Little Lambs Nursery

Andrew Lane Nursery 771 Blackburn Road, BOLTON, BL1 7JL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 06/06/2013 15/02/2012

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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

 Children are happy and confident in the nursery while playing and learning. Staff have a good knowledge of how to maintain children's emotional security and keep them safe, including when on local outings and visits.  Children make good progress in their learning because staff are well qualified and have a comprehensive knowledge of how to help them learn. Staff provide plenty of opportunities for children to make their own choices, which develops their thinking.  The nursery forms effective partnerships with parents in order to promote children's learning and welfare, including health needs. Transitions into, within and from the nursery are well organised to support individual children's needs.  The nursery has a stable staff team, demonstrating good work satisfaction. This provides continuity of attachment for children, helping them to learn, because they have good emotional well-being. Children are encouraged to be independent in their

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The current systems for managing staff performance in a more formalised way are recently introduced, and the impact on these for enhancing the provision for children is not yet clear.  Books are not displayed in the main childcare rooms in a way that fully supports all children to choose to use them.

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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 reviewed a range of information available about the nursery, to prepare for the inspection, including on the internet.

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Inspection activities

 A tour of the premises was made, and the inspector had an initial meeting with the deputy managers to establish a timetable for the day, which included time to discuss the leadership and management of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out observations on childcare staff and their interactions with children throughout the day, and examined samples of documentation related to children's welfare and learning.

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Inspection activities

 A joint observation was made by the inspector and one of the deputy managers, of a member of staff who was leading a one-to-one activity for children.  The inspector spoke to children to gain information about their learning.

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Inspection activities

 Parents were encouraged to share their views about their children's care and learning in the nursery.

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Information about the setting

Andrew Lane Nursery originally opened in 1990 and is owned by a limited company. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery operates from a detached house in the Sharples area of Bolton, Greater Manchester, and the premises include two areas for outdoor play. Children are cared for in four rooms on the ground floor, and there is also a library area.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is open from 7.30am to 6pm for 50 weeks a year, closing for two weeks at Christmas. There are eleven staff, including the owner-manager, of whom eight are qualified to level 3 in childcare. The owner-manager is a qualified teacher. One member of staff is qualified to level 2 and there is also a cook. One of the two deputy managers also has a level 4 qualification in management and the other is completing this. There are 38 children on roll in the early years age range, who attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds, and receives support from the local authority early years team.

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

 embed the appraisal process and refine the ways in which staff and managers monitor and evaluate their practice, in order to enhance the provision for children

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

 enhance the ways in which books are displayed in rooms, as well as in the library, in order to further children's interest in them and promote early literacy development.

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who attend

Children make good progress in their learning, whatever their starting points, as key persons and managers have a comprehensive knowledge of how to support children's learning. Staff make individual plans based on their observations of what children can do, and use information about their interests to help motivate them in their learning. Educational programmes draw on children's observed needs, as well as themes which are used across the nursery, depending on children's ages and stages. Prior to starting a new theme, such as 'Spring', staff in the pre-school and two- to three-year-old rooms talk to children about the activities they would like to do. They also seek information about what children already know in order to plan precisely, and this gives children ownership of their learning. The educational programmes have depth and breadth, as a result of this well- organised approach. The managers and owner monitor planning regularly to support

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who attend

consistency of quality across all rooms. Comprehensive assessments are made of children's learning, through tracking their progress in detail. This enables staff to see if progress is as expected, above or below for their age and stage. Consequently, staff are able to address any gaps in learning that may emerge, so that early intervention can prevent greater future difficulties. The nursery has implemented the progress check at age two, and produces detailed reports for parents that include information about how children learn as well as their progress in physical and communication skills and their personal, social and emotional development. This demonstrates the effective use made by staff of the information in Development matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage, as they maintain their professional knowledge with the support of the nursery owner.

