Little Munchkins

Little Munchkins Silverthorne Close, STALYBRIDGE, Cheshire, SK15 2DQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/01/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children enjoy their time in the nursery environment which is warm, welcoming and stimulating. This enables them to develop their confidence to explore and learn in secure and safe, yet challenging spaces.  The key person system ensures that children receive relevant support and consistency of care. Staff are loving, sensitive and attentive to children's individual needs and know them well. As a result, children feel very safe and secure and are happy.  Staff understand their role and responsibility with regard to safeguarding children. Clear procedures are known and understood by staff to ensure children's safety is maintained.

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It is not yet good because

 Current assessment systems are not fully embedded to ensure they are precise and consistent and clearly identify children's next steps in learning and their progress.  The process for self-evaluation is not sufficiently developed to routinely include the views of parents and children.

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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 presented in the pre-school room and sensory room.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation and discussed these with staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager and director of the provision and checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with the children, the provider's self-evaluation, risk assessments, safeguarding procedures and a range of other documentation.

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Information about the setting

Little Munchkins is owned by Little Munchkins Ltd and was registered in 2012 and opened in 2013. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery operates from a converted school in Stalybridge, Cheshire, and serves children and families from the local area and wider community. Children have access to two playrooms and a sensory room on the ground floor and before and after school children access an additional three rooms over two levels. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery is fully accessible to all children.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm all year round, with the exception of Christmas holidays, and offers wraparound care to children who attend the local primary schools. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently four children on roll who are in the early years age group. There are a total of four members of staff who work directly with children. Of these, two hold early years qualifications at level 3, and one is working towards level 2. The manager has a degree in early childhood studies. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 develop current assessments to monitor children's progress across all areas of learning in relation to their age and stage of development, and use this information to address any learning and development needs.

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

 build on self-evaluation by extending opportunities to routinely include the views of parents and children, to identify strengths and areas for development.

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who attend

All staff demonstrate a good understanding of how to engage and capture children's interests. However, the setting is very much still in its infancy with very low numbers of children in attendance, and therefore the impact of the quality of teaching on children's learning over time cannot be effectively monitored. Assessment on entry and detailed information gathered from parents provides a secure base line for staff to identify children's starting points and meet their individual needs. Daily discussions with parents enable them to build on their home-based knowledge and experiences and provide personalised planning that is meaningful to each individual child. For example, children enjoy selecting their favourite trains and cars to race along the floor, under and over various obstacles.

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who attend

Systems for assessing children's progress in their development and to identify whether additional support is needed are not yet fully embedded due to children only recently having started at the nursery. Each child has their own learning journal to illustrate the progress they make and to identify any gaps in achievement; however, these are still in their infancy and yet to be fully used and developed. As a result, there is currently limited evidence to determine what level of progress children are making and the effectiveness of monitoring over a period of time.

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who attend

Teaching methods are strong as staff are skilful in the way in which they use adult-led and child initiated activities to question and challenge children's thinking. For example, during a group activity, children are encouraged to describe how snow feels. They correctly identify that it is 'cold'. They describe that it feels 'soft and fluffy' until they squeeze it together into a ball and they are then encouraged to observe the changes. They observe that it becomes 'hard' and when held in their hands for long periods it begins to 'melt'. They discover that the snow 'slides' and that ice can be dangerous outside as it is slippery.

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who attend

Interaction between staff and children is especially strong, which is highlighted in the children's reactions and the enjoyment they display. Children enthusiastically involve staff in their play as they engage in hide and seek around the room. They clearly enjoy the attention they receive as staff follow their lead. Children are encouraged to explore their environment and extend their play experiences by introducing additional resources of their choice. For example, they create snowmen, snow dogs and monsters, and collect additional items, such as eyes and small twigs, to enhance their characters.

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who attend

Older children are actively encouraged to talk about their experiences and explain what they are doing, developing their vocabulary and communication skills. For example, when playing with the dough, they are encouraged to use a range of words, such as 'squeeze', 'prod' and 'roll'. They discover number language as they create 'big' and 'small' balls of dough. They count the number of 'wiggly worms' they have made and identify which are 'longer' and 'shorter.' They engage in story time and recite their favourite stories and discover that print has meaning. Opportunities to mark make with a wide range of media encourage children to give meaning to marks. Opportunities to participate in self- registration on arrival help them to recognise familiar letters in their name.

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who attend

Partnerships are developing with the local schools, and sensitive support provided by staff ensures that children will be prepared for their transition into school. For example, children who attend two placements are taken to school by staff and encouraged to share their experiences. Staff liaise with teachers to discuss activity plans in order to complement their planning and have plans to share children's progress. Provision is also in place to enable teachers to visit the nursery to observe children in a familiar environment prior to transition to school.

