Shira Daycare

Shira Daycare Department of Social Services, Carlisle House, 2-4 Cambridge Terrace, GATESHEAD, Tyne and Wear, NE8 1RP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/06/2013 22/11/2011

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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

 The management team have good action plans in place, act on parents' feedback and information from previous inspections. This means that they make improvements, which benefit the children's overall care, learning and development very well.  When children are ready to move up into other rooms or a new nursery, they are very well supported and staff manage this successfully. This provides good continuity and consistency for the children to help them cope with change.  Partnership with parents is effective. Key persons regularly share what they know about the children's care, learning and development and keep parents very well informed of their progress.  Children are happy and settled and enjoy their time in the nursery. They take part in a good range of well-planned, adult-led and child-initiated activities, that supports their all-round development, which means they make good progress.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Pre-school children do not currently have sufficient opportunities to explore the local and wider area, to enhance their understanding further about people, communities and the world around them.  The area for non-mobile babies to lie, crawl, roll and explore is not sufficiently maximised to ensure that this is bright, comfortable and stimulating to fully support their movements and interests.

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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 held two meetings with the manager, deputy, the nominated person and the coordinator.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to children and interacted with babies, spoke to some staff, key persons and parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed a sample of children's development profiles, home link books, a sample of staff files, key policies and questionnaires from parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all rooms and the outdoor area and carried out a joint observation with the deputy manager.

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Information about the setting

Shira Daycare was registered in 2011 it is on the Early Years Register. It is situated in three-storey converted premises in a residential area in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. It is an extension of G J nursery and is managed by the trustees of G J nursery. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from four main rooms situated on the ground floor and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 25 members of childcare staff. The manager holds a degree, 15 staff hold relevant early years qualifications at level 2 and above. Three are working towards a qualification in childcare at level 3. The nursery receives support visits from an Early Years Professional based in G J nursery.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 4.30pm Monday to Thursday and from 9am until 12.30pm on Friday. There are currently 81 children attending who are within the early years age group. Children attend for a variety of sessions and the majority of children attend on a part-time basis. The nursery provides funded early education for two-year-old children. It supports 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:

 enhance the educational programme for understanding the world; to give children more opportunities to explore the local and wider area by planning relevant outings or trips and inviting visits from different community members, such as fire fighters, police or health professionals

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

 enhance the area for non-mobile babies so that they can lie, kick, roll and explore in bright, comfortable and stimulating surroundings to fully support their movements and interests.

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of how to use the Early Years Foundation Stage in practice. They plan activities well to ensure that they cover all of the educational programmes and concentrate on the three prime areas of learning for the younger children. This means that children's communication, language, personal, social, emotional and physical development is supported very well. Staff also build children's interests into the planning as they note what they enjoy doing. For example, when staff notice that children like to put toys in and out of containers, the staff provide further opportunities by providing oats and tubs so that children play and explore with a purpose. Overall, the educational programme for understanding the world is good as children have access to simple electronic cause and effect toys. They celebrate traditional festivals and events to help them gain an understanding of culture and differences, and they grow and tend to

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who attend

plants in the outdoors. However, the pre-school children have not been on many relevant outings in the local community or in the wider area. They do not currently benefit from meeting any visitors in the nursery, such as health or safety professionals. This does not fully enhance their knowledge and understanding of people and communities.

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who attend

Staff monitor children's progress by using a good assessment profile and record this in children's individual files. This helps them to identify any specific gaps in their key children's learning quickly and to note where they are doing well. Consequently, they maintain regular and precise assessments of children and target any areas of learning as needed, to ensure that children do not fall behind in their development. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported and they receive one- to-one help as necessary. All staff are aware of what areas of development key persons are working on so that they can also offer targeted support to children. This means that all children make good progress across all areas of learning in line with their individual needs and capabilities.

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who attend

Children thoroughly enjoy their 'Shabbos' party at the end of every week. They help staff to lay tables with embroidered table cloths, candlesticks and candles, dress up in traditional hats and join in enthusiastically with songs. Staff lead the activity very well ensuring that all children take part and imitate real life experiences that they see at home. Children make independent choices about songs they want to sing, they sit patiently and take turns. Staff are clear about the learning intentions and know how the children's language, creativity, imagination and understanding of the world are supported during this activity. Children also make the fresh bread to eat at the celebration, which staff bake on the premises. This ensures that children are fully involved in the preparation, which supports their understanding and ensures that they are actively involved in stimulating activities. All children, including babies and young toddlers, thoroughly enjoy singing and

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who attend

using musical instruments. They spontaneously join in with songs as they clap and sing and make good attempts to follow actions and movements, which supports their physical and creative development successfully. Each child is acknowledged as staff use their names in songs, which promotes their self-esteem and sense of belonging very well. Children choose musical instruments, smile and become more animated as they move, bang or shake the instruments to make a noise. Staff notice that children in the two-year- old room are sustaining their play and beginning to concentrate well. They know that children are developing further skills in their personal, social and emotional development as they run to greet their friends when they arrive and successfully build relationships with their peers. Consequently, children acquire the necessary basic skills needed to prepare them for the next stage in their learning.

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who attend

Parents complete an 'All about me' document on their child to ensure that staff have a good understanding of children's individual care needs, routines, interests and development. This helps key persons to establish a starting point and base their assessments on what children know and can do. Once children settle in the key person completes their assessment on children's individual learning against the criteria in Development matters for the Early Years Foundation Stage. This helps them to establish where children are at, ensures that they plan activities to meet individual learning needs and helps them to track their progress. Parents contribute to their children's daily link book and to the learning profiles, which demonstrates that they are key partners in their child's learning. The profiles contain lovely photographs, captions and observations and demonstrate how children make good progress. As well as daily discussions, parents have

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who attend

good opportunities to attend informal parents' evenings to chat about their child's learning and development with their key person.

