Young Explorers Childcare Ltd

Young Explorers Childcare Biddulph Road, Chell, Stoke on Trent, ST6 6SW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/06/2013 19/01/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children demonstrate a strong impulse to explore their environment and there are times, where children show real fascination and curiosity in their learning.  Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported very well by staff to be fully included in the nursery and to make the best progress in their learning.  Staff work closely with parents, carers and other professionals, such as psychologists, so that effective interventions are secured to ensure all children receive the support they need.  Staff demonstrate a strong commitment to developing their own skills and the experiences provided for children. This supports continuous improvement throughout the nursery.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always consider how they respond to young children during their play or fully support them to develop their own ideas.  There is scope to improve the exchange of information with parents, so that children can see, hear and use all languages spoken at home in the nursery environment.  Opportunities for young children to develop their self-help skills at lunchtime are not fully utilised.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all five playrooms, in outdoor play areas and completed joint observations with the provider/manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers included in the self- evaluation and spoken to on the day of inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the staff and children about the daily routines, supervision of children, children's individual learning and self-evaluation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of policies and procedures, which included safeguarding and complaints, behaviour management, accidents and injuries, children's learning records, the nursery's self-evaluation and a range of other documentation.

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Information about the setting

Young Explorers Childcare was registered in 2009 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in converted premises in the Chell area of Stoke-on-Trent and is one of two settings owned and managed by Young Explorers Childcare Ltd. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from five main care bases, including an indoor physical play area, set out over two floors. There are enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 22 members of childcare staff. Of these, 18 hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 2 to level 6, including the owner/manager who also holds Early Years Professional Status. Additional housekeeping and maintenance staff are also employed.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round from 7.30am to 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions which are from 7.30am until 1pm and 1pm to 6pm. Older children from a number of local schools attend out of school provision before and after school and during the main school holidays. There are currently 124 children on roll, of whom 93 are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports 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:

 regularly evaluate how staff respond to younger children, ensuring they join in with children's play sensitively, fitting in with children's ideas and allowing children to move and combine resources in different ways

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

 extend the opportunities for younger children to develop their self-help skills at lunchtime, by for example, pouring their own drinks and serving their own food

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

 encourage all parents of children who are learning English as an additional language, to recognise how the strong foundations in a home language supports the development of English and seek ways to work together to value all languages spoken and written by parents and children in the nursery.

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who attend

Children are well prepared for their next stage in learning and for school because staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how children learn and develop. Children enjoy a stimulating and richly-resourced environment, which ignites their interests and fascinations, both indoors and outside. As a result, all children are motivated and keen to explore. Staff working with pre-school children are particularly skilful in noticing what arouses children's curiosity. They engage very well with children and share the fun of learning. For example, pre-school staff and children show great interest in a snail proudly brought into the nursery by a child from home. Children are excited and eager to observe the creature and are supported very well by staff to compare it to African snails being kept in the nursery. Children demonstrate their good understanding of mathematical concepts as they talk about which snails are bigger. Staff extend children's learning by asking

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who attend

questions about what patterns can be seen on the snail's shell and what it might eat. Children use language to clearly communicate their thoughts and answer 'leaves'. They confidently help themselves to magnifying glasses to test out their theories. This encourages children to use technology equipment for a purpose.

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who attend

Staff work well together and plan interesting activities for all children each week. They observe all children at play and obtain information about children's learning from parents, carers and other specialist agencies who are involved in children's care and learning. This information is collated and recorded in children's development folders, which provides a clear picture of children's progress and allows staff to build on children's strengths and gaps in their learning. Therefore, all children's needs are met well and children progress at their own level and pace. Staff ensure children who are identified as having a special educational need and/or a disability, are enabled to make the best progress from their starting points. For example, the nursery employs additional staff to provide children with one-to-one support to ensure they are fully included.

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who attend

Parents and carers share information about their children's needs and what they can do when they first start at the nursery. This provides a base for staff to build on so that they can plan and support children in their learning throughout the nursery. Information about children's activities is shared verbally each day with parents and they are invited to contribute to their children's development records. Parents of babies also benefit from receiving a daily diary detailing their routines and what they have enjoyed doing that day. In addition, parents access informative scrapbooks in each playroom showing photographs of their children at play. This results in children's learning being supported and extended both at home and in the nursery. However, staff do not take full advantage of explaining to parents who speak languages other than English at home, the importance of recognising and valuing those languages within the nursery. This results in some children

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who attend

having fewer opportunities to see, hear or use the languages spoken at home in their play.

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who attend

Two- and three-year-old children enjoy exploring the feel of paint on their feet during a foot printing activity. They are supported by staff to consider what colours they can see when paint is mixed together. Children are presented with lots of opportunities to explore a variety of textures, such as jelly, chocolate mouse and oats. They concentrate well as they fill buckets and lorries with sand, confidently using tools, such as spades and shovels, which develop their physical skills. Some children become highly engrossed in their play and enjoy developing their own ideas and using their imagination. For example, two-year- old children set their own goal of filling cars and trucks with play dough. They attempt to use language to communicate to staff what they are doing. However, some staff are less confident at fitting in with children's ideas and encouraging them to move and use resources in different ways. At times, this results in some children not being fully

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who attend

supported to accomplish their chosen task. All children's communication and language is developed well by staff throughout the nursery. Staff caring for babies constantly talk to babies about what they are doing and value their attempts at saying words. This results in babies enjoying turn-taking conversations and imitating words and sounds which they hear. Two- and three-year-old children show confidence when speaking to unfamiliar adults and talk about the picture of a spider on their shirts. They are encouraged by staff to name what they can see after successfully completing large floor puzzle. Some children, with limited speech, communicate by pointing to the pictures while others confidently put words together in a sentence and say, 'these are flowers'.