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

Children are welcomed into a highly stimulating environment. A wide selection of good quality toys and resources are suitable for their age and stage of development. Low-level storage units are attractively labelled and easily accessible. This enables children to make independent choices, allowing them to express themselves creatively, use their imagination and play an active role in their learning.

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

Effective settling-in procedures and close liaison with parents ensure that every child's care is tailored to meet their individual needs. During induction a key person is assigned so that every child and family is provided with the opportunity to have a 'special' relationship with one member of staff. This provides parents with a familiar person with whom they can discuss their child's care with and ensures all children form secure and emotional attachments. Close bonds between staff and children are evident as they clearly enjoy cuddles and individual attention, which results in them feeling confident, motivated and safe. This provides a strong base for newly settled children, enabling them to become independent and receive reassurance and comfort from familiar adults. This enables all children to develop skills for future learning.

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

All children show a strong sense of belonging within the nursery. Staff are attentive to their individual needs, act as positive role models and treat children with respect and sensitivity. Children engage in a range of activities, such as accessing resources that reflect diversity and explore feelings. As a result, children show care and concern towards each other and learn to respect each other's differences. Children are sensitively supported during the induction process and transitions are based on what each child can do, which results in them being confident learners ready to embrace new challenges and experiences.

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

All staff have a good knowledge of children's individual likes, needs and routines. This results in children being happy, confident explorers as they enjoy investigating a wide range of resources. These include treasure baskets, enabling them to explore and experiment with the properties and elements of natural materials. They engage happily in sensory play as they smell large cones, roll textured balls and explore cornflour with their hands. They enjoy snuggling up to large soft bears and giggle with contentment as they wrap the bears arms and legs around their bodies.

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

Pre-school children are encouraged to be independent as they are provided with opportunities to pour their own drinks and prepare their own snacks. Low-level hand dryers and steps to access toilet facilities enable younger children to manage their personal needs with ease. Opportunities to play outside and engage in physical activities develop their understanding of healthy lifestyles. Children learn about managing risks and staying safe through a variety of experiences. They participate in fire drills, enabling them to become familiar with the routine to follow and develop their awareness of fire safety. They are encouraged to use resources safely, such as tools for dough and when accessing scissors. Children who attend two placements are escorted to school by staff members, where they develop their understanding of safety in the community by becoming familiar with the 'Green Cross Code' and keeping safe in a different environment.

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provision

Although the staff team is very new, they are eager to provide high quality care and learning for children and are highly committed to improve their practice. The drive for improvement is supported by a clear action plan which clearly identifies priorities to develop all areas of practice as the nursery becomes more established. Systems are currently being introduced to fully incorporate the views of parents and children, but are yet to be fully embedded in practice to ensure that their views clearly inform and target future areas for improvement. However, some changes have been implemented to reflect the initial views of parents during the nursery opening. For example, changes to the menu to include Halal meat and individual drinking bottles for the children. Robust recruitment, induction and performance management ensure that practitioners' strengths are valued and recognised. Although the setting is in its very early stages of opening, they have

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provision

started to reflect on their practice and are beginning to monitor the activities offered and their impact on children's learning. Managers are aware of the importance of monitoring and evaluating the development of planning and assessment to ensure staff have an accurate understanding of children's skills, abilities and progress over time.

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provision

Staff demonstrate a commitment to partnership working with parents and external agencies. Daily communication ensures that parents are kept fully informed of the breadth of activities that their children are actively involved in during their time at the nursery. Parents are encouraged to share their observations of what their children do at home and ideas are shared to support and extend children's learning. For example, counting and sorting grocery items when shopping to develop children's mathematical understanding. Plans have been identified to ensure that parents will receive periodic reports and invitations to meet with their children's key person each term, to enable them to be fully included in setting children's individual targets and help them to understand how to support their children's learning at home. Partnerships are developing with the teachers of local schools, and regular support and liaison with other professionals enables staff to

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provision

implement the revised Early Years Foundation Stage with confidence.

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provision

All practitioners have a secure knowledge and understanding of how to protect children in their care. They have all attended recent safeguarding training, ensuring that they are well aware of the relevant procedures to follow in event of any child protection concerns arising. Practitioners are committed to providing an environment that is welcoming, safe and stimulating where children enjoy their learning and develop their confidence. Every child is fully included and receives a happy and enjoyable experience that secures their future learning. Practitioners carefully assess possible risks and take effective steps to prevent accidents while enabling children to have freedom to explore and learn safely. For example, daily checks of the premises are conducted inside and out and any potential hazards removed.

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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 EY441823 Local authority Tameside Inspection number 810857

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 95 Number of children on roll 6 Name of provider Little Munchkins Limited Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07500 229541

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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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