Little Einsteins Day Nursery Ltd

Little Einsteins Day Nursery Ltd School Walk, Denaby Main and Conisbrough Childrens Centre's, DONCASTER, South Yorkshire, DN12 4HZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/05/2013 15/06/2011

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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

 Children are provided with highly stimulating and enjoyable first-hand learning experiences by staff who know them extremely well and have a very good understanding of how children learn. Therefore, children's individual learning and development needs are significantly enhanced and they make excellent progress.  Close relationships and attachments with staff ensure children are happy and secure, and as a result, they are fully involved and confident in their group.  Partnerships with parents, outside agencies and other providers are excellent. The very effective sharing of information ensures that children's individual needs are quickly identified and met very effectively.  The utmost priority is given to protect and safeguard the welfare of the children. This is evident through highly effective practices that successfully promote children's safety and well-being.  Managers carry out highly effective and sharply focused self-evaluation and monitoring

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This provision is outstanding

of the provision. Parents and children have an active voice in the evaluation; this means that children continue to receive high quality learning experiences.

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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 compulsory part 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 the staff engage in a range of indoor and outdoor learning activities, play and daily care routines with the children.  The inspector supplemented all observations with pertinent questions.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at samples of children's assessment records, planning documentation, the nursery's self-evaluation forms and a range of other documentation.  The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff, director and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Little Einsteins Day Nursery Limited registered in 2010 and is privately owned. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It shares premises with the Sure Start Children's Centre in Denaby Main, near Rotherham and Doncaster in South Yorkshire. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from designated rooms within the centre, and there are fully enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 30 members of child care staff, of which 26 are childcare practitioners. Of these, 20 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above, of whom three hold Early Years Professional status and 2 are currently working towards it. Three practitioners have a level 2 qualification and are working towards a level 3 qualification, and three practitioners are working towards a level 2 or 3 childcare qualification. There is a nursery cook, 2 nursery cleaners and an administrative assistant, who support the operation of the setting and are not included in the staffing ratio.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round, except for bank holidays. Sessions are from 7am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 126 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:

 build on the already high quality practice in supporting children's progress and preparation for their future learning, and enhance the very strong partnerships by devising different ways to engage with other settings that children attend, with which the staff do not have direct contact.

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who attend

The highly effective teaching throughout the nursery ensures children are making excellent progress in their learning and development. The staff have superb skills and knowledge of the learning and development requirements and a first-rate understanding of how children learn. The stimulating environment, both inside and outside, ensures that all children make rapid progress towards the early learning goals. There is a high focus on the prime areas of learning, such as communication and literacy. All of which ensures children are well-prepared for entry into school and their future learning. Children are well-motivated and their learning is enhanced as the staff have a very high level of understanding of promoting children's interests and ideas. For example, when the children notice ants outside, staff extend their learning as they encourage them to use magnifying glasses to examine them. Their learning is enriched as they consider how many legs the

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who attend

ants have and what they are doing. Staff support children to make their own decorated plant labels after they have seen labels on plants. Throughout the session, children's creativity is enriched as they express themselves freely in imaginative play, art and craft.

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who attend

Detailed information is gathered from parents when children start attending the nursery, which provides staff with a clear baseline for their learning. Staff know the children extremely well and correctly identify the developmental age bands for each child. In addition, children's progress and development are observed and monitored effectively, with development records updated regularly. Activities are planned using children's individual next steps as a guide. Staff consult children about what they have enjoyed and gain their ideas for the following week. As a result, activities are precisely matched to their needs and they make rapid progress in their learning and development. Detailed summative reports and the progress checks at age two are completed by key persons, using the information gained through the detailed observations made of children's learning and by consultation with parents. Staff provide interesting and challenging experiences

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who attend

that meet the needs of all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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who attend

Through well-planned, purposeful activities and the engagement of staff in children's play, children's communication skills, vocabulary and language, are developing at a fast rate. Staff constantly talk to and converse with the children in their activities. Older children's language and communication is fostered efficiently by staff extending their vocabulary and thinking as they ask open-ended questions and listen carefully to the children's responses. All children enjoy looking at books and listening to stories with staff. Early writing skills are widely encouraged. For example, babies and toddlers have many opportunities to practise these. The wide use of the written word, including children's names, assists them in early reading and writing. Throughout the nursery, there are photographs of the children and pictures supported by written text, and signing is used routinely. Staff extend children's

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who attend

use and understanding of mathematics extremely well. They ensure they are highly confident and capable in their use of number names, counting, sorting and matching during planned and spontaneous activities. They reinforce children's learning in everyday play and through activities, such as counting and colour-matching brick towers they have built, and identifying shapes they have made in an unrelated craft activity.