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

Staff provide children and their families with a caring and welcoming nursery, which helps them to feel safe and confident. Staff spend time getting to know all members of the family and support children to settle in their own time. This results in children and their families forming strong relationships with all staff who know them well. When children are settling into the nursery, they benefit from close interactions with familiar staff, such as their key person who provides them with a secure presence. This results in children settling with ease into the routine. Babies demonstrate they feel safe and secure as they sleep soundly in their cots and develop their self-confidence as they eagerly explore their surroundings.

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

All children are learning to behave well in the nursery and are supported very well by staff to understand the clear rules and boundaries. Children are learning to take turns, share and join in play with their friends. Children are learning that their actions can hurt others and are encouraged by staff to take responsibility for managing their own feelings and behaviours. For example, pre-school staff respond to some children's changing behaviours by saying, 'hands down'. This develops children's self-awareness. Children benefit from lots of encouragement and praise from staff for their positive behaviour. For example, pre- school children enjoy a cuddle and good re-assurance from familiar adults after saying sorry. All children are supported by staff to take responsibility for keeping the environment and themselves safe. For example, staff working in toddler room indicate the need to tidy up by playing music. Children respond well and then calmly line up to go outdoors. They

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

walk down the stairs safely and with control being supervised closely by staff.

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

Staff support children well to experience smooth transitions from one playroom to another. Children benefit from being gradually introduced to their new playrooms and, therefore, settle well. When a child struggles with this change staff respond well and work closely with parents to agree the most appropriate action. For example, when children new to the pre-school room demonstrate their unease at playing alongside after school children, staff enable to them to play in the toddler playrooms until school begins. Children in the after school club enjoy joining in with activities in the pre-school room, such as sitting down to have tea and exploring the indoor physical play area. This supports strong relationships and means that they become familiar with the nursery staff, children and the nursery building. Staff working in the after school club meet regularly to share information about children's individual needs and their planning. This results in children being provided

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

with continuity of care and enjoying experiences that complements the learning they receive at school.

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

All children enjoy sociable mealtimes and enjoy chatting to staff and each other in a relaxed atmosphere. Children benefit from being provided with healthy meals, such as chicken, wraps and a wide selection of salad items. Pre-school children develop their self- care skills well as they help themselves to a drink and place uneaten foods in the bin. However, there is scope to improve the opportunities provided for younger children to pour their own drinks and help themselves to food items at lunchtime. All children access fresh air and exercise each day. They are active in their outdoor play as they use a wide range of resources, such as hoops, balls and climbing and balancing equipment, which develop their physical skills well. Older children are learning the importance of a healthy lifestyle and diet by growing vegetables and fruit in the garden which encourages them to understand where food comes from.

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provision

All staff show a good understanding of their responsibilities to ensure the nursery meets the safeguarding, welfare and learning and development requirements. Staff are recruited and vetted rigorously, which ensures that they are suitable to work with children. They demonstrate a strong knowledge and understanding of child protection issues and the action to take if concerned about a child's welfare. The nursery maintains clear and concise records, policies and procedures, which are regularly updated and shared with parents and staff. This includes details of accidents or incidents, and records of any complaints. Ratios are maintained well and staff are deployed effectively to ensure children are supervised so that their needs are met well. Clear and concise risk assessments are completed by staff and all hazards are identified and minimised. This results in children benefiting from a safe and secure environment both indoors and

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provision

Recently the nursery has undergone changes within the staff team. Some staff are newly recruited, while others have taken on additional managerial responsibilities. Throughout this time all staff have maintained their enthusiasm and commitment to constantly developing both their practice and the experiences they provide for children. Parents spoken to during the inspection comment on the huge improvements made since the nursery registered. They show complete satisfaction in the service provided which results in some parents deciding to keep their children in this nursery rather than move them onto school nursery. Parents feel staff work closely with them to discuss and agree how to meet their children's individual needs well.

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provision

Managers work closely with staff to monitor their practice in the nursery and the educational programmes well. Staff provide each other with mutual support and work together as a team to promote continuous improvement. Regular supervision and appraisals identify staff's training needs and where they might need support, which contribute towards their professional development. This means that children's learning experiences are enhanced through the improvement of staff's knowledge and skills. Senior managers monitor the planning and assessment of children's learning, so that each child's progress is closely monitored in order to plan focused next steps. Staff use a self- evaluation document to identify the strengths of the nursery and have an action plan to promote future improvement. Plans include working with parents who speak languages other than English at home, to promote children's home language in the nursery. To

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provision

support this staff are accessing training with regards to working with bi-lingual children.

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provision

The nursery promotes strong partnerships with parents and other professionals, such as speech therapists and educational psychologists, to meet the diverse needs of children attending. Through well-planned interventions, the nursery ensures all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported to be fully included. In addition, the nursery also works closely with the schools older children are also attending. Information is shared to ensure continuity of children's care 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 EY396361 Local authority Stoke on Trent Inspection number 922823

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 90 Number of children on roll 124 Name of provider Young Explorers Childcare Ltd Date of previous inspection 19/01/2010 Telephone number 01782577784

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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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