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who attend

Babies are supported by staff to explore objects with a variety of textures and sounds, as part of their sensory development. They learn how to shake rattles and bells by watching staff, and show pleasure when they manage to achieve the same effect. Crawling babies confidently explore the room, and play with cause-and-effect toys to see lights flash and listen to sounds. Staff are sensitive when children are surprised by the effects they produce, and reassure them gently, before showing them how their actions caused an effect. As a result, babies' confidence and emotional well-being are effectively supported. Toddlers' knowledge of shape and colour is extended by staff when they show children how to fit construction tiles together to make house-shape structures. Staff repeat colour and shape names for them and also ask questions of children to check their knowledge and fill any gaps that emerge. As a result, children demonstrate effective learning due to

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who attend

good quality staff teaching. Staff read books with children, from the small selections kept in each room, to promote their future literacy development. However, books are not prominently displayed in the childcare rooms, which does not encourage children to select them, despite the nursery's library area having a good range. This lessens the impact of the book selection held, as children do not have continuous access to the library area. Staff make use of recorded stories by popular authors, and children engage well when listening in small groups in the two- to three-year-old room. Staff point to the pictures and text in the book as the narrator speaks to show the meaning of the spoken words, and also to show that text carries meaning. Afterwards, they encourage children to join in with songs based on the book, as a shared experience, and ask them which animals they liked best. This develops children's communication and thinking as they recall names and make

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who attend

noises for each animal, experimenting with a range of sounds.

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who attend

Children have access to a variety of activities that are continuously available, such as sand, water and play with malleable materials, such as dough. They can also choose to paint, use chalk and create their own collage designs with a wide range of accessible materials. This means that children are able to engage in activities that develop their fine physical skills and also enjoy opportunities to engage in creative play. The nursery provides resources like lengths of cloth for children to use, such as when building dens outside, so that children have opportunities to use their imagination and develop their own ideas. Staff in pre-school room support children's learning of numbers by using simple games like dominoes, developing children's early mathematical knowledge. They also work on knowledge of number by using everyday opportunities, such as by asking children to find the correct number for the toilet they are to use before going for lunch. Children learn

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who attend

about the natural world by finding mini-beasts, such as centipedes, outside and staff then develop this by planning times to look for more creatures and encouraging children to remember what they find.

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who attend

Children enjoy local outings to enhance their learning experiences on the premises. For example, they go for countryside walks and also walk to a local council centre for stories and creative activities. They visit local supermarkets and garden centres to learn about the world around them. Staff help children to celebrate a range of festivals that reflect the children attending the nursery and also the community of the town in which they live. This promotes diversity and understanding of other cultures and religions.

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who attend

Children regularly take their learning records home to share with parents, and staff also encourage parents to contribute to planning through a variety of means, depending on the age and stage of their child. In the pre-school room, for example, parents can write on a large sheet of paper near the doorway about their child's interests, or ideas for activities for themes that are being used to enrich learning. The nursery passes information about children's progress to next settings when they leave, including full-time school. This is partly through meetings with children's future staff if they come to observe children in the nursery and also by asking parents to share children's learning files with their next setting. Overall, the nursery prepares children well for their next steps in learning.

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

The nursery operates a key person system in order to support children's emotional welfare, and they show good knowledge of children and their routines. This is due to their observations, information from parents and talking to older children informally or during group times. Consequently, children's learning is supported due to their good emotional security. Children and babies demonstrate their confidence by exploring the space and resources thoroughly, indoors and outside. Babies are well-settled, including those who are new to the nursery, due to a high level of individual attention from staff.

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

Children's behaviour is very good and they use resources safely, showing regard for their own safety and that of others. They have free access to a range of resources, indoors and out, that cover all areas of learning. Staff offer them a choice about what they can use for activities whenever possible, such as what they should mix with shaving foam for exploratory play. This helps children develop independence through being able to make their own decisions about what to play with. Children's welfare is well protected by a comprehensive range of policies and parental permissions. For example, detailed records and permissions are held for children regarding the administration of medicines and use of nappy creams. The nursery provides an environment which gives children a range of opportunities to take reasonable risk in their play outdoors, with careful supervision, such as age-appropriate climbing frames and slides. The outdoor play areas are well resourced

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

with equipment for children to develop their whole body control and enjoy exercise as part of a balanced lifestyle. Children have ample opportunities to run, pedal and climb in the outdoor areas, as well as developing their hand-eye control by catching balls or playing with water and sand. The nursery provides regular sessions of football skills using a coach, to help children enjoy exercise and develop their physical coordination. Babies are also able to enjoy play outdoors, in the shade, as staff bring large equipment out for them, enabling them to bounce and strengthen their legs. This also means that they can watch others at play, and learn.

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

Children show a good level of self-care, especially in the pre-school and two- to three- year-old room, with children encouraged to manage a variety of aspects of personal care, such as washing their hands and finding their own sun hats. Staff also encourage children to help apply their own sun cream, to develop independence. Meals and snacks are healthy, and children have access to water over the day. This ensures that children receive a balanced diet and learn how to manage their needs for healthy snacks and drinks. Staff talk to children about milk being good for them, as part of early learning about the importance of good nutrition. All areas of the nursery are clean and well maintained, including the kitchen, toilets and nappy changing areas. Suitable practical measures, such as safety gates and a keypad entry system, are in place to help support children's safety and security.