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who attend

Children's awareness and understanding of the wider world is promoted very well. They have access to a variety of resources, including a rich range of posters and books which promote positive images of diversity. Visitors and outings to various parks and around the local area enable children to whole-heartedly experience the local community. For example, local community groups come into the nursery to involve the children in a vegetable-growing scheme. Children are encouraged to learn about the natural world extremely well as visitors show them how to make bird boxes and they visit the animals and vegetable garden in the adjoining area. They can look for creatures outside in specifically designed bug areas. All children plant and grow seedlings and can enjoy a digging area outside. In addition, staff use unusual circumstances to enhance children's learning. For example, they use photographs of a nesting bird and the newly hatched

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who attend

chicks, of a bird nesting in shelving area outside, so that children can learn about the lifecycle of birds but not disturb the nest.

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who attend

Partnerships with parents are highly effective. Staff exchange daily information and use communication notes for the younger children to ensure parents of activities they have done, alongside information about their care. Staff share summative progress reports with parents at parent evenings, open days or informally. Staff's strong commitment and extremely effective communication with parents ensure that children's learning and development benefit as involving them enables them to play a full and active role in their child's learning. For example, younger children take Archie Weekend Bear home and parents share his adventures. Staff routinely share with parents what their children enjoy at nursery and give ideas for activities at home.

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who attend

Older children are superbly prepared for school as the staff proactively promote independence and group skills. For example, children choose when to take snack, which is fully self-service, and serve their own meals. Children learn to sit and listen attentively during group sessions. They become used to routines, such as at mealtimes and they understand about waiting their turn for activities. Staff discuss possible routines at school with the children to reassure and prepare them. In addition, the summative reports and development files are shared with other providers when the children leave the setting, after consultation with parents. Partnerships with other agencies, for example, health visitors and the children's centre are very proactive through the sharing of regular information sheets about the development and learning of the children. There is scope to enhance the already very strong partnerships further, by devising different ways to

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who attend

engage with other early years settings that the children attend with which the staff do not have direct contact to ensure that children's excellent progress is maintained and built on even further.

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

Throughout the nursery, children are extremely happy and very well-settled. They are highly confident as they engage in conversations with staff and visitors. Staff offer lots of positive praise and recognition for children's efforts and achievements. They are very attentive to the children as they listen to their requests and are fully aware of their individual needs, supporting very secure emotional attachments. Staff know the children very well and, therefore, are able to meet their care and learning needs effectively, including those children who speak English as an additional language and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children thrive in the nursery and enjoy the different experiences offered as staff give consistent support and provide an environment that meets their learning and development needs very well. An effective key person system makes sure that strong relationships are formed between staff, children and their

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

families to promote a good level of well-being. Children's work and photographs of them participating in activities are attractively displayed, which contributes to their self-esteem and sense of belonging. Children demonstrate through their behaviour that they feel safe and secure within the nursery. They behave well because the nursery has established rules based on kindness, safety and respect. Staff consistently encourage them to remember the rules and children respond and recall them easily. For example, after a group of children become boisterous in their play, staff gather them together to consider why certain behaviour is not acceptable and what behaviour is expected of them when they go to school. Therefore, children are very effectively learning about social responsibility and accepted behaviour.

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

There is a very high focus throughout the nursery on extending children's self-esteem, well-being and learning and development by involving and supporting the whole family. Staff are proactive in recognising and meeting family needs. Staff build respectful and caring relationships with all the children and their families. Parents and children readily discuss what is happening in their family. Staff engage children well to learn about different cultures and people through planned and spontaneous discussion and activities. They enjoy national and international festivals and celebrations, and visit a local church. In addition, parents are encouraged to share information about their own cultures with the children.

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

Children are learning about safety and self-care by excellent routine activities and discussion. They learn to keep safe as visitors, such as the fire service and police teach the children about keeping safe. In addition, their experience is enhanced as the police bring a variety of equipment to share with them, including a quad bike and police car. Extremely efficient procedures are used, and staff explain to the younger children about why they must take care when they move from each area. Therefore, all children develop a high understanding of how to assess risk.

