Lilac Frog Day Nursery

Lilac Frog Day Nursery Capital House, 32 Church Road, Cheadle Hulme, CHEADLE, Cheshire, SK8 7JB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29/10/2012 01/06/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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 settled, happy and their interest in learning is effectively sustained. They indicate they feel safe and secure in the welcoming environment where familiar and consistent routines are followed.  Partnerships with parents are very effective in supporting children's care and learning and as a result, they become active in nursery life. Their views are clearly valued and improvements made.  The key person system is effective in developing secure attachments to children and extending positive relationships with parents.  Children are confident and become active learners in the well-resourced stimulating environment both indoors and outside to support children's all round development and emotional well-being.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for older children to further develop their self-care skills particularly at meals times are not fully explored.  Clear links between children's observations and planning for their individual next steps in learning are not fully embraced.

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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 the four age related group rooms and outside play area.  The inspector held meetings with the registered person and manager of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at the planning system in place, children's development files and art folders, which included observations and assessments, sampled evidence of staff suitability and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to on the day and through the questionnaires they have completed.

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Information about the setting

Lilac Frog day nursery was registered in 2010. The setting is privately owned by a limited company and operates from a converted house in the Cheadle Hulme area of Stockport, Cheshire. Children are cared for within four age-related areas accross two floors, there is no lift access. There is a secure area for outdoor play. The setting is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm, all year round.

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Information about the setting

The setting is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 75 children on roll, of whom all are in the early years age range and accommodates two siblings after school for short periods. The nursery receives funding for free early education for two-, three- and four- year-olds. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The setting employs 17 members of staff, including the manager and registered persons. Of these, five hold level 3 qualifications, five hold level 2, and three are working towards level 2. The nursery are members of the National Day Nursery Association.

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

 develop further children's self-care skills by allowing older children to serve their own food at meal times

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

 improve the systems in place to ensure children's next steps in learning are more clearly linked to the planning of activities.

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who attend

Staff have developed a positive understanding of the seven areas of learning as a result of the additional training they attend and close monitoring by the manager. Consequently, staff have a positive approach to children learning through play and exploration. They plan a wide range of well-prepared activities that sustain children's interests well and actively support their learning. Staff explain how things work, respond well to baby's gestures and use effective questioning techniques during activities to support their communication and language skills. Children's development files contain observations and assessments of the positive progress they make towards the early learning goals. Parents contribute to children's initial developmental starting points on entry to the setting by completing the 'All about me' document, which provides a baseline from which to monitor their ongoing progress.

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who attend

Children come together for group activities, enter into discussion throughout their day and sit together at meal times, which supports the development of their social skills. They eagerly access the outdoor area daily and through the provision of good quality resources have fun in developing their physical skills, such as, balance and coordination. Children differentiate between colours effectively as they sort and match coloured bears with success and staff refer to the names of the colours they paint with to promote learning. Babies explore their environment freely and crawl or roll towards brightly coloured resources that clearly capture their attention. They take an active part in the parachute game and babies squeal with delight as staff play peek-a-boo.

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who attend

Children's interest during story times is clearly sustained. They have access to books in all the rooms and competently repeat key phases, anticipating what happens next within the familiar tale. Older children volunteer information about their favourite stories and as a result, positive steps are taken to support children's early literacy skills. Children have many opportunities to extend their understanding of letters and sounds, naming letters of the alphabet. Older children effectively recognise their name through the self-registration system, the reward chart on display and some competently write their own name. Praise is readily and consistently used by staff and children respond with smiles and expressions of glee as their confidence and self-esteem is promoted.

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who attend

Children discover the natural world as they look for insects outdoors, grow and nurture potatoes in the vegetable plot and explore natural materials in their play. They develop their knowledge of the wider world as they celebrate different festivals throughout the year through art and craft activities and welcome visitors into the setting to share cultural foods and dental hygiene. Older children take part in activities as part of the Halloween theme to develop their understanding of their bodies. As a result, they are keen to learn the skeleton song, which staff introduce them to through the computer programme. Their interest and excitement is impressively sustained. They extend their learning by creating a skeleton of their own by joining paper bones following staff direction and a guide, with considerable success. Children have access to a wide range of media to support their creativity, which include recycled materials, whipped cream and collage materials.

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who attend

Parents are actively involved in their children's learning and home to nursery links are promoted effectively. They attend parent evenings to discuss their children's progress and contribute to 'My child's a star' system, which encourages them to share observations from home. The individual children's daily diaries promote an effective two way communication system providing information about their child's day and well-being. They receive information initially, which includes details regarding the Early Years Foundation Stage. This has recently been updated as has the nursery policies and procedures. The progress checks for children aged two have been completed effectively, reflecting the positive progress they make across the prime areas of learning and their next steps. Parents are consulted and encouraged to contribute to this process effectively.

