Dolphin Day Nursery

Dolphin Day Nursery Falconers Hill Infant School, Ashby Road, DAVENTRY, Northamptonshire, NN11 0QF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/01/2013 05/07/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 The educational programmes are monitored effectively. Individual children are supported well by staff as they are challenged effectively to reach next steps in their learning. Parents are actively involved in their children's learning and development, and children are happy and settled.  Staff support children well to develop an understanding of the importance of physical exercise and a healthy diet, and to manage their own hygiene and personal needs. Children's good health is protected because meals and snacks provided for children are varied, healthy and nutritious.

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It is not yet good because

 The record of children present on the premises is not maintained accurately at all times. This has an impact on children's safety. For example, should it be necessary to evacuate the nursery, the record does not always show who is present and who has left the building.  Some group-time activities for pre-school children do not engage all of them in the group. Consequently, not all children join in and some lose interest.

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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 rooms and the outdoor learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the provider/manager of the provision and spoke to staff and children.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the provider/manager.

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Inspection activities

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

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Information about the setting

Dolphin Day Nursery registered in its current premises in 2010. It is privately owned and is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery operates from purpose built premises in Daventry, Northamptonshire. All children have access to enclosed outdoor play areas. The building is all on ground level with a ramp at the entrance.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round, except for public holidays and a short break between Christmas and New Year. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 89 children on roll aged eight years and under. Of these, 44 are in the early years age group and four early years children attend before and after school. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds. It supports children with special needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications ranging from level 2 to 6. The manager holds Early Years Professional Status. The nursery holds National Day Nursery Association and Pre-School Learning Alliance membership.

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must:

 keep an accurate daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance.

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

 improve the organisation of large group activities in the pre-school room to ensure that every child is fully engaged; with reference to some inconsistent story-telling practice and the length of some planned activities.

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who attend

The nursery manager and staff team demonstrate a good awareness of the learning and development requirements within the revised Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children make good progress in their learning. Staff initially take account of information obtained from parents on what their child already knows and can do when planning activities. Children are provided with a good variety of toys and they enjoy activities that challenge them effectively, although, staff do not always identify when some children are beginning to lose interest in a planned group activity. Staff record observations, in order to track children's progress. They successfully assess each child's stage of development and plan for next learning steps. Assessment records are available to parents at all times and they are encouraged to share information on achievements at home to inform their child's planning. With parents' support, information is shared

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who attend

between nursery staff and other early years providers, in order to ensure continuity of care and learning for children.

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who attend

Children's personal, social and emotional development is addressed very well by staff. Their independence is promoted effectively within playrooms as toys are stored on low- level shelving, so that they can select for themselves. Access to outdoor play areas is good for all children throughout the year, and is flexible for those, who prefer to stay inside. Staff follow the individual interests of children enthusiastically and inspire others to become interested also. Children aged two years are keen to play with 'treasure' and tools. They pretend to dig for treasure with spades while playing in their playroom and staff offer good support as they initially offer a large box of toys for treasure hunting and then suggest that they dig outside in the snow. Most children are keen to find their coats and boots and go outside to make foot prints in the snow. Large physical play equipment in outdoor play areas challenges children effectively. Some children prefer to stay inside

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who attend

and they choose from a good variety of role play resources to 'fix' toys. Staff ask open questions to encourage children's thinking and vocabulary as they support their play. Children show an awareness of different quantities and use mathematical language. They choose a selection of tools and then find others and say that they now have more tools. They use good manipulative skills as they pretend to tighten bolts with a spanner on the wheels of a sit and ride toy.

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who attend

Children in all rooms choose from a good variety of resources that they can explore and investigate. Babies explore the different textures of items in a treasure basket. They make marks in paint with their hands and brushes and in flour with cars. They mould and squeeze jelly and play dough and explore cooked and raw pasta. Young children gain manipulative skills and an awareness of size and shape as they play with inset jigsaw puzzles and post shapes into sorters. Older children demonstrate good pencil control as they draw pictures and write about what they have been discussing with their key person and other children in small groups. They recognise and are learning to write their own names. Books are easily accessible in all rooms and children independently choose favourites to be read by a staff member. Older children are keen to listen to stories at group time. They are fully engaged when they can see the pictures in the book and when

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who attend

they are able to interact with staff. They confidently answer open questions asked by staff and are encouraged to count with one to one correspondence as they look at illustrations. However, during some story time sessions, children lose interest when they cannot see the book easily. Older children speak confidently to staff and to their friends. They enjoy music and singing and they independently sing rhymes that they know as they look through a nursery rhyme book. Babies are keen to join in with the actions to songs that they are familiar with and when asked, older babies say, 'baa baa black sheep' is their favourite. A favourite activity outside the nursery is 'rhyme time' at the local library.

