Lilypads Day Nursery & Pre-School Ltd

Lilypads Day Nursery & Pre- School Ltd 78 Burton End, HAVERHILL, Suffolk, CB9 9LR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/01/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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

 Well qualified and knowledgeable staff have a very good understanding of how children learn. They make the most of opportunities to extend children's learning through play, discussion and group activities.  The outdoor learning environment provides interesting and stimulating activities that engage children and successfully promote their physical development. The children's independence is effectively supported as children determine when they will go out to play and they move freely between indoor and outdoor activities.  Partnerships with other professionals are highly effective in providing for children's learning individual needs. This joint working contributes to the good progress made by children.  There is a strong commitment to improve the nursery provision through setting ambitious targets and a carefully prepared development plan.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The educational programme for expressive arts and design is limited by the range of media and materials that the children have to explore.

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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 compulsory part 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 playrooms and the outdoor areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager and deputy manager of the provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at planning, evidence of suitability of practitioners working in the setting, policies and a range of other documentation.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Lilypads Day Nursery & Pre-School Ltd was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It operates from purpose-built premises in a residential area close to the town centre of Haverhill, Suffolk and is privately owned. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There are two fully enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff. All of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 50 children attending who are within the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children with special needs and/or disabilities.

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

 develop the educational programme for expressive arts and design further by providing opportunities for children to explore a wider range of media and materials.

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who attend

Children are motivated and eager to learn; they join in activities with enthusiasm and enjoy their time in the setting. Staff provide interesting and challenging experiences that meet the needs of children. The educational programmes address the prime and specific areas of learning. However, the educational programme for expressive arts and design is limited by the range of media and materials that the children have to explore. The staff have a very good knowledge and understanding of how to promote the learning and development of young children. The setting is well organised and staff ensure that children are able to access a broad range of toys and equipment; as a result children are active and independent learners.

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who attend

Staff effectively promote children's skills in language development and literacy. Books are readily available to all the children and the younger children in the baby room handle books and printed material with interest. A group of older children choose to sit at a table laid out with paper, felt pens and scissors. The children have good hand control and manipulate the felt pens confidently to make marks on their papers. They talk with the adult about what they have drawn. The staff are careful to listen to what the children say and to repeat words and phrases to support them in extending their vocabulary. Once the children complete their work the adult lays out name cards and the children are helped to find and recognise their name. The staff are skilled in listening and talking to children to promote their speech and widen their vocabulary.

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who attend

The rich and stimulating outdoor provision is a strong feature of the setting. Outdoor provision is carefully planned to offer a wide range of different activities. These include running, playing on the swing and slide and riding on tricycles as well as looking at books, mark making with chalk and growing plants. The children are encouraged to be independent in their learning, they move freely between indoor and outdoor activities. They make extremely good use of the outdoor provision and even on a bleak January day they choose to spend a lot of time playing outside. Consequently the children's physical development is well supported. As well as the many opportunities for self-initiated play the children also have the opportunity to engage in adult-led activities outside. The adult explains to the children that they are going to play 'What's the time Mr Wolf'. The children have fun counting their steps and running away from the wolf. The adult is careful to

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who attend

encourage and praise the children. The children engage with the game for a sustained period of time and they have fun while learning to count. The outdoor space is imaginatively organised and this stimulating environment effectively supports children's learning.

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who attend

Staff observe the children and make assessments to monitor children's progress and use these assessments to plan suitably challenging activities. Staff constantly observe and listen to children, questioning them during activities in order to extend their learning and enhance understanding. The children are making good progress in their learning and the vast majority of children are working comfortably within the typical range of development expected for their age. Where children's starting points are below those of their peers, assessments show that they are making good progress. The nursery is effectively preparing children for school. Parents are kept fully informed about their child's learning and development through a daily verbal feedback on the activities that children have engaged in.

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

Successful implementation of the key person system ensures children feel safe and secure in the setting. Parents have regular contact with their child's key person and this helps to build positive relationships between home and the nursery, which then contributes to children's sense of security and well-being. Children play very well together and behave well, demonstrating an understanding of the clear boundaries and expectations within the setting. Relationships are strong at all levels and children are learning to respect and tolerate each other's differences. For example, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very much included and involved in all activities. The nursery has a warm and friendly atmosphere.

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

Children are provided with a healthy, nutritious diet that includes fruit and vegetables. At lunchtime the children take their plate to a self-service table where they help themselves to their lunch. They pour their own drinks and take it in turns to lay the tables for lunch. This effectively promotes the children's independence and confidence. Children are encouraged to learn the importance of basic personal hygiene and ensure their hands are clean before eating and after using the toilet. The children are helped to develop self-help skills and a healthy lifestyle.

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

The setting provides a well-resourced and welcoming environment to support children's all-round development and emotional well-being. The children have use of a rich and stimulating outdoor play area; this gives them the opportunity to enjoy fresh air and supports their physical development. The staff know the children well and spend time talking to and playing with them. Consequently they enjoy very strong and caring relationships. This positive adult interaction helps to develop children's confidence and self-esteem. Children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning because staff provide appropriate support to prepare them for their transition to other settings or school.

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provision

The manager and her deputies are enthusiastic and dedicated to further improving the nursery. They foster a strong team approach and involve staff in decision making. The staff have widened their knowledge and experience by attending training courses and a number of staff are working to further improve their qualifications. As a result the staff team is motivated and enabled to offer good quality provision for all children. Effective systems are in place for recruitment, induction and performance management, ensuring that staff with appropriate skills and experience are employed. The managers carry out regular supervision meetings for all staff. Feedback on observations is given at these meetings and targets are identified for improvement, which then leads to better outcomes for children.

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provision

Effective partnerships with parents make a strong contribution to meeting the needs of children. The nursery staff enjoy good relationships with parents. The active involvement of parents is encouraged through newsletters and questionnaires so parents can convey their views and preferences. Parents spoken to at the time of the inspection hold the provision in high regard. They feel that their children have made good progress while attending the nursery and find the staff friendly. The nursery has developed strong relationships with other professionals including the children's centre, the local authority's social services, and the area special educational needs adviser. The nursery has also established links with the schools that the children move onto to support their transition from one setting to another. The close partnership working with other professionals ensures that children's needs are identified and that they are supported to make good

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provision

Staff have a good understanding about safeguarding children and understand their role in protecting them. All staff have been suitably vetted to work with young children and the majority of staff hold a paediatric first aid qualification. The provision has appropriate policies and procedures in place to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Rigorous systems are in place to assess risk and to ensure that the premises are safe and secure. Staff create an environment that is safe and welcoming, where children feel secure and happy. The children are carefully supervised both indoors and outside.

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provision

The manager and her deputies have led changes and improvements to the nursery since taking over the ownership in the summer of 2012. These include improvements to the outside play areas and the purchase of new equipment and toys. The baby room has been completely refurbished. The managers are ambitious to drive forward further improvements. The nursery critically evaluates its provision and has prepared a development plan which details plans for future initiatives. Parents' views are gathered through questionnaires and a suggestion box, which feed into the self-evaluation process. The nursery has acted upon feedback from parents and now clearly displays the information about key persons with their photograph and the list of children that they care for. The nursery has good capacity for further improvement.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY448938 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 806732

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 50 Name of provider Lilypads Day Nursery & Pre-School Ltd Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01440 767 805

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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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