Little Learners Day Nursery

Little Learners Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY438236 Inspection date 14/06/2012 Inspector Elizabeth Mackey

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Setting address Beaumont Primary School, Old Lodge Lane, PURLEY, Surrey, CR8 4DN Telephone number 0208-406-0080 Email info@little-learners.net 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

Little Learners Day Nursery registered in 2011 and it is one of three settings operated by JLB Childcare Ltd. The nursery works in partnership with Beaumont Primary School and is set within the school grounds. It is situated in Purley, which is a suburb of the London Borough of Croydon. The premises have disabled access and toilet facilities. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30 am until 6.30 pm throughout the year, only closing for bank holidays, Christmas and staff training days.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register to provide care for up to 28 children aged from two to five years. There are 16 places for children from two years and 12 places for children over three years. Children access a free-flow system, where they can move around the nursery on both levels and into the garden. There are currently 24 children on roll. Children aged three and four years are funded for free early education. The nursery supports a number of children who have special educational needs/and or disability and children who have English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The registered provider is the manager of the setting and she employs four members of childcare staff and an office assistant. Additional/cover staff are used from the nursery's own bank of supply staff as and when needed. Three staff hold appropriate early years qualifications and two members of staff are on an apprenticeship scheme.

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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 motivated and ambitious manager has a clear vision for the nursery and with her team, they have successfully created an inclusive, friendly and innovative environment. The nursery works exceptionally well with parents, other providers and agencies to ensure the children's individual needs are effectively supported. Self-evaluation highlights that overall, there is a comprehensive programme of activities and children are making very good progress. All aspects of children's welfare and learning are successfully promoted. The experienced team enable children to play in a safe, challenging and stimulating learning environment. Ambitious plans for future progression highlight a very good capacity for sustainability and demonstrate the nursery's strong capability to maintain continuous improvement and therefore enhance outcomes for children.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  extend the opportunities for children to hear their home languages, as well as English, for example through audio and video materials.

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the early years provision

Children are cared for in a safe, secure, and welcoming environment. The staff team are confident in their knowledge of safeguarding children procedures, because they remain up to date by attending relevant training. The provider ensures staff suitability through robust recruitment procedures and staff awaiting confirmation of their checks do not have unsupervised access to children. The manager consistently communicates high expectations to staff, and as a team they strive for excellence. The initial systems in place for monitoring activities relating to provision and the outcomes of this new provision are rigorous. The team constantly evaluate the organisation, routines and their practice. They are implementing an extended free flow system, which provides opportunities for the children to move independently between upstairs and downstairs, as well as inside and outside. This works very well and the team achieve this through skilful

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the early years provision

planning, effective teamwork and good supervision. An early indicator of the success of this initiative is the high levels of engagement in children's play and learning, their growing independence and excellent negotiation and cooperation skills. The manager leads a strong and effective team who work very well together. For example, they all contribute to the planning and the evaluation process. Staff have a consistent, enthusiastic approach and they work with local advisors and other professionals to provide inclusive care for all children.

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the early years provision

Developing links with other providers, including the school are excellent. This enables effective transitions for all children. Pre-school age children visit the attached school so they become familiar with the environment. All the nursery children enjoyed attending the schools recent jubilee celebrations. The positive attitude of staff, together with an excellent range of resources support children's growing awareness of diversity and help them to understand and respect differences. Staff offer an inclusive setting in partnership with parents. They value linguistic diversity and provide opportunities for children to develop and use their home language in their play and learning. There are many written examples of language in the setting, for example on the labelling of resources and there are some dual language books. However, there are fewer opportunities for children to have access to listening materials in their home language. Staff are alert to early

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the early years provision

signs of communication difficulties and take prompt action. One parent reports that staff are very helpful and work in partnership with them on seeking the relevant outside help to support their child's language development.

