Little Gemz

Little Gemz 92 Millrise Road, STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST2 7DN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/01/2013 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

 Children are excited, motivated and eager to learn. They join in enthusiastically, showing high levels of independence, curiosity and creativity.  The setting effectively provides a warm, welcoming environment which is safe and secure. Safeguarding is prioritised successfully, with risks to children effectively minimised.  Children benefit from the positive relationships that exist between the setting and their parents and carers. Staff work hard to communicate meaningfully with all parents and the 'Parents Partnership Association' is an effective body to ensure that parents views are heard.  Teaching is rooted in a robust knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All staff have a good awareness of how young children learn and provide a wide range of stimulating activities that engage children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The assessment sheet provided to parents is not easily understood and reviews are not frequent in the baby room. This hinders children's progress as parents are not fully able to contribute to their child's ongoing assessment and identification of next steps.  An evaluation of the way the pre-school room runs has not been fully effective. Some opportunities for children to learn are restricted by the layout of resources.

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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 two main play rooms and checked the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager of the provision and had discussions with other staff members about their roles and responsibilities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of staff working within the setting, the provider's self- evaluation information and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

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

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Information about the setting

Little Gemz has been registered since 2012 on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is a privately owned nursery sited in a single-storey premises in Milton, Stoke-on-Trent. The nursery serves the local area and nearby schools. The nursery is open each weekday from 7am to 6pm all year round. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

Currently there are 45 children on roll of whom 41 are within the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs eight members of staff including a cook. Seven members of staff work with the children and of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications, while one member of staff is working towards a recognised qualification.

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

 provide more accessible information on the assessment criteria for children's progress to parents and undertake more frequent reviews of progress in the baby room

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

 evaluate the layout of mealtimes and water play activities to ensure all children are able to benefit from the learning opportunities available during these times.

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who attend

Children are keen to attend the setting and are eager to learn and take part. Their enthusiasm is generally well facilitated by the stimulating environment and by skilled and professional staff who work constantly alongside the children, extending and developing their play. A flexible and easy going approach enables staff to respond positively to children's interests and develop unique play opportunities based on changing circumstances. For instance, on an unexpected snowy day, time is taken to get all ages outside to experience the snow and enjoy making snowmen. Even babies are encouraged to feel the snow and have fun as staff make snow balls and gently roll them across the outside area. Older children enjoy more boisterous play and are able to explore how snow sounds under their boots and how it melts in the heat.

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who attend

Teaching techniques are effective as all staff recognise when to intervene and when to allow children to play independently. They offer support to children, extending their play with new ideas or by asking pertinent questions. Staff are especially good at using good examples and illustrations to help children learn and make sense of what is asked of them. For instance, they provide them with books that relate to the items they are drawing, so they can recognise colours, shapes and details of the things that they want to produce. Staff do not restrict children's imagination, however, encouraging them to use the resources as a guide rather than instructing them to copy. This results in some lovely art work that is unique and meaningful to each child.

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who attend

Staff work well together to provide a safe, secure and engaging setting where children are confident to explore and acquire skills for future learning. Secure planning and monitoring across the seven areas of learning ensures all aspects are successfully included in the activities on offer while each key person ensures that activities are tailored to meet the individual next steps for their key children.

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who attend

Children's early writing skills are developing extremely well as even young babies are encouraged to make marks in gloop, paint and other substances. Older children recognise their own names in print and make good attempts at writing their names as they use laminated cards that are available throughout the day. They have a go at labelling their own work and are skilled at recognising the initial sounds in their names. Mathematical skills are also well-promoted. Children learn basic calculation skills as they count the crayons as they put them away, and work out how many more are needed to complete the set. An understanding of size and volume is also developed as they take part in water play activities, transferring water from different containers.

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who attend

All children make very good progress towards the Early Learning Goals. Children's starting points on entry to the setting include parents' views about what their children can do and as a result, staff have a secure baseline in place from which to measure children's progress. Those with identified special needs receive additional support and are also making strides towards obtaining their individual goals. Staff work in partnerships with parents and other professionals to identify realistic yet challenging targets. Parents are invited to attend reviews and are encouraged to contribute to staff's understanding of how their child is progressing.

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who attend

Learning through play ensures that all children are fully engaged and key skills for future learning are swiftly developed. Activities such as circle time help children develop their concentration and confidence to speak out in a group, enabling them to be ready for their next stages of learning. The bright, friendly and welcoming setting alongside effective planning and monitoring ensures that children are given a wide range of opportunities to learn and develop. Alongside professional and enthusiastic staff, and an individualised approach towards care and learning, this setting provides children with the opportunity to really blossom.

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

Staff are well-deployed and are clear about their roles and responsibilities. An effective key person system is in place, which helps both parents and children to build strong relationships with a designated member of staff. Staff are extremely attentive, providing genuine warmth and affection to every child. They know their key-work children well, talking about them with obvious enthusiasm and pride. This enables children to feel safe and secure, giving them the confidence to develop their independence and explore the environment. Consequently, children are happy to engage in play and develop skills for future learning as they are relaxed and comfortable at the nursery. Babies show strong attachments as they seek out staff for comfort, snuggling in for cuddles and bottle feeds. Older children engage staff in their play, confidently asking them to come to the home corner to have a 'cup of tea' and including them in active songs such as 'ring-a-ring-of

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

roses'. They show a sense of belonging in the setting as they independently select favourite toys and return the food trolley to the kitchen after mealtimes. This also helps them develop their self-help skills.

