Dolphin Day Nursery

Dolphin Day Nursery Falconers Hill Infant School, Ashby Road, DAVENTRY, Northamptonshire, NN11 0QF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/04/2013 16/01/2013

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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

 There is strong capacity for continuous improvement. The senior team regularly spend time observing the staff who work directly with the children. They effectively monitor the quality of the care and education provided. This ensures positive outcomes for the children.  Children form trusting relationships with staff and other children. This helps them to separate from their parents and settle well on arrival. Many children demonstrate high levels of confidence and clearly enjoy their time spent in the nursery environment.  Most staff hold a childcare qualification, they have good knowledge and understanding of child development and how young children learn.  Inclusion is effectively addressed. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are sensitively supported by their key persons who have very good understanding of their individual needs. Children learning English as an additional

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This provision is good

language are effectively supported to use their home language in their play and learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is room to extend opportunities for pre-school children to think and respond to questions asked of them in order to become fully involved in conversations with adults.  There is scope to improve opportunities for children to develop their skills in becoming independent at snack time and in preparation for creative activities.

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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 three playrooms and the outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager, her deputy and staff at appropriate times throughout the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted joint observations with the nursery's manager and her deputy.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at the setting's self-evaluation document, a selection of policies, procedures and children's records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with children's parents and grandparents throughout the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Dolphin Day Nursery registered in its current premises in 2010. It is privately owned and is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery operates from purpose-built premises in Daventry, Northamptonshire. All children have access to enclosed outdoor play areas. The building is all on ground level with a ramp at the entrance. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round, except for public holidays and a short break between Christmas and New Year. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 110 children on roll aged eight years and under. Of these, 76 are in the early years age group and five early years children attend before and after school. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications ranging from level 2 to 6. The manager holds Early Years Professional Status. The nursery holds National Day Nursery Association and Pre-School Learning Alliance membership.

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

 extend opportunities for pre-school children to have more 'thinking time', for example, by letting them think about how they want to answer questions without staff jumping in too soon

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

 extend opportunities for children to develop their skills in becoming fully independent, by encouraging them to pour their own drinks at snack time, put on their own aprons and roll up their own sleeves in preparation for creative activities.

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who attend

Staff are secure in their understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and the progress check at age two. They provide well-written detailed information for parents to inform the Healthy Child Programme. All children engage in a stimulating variety of activities that enable them to make good progress in all areas of their learning. Staff have a good understanding of the children's individual interests and their preferred learning environments. Therefore, many activities are provided in the outdoor learning area. Staff are knowledgeable about the seven areas of learning and plan activities that incorporate experiences across all areas. Each child is assigned a key person when they start attending. The key person builds relationships with the parents and is responsible for monitoring the children's progress. This includes making regular observations of the children's learning, assessing their stage of development and

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who attend

identifying their next steps in their learning journey. Children's next steps effectively inform future planning, ensuring activities are relevant to their individual learning.

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who attend

Children make many choices about what they would like to do and regularly lead their own learning. For example, children create games, such as playing shops; they confidently state 'I'm the seller in the flower shop'. Staff effectively support their learning by providing resources for them to write and make marks during their play. For example, children make marks to represent the names of the flowers in their flower shop. Staff also engage in the children's games and prompt them to use numbers and mathematical language. For example, they ask 'how much are the flowers?'. Therefore, children are learning to use numbers in different situations. However, at times opportunities for children to engage in conversations with adults are not fully maximised. This is because at times when staff ask children questions they do not always give the children enough time to think about how to respond and move onto the next question.

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who attend

Babies and toddlers engage in creative experiences that capture their interests. For example, using their hands and tools, such as large paint brushes they play in a tray of flour. Staff encourage them to feel the flour by pouring it on their hands. They help them manipulate the brushes to make patterns and demonstrate how to blow the flour off their brushes. Therefore, they are learning how to use their senses and explore an interesting range of textures.

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who attend

Children's physical development is positively promoted in both the indoor and outdoor areas. Young children participate in a music and movement session where they use lots of energy. They jump up and march to the beat of the music and pretend to be a rocket blasting off into the sky. All children spend good amounts of time outdoors. Opportunities outdoors range from digging and planting small bedding plants to running through a tunnel and up and down a small hill. Therefore, children are gaining a range of physical skills that help to prepare them in readiness for school.

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who attend

Children who attend the after school club and at times the pre-school children are effectively encouraged to become independent. For example, at lunch and tea time they select what they would like to drink and pour it from jugs for themselves. However, pre- school children's skills in becoming independent are not always fully maximised. For example, at times their snacks are pre-prepared, their drinks are poured for them and staff roll up their sleeves and put on their aprons. Consequently, this hinders children from developing strong self-help skills.

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who attend

Staff caring for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities know these children very well indeed. They are sensitive towards their individual needs and very effective in supporting them and their families. Children with English as an additional language have many opportunities to use their home language during their play. They are cared for by staff who are bilingual and other staff who are keen to learn some words in the children's home language. Therefore, children's communication and language development is effectively enhanced.

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who attend

Secure arrangements are in place to encourage parents to share information about their child when they first attend. Also, on an ongoing basis through a variety of methods they are encouraged to share their observations of their children's learning at home. This may be verbally on arrival or collection or by making written notes to inform their learning records. Staff provide parents with a wealth of information about their children's current stage of development and how they can support them to develop further at home. For example, information is shared at organised progress meetings, and through the sharing of detailed written reports. Parents are also effectively helped to become familiar with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. For example, during initial visits staff refer to this guidance and information is attractively displayed explaining the seven areas of learning. Consequently, parents are kept fully informed.