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

Children are very effectively learning about self-care and personal hygiene. For example, a dentist has come into the nursery to provide staff and parents with training on dental hygiene. Younger children's nappies are changed and toilet training needs are handled with sensitivity. Staff use this opportunity to engage the children in rich conversations that extend learning and build attachments.

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

Physical skills and exploration are exceptionally well-promoted as children use small and large physical equipment that build their skills superbly. All children have access to a rich outdoor environment, where they are challenged and learn to take risks safely as they use the climbing and balancing equipment. Children learn about their bodies through activities, music and movement and action rhymes. In addition, the nursery has provided extra activities, including a football-skills session. Children enjoy a wealth of nutritious snacks and meals. Individual dietary needs are known by all staff. Children learn about the need for healthy food through many additional activities, such as displays, food tasting, cooking and baking.

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

Children are exceptionally well-prepared for any transitions in their lives and for entering school. Home visits are completed for two-year-old children prior to attending the nursery. This means that children are fully supported for the transition from home to the nursery. Children have excellent continuity of care and learning because staff make sure that when children change rooms they are extremely secure in their attachments and parents are fully involved. All babies and children have planned visits and these visits are very well co- ordinated by the new key persons in each area. They spend time with the children to build up the visits to ensure their transitions are smooth. Staff support children to be highly confident and secure about moving onto school. Therefore, they are able to continue to learn and make progress.

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provision

This is a very well-led and managed nursery. Management is highly involved in the practices of the provision. They take great interest in the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how staff are implementing it through their regular, focused monitoring of staff practice. Appraisals are held for all staff and the observations made by management of staff performance clearly focus on their professional development to ensure they are able to maintain and improve their already excellent knowledge and practice. The management team and staff know every child and parent in the nursery very well and use this knowledge to support and progress individual children with their care, learning and developmental needs. Staff training is well-embedded and managed, ensuring that all staff have the skills to meet children's needs. All of this means that children's needs are quickly identified and exceptionally well met.

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provision

Children's well-being and safety is highly supported as the nursery has excellent staff recruitment procedures and effective ongoing suitability checks that ensure staff are suitable for their role. Staff and all students undertake an inclusive induction procedure, which clearly identifies their role and responsibilities. The provider ensures that details of the students, including their suitability to be with the children, are in place before they commence their placements at the nursery. Staff have a very strong, secure knowledge of child protection issues. This is enhanced by, safeguarding and child protection training, and focusing on safeguarding at staff meetings. This ensures that staff are very aware of the possible signs of abuse and know what to do if they have concerns about a child.

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provision

Children's well-being is extremely well assured as the premises are very secure, and robust safety and security procedures ensure children are extremely well protected. There are secure collection procedures, which ensure children are collected by a known adult. In addition, efficient safety procedures, routines and detailed risk assessments enable staff to provide a safe environment. There is a wide range of policies, procedures and records, including effective accident and medication records and use of mobile phones and social media, which positively support the safety of the children and the management of the nursery.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are highly effective and ensure that parents are confident to leave children in the staff's care. Children's care, learning and development are enhanced as the management and staff have excellent communication with parents. To make sure individual parents needs are well met, the staff make sure communication is individualised. Staff reinforce all written documents with verbal discussions and they make sure they have detailed daily discussions with parents to make sure they are fully informed about their child's day. There is a strong commitment from staff and the management to make sure all parents are confident to discuss any issues with them.

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provision

Parents' evenings, newsletters, noticeboards and pictures of the children at play all enhance the quality of partnerships. Children's experiences are extended as parents' opinions are actively sought. Overall, extremely effective partnerships with external agencies and other providers are very well-established and contribute significantly to meeting children's needs. For example, staff from the nursery are involved in regular multi-agency meetings. Health visitors conduct meetings and support sessions in the building.

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provision

Children's well-being is promoted strongly as the nursery has very good monitoring and evaluation in place. Leaders constantly pursue excellence within all areas of the provision. They are inspirational to staff as they drive further improvements and achievements to maintain their overall high levels of practice. All staff are included in the self-evaluation process of the provision. Parents form the 'Friends of Little Einsteins Group'. The group is open to all parents and they have an active voice in sharing their ideas and opinions about the nursery. Children are listened to and their ideas for further resources or activities they wish to undertake, are also acted upon. All of which ensures that children's care, learning and development needs are fully met.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY413694 Local authority Doncaster Inspection number 911047

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 67 Number of children on roll 126 Name of provider Little Einsteins Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 15/06/2011 Telephone number 0170 9770099

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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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