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

Each child's personality, likes and dislikes, are fully respected and catered for. Where children have additional needs, staff work with parents and other professionals to ensure that they are fully included and supported to meet their full potential. As a result, all children, including those with physical or learning difficulties, make good progress given their starting points.

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

Thoughtful resourcing ensures that all age groups have a lovely range of age-appropriate activities and toys to meet their needs. Babies satisfy their need to investigate and explore as they handle a range of sensory toys that feel smooth, rough and crinkly. They enjoy the feel of paint squishing between their hands and toes, gurgling excitedly as they are able to roll around and make marks on large sheets of paper. Older children enjoy more structured painting activities, designing pictures to their own satisfaction. They proudly display their work, with pictures of 'people who help us' and the lifecycle of the caterpillar displayed in the room for all to admire. This encourages children to take pleasure in their creations and builds positive self-esteem.

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

Children's understanding of safety is also well-promoted. They take part in regular evacuation drills and are instrumental in developing key rules for the setting that help to keep all children safe. For example, using kind hands and using toys properly.

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provision

The setting is led by a strong leader who has made considerable progress since the nursery first opened. She holds a clear vision for the future of the nursery and her systematic approach to implementing new ideas and monitoring their success means that this setting continues to grow. Her drive and enthusiasm has been effectively communicated and embraced by all staff who all share her desire to provide the best quality of care. Parents are also part of this vision and contribute to the nursery's development through the voluntary 'Parents Partnership Association'. This excellent practice provides a forum for parents to become actively involved and to share their views and opinions about how to improve the setting. As a result, children access a setting that is forward thinking, dynamic and firmly focussed on promoting the best possible outcomes for them.

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provision

Staff are supported in gaining additional skills, with regular access to training and annual appraisals in place to identify any particular training needs. Self-evaluation is generally successful in identifying areas for improvement. For instance, the layout of the baby room is evaluated and action plans are put in place to change the seating area so that practitioners are able to easily view sleeping children. The layout of the pre-school room has not yet been fully evaluated. Certain activities are prevented from being positive learning experiences as children are not able to easily group round to fully take part in adult led activities. For example, they struggle to find room at the sink, pouring water on each other by accident during a water play activity and become disinterested in a story which is being read to them as they wait for lunch, as they cannot see the pictures. All other activities are well set out and children do enjoy the resources on offer. For example,

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provision

they enjoy playing in the home corner, accessing the books in the comfy corner, writing and drawing or playing imaginatively with small world sets. Throughout the day they are keen to explore and play.

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provision

There are rigorous systems to observe, assess and monitor each child's development. Staff make pertinent observations across all areas of learning and identify children's individual next steps, which are promptly put onto the plans for future activities. This ensures children's emerging needs are followed up in a timely fashion. Staff also record children's self-initiated play, and use this to ensure that their interests are used as a basis for future learning. Consequently, children enjoy a good level of challenging activities that stimulate and engage them. Progress towards the early learning goals is reviewed and overseen by management to ensure that any concerns are promptly identified and followed up. Parents are encouraged to be part of the review process with sheets being sent home for them to identify their children's attainment. However, these are complex and contain specialised language used by early years professionals. Potentially, this prevents parents from

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provision

contributing fully. Furthermore, reviews in the baby room are infrequent, meaning that opportunities for parents to contribute to their children's ongoing assessment occur less often in this age group.

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provision

Nevertheless, positive partnerships exist with both children's parents and other professionals who have an input into children's care. The setting is committed to partnership working and staff do make considerable effort to engage all parents, providing lots of support to nervous parents and encouraging all parents to be involved in their children's care. They are also invited to open days, such as the Olympic event where both children and parents competed in sporting activities. The Parents Partnership Association is an active group who meet regularly. This illustrates how effective the setting has been in engaging parents and making them feel that their views are important. Parents' views are sought informally through discussion and formally through feedback forms. Parents comment that they are very happy with the care provided, commenting that the nursery has 'exceeded their expectations'. They particularly comment on the progress their

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provision

children are making and that they appreciate the friendly and professional approach, stating that 'the staff are approachable, understanding and really listen'.

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provision

Children's safety is well-promoted. All staff understand the signs and symptoms that may indicate abuse and know how to report any concerns. All staff receive training in this area and a full written policy is in place to support effective practice. The provider takes responsibility for any safeguarding issues and ensures that any incidents are monitored and followed up appropriately. The environment is fully risk assessed and all external doors are secure, with access being restricted through keypads and coded fobs. Children move around their base rooms safely, enjoying the freedom to select from the wide range of resources that are easily accessible to them. Babies and toddlers have ample space to crawl and climb on soft furnishings, supported by the attentive and vigilant staff while older children develop their independence as they move around freely, developing their creativity and imagination as they engage in role play, dressing up or using the home

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provision

corner to make 'bacon and eggs'. Consequently, children of all ages and abilities display confidence in their surroundings and are eager to learn and play in this welcoming provision.

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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 EY426494 Local authority Stoke on Trent Inspection number 807215

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 11 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 45 Name of provider Little Gemz Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01782 545464

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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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