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

All children have regular opportunities to play outdoors in the fresh air, which promotes their good health. At various times throughout the day the older children have free access to the outdoors from their base room. This means they make independent choices about where they want to play and what they want to do. The outdoor area is well set out and includes a dedicated space for babies and younger toddlers, where they play with real equipment, such as pots and pans. This aids their physical and sensory development well. Older children enjoy chalking on low-level easels and like to pour the water down the funnels and pipes, sustaining their concentration for long periods. The indoor environment is well set out and children are cared for in base rooms according to their age and abilities. However, the area available for non-mobile babies to lay, roll and explore is not maximised to fully support their comfort and interest.

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

Children's behaviour is good. All children, including those with disabilities, play cooperatively as staff ensure that all children are included. Therefore, through positive praise and encouragement, children manage to share out the 'cup cakes' from the role play area, demonstrating that they are forming good friendships. Children have strong bonds with staff and their key persons. Staff offer children reassurance and cuddles if they become upset or confused. Babies and younger children have their comforters close by and their individual routines are followed, as they have naps and meals when needed. This meets their personal and emotional needs very well. Staff have a good understanding of how to keep children safe. For example, they know how to manage children's food and diet if they have allergies. Medication, health and safety policies are adhered to and documentation, such as medication, accident and sleep charts are completed correctly to

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

When children are ready to move up into the next room within the nursery, they are fully supported. Transition forms are used and a clear policy is in place to help staff manage this smoothly. The child's key person goes with them into their new room to help them settle in. Key persons also support children well when they are ready to move onto a new setting. They discuss this with parents, arrange visits to see the building, show the children around and meet the new teachers. This ensures that children are well supported and develop the confidence and skills needed to help them cope with new situations and change.

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provision

The management team have a good understanding of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Key members of staff attended training on the revised framework. The Early Years Professional visits to give ideas and advice and carries out spot checks in the nursery. She also holds regular one-to-one meetings with staff so that they can discuss their key children's learning and development. This ensures that the staff have the necessary skills to carry out their roles successfully and provide good learning opportunities for the children. Staff are now competent in completing the progress check at age two and the manager always checks the written summary before this goes out to parents. Good monitoring systems are in place. The management team regularly review the learning and development provision for the children. They send out staff questionnaires to gain feedback to identify any issues around the learning profiles,

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provision

environment, equipment and activities. This ensures that the provision continues to meet the needs of the individual children.

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provision

A clear recruitment and selection process is in place. Management have a suitable understanding of their roles and responsibilities in notifying Ofsted of any changes or significant events. A new nominated person and coordinator have taken up posts to oversee the overall management of the nursery. They are key figures in supporting managers and staff in their roles. Many staff are recruited from the local community and some parents take up posts as childcare staff. All staff read and sign the policies, if any new policies are devised staff receive copies and they attend regular team meetings to keep them up-to-date. They are supported well through regular supervision and yearly appraisal meetings so that any training needs are quickly identified. Many of the staff receive in house training to achieve recognised childcare qualifications, which means that ongoing professional development is successful. Consequently, children are cared for by a

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provision

competent and knowledgeable staff team. The deputy manager has an excellent understanding of how to monitor staff performance. She is able to identify good practice and missed opportunities quickly when observing staff during adult-led activities. Some peer observations have already been carried out and this is in the action plan to develop further from next term.

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provision

Recommendations from the last inspection have been addressed so that very good improvements have been made. The management team have worked hard to develop the educational provision and the environment to give children more learning opportunities and to ensure that staff build their planning around children's interests. They now have an appraisal system in place and have developed partnership with parents further, which means that parents are involved in children's learning from the start.

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provision

The management team use self-evaluation and clear action plans to bring about change. They have clear priorities for further improvements, such as revising some policies and procedures, continually encouraging staff in their professional development, training volunteers, developing peer observations and the outdoor environment. This shows that they have a good capacity to improve the provision further to benefit the children's care, learning and development. The manager has recently amended the safeguarding policy and has attended refresher training. She understands her role and knows what to do if staff have any concerns about a child's care or welfare. Staff are well deployed in all rooms, the use of child safety gates prevents children from leaving unattended and there are good signing in and out procedures for parents and visitors. The Ofsted contact number, complaints procedure and contact details for the local authority designated

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provision

safeguarding officer are all prominently displayed for parents. This helps to keep children safe and well protected.

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provision

Partnerships with parents and external professionals are effective. Parents receive a suitable information pack, are allocated a key person for their child and receive regular verbal and written information on a daily basis. Informative newsletters go out and the staff encourage parents to regularly share what they know about their children's learning and development. The management team act on parent's requests and make changes as necessary. For example, they installed a light in the buggy store and added photographs to the newsletters. They receive feedback in the form of questionnaires, which are highly positive. Comments from parents also include that the staff are; 'Really accommodating and so friendly,' and that the nursery is, 'Brilliant.' Parents also feel secure in the knowledge that they can go to work, confident that their child is safe. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported. Key persons and the

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provision

nursery's special educational needs coordinator work alongside parents and liaise closely with other professionals, such as health, educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and Portage workers. This ensures that children receive care and education tailored to their specific needs and that professionals, staff and parents work very well together to support individual children so that they make good progress.

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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 EY423324 Local authority Gateshead Inspection number 925614

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 47 Number of children on roll 81 Name of provider The Gateshead Jewish Nursery Date of previous inspection 22/11/2011 Telephone number 01914783723

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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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