Little People's Learning Academy

Little People's Learning Academy 10-12 Wakeman Street, Worcester, WR3 8BQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 30/10/2012 16/12/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 4 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children are happy, content and enjoy attending this welcoming nursery. They make good progress in their learning and development and are supported by caring, experienced practitioners who plan activities based on children's interests and play preferences.  A well-established key person system helps children form secure attachments and this promotes their well-being effectively. Good care experiences have a positive impact on children's all-round development and well-being.  Practitioners are good role models and consistently apply appropriate strategies and provide clear guidance for children about what is acceptable behaviour.  The nursery fulfils its responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements; risks to children are minimised through effective risk assessment procedures, good supervision and vigilant staff.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Arrangements for encouraging children to extend their play and learning through discovering how simple household objects work and are used are not yet fully effective.  The learning environment outdoors has not been fully extended to maximise learning opportunities in all areas of learning, for example, by promoting children's mathematical skills and investigations of the natural world.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are scheduled:  at least once in every inspection cycle. The current cycle ends on 31 July 2016  more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged as inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised for inspection where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all playrooms, the outside area and lunch time in the main playroom.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the owner and manager of the provision, and the deputy manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of practitioners' suitability, a range of other documentation and record keeping procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Little People's Learning Academy is a privately owned nursery which registered in 2008. It is situated in the Barbourne area of Worcester and operates from a converted community building. All children share access to a fully enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is open each weekday from 7am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year, closing for a week at Christmas and for Bank Holidays.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 42 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 11 members of staff, including the owners. Of these, nine are qualified to level 3, one to level 2 and one to level 4. The nursery is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association, receives support from the local authority early years team and provides funded early education.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 enhance further the opportunities for children to play and extend their learning in the outdoor area, for example, by providing resources to develop their mathematical skills and support their investigations of the natural world

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 build on opportunities for children to use simple household technology resources in their play, for example, an egg whisk, torch and camera, to help them begin to understand how objects work in different ways.

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who attend

Children are happy, settled and motivated in their play. They take part in a broad range of interesting learning experiences which cover the prime and specific areas of learning. Consequently, children make good progress towards the early learning goals. Practitioners ensure all children are able to share their ideas and have time to explore and make their own discoveries. They have a good understanding of how to engage and capture children's interest an use effective teaching to help children learn through play. There is a good balance between activities led by practitioners and those that children chose themselves. Children are supported well by their key person, who plans activities using the information they gain from observing children. Interaction between practitioners and children is strong and this promotes secure emotional attachments and supports children in developing a sense of belonging. During activities and discussions, practitioners listen

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who attend

with genuine interest to what children say. Skilful questioning prompts children to think critically. They become involved and concentrate well during focused activities, such as a shape and number game. Practitioners pay attention to how children engage in activities; they are aware of the individual challenges children face and make learning enjoyable.

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who attend

The key person system supports engagement with parents effectively. They are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning at home and share information about their child's achievements. The nursery is moving forward with new ideas and is reviewing how they share learning and development information with parents. For example, information is provided about themes and activities, and termly progress meetings are arranged for parents to meet with their child's key person and the manager. This gives parents the chance to talk about their child's achievements and work with staff to plan their child's next steps. Inclusive practice is successful as the nursery makes sure all children and families are valued and respected. Strategies are in place to support children with English as an additional language to ensure they progress well over time, given their starting points. For example, practitioners work with parents and ask for key words and

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who attend

phrases in their home language which they can use with the children to help them during daily routines. The nursery recognises the importance of working in partnerships with other agencies and this ensures the timely intervention and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children are well prepared for the next stages in their learning and are effectively supported in their transition to school.

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who attend

Children arrive confidently at the nursery and show that they are familiar with the daily routines. Their independence is fostered well and this helps them to develop skills for the future. For example, children help with tasks, such as setting the table at lunch time, put on their coats to go outside, wash their hands before meals and help themselves to a drink when they need one. Children's behaviour is good and practitioners help them to recognise and understand the rules for being together with others, such as waiting for a turn, being kind and sharing. Practitioners are good role models and speak respectfully to children at all times. Positive friendships between children are clearly evolving and this is evident as they play together in the role play area. Children enjoy making up their own games and they take on different roles and characters, such as a hairdresser or cook. Babies and younger children like to explore and investigate using a range of electronic

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who attend

resources, such as a keyboard and telephone, and they use their senses as they play with a range of natural materials in the treasure basket. Practitioners help to develop children's communication and language skills through good interactions, and by encouraging them to look at picture books and sing songs.

