Learning Land Nursery

Learning Land 65 Derwent Street, WORKINGTON, Cumbria, CA14 2DW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/01/2013 08/03/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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 and secure because they have formed close bonds with their key person who knows them well. This means each child's needs are well met.  Skilled and knowledgeable staff support children's learning well. They understand how children learn best and provide them with a wide range of experiences. Consequently, children make good progress in all areas of their development.  Partnerships with parents, other agencies and providers are good. This ensures children are given access to appropriate help and that they are well-supported in their transitions both within the setting and to other settings, including school.  Leadership is excellent and the staff team are committed to improve the nursery provision for all children. Through setting clear action plans the continued development of practice is ensured.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Provision for children to display their paintings, pictures and models is limited. Consequently, opportunities to promote their self-esteem are missed and children may feel their efforts are not fully valued.  Staff do not consistently provide meaningful writing experiences for children to help develop their early literacy skills.

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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 play areas inside and outside and in the dining room.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of documentation including children's assessment records, accident and medication records and staff records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the management team, staff and children throughout the inspection.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Learning Land private day nursery was registered in 2004 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in the centre of Workington, Cumbria, and is managed by the owner. The nursery serves the local and surrounding area and is accessible to all children. It operates from a converted building and there are two fully enclosed areas available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 22 members of childcare staff. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round, from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 132 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 who speak English as an additional language and children with special needs and/or disabilities.

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

 provide suitable space for the display of children's pictures, paintings and models to show their efforts are valued and to further promote their self-esteem

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

 provide pre-school children with daily and purposeful writing experiences both inside and outside to ensure consistent progress of their writing skills.

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who attend

Children are well supported in their learning and development because staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage. They have a good awareness of the ways in which children learn best and provide them with many opportunities to explore, investigate and to learn through first hand experiences. Consequently, children thoroughly enjoy attending nursery and are inquisitive and active learners. For example, children investigate how fast cars go down a ramp and a practitioner skilfully supports children to extend their learning through effective questioning and by encouraging them to investigate what happens if they sit on the ramp.

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who attend

All children make good progress in their learning and development in relation to their starting points. Prior to joining the nursery parents and children visit to spend time with their key person and to share relevant information about their children's welfare and interests. This practice ensures every child's key person knows their individual needs and a good partnership is established with families. As a consequence, children settle well and are eager to learn. Staff undertake regular and detailed observations to clearly identify the next steps in children's development across the seven areas of learning. Children's progress is tracked and the completion of the two-year-old progress check ensures staff have a good knowledge of children's personal, social and emotional development, communication and language development and physical development. Planning is robust and is based on the individual needs and interests of children, which means staff provide

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who attend

children with a broad range of stimulating activities, ensuring they make good progress towards the early learning goals.

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who attend

Involvement in the 'Every Child a Talker' programme has enhanced staff knowledge of supporting children's communication and language development. As a consequence, throughout the setting, children's language and communication is well promoted. Adults display enthusiasm and interest while reading and sharing stories and rhymes with the children. This ensures children are provided with good opportunities to develop a love of books and an awareness of linking letters with sounds. Children have continuous access to a wide range of materials and planned experiences, such as writing prescriptions in the role-play area to encourage early writing skills. However, staff in the pre-school room do not always maximise opportunities to further develop children's writing to ensure continued progress and interest. There are many opportunities for children to develop their mathematical skills, such as counting the beanbags thrown in the hoops, hunting for

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who attend

shapes and sorting teddy bear counters. Children's understanding of how things work and use of technology is encouraged through access to computers and a range of resources, such as pop up toys. In developing their creativity children enjoy using a good range of media and materials. They demonstrate a sense of pride in their creations and are keen to share their achievements with others. However, areas to display children's pictures, paintings and models to show their efforts are valued are limited.

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who attend

Within the very well-resourced baby room, staff give priority to the prime areas of learning to ensure children have a secure foundation to build on for future learning. For example, staff foster a baby's physical development well by supporting them to climb, roll and balance safely. Children display their delight when playing on the climbing frame and slide.

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who attend

Through daily sharing of information in the 'Boomerang Diary', parent meetings and regular access to children's 'Developmental Files' parents are kept well informed of their child's progress at every stage of their development. Parents are positively encouraged to be involved in their child's learning. The 'Home Learning Sheet' for each age group provides parents with good ideas to ensure continuity of learning at home, for example pointing to facial features and singing a rhyme with their baby helps parents to support their child's development. The setting invites parents to share their professions and interests with the staff and children and play an active role in the nursery. For example, a parent who teaches French volunteers her time each week to sing songs with the pre- school children.

