Tot Spot Day Nursery

Tot Spot Day Nursery Dean Clough Mill House, Dean Clough, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX3 5AX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/05/2013 12/04/2011

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early years provision

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

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This provision is outstanding

 Partnerships with parents are excellent. The highest priority is given to the sharing of information, which means that the care children receive in the nursery is a true reflection of their home life. As a result, children settle extremely well and parents have complete faith and trust in the staff, who care for them.  Children are very confident, happy and secure in the nursery because staff as their key persons develop a very close and special bond with each one.  Children are provided with a wide range of exciting activities, both in the nursery and the local community, which fully capture their interest and inspire them to take part. This means that they become very motivated learners, who make very good progress in their development.  All members of the staff team are very friendly and approachable. They are dedicated to their work and ensure that they provide a vibrant, safe and exciting environment for

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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 premises and observed children playing in all the playrooms and outdoor area.  The inspector met with the manager and the business administrator.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and discussed the provider's improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's learning records, planning documents and policies.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Tot Spot Day Nursery Limited was registered in 2003 and is privately owned. It is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in the Dean Clough Mill Complex in Halifax, West Yorkshire. The premises was previously a mill house and have been specifically redeveloped for use as a nursery. Children are cared for in four rooms according to their age and stage of development. The nursery serves the employees of Dean Clough, the local community and surrounding areas. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 22 members of childcare staff. Of these, 15 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, two have level 2, one has level 6 and one has Early Years Professional Status. A business administrator and a cook are also employed. The nursery is open each weekday for 51 weeks of the year, excluding Bank Holidays, from 7.15am to 6.15pm Monday to Thursday and from 7.15am to 6pm on Fridays. There are currently 124 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children and supports those, who speak English as an additional language. The nursery receives support from the local authority and is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association. It has attained a quality assurance award.

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

 enhance the rich opportunities children have to see print in their environment by, extending this further in the outdoor play area.

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who attend

All staff have an excellent understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the characteristics of effective learning. They are extremely enthusiastic in their approach and make the activities they provide fun. Consequently, children are constantly busy and motivated to learn. This means they make very good progress that is well within the development bands for their age. As a result, they are very well prepared to move on to school, when the time comes. Staff know children very well, which is clearly reflected in the detailed observations they make of their play and learning. They continually consult with parents to find out what children have learnt at home and every term, they provide them with a summative assessment of their children's progress. Parents then comment on staff's findings and any areas in particular they would like them to concentrate on. This means that staff can plan very sharply and precisely for each child's next steps. Parents

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who attend

state that they are delighted with the very good progress their children are making.

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who attend

Children are highly motivated and very excited to join in with planned activities because these are very carefully linked to their individual interests. They are skilfully led by their key persons, who are enthusiastic and confident in their teaching. For instance, following on from a fascination with jigsaw puzzles, the key person of a young child extends their learning by encouraging them to match picture cards, to help them identify further how things fit together. Older children very confidently refer to planned activities as their 'next steps' and are very keen to take part. For example, one child shows absolute delight as they take part in an activity linked to their interest in butterflies. The child is captivated as their key person uses a book to explain about the creature's lifecycle and is very confident to contribute and predict what might happen next. The key person skilfully knows when to

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who attend

sit back and let the child lead their own learning and she delights in the child's success. For example, she praises the child highly as she paints a precise line of circles of descending size to represent a caterpillar. She then extends the child's learning by asking them to count how many circles there are and which is the largest. When the child then decides to mix the different coloured paints together, their key person seizes the opportunity to encourage the child's critical thinking skills by asking them to predict what colour they might produce.

