Little Pals Childrens Centre Nursery

Little Pals Childrens Centre Nursery Bishops Park College, Jaywick Lane, CLACTON-ON-SEA, Essex, CO16 8BE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/03/2013 29/03/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 1 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

 Staff have developed effective partnerships with parents and other professionals. This means that all children receive appropriate support when needed and make good progress in relation to their starting points.  Children are very confident and self-assured as they have strong relationships with the staff.  Children's safety is given a high priority as staff take all the necessary steps to keep children healthy and safe.  All children enjoy daily access to the well-resourced outdoor play areas, which supports their good health and well-being.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to enhance children's knowledge of diversity and disability to support children's understanding of similarities and differences between themselves and others.  Children do not have enough rich opportunities to explore objects, such as natural resources and treasure baskets in order to support their sensory development.

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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 all three play rooms and the outdoor learning environment.  The inspector held discussions with the manager, deputy, staff and children.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the deputy manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and looked at the provider's website.

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Information about the setting

Little Pals Children Centre Nursery Limited registered in 2009 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery operates from purpose built accommodation on the campus of Clacton Coastal Academy in Jaywick Lane, Clacton and is managed by an incorporated registered charity. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 21 members of childcare staff. Of these, 17 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including one with Early Years Professional Status. Three members of staff hold early years qualifications at level 2. There are currently 102 children attending who are in the early year's age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who learn English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The setting also offers care to children aged over five, after school and during the holidays.

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

 enhance the range of experiences and activities, for example, by providing treasure baskets and natural resources so that children can explore and investigate using all of their senses

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

 enhance children's knowledge about similarities and differences between themselves and others by, for example, enhancing the displays within the nursery to include positive images of diversity and disability.

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who attend

Staff demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which ensures that children make good progress as they enjoy their learning through rich play experiences. Regular observations and assessments of what children can do, enables staff to maintain clear records of the progress each child is making. This also highlights children who may not be achieving in all areas of their learning and development. This helps staff to develop individualised plans or seek additional support for children in the areas they find difficult. Therefore, all children make consistent progress in relation to their starting points. Staff use plenty of number language and counting activities during daily routines with the children. For example, the babies enjoy singing number rhymes, while they wait for their snack to arrive.

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who attend

Children develop good speaking and listening skills as staff show a thorough understanding of how to support this prime area of children's development. Staff join in sensitively with the older children's games, which enables them to use good questioning techniques to encourage them to think their ideas through and make connections between different parts of their life experiences. Staff working with the youngest children are very attentive and teach babies to communicate their needs. They do this by using relevant words clearly in response to babies' gestures and babbling, repeating them for familiarity and praising babies when they create sounds in reply. Toddlers learn new words rapidly as staff repeats their words back correctly, which enable children to learn the correct pronunciation of words. Each room has a selection of books, which children freely access to read by themselves or to share with friends or adults. Children take books to their key

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who attend

person and enjoy snuggling up to them, while they listen to the story, which helps children of all ages to develop an appreciation of books. Consequently, children are gaining the key skills they need for the next steps in their learning.

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who attend

Overall, children are well supported in the prime and specific areas of learning, as each room has a broad range of resources for them to choose from. This ensures that children learn through play and are able to explore, move and combine resources to expand their play. For example, they use a variety of resources, such as cars, play people and shapes, to explore mark making in shaving foam. However, resources, such as treasure baskets and natural objects are not fully in place. This means that children are unable to explore a rich range of textures, materials and smells to develop their five senses. Children enjoy learning about other cultures and customs through celebrating festivals such as Diwali and the Chinese New Year. However, the playrooms lack some positive images of diversity and disability to fully support children's understanding of their similarities and differences.

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who attend

Each age group has their own outdoor play area, which means that equipment is safe and offers suitable challenges appropriate to their ages and stages of development. Children enjoy being able to use their physical skills to climb up the wooden climbing frames and learn to pedal bicycles. Children play in an environment where all staff actively promotes equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children. The nursery is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and has made effective partnerships with relevant professionals. The manager and staff welcomes other professionals, such as physiotherapists, and speech and language therapists into the nursery and work alongside them to support individual children.