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who attend

Children's physical development is given good attention. They enjoy time spent outside, riding on bikes and enjoying creative activities, such as painting or playing in water. Older children are active and keen learners. They have frequent opportunities to play outdoors, benefit from fresh air and exercise and show they can negotiate space successfully when playing chasing games. However, the nursery has yet to fully exploit the learning opportunities in the outdoor area to maximise on children's learning experiences, particularly in relation to developing their mathematical knowledge and supporting their investigations of the natural world. Children have access to a wide range of resources in all areas of the nursery. However, there is room to support children further in their exploration of how different objects work by incorporating simple household equipment, such as an egg whisk or torch, into their play.

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who attend

A new messy play area has recently been introduced to support children's exploration of different craft materials and this is beginning to have a positive impact on their creative development. Older children's literacy skills are fostered effectively with a strong focus on children's speaking and listening skills. Children enjoy listening to stories, and the 'rhyme time' session encourages them to think about a song linked to the object they have each selected from the nursery rhyme box. Children like to sit in the cosy book corner where they can relax on cushions and look at books. They have opportunities to practise their mark-making skills using gloop, play dough, crayons, paint and chalks. Children develop an understanding of differences within society and play with a range of resources reflecting positive images of diversity. They take part in discussions and activities which help them to learn about different festivals and celebrations, such as Eid. Children learn

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who attend

about the local community and go for walks in the local area, they benefit from visitors coming into the nursery from the police and fire services and this helps them to understand about people who are able to help them.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children enjoy their time at this friendly and welcoming nursery. They develop close and caring relationships with all practitioners and particularly with their key person. Safety within the setting is given good consideration and effective steps are taken to minimise risks to children. For example, the premises are secure, practitioners are well deployed, and they are vigilant and supervise the children well by giving them the support they need. Children have a good understanding of safety and behave well. They keep themselves safe by using space and equipment appropriately, and being involved in practising the emergency evacuation procedure.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Practitioners are kind, attentive and have a warm rapport with the children. They work at the children's level, sitting on the floor and sensitively joining in with their play. They follow and build on children's ideas, such as supporting their imaginary play when they decide to take on the role of the customer at the hairdressers. Children show confidence in the nursery and happily share their views and ideas during play and small group activities. Good attention is given to monitoring the care routines of babies and younger children, especially in regard to their feeds, meals and sleep routines. Parents have opportunities to speak to practitioners at the end of each day to talk about their child's well-being and achievements. Parents spoken to at the time of the inspection particularly like the friendly team, family atmosphere, feedback about their child's progress and seeing their child's learning profiles. They say they approve of how the nursery has helped

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

develop their child's confidence and provided good learning opportunities.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children are developing skills to effectively support them in their future learning. They use their imagination well, develop independence and are happy and enjoy what they are doing. Their all-round development is fostered successfully. The key person uses their knowledge of each child's interests to plan activities and extend resources to support children's learning and enjoyment. As children are preparing for their move to school, practitioners introduce activities to help them feel confident with the changes they will experience and work closely with parents and the school to ease the transition period. Children's specific health, dietary needs and allergies are well documented and understood by the cook and practitioner team. This ensures children's specific needs and parents' preferences are met. A healthy lifestyle is encouraged and children keep active through frequent opportunities to play outdoors. Meals and snacks are nutritious and enjoyed by

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

the children, and there is milk and water to drink.

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provision

Leadership and management is good and since the last inspection the owner, manager and practitioner team have focused on quality improvement to help the setting move forward. They are committed to continuous improvement and have been involved in external quality audits and worked closely with the local authority team in order to drive forward positive change. Actions and recommendations from the last inspection have been implemented successfully to safeguard and promote children's welfare and improve the observation and assessment procedures. Effective systems are in place to demonstrate how adult-child ratios are met and accurate records detail children's hours of attendance. Procedures to evaluate practice within the setting, together with close monitoring of the education programmes, ensure all children achieve well. The management and practitioner team have a good understanding of the areas of learning and how children progress, and

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provision

planning and assessment is monitored to make sure an accurate overview of children's skills, abilities and progress is gained.

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provision

Safeguarding is given good consideration. Practitioners are confident in the effectiveness of the procedures regarding allegations of abuse and reporting child protection concerns. The safeguarding policy is available to parents. Robust vetting procedures are in place to ensure practitioners are suitable to work with the children. Ongoing suitability is discussed, and all practitioners are aware of their duty to inform the owner/manager of any issues affecting their suitability to continue in their role. The arrangements for supervision, appraisals and professional development are well considered, and include opportunities for staff to complete training to enhance knowledge and skills.

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provision

Practitioners create an environment that is welcoming and safe, where children are able to enjoy their learning and grow in confidence. Partnership with parents is valued and they are provided with information about how the provision operates through information displayed on the notice board and in regular newsletters. All the required documents are in place to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, together with the necessary parental consents and emergency contact information. All documents are stored to ensure confidentiality.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY371898 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 774963

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 42 Name of provider Gillian Sheila Adshead Date of previous inspection 16/12/2011 Telephone number 01905 330 144

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises that are usually their own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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