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who attend

Staff pay excellent attention to promoting children's communication and language skills. They encourage them to join in with singing and rhymes at every opportunity. For instance, toddlers join in with rhymes, such as 'row the boat' with gusto. They very confidently match their movements to the words, which shows that they are making very clear connections in their learning. Staff very skilfully capture children's interest as they tell stories using props, such as puppets and different voices. As a result, children show high levels of fascination and are not easily distracted. Staff actively encourage children to act out their favourite stories as they use the climbing frame outdoors. They join in sensitively with children's play and skilfully fit in with their ideas without taking over. For instance, one member of staff positions himself under the 'bridge' and asks children if he can be the troll as they pretend to be goats 'trip, trapping' overhead. This adds further excitement to

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who attend

children's learning and enables them to extend their imagination to their full potential.

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who attend

Staff caring for very young babies and toddlers provide excellent opportunities for them to learn through exploration. For instance, babies learn about how things work through exploring natural materials and interactive toys. One child becomes fully immersed as they put balls into a tube and works out which lever to press to release them. They show delight in their learning as they repeat the activity over and over again. The child maintains their focus for a good amount of time as they learn to make sense of their world in their own way. Staff working with toddlers provide children with a tray of shredded paper. They delight in climbing in amongst the paper and giggle and squeal as they throw this up and it lands on their heads. Staff provide a vibrant and welcoming environment for children to play and learn. For example, the playrooms have a wealth of colourful displays that include very good examples of children's work, to show their efforts are valued. Print

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who attend

is used indoors in numerous ways, to show children that words have meaning and how they are used. There is scope, however, to extend these rich opportunities in the outdoor area, to further support children's understanding of how print can be used in different contexts and environments. Staff provide very good opportunities for children to develop their mathematical skills. They challenge older ones to correctly identify shapes outdoors and to run and stand on these, which causes much excitement. They meticulously enable children to use counting for a clear purpose during everyday routines. For instance, each day, children take turns to set the tables at mealtimes and to identify how many cups, knives and forks they need.

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

Staff are meticulous in helping children to form secure attachments and in supporting their transition into the setting. For example, settling-in visits enable them to immediately begin the bonding process. Parents are asked to provide detailed information about their child as an individual. This includes key words, to aid communication with those, who speak English as an additional language. Staff, meticulously learn these words and use them to ask, for example, if children need to use the toilet. This ensures children do not become unduly distressed because their needs are effectively communicated. Photographs of children's family members have pride of place in all rooms. This clearly shows children that staff have a genuine interest in their lives. Staff develop extremely close and trusting relationships with children and respond with affection to them. As a result, babies spontaneously hold their arms out for a cuddle and older children know and very

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

confidently discuss, who their key person is. They tell the inspector that they feel safe in the setting and that they know to go to their key person if they are upset because they will make them feel better. Consequently, children are very emotionally secure and have an excellent base for their learning and development. Children describe how staff use wrist straps with them on outings and that this is very important as it means they cannot 'run away' and get lost. This shows that they have a very good understanding of personal safety. Consequently, they are very confident to take part in valuable learning experiences in the local community and further afield. For example, they thoroughly enjoy their regular visits to the market to buy flowers, fruit and vegetables and to post letters in the 'golden' mail box. They also have an annual outing to a zoo. This very effectively enables children to gain confidence in interacting with people other than their normal carers and further

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

Staff act as very positive role models and they manage children's behaviour highly effectively in a calm and sensitive manner. They praise children frequently and meaningfully and acknowledge special achievements with reward stickers. This means that children develop an excellent level of confidence and self-esteem. For instance, one child delights in explaining how they achieved their sticker for 'good tidying up'. Children are clearly very proud of their nursery and demonstrate how they value each other. For example, they describe how the cook is 'clever' and makes them 'lovely' meals. As the toddlers come through the pre-school room on their way outdoors, an older child spontaneously helps to guide one of them to the door. Children make a very positive contribution to the life of the nursery. For instance, they help to decide what examples of their learning, such as photographs, will be included in their progress record. They take

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

turns to make the lunch time dessert for everyone one day a week and grow potatoes and vegetables that are included in the meals. Staff have very high expectations of children and provide numerous opportunities for them to become independent. As a result, older children confidently decide when they want their snack. They know to wash their hands first and put their name card on the board when they have finished, so staff know who has accessed this. They very confidently take their plate away when they have finished their lunch and scrape any uneaten food into the bin.

