Little Scallywags Day Nursery Ltd

Little Scallywags Day Nursery Ltd 476 Garretts Green Lane, BIRMINGHAM, B33 0SE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22/01/2013 11/05/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 satisfactory

 Partnerships with parents are a strength of the nursery. Parents’ views are obtained and they are included in developing targets for babies. All parents have ready access to the learning journals and displays which ensures a wealth of information is shared to promote children’s confidence and development.  The successful keyworker system supports children to settle in well, and nurtures their confidence and self-esteem. Staff have a good understanding of the needs of the children and demonstrate an extremely warm and caring approach. As a result, children confidently explore their environment.  Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the strengths of the setting and the areas that would benefit from improvement because self-evaluation systems are rigorous. They are working with staff to modify routines in some parts of the nursery to better support children’s learning and development.  Staff have developed strong partnerships with outside agencies such as health

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This provision is satisfactory

practitioners and the local authority Special Needs Coordinator to ensure good support is maintained for the needs of particular children.  Systems to safeguard children are strong. Rigorous recruitment procedures ensure that those who work with children are suitable to do so.

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It is not yet good because

 Children's learning and development needs are not always well supported. Children are moved through activities at a pace which prevents them from being able to fully engage in their learning. On occasions, some staff expect children to sit and listen in group activities for too long so that they lose concentration and are not actively involved in their learning.

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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 compulsory part 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 and quality of the teaching.  The inspector completed joint observations with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the five play rooms and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager of the provision and the early years professional.  The inspector looked at children’s assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of staff suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children, the provider’s self-evaluation and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and from information included in the setting’s own parent survey.

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Information about the setting

Little Scallywags Day Nursery Ltd was registered in 2009. The setting is privately owned and operates from a converted house in Garretts Green, Birmingham. The setting is accessed via one step. The provision is situated on two floors, with stairs leading to the first floor. There is an enclosed rear garden for outdoor play. The nursery is open from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm for 51 weeks of the year. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. Little Scallywags Day Nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 82 children on roll of whom 78 are in the early years age range. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, 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 24 members of staff who work directly with the children. Of these, one holds senior practitioner status, 19 hold level three qualifications, four hold level two qualifications and one is working towards a qualification. The manager holds a level six early years qualification and is shortly to complete her post-graduate certificate in education and a further member of staff is working towards a foundation degree.

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must:

 plan routines and activities to ensure children have uninterrupted time to play and explore, have time and freedom to become deeply involved in activities and ensure they are not passively sitting for too long listening to staff.

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who attend

Children settle well into the nursery because staff create a stimulating environment for children to explore, both indoors and outside. Staff establish children’s starting points by forming strong relationships with parents and carers, which allows them to determine what children can do and are interested in when they first arrive. All parents have ready access to the learning journals and displays which ensures a wealth of information is shared to promote children’s confidence and development. Staff plan a range of activities and experiences that support children’s learning and progress across all areas of learning. They then conduct regular observations in order that they have a good understanding of what areas of development children are confident in and where they need to go next. For example, pre-school children make effective use of the whiteboard, developing their skills in pencil control to make marks and enjoy writing for a purpose. They learn about shape

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who attend

and colour recognition and how to use technology to support their learning.

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who attend

Children are generally meeting developmental expectations, as set out in ‘Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage’. Staff use imaginative ways of ensuring children take part in varied activities to ensure they are supported in all areas of their development. For example, babies are provided with sand on the floor where they enjoy exploring its texture and properties. Staff working with young children use every opportunity to develop children’s knowledge of language. They promote their independence and confidence by, for example, giving them opportunities to serve themselves at lunch time. Through good role-modelling by staff, children understand and use very good manners, such as offering to find an adult a chair to sit on.

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who attend

Children in the pre-school room are developing their communication and language skills. During role play, encouraged by staff who engage well with children, they develop imaginative scenarios and story lines. They use their developing mathematical skills as they count in everyday situations. Staff support them to better understand the world and changes in their environment, as together they excitedly consider why the ice and snow is melting and dripping on the pre-school room roof.

