The Little Academy Day Nursery

Severn Lodge Ltd Severn Lodge Nursery and Pre-School, Severn Lodge, Severn Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD2 4LS

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/12/2012 31/05/2011

p.1

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

p.1

This provision is good

 There is a warm, welcoming and stimulating learning environment in which children are secure, happy and confident to express themselves.  The thoughtfully planned playrooms create enabling environments for all children to promote independence and to engage children in purposeful play. Children benefit from a wide range of play materials to support their learning and development.  Children behave well because staff are good role models, offer them lots of praise and enable them to manage their own behaviour.  Children's communication and language are given high priority; lots of opportunities are available to develop their skills. For example, children of all ages enjoy joining in with the action songs and nursery rhymes.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 Parents are not always fully involved in their children's learning and development, enabling them to fully support their children's learning at home.

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all playrooms and in all of the outdoor learning environments. The inspector also observed lunch time, and behaviour procedures.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager and held meetings with the manager.  The inspector looked at the children's profiles and planning of activities.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to the manager and looked at documentation, including the behaviour policy and procedures, throughout the day.

p.2

Information about the setting

Severn Lodge Nursery was registered in 1999 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a detached property on the outskirts of Bradford and is managed by Severn Lodge Limited. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from five playrooms and other facilities and there are a number of fully enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

p.2

Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, except for Bank Holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 81 children on roll who are within the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds. It supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.3

Information about the setting

The nursery employs 18 members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and seven hold level 2. The manager holds a level 6 qualification in childcare.

p.3

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

 develop further the relationships with parents and carers to fully involve them in their children's learning and development, enabling them to fully support children's learning at home.

p.3

who attend

The nursery supports children well and meets their needs effectively. The children access a wide range of activities, suitable for their age and stage of development. A strong system is in place to ensure children's development progresses well, through informative observations, all linking clearly to areas of learning and children's individual age banding. An efficient key person system is in place, where they take on board children's starting points with information gathered from parents and also record the next steps of learning. This ensures children progress in their learning and develop their individual skills well. The nursery has a good transition policy and procedure in place. When children are moving on to school they invite the teachers from the schools into the nursery to meet the children. They share the profiles with them and also take the children to the school they will be going to. This ensures good continuity of care and education.

p.3

who attend

The manager and staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the requirement of the two year progress check. Information and resources are in place to ensure that these include all of the required information for parents and others. All of these elements enable them to accurately assess two-year-old children's development and provide relevant information to aid their progress. Staff provide parents with good access to written accounts of their child's record of learning, including opportunities to contribute in them at the nursery, talking informally to parents and open evenings. Planning is displayed for them to see and described in the monthly newsletter. However, there is scope to improve this to be fully effective in making ongoing links with learning taking place at home.

p.3

who attend

Children have good opportunities to develop their communication and language skills. They have ready access to a wide selection of good quality books and older children go to the local library where they choose books. The staff sit with the children and listen to a book about a cat and repeat the words after the staff have said them. Staff encourage the babies and younger children to sit before lunch time and sing songs, and children copy the actions from the staff. Children have good opportunities to develop their manipulative skills along with their expressive arts and design. They sit at the table, hold the crayons well and colour in the Christmas decorations and stick the glitter on them and say how it 'sparkles'. Staff provide good opportunities to develop children's physical development through taking part in dance lessons. Children follow the clear instructions from the teacher and point to their knees and dance along to the Christmas songs in readiness for

p.4

who attend

their Christmas concert. This also builds their self-esteem.

p.4

who attend

Babies access a wide range of toys and develop their social and sensory skills as they sit and play with the shiny shredded paper, with encouragement from staff. Babies enjoy pushing the buttons on the various walkers, listen to the different noises it makes and then try to balance with it as they push it along the floor. This helps to promote their physical development and introduces them to cause and effect of early technology. The nursery has a good display of photographs of children and their own artwork, along with informative posters of numbers and words in both English and other languages all displayed at their level, making it a bright and colourful environment.

