Little Learners Day Nursery

Little Learners Day Nursery 57 Edge Lane, Stretford, MANCHESTER, M32 8PA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/04/2013 17/11/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 The management team monitors the provision thoroughly, drawing up accurate plans and working hard to make improvements happen which has resulted in a well qualified staff team that are committed and have a good knowledge of the requirements.  There are effective strategies to actively engage parents in their children's learning at home and in the nursery which ensures that children receive relevant support and consistency and continuity in their learning and development.  Children are motivated and keen to learn in this welcoming setting. They show high levels of curiosity and imagination and demonstrate positive relationships with their peers and staff.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Activities and resources in some rooms and the outdoors are not always available to attract and sustain children's interest and purposeful play.  Although staff work well with parents to help children settle and become involved in their child's learning at home, they do not seek information from parents about what their child is able to do on entry to the nursery to aid planning for the individual child.

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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 spent time observing children's play in the group rooms of the nursery and outdoor play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a sample of documents and records and talked with staff and parents about the setting's procedures and children's learning and development.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation of children in the playroom with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Little Learners Day Nursery was registered in 2006 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates as a limited company. It is situated in a detached former residential building in the Stretford area of Manchester. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. Children have access to 10 playrooms located in the basement, ground floor and first floor and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs a manager and 38 members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications, including three with Early Years Professional Status or Qualified Teacher Status.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, with the exception of Christmas and bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 138 children attending who are in the early years age group.

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

 enhance children's learning and development by establishing children's starting points with parents on entry to the nursery

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

 extend the range of resources indoors and out so that all children can expand their imaginative play, their knowledge of information technology and understanding of diversity and difference.

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of how to promote the learning and development of the children using the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. This is because staff are all appropriately qualified for their roles. Staff understand their role in the assessment of younger children and complete the progress check at age two, which they share with parents. They monitor children's ongoing progress well, using observations and precise assessments. This good practice means that staff understand children's needs and plan challenging activities to support them in gaining skills to prepare for school. Children are provided with a range of stimulating activities that cover most areas of learning in the indoor and outdoor play areas. However, resources promoting information technology, imaginative play and represent diversity are not readily available in all areas of the nursery or the outdoor environment.

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who attend

Children are progressing well because staff plan and extend play and activities according to their individual interests and needs. Each child has a home diary and a learning journal. Parents are asked to contribute to this and to share what and how their children learn at home. However, this good practice does not extend to gathering children's starting points on entry to enable staff to plan immediately for the children's individual interests.

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who attend

The setting plans one-to-one time for parents and children who are new to the setting. This time is used to inform parents of how the nursery operates and make links between the nurseries' activities and home. This encourages the parents and children to form a strong attachment with their key person, promoting information sharing and supporting the children's well-being and independence.

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who attend

Staff support children's language development throughout all age groups. They sing to babies and use repeated language to help them learn new sounds and words. They value older children's ideas, which motivate children to think further. Children benefit from activities and opportunities to share experiences and knowledge from different parts of their lives with each other. They chat about their home life as they describe what the teddy did with them at home.

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who attend

Children's early writing skills are developing well and evidence of this is displayed around the rooms. During outdoor play, children concentrate as they negotiate the space on bikes, balance, slide and climb on a variety of play equipment and use chalk to make letters and drawings on the paving. Children are confident when using numbers in their play and are encouraged while they are counting. Staff talk to them about the days of the week, seasons and special dates. Children excitedly reply, 'It was my birthday that day' or 'On Friday l took the teddy bear to my house'.

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who attend

Staff are very attentive to the younger children's needs and support them through gentle communication and encouragement. They give babies lots of opportunity and space to explore and investigate their surroundings, but are on hand to give cuddles and reassurance when needed. This good support fosters babies emerging physical skills as they learn to crawl and walk around the soft and cosy baby-room. Staff join in with even the smallest of children, as they play hide and seek with coloured cellophane, feel and taste the chocolate cake mixture or explore and play and explore on their own beach created in the playrooms. Children's physical development is encouraged both indoors and outside in the garden. In addition, the weekly 'stretch and grow' sessions are a particular favourite. The outdoor play area now has a grassed area for the comfort of the babies. Children take part in activities to raise funds for charity and have some fun and parents

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who attend

are invited to have a voice in their forums and share their skills for the benefit of the staff and children.

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

Parents and children receive a warm welcome when they arrive at the nursery. Each child is allocated a member of staff, who helps them to settle in. This effective key person system enables all children to feel secure and develop trusting relationships.

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

Staff monitor children's progress and maintain good records to support children's well- being. Children show a strong sense of belonging within the setting. Staff are kind and attentive providing consistency, warmth and affection to the children so that they form secure emotional attachments.

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

Children display high levels of confidence and self-esteem. They learn to negotiate and cooperate with their friends and display good behaviour and awareness of responsibility. Staff support children's understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle that involves physical exercise and a healthy diet well. Staff are particularly focused on helping children to become independent and supporting them with the skills to do so. For example, they teach them how to pour their own drinks and feed themselves during mealtimes and how to brush their teeth and manage their own clothing. As a result, children manage their own personal care, develop confidence and become independent.

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

Children take pleasure in helping staff clear the toys and tables ready for lunch. The group rooms are welcoming and children sit comfortably as they enjoy a nutritious meal. Staff complete daily and monthly risk assessments of the premises, indoors and outside, to ensure children are safe as they confidently explore the environment. These assessments have recently been updated to include the entrance and exit gates, in addition the exterior gates have been fitted with an alarm to alert staff when they are opened. The staff are good role models to the children, responding appropriately to them and praising their achievements. As a result, children become confident and enthusiastic about their time at the nursery. They confidently greet visitors, introduce themselves and talk about what they like doing. All children receive support as they move on to different rooms and age groups. Staff work in partnership with parents to arrange the best settling in plan and, as

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

a result, children soon feel settled and secure. This encouragement enables children to feel positive and confident about the next stage in their education in a school setting.

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provision

The manager and staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements and how to implement the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. They have a secure knowledge of child protection procedures, which means they know what action to take if they are concerned about a child. Clear policies and procedures are known and understood by all staff and parents and embedded into practice. Arrangements ensure that all accidents are clearly recorded and that relevant information is promptly shared with parents. Staff receive first aid training to ensure that they are well equipped to respond appropriately to children's needs if an accident should occur. The manager and senior staff monitor the staff's performance well and there are clear procedures in place to tackle under-performance. There are comprehensive systems in place to ensure all staff who are employed are suitable to work with children. All staff are checked with regards to

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provision

experience, qualifications and suitability. Professional development is encouraged and staff attend training at regular intervals. This has resulted in a highly qualified staff team.

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provision

Effective self-evaluation helps to promote continuous improvement and staff and parents are keen and willing to participate. Management and the staff team work closely together to reflect on the quality of the provision. The staff share information with parent's about their children's routines and the activities they participate in. They do this by using daily diaries sheets, home diaries and the children's learning journals. Parents are asked to contribute and to share what and how their children learn at home. Feedback from parents comes in a variety of formats such as parent's forum meetings or questionnaires and the manager is very open to constructive criticism. Parent's comments during the inspection show they are happy with the nursery. They appreciate being able to talk honestly and openly with staff who know their children and value parents' suggestions as a powerful way to learn and improve their setting.

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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 EY334693 Local authority Trafford Inspection number 908692

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 94 Number of children on roll 139 Name of provider Honeysuckle Care Limited Date of previous inspection 17/11/2009 Telephone number 0161 8653803

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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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