Dickory Dock Nursery

Dickory Dock Nursery St. Thomas More Church, 58 Margetson Crescent, SHEFFIELD, S5 9NB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/06/2013 30/11/2009

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early years provision

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

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This provision is good

 Staff complete regular and precise assessments of children and use these effectively to plan suitably challenging activities. As a result, children are interested and keen to learn new skills, and they make good progress in their learning and development.  The key person system helps children to form secure attachments. Consequently, children's wellbeing and independence is effectively promoted.  Educational programmes are monitored to provide an overview of children's development. Consequently, any gaps in children's learning are identified and children receive the support they need.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children's awareness and understanding of people and communities, particularly disability, is not fully promoted through the use of resources. As a result, opportunities for children to explore similarities and differences between themselves and others are not maximised.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the playrooms and the outside learning environment.  The inspector held meetings with the manager of the provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and the provider's self-evaluation form.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Dickory Dock Nursery is managed by a board of directors, including parent representatives and was registered in 2003. It operates from a converted church building in the Parson Cross area of Sheffield. The setting is accessible to all children and serves the local and wider community. There are enclosed areas available for outdoor play. The setting opens Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks of the year from 7.30am until 6pm and children are able to attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 121 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The setting provides funded early education for two, three- and four-year-olds. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The setting employs 19 members of staff. Of these, 14 hold appropriate early years qualifications at National Vocational Qualification Level 3. One staff member holds a National Vocational Qualification at Level 2. In addition, three members of staff are training towards a further qualification and one staff member holds a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Studies. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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

 provide further resources and activities to raise children's awareness of people's similarities and difference, with particular regard to disability.

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who attend

All staff have a good understanding of the seven areas of learning and how young children learn. There are effective observation and planning systems in place that support staff to meet children's individual needs well. For example, staff complete detailed observations on children and use the information to plan for children's next steps in learning. As a result, activities are well matched to children's interests and learning needs, and children are interested and keen to learn new skills. Effective systems for the monitoring of planning and assessment ensures all children make good progress in line with the guidance, Development matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Consequently, any gaps in children's learning are identified and promptly addressed. Educational programmes have depth and support all children to make good progress across the prime and specific areas of learning. Staff have high expectations of all children, they regularly complete progress

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who attend

tracking sheets for each child. This includes information obtained from parents, about children's starting points, on entry to the nursery. Staff regularly share information with parents regarding their child's learning and experiences at the nursery. For example, parents receive regular newsletters, daily feedback about their child's day and have regular opportunities to look at their child's learning journals. The required progress check at age two is also completed alongside parents. Regular parent open evenings create further opportunities for parents to discuss their child's progress. Consequently, relationships with parents are strong.

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who attend

The nursery provides a range of interesting and stimulating resources. Staff imaginatively organise these to further capture children's imagination. For example, different textured fabrics are draped over tents to encourage children to explore. Resources are freely accessible and children benefit from independent access to them. For example, children enjoy selecting shells and pine cones from the low-level baskets. This supports children to make choices about what resources they play with. Staff balance child-initiated and adult- led activities well to support children's overall development. The effectiveness of staff's teaching is consistently strong throughout the nursery. Staff encourage children to learn new things by asking interesting questions. For example, whilst children eagerly work together to race cars in the construction area, staff ask children 'Which car moved the fastest' and 'how many cars are left'. Consequently, children are beginning to work co-

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who attend

operatively and their communication skills are well supported. Babies are beginning to develop a sense of belonging because they receive plenty of cuddles with their key person during story-time. This ensures their personal, social and emotional development is effectively promoted. Older children enjoy playing games with the staff that involve climbing, running and jumping in the garden. As a result, children are developing new ways of moving, which supports their physical development. Staff demonstrate a positive attitude to equality and diversity and regularly discuss the wider community with the children, which supports children's understanding of the world. The nursery celebrates a variety of festivals such as Father's day, Diwali and Easter. Role play activities provide opportunities for staff to raise awareness of different cultures. However, there are fewer resources which depict positive images of people, particularly those with disabilities. As a

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who attend

result, opportunities for children to explore similarities and differences between themselves and others are not maximised. Staff introduce counting and number recognition to children during the daily mathematics group, and in their everyday play. For example, children enjoy counting the beads, as they make patterns with the peg boards, and enjoy tracing numbers with pencils during the mathematics activity. As a result, children are developing a good understanding of mathematical language and recognition of numerals. Children have frequent opportunities to access the computer and enjoy controlling the mouse to draw pictures. This supports children to explore why things happen and how things work. Staff understand the importance of developing children's communication and language skills from an early age. They provide interesting and exciting activities that encourage children to learn new words. For example, children

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who attend

eagerly re-enact popular stories using props. This encourages them to talk about what is happening and why. Consequently, children are beginning to anticipate key events in simple rhymes and stories, and are learning new words.