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

The whole nursery environment is clean and well maintained. Displays are informative and attractively displayed. All parents, visitors and children are warmly welcomed into the nursery by the friendly staff team. On arrival staff talk with parents finding out about the time children have spent at home and their general well-being. Therefore, this promotes consistency in the care of the children.

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

Children's behaviour is good. This is achieved in part because staff regularly remind them about how to behave. They also make sure children are aware of the consequences of their actions. For example, they explain to younger children that, 'if you run too fast indoors you will fall over'. They also explain to children that it is wrong and not nice to bite or hurt other children. Therefore, children are learning the difference between right and wrong and how to keep themselves and others safe. Staff take all opportunities to praise children for a job well done, regardless of how big or small their achievements may be. For example, they praise them for demonstrating with their arms how to roll a rolling pin and for repeating new words introduced by staff, such as 'bumpy'. Therefore, children feel good about themselves and are confident in their surroundings.

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

During the settling-in procedures staff ensure they spend time with parents getting to know the children and their families. They obtain relevant information about parents' wishes, children's preferences and their routines, during short visits. This information is then reviewed on a regular basis to ensure all details are up to date. Parents of babies and toddlers are also encouraged to regularly communicate their needs through daily diaries. Consequently, the children's needs and parents' wishes can be continually met. Children who are new or less settled are supported by their key person in a sensitive manner. They comfort them on arrival and gradually engage them in activities. Staff are readily available when the children need a cuddle and further reassurance, helping the children to settle. Parents are also reassured through the settling-in period by staff and management. Consequently, this helps parents feel less anxious.

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

Effective transitional arrangements fully support the children as they move through the nursery and onto school. For example, in preparation for moving onto school staff take the children to the local schools to become familiar with the environment. Reception teachers are invited into the nursery to meet the children in familiar surroundings. Therefore, children are at ease in building new relationships that support them through to the next stage in their lives. With parental consent, staff share their knowledge and records of the children's overall development and care needs. This practice successfully promotes consistency for the children.

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

Many staff hold a first aid qualification; therefore, children can be appropriately cared for in the event of an accident. Supervision of children is effective and accidents involving children are infrequent. Children learn good personal hygiene through consistent routines. There are also displays in the children's bathrooms about how to wash hands at the children's eye level. This supports them as they practise hand washing. Older children participate in discussions that help them extend their understanding of being healthy. For example, they engage in conversations with staff about 'foods that make us muscly and strong'. In addition, dental hygienists visit the nursery helping children to learn about oral hygiene. Consequently, children are learning how to lead a healthy lifestyle.

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provision

There is strong capacity for improvement as the management team are committed to ensuring the nursery provides high quality childcare. They regularly monitor all aspects of the provision and accurately identify the strengths within the nursery and areas for improvement. For example, they identify the need to get more information about the views of professionals who spend time in the nursery. The views of children, staff and parents are effectively obtained and used to inform this process. This positively impacts on the quality of the service. In addition, they swiftly act upon recommendations raised by Ofsted inspectors. This has positively contributed towards engaging all children during group activities and the safety of the children. The secure monitoring of the educational programmes ensures the staff team are confident in delivering a broad range of experiences that help children make good progress.

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provision

Recruitment and selection is effective. Staff are recruited through interview and begin their employment on a probationary period, if their performance is not good enough they are not offered permanent positions. This has led to some recent changes in the staff team. Staff understand the need for confidentiality and are discouraged from discussing any nursery business on social networking sites. All staff fully understand their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding requirements. They attend training to keep their knowledge up-to-date and discussions about protecting children regularly feature as an agenda item in staff meetings. In addition the manager monitors staff's understanding by randomly asking them questions and discussing child protection guidance. Information on the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures is easily accessible and the written safeguarding policy contains all of the required information. This policy and a range of

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provision

other policies and information for parents is easily accessible. All adults working directly with the children complete appropriate checks; they are never left alone with children if checks are incomplete. Checks are also completed for adults who regularly work on the premises, for example, the cook and the cleaner. A record of all staff's individual Disclosure and Barring Service Check is maintained. Designated staff have responsibility for checking the environment on a daily basis prior to the arrival of the children to make sure all areas they use are safe. In addition children's safety is assured throughout the day as staff follow the nursery's procedures. For example, they make sure all visitors are monitored and recorded in the visitor's log. Records of children's attendance are effectively maintained clearly showing all children present at any one time. These records are also monitored at regular intervals by senior staff. Therefore, children are fully

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provision

Inclusion is effectively addressed as secure arrangements have been established to work alongside other professionals and other providers where children attend more than one setting. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language are fully included in the life of the setting. Good arrangements are in place to share information with parents about the children's overall care and stage of development. Regular communication through a variety of methods helps them support their children's learning at home. Grandparents and parents speak positively about many aspects of the nursery. They share that their 'children are always happy to come to nursery and in the early days they are reassured by staff when they feel anxious about leaving their children'. They also share 'very detailed written information is provided about their children's development'.

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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 EY399838 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 912970

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 56 Number of children on roll 110 Name of provider Dolphin Day Nursery limited Date of previous inspection 16/01/2013 Telephone number 01327 301600

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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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