Little Achievers Nursery in the Park

Little Achievers Nursery in the Park Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY432679 Inspection date 18/01/2012 Inspector Jan Linsdell

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Setting address Park Childrens Centre, Barnes Road, SKELMERSDALE, Lancashire, WN8 8HN Telephone number 08452713210 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 Achievers Nursery in the Park was registered in 2011. It is one of six nurseries run by a limited company and operates from Park Children's Centre in Skelmersdale, Lancashire. Children have access to four play areas, a sensory room and a secure outdoor play area. The nursery serves children from the local area. It is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round, with the exception of bank holidays.

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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. A maximum of 52 children aged under eight years may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 67 children on roll, all within the early years age range and of these, 18 receive funding for free early education. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and also supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs 12 members of staff including the manager, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The manager holds a level 5 qualification in management and integrated services. The nursery also employs a cook and an administrator. 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 satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The nursery has recently changed ownership and staff are beginning to embed new systems to promote children's care and learning. The environment is inclusive, welcoming and very stimulating, and children are making steady progress in all areas of learning. There is a strong commitment to working in partnership with parents, carers and other professionals to ensure children's needs are addressed. Most aspects relating to children's safety are appropriately met. Arrangements for self-evaluation and target-setting are developing, and the team are committed to driving improvements and securing better outcomes for all children.

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further?

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

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further?

 obtain information from parents in advance of a child being admitted to the provision, about who has legal contact with the child and who has parental responsibility (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 01/02/2012

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further?

 take all reasonable steps to ensure that hazards to children, both indoors and outdoors, are kept to a minimum; in relation to the wet slide, the damaged 23/03/2012 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 fence, and the risks associated with putting children to sleep with a bottle (Suitable Premises, environment and equipment).

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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 making systematic observations and assessments of each child's achievements, interests and learning styles, and use this information to inform planning for individual children  build on the arrangements for self-evaluation and informed discussion, so that the setting's strengths and priorities for development are identified and monitored.

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the early years provision

Robust employment and vetting procedures ensure staff are suitable to care for children. Safeguarding procedures are clearly understood and staff know how to respond to any concerns about children's welfare. The premises are very secure and access to the nursery is closely monitored. Overall, detailed risk assessments and ongoing safety checks help to reduce hazards to children's safety. However, consideration is not always given to some risks that children encounter, such as playing on the wet slide or near the damaged fence. Also, staff work closely with parents to meet their wishes and children's needs, but they do not fully explore the risks associated with putting children to sleep with a bottle.

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the early years provision

The well-organised learning environment positively promotes all aspects of children's learning. Children make plenty of independent choices, as they help themselves to the good quality resources on offer. Staff provide sensitive support to children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work effectively with parents and health professionals to ensure that children's needs are met and they are well-supported. Staff ensure that children are only released into the care of individuals named by the parent. However, there are some inconsistencies in obtaining information from parents about who has legal contact and parental responsibility for their child, which does not fully meet requirements.

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the early years provision

Staff form close working relationships with parents and carers, and keep them well informed about children's well-being and achievements. The childcare plan enables parents to share useful information about their children and questionnaires are used to seek parents' views. Parents express very positive comments about the nursery, particularly about the staff and the friendly atmosphere. Managers are ambitious and motivated to seek further improvement. They are introducing new systems to improve procedures and a recent quality audit highlights where further development is needed. Staff have improved the layout of the environment, so that children can enjoy easy access to all learning opportunities. Consequently, outcomes for children are satisfactory and improving. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

All staff are well trained, and they interact positively with the children to encourage their play and learning. New systems to help staff deliver children's learning and development are not yet fully embedded, and information gathered from observations of the children is not being used effectively to inform planning. This means that plans are too general and do not always capture children's individual learning needs and interests. Children's development files include photographs and examples of their work, which shows they are progressing appropriately in their learning, and new tracking systems are being introduced to help monitor their ongoing progress.

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and outcomes for children

Children have fun in the nursery, particularly in the 'street playroom', where they have many opportunities to create and explore using a wide variety of resources, including paint, water, soil and play dough. They engage in role play activities, as they pretend to make cakes to put in the oven. Children's awareness of diversity is supported by various cultural resources, activities and the positive images on display. Young children learn to communicate, as staff respond appropriately to their facial expressions, gestures and sounds. Older children access the computer, which supports their understanding of technology and helps to promote their future skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children are generally safe and comfortable in the nursery and the positive relationships with staff promotes their sense of belonging. They behave well and have good opportunities to develop their independence, as they self-serve at lunchtime and help to brush the floor. Children's good health is well-promoted. They benefit from eating freshly-prepared, nutritious meals and follow good hygiene practices to reduce the spread of germs. Children show excitement as they play outside in the rain. They practice their physicals skills, such as climbing, throwing and digging for worms in the mud. Their interest is captivated as they examine the dripping drain pipe; counting the number of drips and working out how to catch them in the container below. This promotes their problem-solving and numeracy skills 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 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 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 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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