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who attend

Children are gaining the skills and confidence, which they need, to be ready for their next steps in learning, as they start school. For example, older children participate in the daily phonics group at the nursery and teachers from the local school are invited into the nursery, to meet the children. Children's school readiness is further promoted, as staff arrange visits to the local school that children will be attending. As a result, children are well prepared for their move to school.

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

Transitions into the nursery are well managed. The key person works closely with parents to obtain information about children's care and learning needs from the onset. Children attend for a number of settling in visits to the nursery before they start. This supports children to build relationships with their key person. Consequently, children settle well and are emotionally secure, which gives them a strong base for their learning. Babies develop warm and secure emotional attachments with staff, which promotes their personal, social and emotional development. Children approach staff readily if they need support or reassurance, which further demonstrates their feeling of security. The environment is welcoming and supports children's learning and development well. Children are confident in their environment and have secure relationships with the staff and each other. As a result, children's overall physical and emotional wellbeing is effectively promoted. Staff

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

meet with parents to discuss supporting their child as they move between rooms and on to school. Visits to local schools are arranged so that children can become familiar with their new environment. Consequently, children's transitions to school are well supported. Parents receive daily feedback from staff which ensures they are fully informed about their child's day. Parents spoken to on the day were highly complimentary about the nursery and state 'I adore this nursery, staff are brilliant. I am so pleased, ratios are excellent' while another parent states 'Staff are fantastic, they have supported my child incredibly well in preparation for school'.

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

Staff are positive role models to the children and make their expectations of the children clear through use of simple rules. Children are learning to care appropriately for their environment, and the resources within it. This is because staff give children gentle reminders and positive praise for tidying away resources and equipment. As a result, children demonstrate good behaviour that shows that they feel safe in the nursery.

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

Staff follow good hygiene procedures, for example, when changing nappies. This helps to reduce the spread of infection. Children's understanding of healthy lifestyles, including diet, is well promoted. For example, healthy eating is supported by providing a broad range of nutritious snacks, such as fresh fruit, vegetables and breadsticks. This is further enhanced because staff monitor what children eat and ensure that children receive foods from each of the food groups, whilst checking their nutritional values. Children are beginning to develop an understanding of the importance of self-care because they are given clear messages about the importance of good hygiene. For example, staff remind children to wash their hands before eating. Children's independence is effectively promoted. For example, staff teach children to put on their own shoes and coats and pour their own drinks independently. This supports children's readiness for school when the

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

time comes. Children enjoy being outside where they happily climb, run, skip and jump, this helps to promote children's physical well-being. Children understand how to keep themselves safe as staff give children gentle reminders. For example, children are reminded to tidy toys away so they do not fall over them. This is further enhanced by regular fire drills which children take part in.

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provision

The manager has a good understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She monitors the educational programmes closely with the deputy manager, to provide an overview of children's development. This ensures children are working within their expected developmental levels, and those who are not, receive the support they need. The nursery promotes strong partnerships with parents and other professionals, such as health visitors and speech and language therapists, to meet the diverse needs of children attending. Consequently, children receive well-planned interventions that meet their individual needs and this enables all children to make good progress given their starting points.

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provision

Children are kept safe because all staff are knowledgeable in child protection issues. For example, they are familiar with the signs and symptoms of abuse and the necessary steps required to safeguard children. The manager fully understands her responsibilities with regard to the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Regular risk assessments and accurate records for accidents and the administration of medication further promote children's safety and wellbeing. A wide range of policies and procedures such as, safeguarding, fire evacuation and data protection are fully embedded into practice. Staff ensure confidential documents relating to children, are stored appropriately. For example, on occasion children's development records are taken home by staff, to ensure they are kept up to date. This is managed effectively because staff follow a clear procedure when taking children's record books away from the nursery. The

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provision

manager has implemented a signing in and out system for children's records, which all staff adhere to, this ensures information about children is stored and managed effectively. There are clear systems in place to assess staff suitability to work with children. Clear recruitment procedures ensures that all staff are suitably vetted and inducted into the nursery. Staff receive continued support through regular appraisals and opportunities to discuss continual professional development and further training with the manager. Self-evaluation is used to identify strengths and any areas the nursery can improve on. The views of staff and parents are incorporated into the self-evaluation form through use of regular feedback questionnaires. The manager and deputy manager spend time throughout the week observing staff practice and daily routines. This ensures they have a clear insight into the areas of strength and areas to develop in the nursery. Consequently,

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provision

clear plans are in place to continually improve the quality of the nursery.

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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 EY260159 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 923616

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 51 Number of children on roll 121 Name of provider Dickory Dock Nursery Date of previous inspection 30/11/2009 Telephone number 0114 2338679

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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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