Dot Tots Nursery

Dot Tots Nursery 1 Ebenezer Street, BILSTON, West Midlands, WV14 9LP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 06/02/2013 13/12/2010

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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 make good progress in their learning and development. They explore a stimulating, imaginative learning environment, which provides challenge and fun.  Children settle well due to the good relationships staff develop with their parents. Staff take time to get to know the children and their families well so that they develop strong attachments with children. As a result, children develop high levels of self- confidence and self-esteem.  The manager and senior staff have a good vision of what they want to do and achieve, continually developing and revising their self-evaluation systems to good effect.  Staff are knowledgeable and professional in their approach. They demonstrate an eagerness to learn and are well supported in accessing training and development opportunities.  Strong partnerships with other professionals, such as local authority early years advisors and speech and language therapists, supports children’s learning and

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This provision is good

development well. This particularly ensures good support is maintained for children with particular needs.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Not all areas of the environment are welcoming as some spaces require refurbishment and some resources are worn and in need of replacement or repair.  Not all children benefit from a secure tracking and monitoring system to ensure that all areas of their development and learning are accurately assessed; this specifically refers to the baby room.

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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

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged 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 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  scheduled 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 five play areas and the outside learning environment.  The inspector held meetings with the manager of the provision.  The inspector looked at children’s assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children, the provider’s self-evaluation form and improvement plan.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Dot Tots Nursery re-registered in 2007. It operates from a converted detached property in Coseley, West Midlands. It is situated on the main road from Wolverhampton to Birmingham and close to all local amenities. The nursery opens 8am to 6pm all year round except bank holidays and a week at Christmas. Children have use of eight rooms and a fully enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 85 children on roll of whom 32 are in the early years age range. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years. It currently supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff who work directly with the children. Of these, 13 hold Level 3 qualifications, two hold Level 2 qualifications and one is unqualified.

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

 improve the environment to ensure that all areas are well maintained and welcoming

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

 further strengthen systems to track children in the baby room, so that gaps in learning are swiftly identified and tackled

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who attend

Children make good progress in their learning and development. Staff have developed secure systems to assess children’s starting points when they first start. In both the pre- school and toddler areas, well-developed systems ensure staff can securely monitor children’s progress through comprehensive observation and assessment. They make good use of ‘Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage’ to track how well children progress. Staff caring for babies have correctly identified that their systems are less well-developed. They work closely with advisors from the local authority to further develop their systems so that they can be assured that the progress of babies is more reliably tracked. Parents are able to stay as long as is needed to ensure their child settles well. They are provided with opportunities to take part in activities alongside their child to support their learning and development.

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of how children learn and as a result, children benefit from well-planned activities which are linked to their interests and developmental needs. Staff skilfully extend children’s knowledge by, for example, extending children’s imaginative ideas in role play. Through observing children in their play, they develop themes which spring from children’s own interests and cover all areas of learning, in motivating and exciting ways. In the pre-school room, for instance, staff link children’s interest in babies to introduce a topic to develop their knowledge of their bodies. Staff develop the topic to incorporate a variety of areas of learning; they explore the impact of physical play on their health, they consider size, shape and number, and they introduce new vocabulary to develop children’s communication and language skills.

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who attend

Children’s personal, social and emotional development is promoted well as they are given opportunities to work together. Children’s achievements are valued and they gain a sense of ownership, pride and identity within the nursery as their work forms creative displays. For example, children draw around one of their friends, adding a life-size element to their learning. They add the attributes such as eyes, nose and mouth with labels to remind them of what they have learned. Younger children recognise that they are part of a group named after the flower names given to each area. This promotes a sense of belonging and enhances a sense of self-worth and confidence. Children make choices about what they want to do and what they want to play with. Resources, including a good variety of natural materials, are well positioned in their environment by staff to stimulate children’s ideas and interests.

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who attend

Children make good progress in their language and communication as staff are particularly effective in extending children's communication and language skills. Staff in the pre-school room extend the language being used by children to describe what they have been doing and develop their understanding of mathematical language. For example, using a measure to make a line they introduce the word ‘measure’ in talking about children’s creative work as they measure the line they have drawn with the rule. Children of all ages have many opportunities to explore language through singing. Even very young children express themselves freely and with gusto, singing familiar songs, spontaneously playing instruments to accompany their singing. Staff use familiar themes and topics, such as Valentine’s Day, to encourage children to make their mark in creative activities, sending messages of love to their family.

