Little Owls Nursery (Carlisle) Limited

Little Angels Nursery (Carlisle) Ltd 28 Portland Square, CARLISLE, Cumbria, CA1 1PE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31/05/2013 09/04/2009

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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 staff form secure attachments with the children in their care through an effective induction procedure. Key persons support children well as they move from one room to another. As a result, children are very happy and settled within the setting.  Children make good progress in their learning because the staff complete regular observations and assessments of children as they play. The next steps in their learning are clearly identified and supported through a range of interesting and challenging activities.  The play environments are welcoming, bright, rich in print and fully accessible by all children. A wide range of photographs and children's work is displayed around the rooms. This ensures that children feel valued and can be proud of their achievements.  Partnerships with parents are good because the staff skilfully involve them with their children's learning at home. This ensures that a shared approach to children's learning

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to increase children's awareness of the diverse needs of others.  There is room to enhance the resources that support younger children to develop their early reading skills.

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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 had a tour of the whole setting including the outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children in the baby room and the pre-school room during a range of activities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the children, the staff, the registered person and the manager of the setting.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager of the setting within the toddler room.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of documentation relating to the setting and children. These included the policies and procedures, accident records, risk assessments, daily health and safety checks and children's records of learning.

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Information about the setting

Little Angels Nursery (Carlisle) Ltd was registered in 2006 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery operates from within a mid-terraced town house in Carlisle city centre and is privately run. The nursery serves the local and surrounding areas and is accessible to all children. The nursery provides care on three levels. The ground floor for the toddlers and pre-school comprises of two separate play rooms and an accessible toilet, the first floor for babies comprises of two separate play rooms, a sleep room and toilet facilities and the second floor for pre-school children comprises of a main playroom with toilet facilities. There is an outdoor play area to the rear of the nursery.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 17 members of childcare staff. Of these, 14 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.45am until 5.45pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 64 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 develop further the resources that support children's understanding of the diverse needs of others by, for example, providing a wider range of resources and positive images in children's immediate play environments for them to engage with and observe on a daily basis

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

 enhance the reading areas within the baby and toddler rooms to provide further opportunities for children to develop their early reading skills by, for example, providing a range of pictures, puppets and story sacks for children to access on a daily basis.

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who attend

Children make good progress towards the early learning goals, given their starting points. The 'Getting to know you' booklets provide the staff with a wealth of knowledge, which is sought from the parents to determine what children can already do. Precise observations of children which are clearly linked to the Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage, maintain a good record of their ongoing achievements. The assessments of children's learning and development are accurate and clearly demonstrate the progress that they are making, highlighting the next steps in their learning. As a result, children are making good progress and gaining the skills necessary for their future move into school.

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who attend

Planned activities are interesting and challenging and take into account the needs and interests of all children. For example, as children demonstrate an interest in superheroes, the staff plan an activity for them to design their very own characters on the computer. Children delight as they create a book containing all of their characters for the reading area. Staff skilfully extend children's learning experiences from home. For example, when children visit the nearby aquarium with their families, the staff extend this by providing opportunities within the setting for all children to paint sea life creatures and create a display. As a result, children develop their knowledge and skills and can share their own experiences with their peers. Children make good progress towards the early learning goals because they are provided with depth and breadth in their learning. For example, children gain an understanding of their world as they plant seeds in the outdoor area and

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who attend

paint spring butterflies using their hands. Older children develop their early reading skills as they are encouraged to talk about the initial sounds in words and are introduced to a wide range of materials to read within the reading areas. Younger children have access to a range of fact and fiction books and are encouraged to talk about their families as they look at their 'Me and my family' books. However, there is room to enhance the resources to support younger children in expressing themselves as they read books together, by providing a range of puppets, pictures and story sacks for them to access on a daily basis.

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who attend

Children with special educational needs and/ or disabilities, and children with English as an additional language are well supported in their learning. Staff ensure that specific, measurable and achievable targets are recorded in children's 'Learning journeys' and these are shared effectively with parents and other professionals. This ensures that they make good progress in their learning, given their starting points. All children learn about the diverse cultures of others as they read a range of books and take part in different festivals. However, there is scope to further develop children's understating of the diverse needs of others by providing a wider range of resources and positive images within their immediate play environments on a daily basis.

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who attend

Partnerships with parents are good because they are actively involved in their children's learning at every opportunity. For example, the staff seek relevant information from them to determine children's unique starting points. Parents contribute to children's ongoing learning and next steps through the 'weekend sheets' and receive a detailed account of their child's day through the daily diary. Progress reports are regularly shared with parents in order for them to further support their children at home. This all means that a shared approach to children's learning is fully established.