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

This is a child-centred, fully inclusive setting where all children and their families are welcomed. A warm greeting from the staff means children separate with ease from their carers and happily explore their surroundings. Throughout the nursery high priority is placed on children's personal, emotional and social development and consequently children are content, secure and play cooperatively with their peers. The key person approach is strongly established, which means children form a close attachment with their key person and that their needs are well met. Babies demonstrate secure attachments to their key person as they approach them for the reassurance of a cuddle when a visitor enters the room. Once reassured, displaying confidence, they move away and wave to the visitor. Staff place importance on easing children's transitions from room to room. Children's needs are well met because the children's key person accompanies them to

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

ensure they are settled and have formed a secure bond with their new key person. In preparing children for transition to school, the nursery has established good links. For example, children become familiar with the local school environment as the hall is used for special events, such as 'Graduation Day' and Christmas concerts.

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

The management and staff work particularly well to ensure children are provided with an enabling environment. For example, children regularly visit the sensory room where they can relax and benefit from experiences using all of their senses. Furniture, resources and equipment are of a high quality and suitable for the ages of the children to support them in their learning and development. All of the rooms are richly equipped with quality resources that support children's learning and acquisition of skills. Indoors, the rooms are well organised and the furniture is arranged to allow children to play safely. Children have daily access to the outdoor environment to engage in physical and outdoor play, experiencing fresh air and challenge. A planned priority for the setting is the development of the outdoor environment for toddlers and babies to ensure the youngest children have high quality outdoor play experiences and they are currently working on improving this

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

Children's care needs are very well provided for with cosy areas for rest and relaxation in each room. Children are encouraged to develop their self-care skills and an awareness of the importance of healthy practices through regular routines, such as hand washing and learning to put on their coats to go outside. Children's behaviour is good because staff take a consistent approach in their expectations regarding how children behave. This means that children learn to share, play safely and be considerate towards each other. The overall atmosphere is one of calm, so children are happy and focused during child- initiated and adult-led play.

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

All meals are freshly prepared and cooked on site. Staff sit with the children while they eat and model good language to help children learn and understand the importance of healthy lifestyles. They effectively support children to adopt good table manners and encourage them to eat well. Consequently, children enjoy mealtimes with their peers and the opportunity to talk to each other.

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provision

The setting is led by a highly qualified management team, as both the manager and deputy manager have achieved an honours degree in studies related to early education. The management team demonstrates a good understanding of their role in meeting the learning requirements of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage. They have put in place thorough procedures to overview the educational programmes and this ensures children experience both depth and breadth in their learning. For example, staff teams meet weekly to share planning and discuss how best to meet children's needs across all areas of their development. The management team monitors staff performance through supervision meetings and are fully supportive in encouraging staff to develop their practice. Regular opportunities for staff to attend training to extend their knowledge, understanding and skills are provided. As a consequence, staff are well trained and

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provision

The management team are inspirational in their striving for high quality and continuous improvement. Regular and very comprehensive self-evaluation, which includes the views of staff, the local authority, parents and children, ensures that priorities for development are well-identified and acted on. For example, staff and parents have contributed to the plans to develop the outdoor provision for the youngest children. The management and staff work closely together to implement change to further develop the provision and to provide an enabling environment where children consistently make good progress in all areas of learning and development. As a team, to promote parent partnership, all staff were involved in a parents' evening to introduce the revised Early Years Foundation Stage framework.

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provision

Children are safeguarded well and staff knowledge of safeguarding is good because all staff are trained. They understand the policies and procedures for safeguarding children and are diligent and clear regarding their roles and responsibilities to ensure children are protected. For example, all visitors and staff hand in their mobile phones at reception. Robust recruitment procedures for vetting and assessing the suitability of staff are implemented, followed by in-depth induction for new staff to ensure the well-being of children. Comprehensive risk assessments are completed before children are taken out for outings to minimise risks to ensure their safety.

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provision

A fully comprehensive range of policies and procedures meet all welfare requirements and ensure the safe and efficient management of the setting. When children start at the setting, parents are provided with detailed information on policies and procedures and are kept well informed through noticeboards, newsletters and parents' evenings.

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provision

The nursery promotes an open door policy and this means parents are warmly welcomed as the management and staff team are fully committed to working in partnership. Parents are very complimentary about the staff and are really happy with the care provided by the nursery. They say their opinions are valued and their views listened to. Partnerships with other providers and external agencies are in place to ensure improved outcomes for children. For example, for children who attend the nursery and other early years providers, staff have implemented a diary to share information and to promote continuity in the children's care and learning.

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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 EY276710 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 877666

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 89 Number of children on roll 132 Name of provider Hilary McCarron Date of previous inspection 08/03/2010 Telephone number 01900 601 222

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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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