Little Gems Nursery and After School Club

Little Gems Nursery and After School Club Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY345926 Inspection date 06/02/2012 Inspector Jan Linsdell

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Setting address Ravenscroft Primary School, Ebony Way, Kirkby, LIVERPOOL, L33 1XT Telephone number 0151 548 0222 Email 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. 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

Little Gems Nursery and After School Club was registered in 2007. It is one of three settings run by a limited company and operates from a children's centre located within Ravenscroft Primary School in Kirkby, Liverpool. Children are cared for within two rooms and have use of two secure outdoor play areas. The setting is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm. The out of school club is currently not in operation.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 34 children aged from birth to under eight years may attend the setting at any one time. There are currently 34 children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age range and of these, four receive funding for free early education. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Description of the setting

The setting employs 11 members of staff including the manager. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2. Some staff are undertaking additional training to enhance their qualifications. The setting holds a quality assurance award and 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

The vibrant and highly-stimulating environment enables children to make good progress in their learning and development. High priority is given to promoting children's health and helping them to lead healthy lifestyles. Staff promote inclusive practice and make sure children with special educational needs are well supported. Effective partnerships with parents, carers and other professionals contribute positively to children's welfare and learning. Self-evaluation is progressing and management are aware of areas in need of development. The setting demonstrates a strong capacity to improve.

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further?

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

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further?

 build on the arrangements for planning individual learning experiences for each child, based on their interests and needs  use the Ofsted self-evaluation form more effectively as the basis for ongoing internal review, so that priorities for development are clearly identified and monitored. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are well safeguarded and protected in the nursery because staff are confident in the procedures for reporting any concerns about children's welfare. Good systems are used to monitor staff's knowledge of safeguarding issues, for example, by completing questions and exploring scenarios. All staff are appropriately vetted to ensure they are suitable to work with children. Effective risk assessments and daily checks help to ensure children are kept safe on the premises and on outings. All required records and policies to promote children's safety and welfare are well maintained. As a result, the setting is effectively led and managed.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from using an extensive range of high quality resources and equipment to support all areas of their learning and development. These include plenty of natural materials, everyday objects and homemade items to explore. Consequently, the environment is very stimulating and offers plenty of choice and challenge for the children. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to make sure children with special educational needs are well supported. Partnerships with the school are developing well and the manager is consulting on how these links can be enhanced, to further benefit children's care and learning.

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the early years provision

The team are supportive of each other and they work well together. They are motivated to seek further improvement and some staff have visited other settings to gain ideas to enhance practice. Recommendations from the last inspection have been fully addressed and significant improvements have been made to indoor and outdoor spaces. Practice is regularly evaluated through ongoing one-to-one and team meetings, and the manager also works alongside staff to model and lead effective practice. The Ofsted self-evaluation form is in progress, which means current strengths and priorities for development are not clearly identified or monitored.

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the early years provision

Staff form close and supportive relationships with parents and carers. They obtain useful information about the children when they first start, so that parent's wishes and children's individual needs are effectively met. Children's development files are sent home regularly, so that parents are kept well-informed about their children's progress. Parents speak very positively about the staff and the friendly, personal and community feel of the nursery.

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and outcomes for children

Staff are very caring, enthusiastic and successfully support children in their learning and development. Children thrive because of the setting they are in and the continuous provision of high-quality resources enables children to achieve well, enjoy their learning and make good progress towards the early learning goals. Arrangements for observing, assessing and monitoring children's progress are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 comprehensive and well-documented, but planning systems are less detailed and do not always reflect children's individual interests and learning priorities.

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and outcomes for children

Children have excellent opportunities to learn how to lead a healthy lifestyle. They play outside many times throughout the day because they enjoy free access to outdoors. They show pleasure in filling buckets of soapy water and using rollers and paint brushes to clean objects in the garden. Oral health is exceptionally well- promoted from a young age and children delight in brushing their teeth in front of the mirror. Children follow very good hygiene routines and healthy meals are freshly-prepared by the school and include plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and salad. Children learn to enjoy food and understand the benefits of healthy eating, as they talk about food 'giving us energy and making us clever'.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop good skills for the future. They are confident to use resources independently and they show interest in books. The good variety of mark making opportunities on offer supports their early writing skills. Children build and count with the blocks and join in with counting songs. Egg-timers and watches are used to promote children's understanding of time and children use the post to measure and compare their height. This shows their developing interest in mathematical concepts. The range of electronic resources to support children's understanding of technology has increased significantly and children enjoy using items, such as cameras, telephones and laptops.

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and outcomes for children

Children show they feel safe and secure. They enjoy their time in the nursery and engage well in activities. This is because the supportive relationships with the staff gives them the confidence to explore and use the resources independently. Children take part in activities to support their understanding of diversity, such as making dragons for Chinese New Year and tasting ethnic foods. They enjoy a wide range of activities that promote their creativity and imagination. For example, they eagerly play with real food and various household utensils in the home corner. They feel different textures of shaving foam, paint and pretend snow, and they enjoy exploring different objects in the dark den.

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and outcomes for children

Children take part in fund raising events and get involved in counting money and paying it into the bank. This promotes their awareness of others and helps them to develop responsibility. Children learn about positive behaviour because staff give clear explanations and they demonstrate their requests to children, such as wiping feet after outdoor play. They have good opportunities to develop their self care skills and become independent, particularly at lunchtime where they competently self serve, pour drinks and clear plates. 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 1 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 1 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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