Merry Poppets Nursery Ltd

Merry Poppets Nursery Ltd Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY434658 Inspection date 01/03/2012 Inspector Susan Marriott

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Setting address Flitwick Road, Westoning, BEDFORD, MK45 5AA

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Telephone number 01525 718241 Email merrypoppets1@gmail.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. 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

Merry Poppets Nursery Ltd is one of four local nurseries owned by a private partnership and was registered in 2011. It operates from converted residential premises which was previously a school, on the edge of the village of Westoning, Bedfordshire. The nursery serves the local area. The nursery is accessible to all children and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Description of the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round from 7am until 6pm. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 50 children may attend the nursery at any one time, all of whom may be on the Early Years Register. There are currently 24 children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds. It 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

The nursery employs eight members of childcare staff including the joint owners, supported by a cook and an administrator. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications. 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 good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

This is an extremely friendly, well-managed and inclusive nursery which genuinely strives for improvement. The experienced and long-serving staff team work conscientiously to deliver the essence of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff sustain good quality interaction with children to guide learning from child-led play and promote positive attitudes to learning. Children make good progress in their learning and development and observation and assessment systems track and secure progress. Most aspects of children's welfare are promoted well and there are good partnerships with parents and carers. Competent and capable leadership and generally effective self-evaluation secures the nursery's good capacity for continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 maintain accurate daily records of children's hours of attendance.(Documentation)(also applies to both parts of the Childcare Register) 02/03/2012 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?

 ensure that the identity of visitors is checked before admitting them to the premises  improve the systems for the organisation of the setting to include ongoing effective procedures to evaluate the provision and implement areas for improvement.

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the early years provision

Children feel secure and happy in this positive environment created by staff who hold appropriate levels of qualification and work very well together as a team. Children's welfare is properly promoted as the nursery has effective safeguarding procedures. Staff attend regular training and review their procedures to ensure that they keep up-to-date with this area of work. Good physical security prevents intruders entering the premises and an efficient record of visitors is kept. However, staff do not always check the identity of visitors before allowing them onto the premises. Appropriate checks are carried out to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children and suitable records of checks are kept on the premises. Regular risk assessments and daily checks are appropriately recorded and ensure that hazards are minimised.

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the early years provision

Available resources are used well and the staff work hard to create a bright, stimulating indoor environment for children in this nursery. The owner has secured substantial funding to improve the outdoor area and has created an attractive learning environment which promotes children's progress towards the early learning goals. The doors to the outside area are open throughout most of the session, enabling children to enjoy free flow access to outdoor play in the fresh air. The nursery uses the adjacent cricket club grounds for field sports and races.

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the early years provision

Self-evaluation is in the early stages and is not yet fully effective in identifying areas for improvement. For example, management have not noticed that the attendance record system is not consistently accurate, and this may compromise children's safety in the event of an emergency. Nevertheless, staff update their knowledge on a regular basis and keenly implement any suggestions for improvement which they believe to have a positive influence on the outcomes for children. Taken overall, the nursery shows good capacity for improvement. Staff have a clear understanding of anti-discrimination, enabling them to implement appropriate policies and provide a service which is inclusive for all children and their families. A scrapbook provides evidence of their continuous provision and shows the range of activities planned to mark various festivals and celebrations. They work with parents and carers to ensure that they understand each child's

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the early years provision

individual needs, background and culture and are therefore able to meet their needs and promote children's awareness of individuality.

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the early years provision

The nursery makes every effort to work in partnership with others to secure smooth transitions and continuity of care for children. The staff are alert to the early signs of needs of the children that could lead to later difficulties. They This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 respond quickly and appropriately, involving other agencies as necessary. The children receive appropriate, sensitive and caring support through individual education plans with clear targets and regular reviews. The nursery liaises with the local school and community, including the adjacent garden centre. Parents receive thorough information about the setting and their children's progress, for example, through newsletters and daily talks with staff. Positive parental comments include 'we love the little book with the weeks progress as it is a real insight and the photos are invaluable'.

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and outcomes for children

Children experience an enjoyable programme of learning and development. They are very well-supported by the friendly and caring staff who work hard to meet their individual needs and go about their work in an extremely calm and purposeful manner. Staff develop positive relationships with parents and children, observing children and getting to know them really well as individuals. They tune into children's interests and thoughts, tapping into what they know and are interested in, enabling them to respect and stimulate the children's learning effectively.

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and outcomes for children

Children's enjoyment is enhanced and their learning effectively extended because staff join in appropriately with their play and discussions. Children are praised for their achievements and staff encourage independence. Staff speak clearly and calmly at all times, asking open questions and extending children's understanding. Staff include teaching about colours and counting in their commentary, so that children learn effectively through play-based activities. Group activities and songs contribute significantly to the quality of the provision. Planning shows that a specific core book is chosen each month to provide a focus for activities and promote children's enjoyment of stories and reading.

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and outcomes for children

The learning environment promotes children's progression towards the early learning goals. Play and exploration is generally planned and purposeful and takes place both indoors and outdoors, with a balance of adult-led and child-led activities. The space inside the premises is bright and thoughtfully set out, with distinct play areas which reflect the six areas of learning. The outside play is area is used daily to provide additional play opportunities across all areas of learning for the children. Children plant and grow potatoes in pots and strawberries in the raised beds.

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and outcomes for children

Staff clearly spend a lot of time and effort completing detailed planning sheets and identified learning intentions are suitably matched to the criteria in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Information is gathered on entry and home visits are offered to provide staff with a good quality baseline from which to measure children's progress. The children's learning journey books contain delightful photographs and comments about their learning for parents to read. The information is in a format which clearly shows the progress made during the children's time at the nursery.

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and outcomes for children

Children's self-esteem is promoted as they are offered opportunities to talk about This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 themselves, their families and recent experiences. Good daily practice, such as ongoing explanations from staff, reinforces children's understanding of safety issues. For example, children are reminded to use their walking feet because running about indoors may cause accidents. Children's behaviour is managed well and in a manner appropriate for their stage of development and particular individual needs. The 'Thinking tree' displays positive rules for behaviour such as 'walking feet' and 'kind hands'. Children learn about the relevance of healthy lifestyles and develop skills for the future as they become independent, share ideas and work together. For example, staff encourage children to try to fasten their own coats rather than doing the task for them.

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and outcomes for children

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: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 keep a daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance (Records to be kept). 02/03/2012

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the compulsory part of the Childcare Register (Records to be kept). 02/03/2012

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