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

The successful implementation of the key person system and effective deployment of staff ensures that all children develop secure attachments and results in them being happy and secure. Children are cared for in a welcoming environment where their sense of belonging is actively promoted. Children happily explore their environment knowing that staff are close by. They turn to them for support and young children sleep soundly after lunch under close supervision, indicating they feel safe. The staff provide good role models and are deployed effectively to support the children's individual needs. The positive techniques for managing children's behaviour impacts on their cooperation during play, independence and builds their self-esteem and confidence. Consequently, children behave really well. Children are encouraged to explore and take risks as they competently negotiate the climbing wall outdoors under close supervision.

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

Staff have a good understanding of how to maintain a safe environment for children, which is given priority. Through the daily checks, the comprehensive risk assessments and the monitoring of visitors to the setting, risks to children are effectively minimised. Babies enjoy cuddles with familiar staff indicating that they feel safe and reassured. In addition, staff make children aware of hazards and the consequences of their actions. They provide high visibility vests for them to wear during outings, use safety equipment, such as finger guards to doors to further protect children and regularly practise emergency evacuation procedures. Children learn about the importance of healthy lifestyles through the provision of healthy meals and regular daily access to the outdoor environment. Children generally develop self-care skills through the personal hygiene routines, such as, hand washing and brushing their teeth after lunch. They learn to pour their own drinks and babies learn to

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

feed themselves at meal times. However, opportunities for pre-school children to further develop their independence at meal times by serving their own snacks and lunch are not fully explored.

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

The setting is well-resourced and provides a welcoming environment for children, both indoors and outside, to generally support children's all round development. Children have access to the continuous provision of resources to enable them to make decisions about their play and become active in their learning. Children are supported well for the next stage in their learning because positive arrangements for transitions within the setting and onto other settings, including school, help to prepare them. The nursery develops close links with the local schools and share information regarding children's learning as they move onto school. Introductory visits are conducted when moving rooms within the setting, in order to support the settling in process.

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provision

Children are effectively safeguarded because safeguarding training is mandatory for all staff, therefore, staff have a good knowledge regarding reporting concerns and identifying signs of abuse. Comprehensive written policies for safeguarding children, whistleblowing and use of mobile phones and cameras clearly outline the procedures followed, to ensure children remain protected. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures ensure the suitability of adults employed. The manager has a positive overview of the curriculum through regularly monitoring the documented observations staff complete. She uses this information and discussion with the staff to prepare the planning of activities. Plans are linked to all seven areas of learning, consistent throughout the nursery and reflect a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated opportunities. However, links regarding individual children and their next steps in learning are not always clearly outlined, potentially

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provision

impacting upon their speed of progress. Good systems for self-evaluation include the completion of the Ofsted self-evaluation form and taking into account parents and staff views. The management team value the visits from the local early years consultant. They work together to implement advice and guidance they receive. The setting issues parent questionnaires and retain a comments book containing compliments they receive. Parents' views are valued and some changes have resulted in comments they have made. For example, security of the setting has been upgraded and all staff details including photographs are on display. The drive for improvement is clearly linked to improvement plans. This demonstrates identified priorities and plans in place to develop practices further. For example, safe surfaces have been created in the outdoor environment to support outdoor play in all weathers. Necessary steps have been taken to address the recommendations raised at the previous inspection.

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provision

As a result, improvements have been made to the parents' involvement in children's learning, observation, planning and assessment and valuing children's additional language.

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provision

There are clear systems for monitoring performance in place. The management team clearly recognises their role and responsibilities within the setting, which are consistently applied. They complete observations of staff practice and question their understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements through scenarios raised. A suitable programme of professional development ensures staff improve their knowledge, understanding and practice. This includes encouraging staff to attend short training courses, including some in house training and develop their professional qualifications further. Regular staff appraisals, one-to-one sessions and regular staff meetings support the development of effective team working. In addition, the recent introduction of the staff incentive scheme assists in promoting positive practices.

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provision

Partnerships with parents, external agencies and other providers are well established. The nursery fosters positive links with outside agencies involved in a child's life to support their identified needs. Close links are maintained with other settings children attend to complement their care and learning in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage. Many positive systems in place support the development of effective partnerships with parents and include planned social events they attend. Consequently, they are actively involved in nursery life and are given opportunities to contribute to their children's care and learning. Parents interviewed during the inspection provided positive feedback regarding the nursery and information shared. They highlight how 'amazing' and 'very caring' all the staff are and describe the nursery as a 'warm and welcoming' environment where children have come on in 'leaps and bounds'.

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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 EY418216 Local authority Stockport Inspection number 885573

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 37 Number of children on roll 69 Name of provider Lilac Frog Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 01/06/2011 Telephone number 0161 486 6999

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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

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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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