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

Children are very happy and settle easily in the setting because they feel safe and secure. The well-developed induction procedure supports staff to form secure attachments with all of the children in their care. An effective key person system ensures that children's individual needs and routines are effectively met and supports them as they move from one room to another. For example, as children move from the baby room to the toddler room, key persons support children through regular visits to their new room and stay close until they have formed attachments with new staff. A 'handover' sheet is also passed on to the next room to ensure that staff have a detailed knowledge of children's needs and interests. As a result, children are happy and settled as they benefit from smooth and effectively supported transitions.

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

Children benefit from a wide range of good quality resources that are fully accessible. Therefore, children are able to make choices for themselves. The play environments are welcoming, bright, rich in print and very appealing. Staff highly value children and the work that they do because they creatively display photographs and artwork around the rooms for them to see. As a result, children feel valued and can demonstrate pride in their achievements.

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

Healthy eating is highly promoted within the setting as children benefit from nutritious meals and snacks freshly prepared within the setting on a daily basis. They remain hydrated as water bottles are available for them to access as they play. The outdoor area is well equipped to ensure that children have plenty of opportunities to exercise on a daily basis through a range of resources, such as play houses, dens, slides and a physical education resource box. This all ensures that children adopt healthy lifestyles.

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

Children are confident and motivated learners who are encouraged to do many things for themselves. For example, younger children are encouraged to attempt to walk downstairs unaided as they go outside to play. Staff are on hand to support children as they do this by encouraging them to be careful and walk slowly, skilfully teaching them to keep themselves safe. Older children take part in 'Badger of the week' and hand out and clear away the snack and lunch dishes each day. A certificate is awarded at the end of the week to value and praise children's achievements. This all enables children to develop their confidence and independence skills through a range of challenging and enjoyable activities.

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

Positive behaviour is encouraged by all of the staff who use a range of sensitive techniques to ensure that children play cooperatively together and clearly understand what is acceptable behaviour. They role model the expectations of the setting very well as they engage with children during their play. For example, as staff are handed cups and plates for their picnic in the role-play area, they say thank you, modelling the expectations of the setting for children to follow. As a result, children are well mannered and display positive behaviour.

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provision

The managers and leaders have a good knowledge of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and implement this effectively within the setting. They skilfully monitor the educational programmes through regularly completing a 'summative sheet' to ensure that all children are making good progress in their learning, given their starting points. The quality of teaching is good because the whole team have a sound understanding of how children learn. They complete detailed and precise observations and assessments of children on a regular basis, clearly linking their progress to the Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage and highlighting the next steps in their learning. As a result, children are ready for their next stages in learning and are well prepared for their move on to school.

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provision

All staff are secure in their knowledge for protecting and safeguarding children and know the procedure to follow should they have any concerns about a child in their care. Accidents and incidents are consistently recorded and reported to parents at the end of the day. Staff skilfully review the risk assessments following an accident or incident and record the measures taken to prevent further accidents occurring. Therefore, this ensures that they are committed to keeping children safe from harm. Policies and procedures are well-written and are consistently and effectively implemented by all staff. Children are well cared for through an effective recruitment procedure which ensures that all staff are highly skilled and suitable for their role. As a result, children's safety and well-being is highly promoted in all aspects.

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provision

Self-evaluation is fully embedded within the setting because the staff have clearly identified the strengths and areas to improve. Parents are regularly consulted through the use of questionnaires and children talk about their likes and dislikes through regular discussions. This ensures that children's and parents views of the setting are valued. The whole team work well together and a wealth of expertise and knowledge are brought together as they hold regular staff meetings and attend regular training events in order to enhance and develop the setting. This demonstrates that they are committed to drive the setting forwards in order to improve the quality of care and learning for children.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are strong because the staff effectively communicate with them on a daily basis. Parents are actively involved in their children's learning as they contribute to their initial assessments, daily diaries and ongoing progress. Parents report that they are happy with the setting because all staff know them and their children very well. They feel well-informed of their children's progress and feel assured that their children are happy and safe within the setting. As a result, a shared approach to children's learning is fully embedded. Partnerships with external agencies are also well established. The managers and leaders seek advice and guidance from the local authority and work together with external agencies to support children effectively within the setting. For example, the staff work closely with the local health visitors to support children in their progress and learning.

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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 EY319329 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 856896

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 70 Number of children on roll 117 Name of provider Little Angels Nursery (Carlisle) Ltd Date of previous inspection 09/04/2009 Telephone number 01228 550503 or 01228 550560

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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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