The New Little Village Nursery

The Little Village Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 309638 Inspection date 21/12/2011 Inspector Nikki Hardaker

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Setting address 41 Woodlands Road, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire, FY8 4ER Telephone number 01253 732 416 Email info@thenewlittlevillagenursery.com 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

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 Little Village Nursery opened in 1995. The provision is registered on the Early Years Register. It operates from a two-storey building on Woodlands Road in the Andsell district of Lytham St. Annes. It serves the local area and beyond. Children have access to a baby and sleep room, an open-plan playroom, a library, a dining area and an enclosed outdoor play area. Older children also use the first floor playroom.

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Description of the setting

The nursery opens five days a week all year round. Sessions run from 8am until 5.45pm. There are currently 36 children aged from birth to four years on roll, some of whom receive funding for nursery education. Children attend a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are currently five members of staff, all of whom hold National Vocational Qualifications at level 3 or above. The manager has completed her degree and is currently working towards Early Years Professional Status. 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 good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Staff support children effectively with warm, caring relationships and celebrate the individuality of each child. Children are therefore very settled and clearly enjoy their time in the setting. Staff have made considerable improvements to the learning environment and observation and assessment processes since the last inspection, ensuring children make good progress in their learning and development. Good communication and partnership with parents help staff ensure that children's needs are met and enhance their time in the setting. Staff are considering ways to extend links with parents and other settings to improve the continuity of learning experiences and enhance the provision further.

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further?

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

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further?

 expand the information gained when children first attend the provision, for example, by completing a baseline assessment with parents linking to the areas of learning  further develop links with other settings children attend so as to provide a coordinated approach to 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

The staff work well together as a team. Children's well-being and safety are a priority and all staff have attended safeguarding training. Staff have responded to previous recommendations regarding security and safety of the environment. They conduct ongoing risk assessments indoors, outdoors and for all outings, and all accidents and incidents are fully recorded to further protect children.

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the early years provision

The staff promote equality with their child-centred learning approach and celebrate each child's individuality. They promote diversity by celebrating religious festivals and have resources and displays which reflect a diverse society. Staff support children who speak English as an additional language and are considering ways to extend links with parents to further support the children's dual language development. Visits from the local health visiting team and teaching staff from local primary schools help staff ensure the children's needs are met. Staff recognise the need to build effective partnerships with other professionals.

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the early years provision

Staff are deployed effectively to ensure that children are supported effectively, both indoors and out. Improvements since the last inspection include developing a free-flow environment and enhancing the outdoor area to ensure children's rich learning experiences are continued outdoors. The staff are actively involved in the continuous improvement of the setting. They are given copies of the improvement plan and are invited to contribute their views to the self-evaluation of the setting. Staff are supported well to attend training and extend their learning and are enthusiastic about this. The staff have recently achieved the Step into Quality Award.

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the early years provision

An effective keyworker system is in place with informative verbal exchanges with parents/carers. This is further supported by documented exchanges in a daily diary for younger children with a two-way flow of information between the home and the setting. Younger and older children benefit from regular pop in and play sessions and parents evenings. Parental contributions to the learning journeys, alongside discussions with parents present on the day of inspection, indicate that parents are well informed about children's progress and are very happy with the service provided. Staff are considering ways to further extend opportunities for parents to express their views. For example, by introducing a suggestions box to gather opinions about ways to improve the setting.

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and outcomes for children

Children settle quickly into the nursery, which indicates that they feel welcomed and supported by the caring, affectionate staff. Good information is gathered in the 'all about me' form when children first start in the setting. This helps staff to meet the children's individual welfare needs by including information about children's families, health, routines and likes and dislikes. However, they do not currently gather information about children's stages of learning and development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 This makes it more difficult to meet the children's needs when they first start attending and to track their progress from their initial starting points in the setting.

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and outcomes for children

Children, including babies, engage happily and confidently with visitors to the setting, which indicates they feel safe and secure in their surroundings. They behave well and their social skills are aided by constant interactions with staff. The children listen and respond appropriately to the general praise and encouragement of the staff. Children learn to keep themselves safe and healthy with the help of outside visitors to the setting, which include police officers, fire safety officers, a dentist and a dietician. A visit from a local farmer and his cow is a refreshing way to enhance the children's learning experiences. The farmer spoke to the children about farming, how milk is made and the health benefits of milk. Regular outings to the beach, the local lake, the local church and shops also contribute to the children's knowledge and understanding of the world.

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and outcomes for children

Children are becoming competent learners as they have easy access to a wide range of resources. They explore the resources creatively and imaginatively, particularly the role play equipment. Staff intervene effectively to extend the children's experiences and help them progress with their learning. Fortnightly visits from drama and music groups are other resourceful ways of enhancing the children's progress with their creative development. The range of resources and equipment gives the children ample opportunity to practise their fine and gross motor skills, both indoors and out. This helps promote their physical development as they freely access real resources, such as tires and bricks, for building and climbing and they dig in the soil to search for living creatures in their natural environment.

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and outcomes for children

The staff have embraced the concept of a child-led learning experience. The children develop strong skills for the future as they are encouraged to carry out tasks independently. For example, there is a self-service system at mealtimes and children are encouraged to pour their own drinks, spread their own butter and put on their own coats. Older children are beginning to recognise and write their own names and are becoming confident with letters and sounds. The continuous provision of activities, such as painting, water and sand, enables the younger children to have free access to mark-making equipment and malleable materials, and the children make imaginative use of this. The children confidently use and enjoy working and playing on the computers in the setting.

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and outcomes for children

Children are encouraged to make a positive contribution as the child-centred approach is reflected in the children's learning records. These include diagrams and 'listening to the child' forms which are regularly completed with the children about their likes and dislikes and their views on the setting. Activities are planned accordingly to accommodate the children's preferences. Individualised learning plans, which include next steps for each child's progress, reflect this. Consistently good quality learning records about the children reflect that all areas of learning are covered and planned for very well. 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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