Daisy & Jake Day Nursery

Daisy and Jake Day Nursery 106 Thurstaston Road, Thurstaston, Wirral, Merseyside, CH61 0HG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/03/2013 24/03/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff listen carefully to children and make suggestions to help extend their play. As a result, children thrive and make first-rate progress in their learning and development.  Children are keen to express themselves and have extremely good conversational skills.  Parents are kept highly informed of the progress their children are making and feel positively included in their learning.  Forest school sessions offer children regular opportunities to have fascinating, first- hand experiences, such as building dens for animals. This extends and promotes further rich learning opportunities for all children.  A clear safeguarding policy is in place and all staff cover safeguarding as part of their in-depth induction. As a result, safeguarding procedures are extremely secure, which protects children from harm.  Parents are extremely happy with the service provided, especially the strong attachments their children develop with their key person.

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This provision is outstanding

 Children are taught about various faith festivals and cultural celebrations through a full calendar of planned events throughout the year. This enables children to appreciate diversity and to value each other's differences.

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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 the staff and children engaged in activities in all nursery rooms.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to children throughout the day and to parents and carers when they came to collect children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had discussions with the management team and with various staff in each nursery room.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a sample of children's learning records, enrolment forms and daily diaries.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a range of organisational documentation, such as staff performance records, risk assessments and training information.

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Information about the setting

Daisy and Jake Day Nursery is one of three nurseries owned by the same provider. It was registered the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register in 2005 and operates from purpose-built premises in Thurstaston, Wirral. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery employs 28 members of childcare staff, 21 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. Two staff members are qualified at level 6, one of whom has Qualified Teacher Status.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is open five days a week from 7.30am until 6pm all year round. There are currently 158 children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age group. Children come from a wide catchment area. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. It supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery has an Eco School Green Flag award.

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

 review the procedure for providing formula milk, to take account of the best possible practice, following government guidelines.

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who attend

The range of educational activities available to children is exceptional. Forest school sessions offer children regular opportunities to have fascinating, first-hand experiences, such as building dens for animals, creating 'magic potion' and climbing trees. They explore the properties of moss, bark and stone, and use binoculars to hunt for bugs. In the nursery garden, children make pies in the mud kitchen and investigate insects and flowers in the wildlife garden. Children's learning about the environment extends indoors as they play with snow. Staff explain that the warm temperature indoors is making the snow melt and that the ice is turning into water. Children wonder if the snowman they built has melted yet because the sun is shining. Children confidently talk about the caterpillars in the butterfly garden; they explain that they have turned into chrysalis and are going to become butterflies. Children's mathematical development is fostered excellently through

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who attend

both planned and spontaneous learning. Children regularly count during their day. For example, they count out how many cups and plates they will need at lunch time and how many children are in the line. All children have a wealth of opportunities to explore using their senses. They make marks in shaving foam, pour dry sand and make shapes out of play dough. Staff listen carefully to children and make suggestions to help extend their play. As a result, children thrive and make first-rate progress in their learning and development, taking into account their starting points and capabilities.

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who attend

Assessment of children's learning is rigorous; staff make detailed and precise observations of children's development in all seven areas of learning and use children's interests to develop varied and imaginative activities to help them make progress. Regular tracking of children's progress ensures that those children who need it get prompt and effective support. The vast majority of children are exceptionally confident talkers for their age because staff ask open-ended questions and give them time to think and respond. As a result, children are keen to express themselves and have very good conversational skills. They listen to each other, make suggestions and describe events in their lives. Children who speak English as an additional language are extremely well supported. Staff learn simple words and phrases in children's home language and use them regularly. Supporting children to become independent is a high priority for staff, they consistently encourage

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who attend

children to persist in learning by praising their efforts and helping them to solve simple problems. For example, when a child says they cannot get their peas onto their fork, staff make a suggestion, 'Why don't you try to push to them on, using your knife?' and then say 'Well done! I knew you could do it' when they succeed. Consequently, children are active and keen learners who are exceptionally well prepared for school.

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who attend

Parents are encouraged to support their child's learning at home in an innovative range of ways. Children take home Ted, the teddy, and both children and parents contribute to a diary that explains what Ted has been doing. Ted can be seen enjoying lots of interesting activities and parents write detailed accounts. Weekend diaries go home and parents write what children have enjoyed doing. Staff share the diaries at circle time and so celebrate children's home life. Parents join in a nature trail with children in the woods and help pick up litter on the beach as part of a campaign. These activities, alongside regular parent evenings, daily diaries and monthly 'look at me' sheets, ensure parents are kept well informed and feel positively included in their children's learning.