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

Transitions within the nursery are well managed, with plenty of discussion with parents to support children when changing rooms. A flexible approach which is based on the needs of the individual child is taken at all transition times, to maintain children's emotional well- being. The nursery uses information from any previous settings attended by children in order to inform their initial planning for settling in, and also seeks detailed information from parents to supplement this. Comprehensive information to support children's good health and well-being is kept from when children join the nursery, in order to meet their needs, such as dietary requirements. There is effective liaison with parents to ensure that children with complex health needs which change daily are very well supported. Staff and managers are aware of the importance of sharing information with other agencies to support effective care and learning for children, when this is required.

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provision

Risk assessments and safety checks are detailed and regularly reviewed to enable children to play safely and freely in permitted areas. Staff receive regular training in safeguarding, and the owner has also implemented frequent use of questionnaires to check staff's knowledge of this area of practice. Consequently, staff have a comprehensive understanding of how to manage any concerns they may have about a child's welfare. The safeguarding policy to support practice is also strong and information is prominently displayed in the staff room. Managers and staff are checked and vetted for suitability to work with children. All documentation relating to statutory requirements is completed to support the safe and effective running of the setting, including a policy for the use of devices with cameras on the premises, such as mobile phones. A comprehensive range of policies and procedures is used to maintain a good standard of care and learning for all

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provision

children in the nursery, including when children require care plans due to health needs.

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provision

Responsibilities of staff and managers are clearly defined to ensure that staff have a clear understanding of how to carry out their roles to a high standard. There is a thorough procedure in the event of needing to recruit new staff, to ensure that an effective childcare team is maintained. However, the current staff is a stable one, showing that the team responds well to its management. This supports continuity of care and learning for children. There are also comprehensive procedures in place for induction of new staff and students in order to protect children's welfare. The nursery has begun to formalise and extend the procedures to manage staff performance. This is to develop a more methodical approach to monitoring the provision, in order to enhance reflective practice and continuous improvement. However, this has yet to become thoroughly embedded in the nursery, so its impact is not yet clear. Staff are supported to identify areas where they

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provision

would like more training through regular meetings as a whole staff and individually through yearly appraisals. This helps to maintain a good staff understanding of how to promote children's learning. The owner ensures that staff extend their professional knowledge by providing articles about aspects of childcare practice in the staffroom, which staff sign to show they have read them.

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provision

Staff plan activities based on the needs of individual children which provide good levels of challenge appropriate to their age and stage of development. The educational programmes that result from planning are monitored by managers to ensure they consistently have depth and breadth. Staff make accurate assessments of children's progress, and this is supported by detailed recording systems that enable gaps in learning to be identified. As a result, staff can plan with precision for children in their key groups, to enhance their learning. Staff quality of teaching is monitored largely through daily informal observations by the owner, and this is used to inform the appraisal process and provide regular ongoing feedback on practice to staff. As a result, any perceived underperformance can be quickly tackled so that staff are clear about the high standards expected from them, when working to build children's learning. The owner also uses

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provision

questionnaires to check staff's knowledge of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage learning and development requirements. This thorough approach enables the owner to identify any individual training needs for staff that will enhance the welfare and learning of children.

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provision

The nursery has established good partnerships with parents, who praise the nursery warmly for its care, security and education of children. Parents are encouraged to contribute to the evaluation process, both through verbal and written means. This includes prior to every staff meeting, so that any issues can be included on the agenda for discussion in order to support continuous improvement. Staff have regular opportunities to share information with managers and the owner for the evaluation process at staff meetings and also as part of their yearly appraisal meetings. Children's views are important to the nursery and they are supported to provide ideas for activities and themes in the pre-school and two- to three-year-old rooms. This helps to build their sense of ownership of their learning experiences and increases their motivation to learn. The nursery maintains a partnership with early years support from the local authority, in order

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provision

to develop its provision further. The nursery has met all recommendations from the previous report, showing a positive attitude towards continuous improvement in order to enhance children's care and learning. The owner has implemented use of the Ofsted self- evaluation tool as part of this, and also maintains a file detailing improvements and events in the nursery, in order to show how the provision develops.

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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 EY425857 Local authority Bolton Inspection number 918656

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 44 Number of children on roll 38 Name of provider North House Children's Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 15/02/2012 Telephone number 01204419955

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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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