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the early years provision

The setting works transparently; they maintain good records which they share with parents. Excellent partnerships with parents begin with a planned settling-in period. During this time key persons form early relationships with parents and gather information about children's needs and abilities. The success of the nursery's engagement with parents is largely due to the extremely effective systems in place to enhance communication. Parents access their children's This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 assessment records and are able to contribute to them. Regular parents' evenings help to share children's progress more formally and enable the key person and parents to identify the next steps in children's learning and development. Parents report that their children also know where the development folders are, which they bring to share with them. Information for parents is made available in the

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the early years provision

reception area and contains all the current detail about the nursery events, which helps them to remain up to date with nursery life and contribute to current themes. Social occasions at the nursery welcome parents and give them the opportunity to get to know one another and the staff team. Parents praise the nursery and describe the standard of care and learning as very high. They comment that it is a very positive setting and staff are always happy and welcoming. Parents also comment that their children are making very good progress and love attending.

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and outcomes for children

The welcoming, rich environment gives children opportunities to freely access an extensive range of interesting and challenging play materials. Planning is linked to the six areas of learning and takes account of children's interests and ideas. The environment and deployment of resources are outstanding, and as a result, children display high levels of engagement. Children are able to make choices and instigate play opportunities, which develops their confidence. Due to the free flow nature of the setting and the autonomy this creates for the children, outdoor play is very popular. Children develop their knowledge and understanding of the world, through exciting activities and experiential learning. They love being in the innovative, exceptionally well planned outdoor area, which has been skilfully designed to offer extensive activities across all areas of learning. As a result children benefit from lots of fresh air and exercise, as an important part of their

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and outcomes for children

daily routine. The children show an exceptional understanding of the importance of following good hygiene routines and making healthy choices. For example, they independently wash their hands when they come in from the garden, brush their teeth after meals and make healthy choices at meal times. Children are growing their own vegetables, including lettuce and tomatoes; therefore, they are able to learn about what is healthy to eat and where food comes from. Children engage in a wide range of physical, challenging and innovative outdoor activities. Staff and children have rain suits so the rain does not stop their play. Children play together in a large sand pit, making sand castles and pretending to be builders. They use their imagination and physical skills when playing on the pirate ship, where they test their climbing and balancing skills. Children develop their confidence as they ask staff to push them higher on the swing and when they climb up the man made

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and outcomes for children

hill, with full watering cans to nurture their plants.

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and outcomes for children

Staff deployment is excellent and staff are particularly adept at knowing when to intervene and how to extend children's learning. This helps to ensure children have good opportunities for challenge, as well as ensuring their safety. For example, when children struggle to complete an activity, such as climbing a ladder, staff are on hand to offer the right level of support to enable children to reach their goal. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 This gives children the confidence to successfully repeat the challenge later without support. Children clearly make their needs known and are empowered by the choices they have. All the children can choose to be outside if they wish. Staff remind children they have the choice of indoor play, however they are often too engrossed in their outdoor activities to respond. Children are encouraged to take responsibility in many ways. They learn to nurture and tend plants, care for the

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and outcomes for children

nursery rabbits and help in their environment. They show a sense of pride when checking to see how well their flowers are growing. All children are valued and engage in a wide range of activities to help them to value diversity. The attractive displays inside and out include photographs of the children engaged in activities. This instils a sense of pride and achievement and promotes discussion. Children demonstrate excellent self-help skills, for example, getting mats out for everyone to sit on at story time and serving their own meals at lunchtime. Their behaviour is exemplary and they show kindness and consideration to one another. They have good attachments with all the staff, communicating confidently with them and spontaneously displaying affection towards them. Consistent routines and warm adult interaction ensure children feel very safe and secure. All children demonstrate an extremely strong sense of security in the setting.

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and outcomes for children

There is an excellent variety of resources to encourage sorting, counting and matching and to create and recognise shapes and patterns. There is an emphasis on sensory experiences and children access a variety of creative media, for example, sand, sawdust, corn flour and different textured materials. Use of natural materials also enhances the environment, as children use a rope to help them climb up the hill to reach the growing area. They climb and sit on tyres and practise their balancing skills as they jump across wooden logs. Children have access to a lovely range of resources to develop their understanding of information and communication technology, including computers, electronic games, tape recorders and cameras. All the children thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery and they play a full and active role in their learning. 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 1 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 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 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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