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who attend

However, practice across the setting is inconsistent. The routine of the setting in some rooms, such as the pre-school room, impacts upon children's learning and development. Staff move groups of children between areas of play at too frequent intervals, often requiring toys and resources to be tidied away to facilitate other aspects of the routine such as snack time. As a result, children are not always given sufficient time to engage in their learning, concentrate and persevere at activities. This frequent change of routine hinders children's ability to return to an activity, sustain interest and extend their learning across a more protracted period of time. Some staff do not adapt the routine sufficiently to meet the needs of children and as a result expect them to sit for periods of time which are too long, when they are no longer interested in the activity, because they feel it is important to complete the activity rather than move children on to something else. On

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who attend

these occasions, children lose interest and their behaviour deteriorates.

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

The quality of care provided for children is a real strength of the nursery. It is evident that staff have a very good understanding of the needs of the children who attend and demonstrate an extremely caring and warm approach to them. As a result, children are confident in their care. A well-established key person system means that even the very youngest children form strong attachments to significant adults in their lives. For example, very young children in the baby room show delight when their key person enters the room. As a result, children settle well and feel confident in the setting. Staff build upon these strong attachments in the knowledge that children will grow in confidence in their learning as a result.

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

Children's healthy lifestyles are well promoted. They are provided with a good range of healthy meals and snacks and have regular access to outdoor play, even in cold, snowy weather. Staff place a good focus on supporting their physical development and use opportunities both indoors and in outside areas to enable this. For example, children squeal with delight as staff in the ‘Tweenies’ room provide them with the opportunity to run under the parachute and to then explore what it is like to sit on top of it.

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

Staff are good role models, which result in children who are well behaved. They are learning how to share and take turns and do so easily when given gentle reminders by staff. Social skills are enhanced by staff sitting at lunch time and eating their meals in familiar groups. There are clear boundaries set by staff of expectations of children in their behaviour. Staff give relevant focus to supporting children's transitions through the setting and then onto school.

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

Children are well supported in their understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Groups of children check areas to ensure there are no risks and older children are able to explain to younger children why it is important to use cutlery safely and, for example, not put a knife in your mouth whilst buttering the toast.

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provision

The leaders and managers of Little Scallywags Nursery show a strong commitment to improvement. They have a clear understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements for both learning and development and welfare. They have created an extremely welcoming environment for children and their families and changes made to the premises have been well thought out. As a result, the children are provided with an interesting and stimulating environment in which to play and learn.

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provision

Leaders are open to help and support from a range of agencies in order to develop the provision further. They link well with the local authority Early Years Development Team and the local children's centre. They make good use of the advice offered by the local authority early year’s teachers in order to support their own self-evaluation, to identify what they do well and where they need to improve. Through monitoring of the educational programmes they have a good understanding of areas that require improvement. For example, they have identified that learning time is wasted during transition times within the pre-school and have begun to work with staff to resolve this issue. They recognise they need to be more flexible with the routine, and in the use of the available accommodation, in order to successfully ensure that children's learning and development is promoted consistently well across the setting.

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provision

Leaders and managers monitor the progress made by children and use this information in discussions with staff. They currently analyse the information gained in order to identify targets for improvement for each room. Strong partnerships with outside agencies are used well to ensure all children make appropriate progress in their learning and development. Robust systems are in place to ensure staff are suitable, well qualified and equipped to work with young children. Detailed recruitment procedures ensure that new staff are appropriately checked and a comprehensive induction procedure supports staff when they are new to the setting. Strong systems are in place to continue the support for staff. Staff receive regular supervision where their on-going professional development needs are identified and planned for. Staff are confident in the ability to follow the child protection process and in systems to raise their concerns about any professional issue.

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provision

Parents are kept well informed, their opinions are respected and action taken swiftly when a concern arises. Parents value the support they receive from staff and report that 'staff are lovely'. They confirm that due to good communication even very young babies settle quickly and express confidence in the ability of the staff who adhere to their wishes.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY399440 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 901551

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 78 - 4 Total number of places 82 Number of children on roll 82 Name of provider Little Scallywags Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 11/05/2010 Telephone number 01217896497

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Type of provision

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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