p.4

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

Staff support children's well-being effectively and the key person system works very well throughout the setting. Children are placed with the key person to foster good relationships and help them settle well. Every child and their family receives a warm welcome in the nursery. This helps children's separation from their parents, puts them at ease, builds attachments and promotes their self-esteem. The nursery promotes transition well as children progress to another room within the nursery. For example, children have settling-in times in their new room and with their new key person and ensure parents are fully aware of which room their child is moving on to and who their new key person is. This helps to ensure that parents and children feel happy before making the transition.

p.4

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

Children in the nursery behave well. Staff's gentle and consistent approach with children set them good examples on which to model their behaviour. Staff also give children lots of positive praise, as they share the bricks with their friends and together they complete a jigsaw. Children are responsive to the staff, they are learning right from wrong. For example, while outside playing 'hokey cokey', children are encouraged to hold each other's hands and let others into the circle, and are given clear explanations by staff as to why it is nice for everyone to join in. Staff promote children's good health very well. They encourage lots of fresh air for children, with access throughout the day to the well-resourced outdoor areas. Children run around the garden and chase each other up and down the slide. This ensures that children benefit from a good level of physical exercise. They learn about a healthy lifestyle,

p.4

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

through being provided with a broad range of nutritious meals and snacks, all prepared on the premises. For example snacks of fruit, crackers and cheese, and main meals of meat, vegetables, rice and pasta. Drinks of water are available for all children throughout the day, along with milk at snack times. Children of all ages have a good understanding of the importance of self-care, as they independently wash their hands before having meals and after going to the toilet. Child-friendly posters of instructions of how to wash hands are clearly displayed throughout the setting, ensuring children learn about good hygiene procedures. Babies receive lots of cuddles and can rest and sleep in their own cots as and when they need to, and effective nappy changing procedures are fully implemented.

p.5

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

Children's safety is promoted very well. For example, the nursery undertakes detailed written risk assessments, enabling children to take supervised risks in safe surroundings. The environment and resources are well laid out to aid children's independence and stored in units at children's level, which they safely access. The manager ensures that regular fire drills are practised to ensure that children are aware of evacuation procedures. Children are protected within the nursery through the installed closed circuit television in all rooms, and staff insist on seeing all identification of visitors and also recording the visit. This promotes children's awareness of staying safe and also being cared for in a secure environment.

p.5

provision

Leadership and management of the nursery is strong. Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the signs and symptoms to look for, should they have any safeguarding concerns. There is a well-written policy and procedure to follow, which staff are made aware of, and this includes the role of the practitioner who takes the lead responsibility for safeguarding. The recruitment procedure is clear and fully established within the nursery. This means that every person who works in the setting is properly vetted and cleared though a system, which includes a thorough induction.

p.5

provision

Staff work effectively as a team and they are supported well to understand their roles and responsibilities. For example, regular reviews of policies at staff meetings, help to recognise the importance of policies, such as safeguarding and risk assessments. Induction, supervision and appraisals are effective tools that the leadership team use to support staff and ensure that they have the opportunities for continual professional development through attending further training. For example, staff are attending training to support their already good understanding of the two year progress check. Staff ensure that all planning is completed daily and is adapted to meet all children's interests. Any additional needs are identified and their stage of development recognised. This ensures children's skills and abilities are monitored and that they continue to make good progress in their learning. The nursery has a well-established partnership with parents and the manager ensures that

p.5

provision

settling-in periods meet with parental needs. Parents receive information through regular newsletters and informative notice boards. Staff make parents feel welcome in the nursery and provide daily feedback, in addition to regular open evenings and monthly newsletters, so that parents are continually involved in their children's welfare and learning. However, there is scope to extend this further.

p.6

provision

Effective self-evaluation of the setting and practice ensures that priorities for improvements are identified and acted upon to enhance the care of the children. Staff take into account the views of parents, through discussion and regular questionnaires, and listen to children. All parents spoken to during the inspection are highly complementary about the quality of care and education their children receive at the setting.

p.6

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

p.6

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.

p.6

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.

p.6

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.

p.7

Setting details

Unique reference number 302062 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 890758

p.7

Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 67 Number of children on roll 81 Name of provider Severn Lodge Ltd Date of previous inspection 31/05/2011 Telephone number 01274 637425

p.7

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.

p.7

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.7

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. 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.

p.7

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.

p.8

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,

p.8

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’.

p.9

Type of provision

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

p.9