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

Care practices help children to feel emotionally secure, ensure that they are mentally and emotionally healthy, and generally keep them safe. However, not all the required documentation to support children's safety is kept appropriately. Children's physical development is promoted effectively. Their good health is protected because they are encouraged to choose outdoor play activities throughout the year. The outdoor environment includes a sensory garden and areas for planting and growing, so that children can help to prepare the soil and plant seeds. Large physical play equipment enables children to practise climbing skills and they are aware of safety rules. For example, pre-school children know that when it is wet, they are unable to use the climbing hill because it is too slippery. They visit and gain an awareness of different parts of the local community, and at the same time learn how to keep themselves safe. They know

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

that they must hold hands with an adult and look for cars before crossing the road.

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

Children's personal, social and emotional skills develop well. They are settled, happy and confident, as a result of positive relationships between them and their key people. Young children play happily alongside others and seek out staff for support, and friendships have formed amongst older children. Staff are consistent in their management of behaviour with a focus on positive reinforcement, in order to boost children's self-esteem. Children learn to negotiate, share and take turns. They gain an awareness of different traditions and how other people live. Festival celebrations and topics promote children's learning with regard to traditional costume, food and music. Books and toys reflect diversity positively.

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

In order to ensure each child's emotional security, parents are asked to settle their child in gradually. Children are well prepared for their transition within the nursery and into other early years settings and school. Admission information on each child's care needs is thorough. Parents are provided with information on safety, illness, accidents and meals. Children's good health is considered well because providing them with a balanced diet is given a high priority. Children are developing an ability to attend to their self-care needs. They are aware that they must wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet and they are encouraged to put on their own coats and boots before playing outside.

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provision

Effective practice is in place to monitor the educational programmes and improve learning opportunities for children. Monitoring of the care provision is also generally effective and records generally support staff practice with regard to keeping children safe. The inspection took place following notification from a parent that their child had been taken on an outing, when the child was in fact on the premises. Therefore, a requirement to ensure a daily record of children being cared for on the premises is kept, is not consistently met. Consequently, it is not always possible to ensure that children are not missing or to make sure that all of them are escorted safely from the building if evacuation is necessary.

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provision

The manager ensures that staff are aware of the revised Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and the 'Development Matters' guidance. As a result of this guidance, documentation has been amended and staff successfully plan and provide challenging activities for individual children. In order to ensure improvement, advice and support is welcomed from local early years advisors and the nursery is linked to a quality assurance scheme. Self-evaluation includes the views of parents and children as well as staff. Further development is being planned for the outdoor area and includes the addition of a cover over a seating area used for story times. Since the last inspection, the manager has achieved Early Years Professional Status and the nursery has been given the local authority's Heartbeat Award in recognition of the quality of meals. There were two recommendations raised at the time of the last inspection and both have been addressed.

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provision

Children's welfare needs are addressed because requirements for staff to child ratios are being met. Staff are encouraged to improve their level of qualification. The manager ensures that all staff attend training on safeguarding, food hygiene and first aid, so that children are appropriately safeguarded. The manager and staff are aware of their responsibilities with regard to protecting children from abuse. A safeguarding policy is accessible to staff and parents and is in line with the Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Board procedures. Children are safeguarded because recruitment and selection procedures are thorough. Staff are not allowed unsupervised access to children until all checks are completed.

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provision

The manager and staff team address inclusion well with regard to finding out about every child as an individual and addressing their different needs. Resources and planned activities are used effectively to raise children's awareness of diversity. Copies of policies and procedures, including complaints are provided for parents and these successfully reflect the ethos of the nursery. Parents share very positive views on the service provided and they are aware of their child's key person. Partnerships with other providers are used effectively to ensure continuity for children.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 keep an accurate daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance (Records to be kept).  keep an accurate daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance (Records to be kept).

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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 EY399838 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 896413

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 56 Number of children on roll 89 Name of provider Dolphin Day Nursery limited Date of previous inspection 05/07/2011 Telephone number 01327 301600

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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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