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who attend

Staff place a strong focus on supporting children with particular needs. The knowledgeable Special Needs Coordinator (SENCO) supports staff well to assess the specific needs of children. Working closely with outside professionals, individual learning plans are drawn up which are targeted appropriately to ensure children make good progress in measurable, time-related, achievable steps.

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

Children quickly settle within the nursery when they first start. Staff are well trained in behaviour management strategies and use age appropriate methods when teaching children how to be kind. They model good professional conduct and speak respectfully to one another. Children behave well and show consideration and negotiate with others to share the resources.

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

Children are well nourished. Healthy eating is promoted to children and parents across the nursery in displays and in menus. Through discussion with staff children learn about how to eat healthily and they access fresh air on a daily basis. They also enjoy a physical play space indoors, which supports their physical development. Staff support children in gaining independence very well. In the pre-school room, children take turns to serve themselves to the food provided at lunch time. They choose when they want to take their fruit snack, signing themselves into the café to demonstrate they have had their share of the morning snack. Younger children learn to put on their outdoor clothes as they go outside to play. Children attend to their own care needs, wiping their own nose and accessing drinks independently.

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

Health and hygiene is a priority in the nursery with hand sanitiser readily available on every floor and in every room. Staff use protective clothing when handling food or attending to intimate care needs of children. The safety of children is also a high priority for staff. Any potential risks are regularly checked by staff before areas are used by children. Good systems ensure children descend stairs safely and are closely supervised in a secure environment. Children are encouraged to explore the outdoor environment in all weathers and enjoy splashing in the puddles in their wellingtons or climbing, sliding and balancing on the equipment. Staff strategically position themselves to oversee the use of the area to ensure children’s safety. Consequently, children are learning to keep themselves safe in an interesting environment.

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

Staff make best use of the space available, arranging the resources to provide a stimulating environment, both indoors and outside, allowing children to take managed risks and explore safely. However, some areas of the premises are in need of renewal and repair, and some resources are beginning to look worn-out. On the ground floor, areas are not effectively used due to some repair work and renovation not being carried out.

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provision

The manager demonstrates a clear commitment to and understanding of how to provide the best possible learning opportunities and care for children. She has an accurate overview of the learning and development of children across the nursery. She monitors the progress of children in each age group by carrying out observations of work carried out by staff in each room, sampling observations and assessment records and through discussion with staff in supervision. Self-evaluation systems enable the manager to have a clear understanding of what the nursery does well and where they need to improve. For example, alongside staff the manager has correctly identified that closer monitoring of the progress made by children in the baby room will help to better identify where children may need extra support to close gaps in learning and has ensured that support is provided to address this. Clear action plans are in place to help the nursery to continue to improve.

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provision

Effective systems to ensure the safety of children are in place. Staff are well trained in child protection and have a good understanding of how to safeguard children. Supernumerary staff are available throughout the day and additional staff provide support when the need arises within the routines of the day, such as staff employed to cover staff’s lunch times. The policies and procedures of the setting are monitored closely and are well implemented to ensure children’s safety and well-being is assured.

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provision

Leaders and managers support a full programme of training to meet needs identified with staff through regular monitoring, appraisal and supervision meetings. Staff are eager learners and attend many training events. They take every opportunity to improve their knowledge and practice to develop learning programmes and experiences for children. There are close links with the local authority advisors and effective relationships with other professionals, such as speech and language specialists, which support staff well to help children make good progress.

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provision

Partnership with parents and carers is strong at Dots Tots Nursery. Parents spoken to share how happy they are with the level of communication they receive and support they get from staff. Strong attachments are made with key staff with whom the whole family become very familiar. Parents also comment on how valuable the ‘Open Day’ sessions are, allowing them to take part in activities with their child whilst at the setting. This promotes children’s self-confidence as they witness the positive relationships between the key adults in their life. Parents regularly chose this nursery for their younger children based upon their own good past experience and others are guided by positive reports they have received from within the community.

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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 action. 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 EY349520 Local authority Dudley Inspection number 904318 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 22 - 27 Total number of places 59 Number of children on roll 85 Name of provider Daycare (UK) Limited Date of previous inspection 13/12/2010 Telephone number 01902 883444

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: 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, which are usually the childminder’s 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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