happily sit together as they look through these. Children benefit from good levels of staff support, which means they feel secure, and this provides a good atmosphere for their play and learning. Children are confident communicators and use these skills well as they dress up and enjoy role play, such as being nurses in a hospital. Staff have a good range of languages to help children settle and also use sign language and visual aids. They work well to label activities in other languages so children are helped to make confident choices.

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and outcomes for children

The well resourced garden enables children to enjoy activities regardless of the weather, and they happily put on rain coats and take umbrellas to play in the rain. A child takes his chair outside so he can use the chalk board and then explores the compost using a magnifying glass. Children are also learning about recycling as they make sensory bottles filled with rice and then use these as musical instruments. This promotes their creative development.

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and outcomes for children

Children have a secure understanding of good hygiene procedures, and posters remind them to wash their hands. They also use liquid soap and paper towels to ensure cross-contamination is prevented effectively. Children understand about healthy eating as they grow fruit and vegetables and incorporate these into their meals. Activities, such as baking, provide opportunities for them to learn about healthy options and also to weigh and measure, which helps them understand mathematical ideas.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave well and older children are given the responsibility to be a 'helper' for the week, which gives them a good sense of self-worth. They understand simple rules, such as sharing and being kind, and older children spontaneously help younger ones as they play on the computer. Children achieve because staff encourage them to persevere, for example, as they pour their own drinks, and this helps them develop good skills for the future. 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 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 2

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Stage

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