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

The attention given to helping children to understand about their bodies and keeping themselves healthy is excellent. For instance, a paramedic has visited to talk about his role. Children very confidently relate this experience to their own play. For instance, they delight in demonstrating their 'nursing' skills as they place a sling on a member of staff's arm. They seriously advise her that she needs '10 weeks off work' to get better. All children have access to the very well-resourced outdoor area, which is a hive of activity. They benefit greatly from being out in the fresh air and clearly demonstrate their very good physical skills. They very confidently climb on the large climbing frame and manoeuvre wheeled toys without bumps. Babies delight in attempting to catch balls that staff roll to them and practising their crawling and walking skills on the safety surface. Other children confidently paint pictures with water and make marks with chalks or listen

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

to stories read by staff. Toddlers show great concentration as they sit together with their key persons and explore different sounds as they use an array of unusual instruments.

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provision

The arrangements for safeguarding children are given the highest priority. Comprehensive policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and made readily available to parents, so that they understand how the nursery operates. Robust recruitment and vetting is in place to ensure informed decisions are made about staff's suitability to work with children. There is close circuit surveillance on the outside of the nursery and access to the building is via security coded entrance with video telephones. This ensures that there is no unauthorised access to the premises. Staff are extremely confident about the procedures to follow, should they have any concerns about a child's welfare. They are vigilant in recording injuries children sustain at home and any accidents they have in the setting. Accident records are scrutinised on a regular basis to identify any areas of concern and prevent reoccurrences. This means that children's safety and well-being is not

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provision

Children benefit greatly from the dedicated, well-qualified and enthusiastic staff team. They carry out their duties diligently and delight in interacting with children and helping them to achieve their full potential. Meticulous attention is given to the performance management of staff. The manager conducts regular supervision sessions with every member of the team. Staff are expected to have a very clear and up-to-date picture of their key children's learning and development and their next steps. Their performance and the quality of their teaching is discussed in detail. If any areas of under-performance are identified, staff are given realistic timescales and tailored support to address these. In addition, annual appraisals are used very effectively to enable staff to reflect on, analyse their practice and identify future training needs. This means that the opportunities for them to develop professionally are excellent, which in turn enhances the outcomes for

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provision

The manager is passionate about the nursery and is driven to continually improving the service. She shares her vision with staff and this inspires and motivates them to provide childcare of the highest quality. Staff are regularly given responsibility for critically reviewing particular aspects of the nursery and evaluating how they can be improved. For instance, staff in the toddler room identified that the gaps between the steps to the climbing frame were too high for this age group to manage safely. Action was taken immediately to address this, thereby, enhancing children's safety and enjoyment. The nursery's Ofsted self-evaluation form is meticulously kept up-to-date and this plays a crucial part in helping management to draw up a sharply focused development plan. This means that the capacity for continuous improvement is excellent.

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provision

Staff pay very good attention to working in partnership with the local authority and schools children will move on to. For instance, they provide teachers with a detailed transition report, so that they know what children's starting points are. Partnerships with parents are superb. They receive very good information before the placement begins and on an ongoing basis. For example, through notice boards, a very easy to navigate website and detailed updates of what the children have been doing each day. Their views of how the setting can be improved are actively welcomed and responded to promptly. For example, brown bread is now offered at mealtimes instead of white at their request. Information about older children's day is now recorded on a 'wipe board' rather than on daily sheets in response to environmental concerns about the amount of paper this method used. Parents are unanimous in their praise of the setting. They describe how

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provision

they find staff extremely approachable and caring and how they will be sad when their children leave the setting and move on to school.

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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 EY261466 Local authority Calderdale Inspection number 910194

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 65 Number of children on roll 124 Name of provider Tot Spot Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 12/04/2011 Telephone number 01422 300055

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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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