The Island Little Herons Childcare

The Island - Little Herons Childcare Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY429986 Inspection date 01/12/2011 Inspector Lisa Cupples

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Setting address Wootton Cp School, Church Road, Wootton Bridge, RYDE, Isle of Wight, PO33 4PT Telephone number 01983884801 Email ask4more@islanddaynursery.co.uk Type of setting Childcare - Non-Domestic 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

The Island - Little Herons Childcare registered in 2011. It is one of five childcare nurseries owned by a private company and operates from purpose-built premises that are located within the grounds of Wootton CP School on the Isle of Wight. The provision operates Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 5.30pm for 51 weeks of the year, closing for one week over the Christmas holiday period. Children can attend a variety of sessions and full time. Children have sole use of the premises and have access to their own fully secure outdoor play areas.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered to provide care for a maximum of 32 children under eight years at any one time. Of these, 32 children may be in the early years age group. The nursery is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 66 children in the early years age group on roll. The nursery provides free early education. The nursery also provides a breakfast, after school and holiday club. The company employs 10 members of staff, all of whom hold relevant early year's qualifications ranging from level 2 through to degree level. In addition, the two directors are also qualified in childcare.

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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 happy and settled during their time at the nursery. Overall, children make satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals, although systems for reducing gaps in all children's learning are inconsistently applied. Working action plans are in place that identify the nursery's strengths and areas for development and demonstrate sufficient capacity to maintain continuous improvement. Staff safeguard the children effectively through rigorous risk assessment and recruitment procedures. Good partnerships with parents and links with some other professionals help staff provide continuity in children's care and learning.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 implement the policy about ensuring equality of opportunities with particular regard to supporting children who have English as an additional language (Safeguarding and Welfare) 03/01/2012 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 develop close teamwork between staff, parents and other professionals to raise awareness of, and sensitivity to, the needs of children learning English as an additional language and so that children's developing use of English and other languages support each other  improve the information gathered about children's starting points to ensure staff plan individual learning paths as soon as children begin to attend  develop systems to observe and assess each child's achievements and use the information to identify learning priorities and plan relevant and motivating learning experiences for every child

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the early years provision

All children are safeguarded effectively because staff have a good understanding of child protection procedures and know how to implement them to protect the children in their care. Parents are fully informed about the nursery's responsibilities for safeguarding through discussion and the written policies. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures help to ensure that all adults working with the children are suitable to do so. Children enjoy a safe and secure play and learning environment because full risk assessments are carried out to minimise any potential risks to children. All visitors are required to sign in and out in the visitor's book to ensure a full record of all people coming into contact with the children is maintained.

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the early years provision

Children have access to an appropriate range of activities and experiences that promote their learning and development suitably. The resources are stored at a low level to enable children to access them, increasing their independence and decision-making skills. Children use a range of multicultural resources and celebrate cultural festivals throughout the year to develop their understanding of the wider world. Staff are deployed well to ensure most children are supported during their time at the nursery. Staff identify gaps in children's learning and/or development and seek advice and support, which improves outcomes for most children. However, the measures taken by staff are not always sufficient to deliver results consistently, particularly for children who speak English as an additional language. Therefore, although policies about equality of opportunity are in place, these are not implemented effectively in practice. This is a breach of a specific

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the early years provision

welfare requirement, resulting in some children's individual needs not being sufficiently promoted.

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the early years provision

The leadership and management of the nursery are taking steps to improve the outcomes for children and have a working action plan in place to identify the nursery's strengths and areas for improvement. For example, staff are currently working towards improving the record keeping. However, systems to observe and assess each child's achievements are not being used effectively at this time to identify the children's individual learning priorities or to plan relevant and motivating learning experiences for all children. Consequently, children's learning This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 takes place through incidental learning opportunities and staff interaction, rather than through planned, focused activities to routinely extend the children's learning. The setting is also introducing programmes, such as 'Every child a talker', to improve the children's communication and language skills.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents are good and staff actively seek the parents' views through questionnaires and regular discussions about the setting. Parents are able to speak to the children's key people, have access to their children's records at any time and are able to attend termly meetings to discuss their child's progress. They have the opportunity to make written contributions to their children's records if they choose to. Policies and procedures are shared openly with parents and regular newsletters keep them informed about any changes or forthcoming events within the nursery. Parents build strong relationships with the staff team and attend a variety of 'open door' events, such as open days, nursery rhyme corner and fun days. Staff spend time getting to know the parents and their children and gather a wealth of information regarding the children's welfare requirements, including their dietary needs, daily routines and sleep patterns. However, little

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the early years provision

information is gathered about the children's starting points in relation to the early learning goals or about key words for children who speak English as an additional language. This means staff are not fully informed as they begin to plan and support children's individual learning as soon as they start to attend. The nursery has strong links with the local school to support the children's smooth transition. They liaise with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, links with other agencies who advise on how to support children with English as an additional language are not in place.

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and outcomes for children

All staff have a clear understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and implement it well overall. Children have opportunities to participate in large and small groups and work independently. Staff interaction is good at times, as they ask open-ended questions to encourage the children to problem-solve and extend their learning. For example, children use mathematical language with the compare bears, describe colour, size, quantity and position as they begin to sort the bears into groups. However, some activities lack purpose and do not reflect the children's learning needs. For example, during a planned activity to promote physical development children are encouraged to hammer pegs into a board, which is not sufficiently challenging for some. Children do use their imaginations well during art and craft activities, role play and miniature world activities. They negotiate roles and cooperate well together as their play develops naturally.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy listening to stories and often predict what will happen next. They handle books correctly and have opportunities to make marks for a variety of purposes throughout the day. Children benefit from the fresh air daily as they access the outdoor area freely. They are developing sound awareness of space as they ride wheeled toys with precision, manoeuvring the toys with ease as they avoid collisions, supporting their own and each other's safety. Children talk about This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the importance of physical exercise and recognise changes to their own bodies. For example, children talk about their hearts beating faster and being thirsty after running around. Children have access to a computer and programmable resources during their time at the nursery to promote their knowledge and understanding of everyday technology.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled during their time in the nursery. Overall, staff get to know the children and their families, ensuring individual welfare requirements are being met. Babies and younger children hold their arms up to staff and enjoy cuddles throughout the day. They point and communicate their needs with ease and staff respond well to ensure the children feel valued, safe and secure. Children are beginning to learn about how to keep themselves safe from an early age. They pick up resources that have fallen on the floor to prevent others from tripping over and they use a range of tools safely, such as scissors, during activities. All staff and children practise regular fire drills. Older children are able to explain what happens during a fire drill and know how to evacuate the building quickly and safely in the event of an emergency. This shows they have an understanding of the safety rules within the group setting. Children behave well because they know

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and outcomes for children

what is expected of them and staff implement clear rules and boundaries consistently. Most children work well alongside their peers, suggesting ideas and negotiating roles during activities and imaginative play. Overall, children build positive relationships with staff and their peer group. Children develop awareness of their own and other cultures, such as through activities that reflect Diwali, Christmas or the Chinese New Year. Staff work with other professionals to ensure activities meet the needs of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children who speak English as an additional language engage in activities and have some interaction with staff. However, there is no reflection of their home languages during activities or use of key words by staff. This does not help children increase their confidence in communicating or value differences in children's languages. 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 3 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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