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

Children form close and responsive bonds with their key person and this gives them a secure base from which to explore and investigate their environment. Staff are always on hand to offer support, make suggestions and help children solve simple problems. Consequently, children are active, animated learners who are fully engaged in nursery life. Children make good friends and enjoy sharing their experiences of nursery and home during circle time. They learn to listen, take turns and consider the feelings of others, and so behave very well. The nursery is exceptionally good at helping children to respect the environment, through their participation in the Eco School initiative. Children confidently explain how to recycle paper in the special bins and help to conserve energy by switching off lights as they leave the playrooms. This concern for the environment is further developed by weekly visits to the woods, where children learn about trees, plants and

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

local wildlife. Children learn to take measured risks when they climb trees and independently explore, within given boundaries. They benefit enormously from access to lots of fresh air and exercise, which adds to their enjoyment and overall development. Staff are adept at reinforcing healthy messages through everyday play. For example, when playing a shopping game, children know that carrots help them see in the dark and milk helps them grow strong muscles. They explain that sweets are a special treat.

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

The nursery provides a rich range of resources which are accessible to children. Children of all ages can independently select toys to play with and find small spaces to relax, away from the larger group. All areas of learning are well catered for, but resources for exploring technology are particularly strong. Babies have a range of cause and effect toys, toddlers play with remote control toys and pre-school children access computers, cameras, microphones and listening centres. Children are taught about various faith festivals and cultural celebrations through a full calendar of planned events throughout the year. They help to raise funds for a school in Africa and this further promotes their understanding of the wider world.

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

New children are offered flexible settling-in sessions that meet their individual needs. Parents share detailed information about their child's care needs as well as their stage of development on entry, and so the transition from home to nursery is usually smooth. Parents comment that staff are excellent at helping children to settle. Transitions between rooms are very effective. Children visit their new room frequently and get to know their new key person well, before they move permanently. Detailed information is exchanged between rooms to ensure all staff understand each child's unique needs, and parents contribute to transition plans.

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provision

Leadership and management are excellent. A clear safeguarding policy is in place, and all staff cover safeguarding as part of their in-depth induction. Rigorous risk assessments ensure the environment is safe and procedures for administering medicine and recording accidents are consistently followed. Currently, parents bring in ready made up bottles of formula milk, following the correct procedures. However, government guidelines say best practice is to make up formula bottles for babies on demand, as this is the most effective method to ensure harmful bacteria are not present. Effective methods of communication are in place to ensure managers are fully aware of, on a daily basis, staff deployment, planned activities, children's individual needs and settling-in visits, in this busy and vibrant nursery. All children's development is monitored on a termly basis and the data collected is analysed to inform development support plans for individual children. As a result, the

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provision

management team have an excellent overview of how individual or groups of children are progressing towards the early learning goals. Weekly team leader meetings provide opportunities for senior staff and managers to exchange information about individual children, the daily curriculum, new initiatives or feedback from parents.

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provision

The nursery training plan has been devised around a traffic light system. All staff work their way through the red, amber and green stages of training after their initial induction. This process is highly effective in ensuring even very experienced staff who are new to the setting understand and are fully aware of the policies and procedures in place. The staff team are highly motivated and many are currently studying to obtain higher qualifications, such as foundation degrees or Early Years Professional Status. Research by individual staff into the benefits of messy play has led to the implementation of a muddy kitchen in the garden, which has had positive effects on children's learning. Robust supervision and appraisals support staff in their professional development, as specific targets are set and regularly monitored. The management team are highly reflective and are driven to continually develop and improve the already outstanding practice. This proactive approach

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provision

is mirrored by the staff team, who are keen to share the exciting activities they provide for children and the plans they have in place to develop.

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provision

Parents are extremely happy with the service provided, especially the strong attachments their children develop with their key person. They receive regular detailed information about their children's development and suggestions on how to help their child develop further at home. They feel confident in discussing any concerns they have about their children and feel supported by staff and managers. Regular parent questionnaires allow parents to share their views and make suggestions for development. For example, in the most recent questionnaire, a parent asked for more information at the beginning of the day about the activities on offer that day for their child. This was discussed at a staff meeting and, as a result, staff let parents know the plans for the day ahead.

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provision

Partnerships with outside agencies are strong. The nursery works with local rangers as part of the forest school approach, a local premier league football club, the local church and a specialist teacher who provides weekly Spanish sessions. As an Eco School, they are assessed to ensure they are maintaining the standards required to keep their Green Flag status. Regular meetings with the two other nurseries in the chain allow staff to share expertise and good practice. Effective relationships with health professionals contribute to children receiving the additional support they need to help them make excellent progress.

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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 EY298540 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 908639

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 82 Number of children on roll 158 Name of provider Daisy and Jake Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 24/03/2009 Telephone number 0151 648 1008

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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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