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

Children arrive at the nursery, happy and eager to begin playing. Staff spend time at the beginning of any new care arrangement to find out all relevant information from parents about their child's likes and dislikes. This helps them to settle easily into nursery as they have good bonds with their key person. In addition, they form supportive relationships with adults and this enhances their well-being and self-confidence. Children have good relationships and play well together, as staff supports their understanding of turn taking and sharing resources effectively. This encourages all children to share resources, even the younger children who willingly share their toys and play alongside each other. All staff consistently model good social manners, ensuring that they use please and thank you when interacting with the children. This enables children to learn to be polite when talking to staff and each other. For example, children thank staff for their drinks at snack time.

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

Good hygiene routines and plenty of fresh air support children's good health and well- being. There suitable toileting arrangements in place. Children enjoy being able to freely access the outdoor area during the day, which means that many of them are outside for long periods of time. A good selection of resources outdoors, provides many opportunities for them to develop their physical skills and an understanding of the importance of physical exercise. Children enjoy healthy, balanced and nutritious snacks, which the older children prepare for themselves. A qualified cook prepares freshly cooked hot meals and teas for those children that do not take packed lunches to nursery. Some of the older children go to the dining room to have their lunches. This helps to prepare them for school lunch times as staff support them to learn to eat their sandwiches first and then any fruit or yogurt that they may have. Staff sit with the children around the large tables during

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

mealtimes, which allow children to experience the social aspect of eating together and being able to chat to their friends and staff. Staff ensure that any allergies or cultural dietary preferences are recorded in child record forms, which enables staff to be aware of children's individual dietary preferences.

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

The nursery runs an after-school club and holiday club, picking up children from some of the local primary schools. This means that staff have good links with the schools, which enables them to invite teachers into the nursery to visit children who will be moving onto school. Therefore, children get to meet their new teachers in surroundings familiar to them. This also enables detailed documents about children's progress to be shared, which means that teachers are able to support children's learning and development when they move into school.

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provision

The management have a comprehensive understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory Framework to the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children are safeguarded well, as all staff are fully aware of their responsibilities in keeping children safe. Staff attend regular child protection training, which ensures that they are up to date with procedures and policies. This means that all staff are aware of the procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child. Regular fire evacuation drills enable children to learn how to protect themselves in the event of an emergency. Safety measures, such as buzzer systems on all external doors ensure children's safety while in the nursery. Staff are clear about maintaining ratios at all times. Comprehensive risk assessment and visual daily checks of the indoor and outdoor environment means that the setting is safe for the children who attend.

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provision

The management team understands their responsibility in ensuring that the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are met. The management team regularly monitor children's learning journals to ensure that staff are able to correctly identify each child's current stages of learning. This enables staff to plan appropriate activities and challenges for children to ensure that they make good progress towards the early learning goals. The management team understand the importance of working with external agencies. This enables the nursery to draw on expertise and provide support for children, so they make good progress in their development.

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provision

The management and staff team are reflective, and they have met all previous recommendations from the previous inspection. They evaluate the setting well to identify anything that they could improve on, seeking the views of the parents and the children through verbal discussions and a parent comment board. Staff have opportunities to express their views as to how to move the nursery forward and improve the quality of the care and education through regular staff meetings and appraisals. The manager identifies staff training needs through regular staff appraisals, and uses the local council's training programme to enable staff to update their skills and knowledge and improve their practice. Parents value the support and the services they receive from the nursery. For example, a nursery bus transports children to and from the nursery who would otherwise be unable to attend, as their parents do not drive. Parents are kept very well informed

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provision

about their children's routines, care and learning. They work closely with key persons to share ideas and thoughts about children's experiences and 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 EY395827 Local authority Essex Inspection number 910675

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 75 Number of children on roll 170 Name of provider Little Pals Childrens Centre Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 29/03/2010 Telephone number 01255 687144

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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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