Little Bugs Childcare

Little Bugs Childcare Creepy Crawlies, Wigginton Road, Wigginton, YORK, YO32 2RH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/06/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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 have very good opportunities to play outdoors, to engage with nature and use a wide variety of physical play equipment. As a result, they benefit from lots of fresh air and exercise, which plays a significant part in promoting their good health and well- being.  Children become very confident in doing things for themselves because staff enable them to make decisions and choices in their play and to take responsibility for preparing their own food at lunchtime.  Staff provide children with exciting learning opportunities that are carefully matched to their interests. Consequently, children want to take part and become highly motivated learners who make very good progress in their development.  Staff develop close and trusting relationships with all children. Consequently, they happily leave their parents on arrival at the nursery and are very settled and confident in their environment.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children do not have a wide variety of opportunities to observe numerals and use these in context in their play to further enhance their mathematical understanding.  There is scope to develop the opportunities for children to strengthen their understanding of the world and their acceptance of differences between people.

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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 had a tour of the premises and observed children playing in a soft play provision on site, the playroom and outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager and the owner and spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and discussed the provider's improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of children's records, planning documents and a selection of policies.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager of a spontaneous activity based upon children's desire to make a 'herbal sun tea'.

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Information about the setting

Little Bugs Childcare was registered in 2012 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is privately owned and is situated in a single storey building in the Web Adventure Park, in the Clifton Moor area of York. Children are cared for in one room, with an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery also has use of various areas in the park, including a soft play provision. It serves the local area and is accessible to all children.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs two members of childcare staff, both of whom hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3. The nursery opens Monday to Saturday all year round, with the exception of Christmas day and Boxing day. Opening times are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently nine children attending, all of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. It receives support from the local authority.

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

 enhance the opportunities for children to see and use numerals in their environment, such as making number lines available for reference and encouraging children to use them in their play

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

 increase the opportunities for children to learn about diversity, for example, by providing resources, such as posters and photographs that represent diverse backgrounds and which avoid negative stereotypes.

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who attend

All staff have a good understanding of how children develop and the characteristics of effective learning. They are very confident in their teaching and provide an exciting range of activities and experiences that enable children to think critically, to play and explore and become active and creative learners. Staff carefully observe and assess children's learning. They keep detailed records of their progress and obtain information from parents about children's learning at home. Consequently, they have a clear picture of children's abilities and can plan precisely for their next steps in order to move their learning on. This means children make very good progress in their development and are well prepared for the transition to school when the time comes. Staff are extremely responsive to children's interests and carefully tailor activities to these so children want to take part. For instance, when children show a fascination with water staff enable them to make rain catchers to

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who attend

measure how much rain has fallen in a day. They teach children how to fill a bottle with water and glitter so they can observe the vortex the glitter makes as they shake this. Children become absolutely fascinated by this and are very eager to take their bottles home and show their parents this phenomenon.

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who attend

The nursery is well resourced and provides children with a stimulating environment in which to play and learn. For example, children help to label baskets containing toys which very effectively supports them to develop their writing skills and to understand how print can be used in context. Staff actively encourage children to use counting for a purpose to promote their mathematical development. For example, they ask children to cut three slices of cucumber at lunchtime. However, children do not have sufficiently rich opportunities to see numerals in their environment, to help them make connections as they count. Children have some opportunities to learn about the wider world. For example, greetings are displayed in a variety of languages. However, opportunities for children to observe positive images of today's diverse society are not fully promoted, to strengthen their understanding of the world. Staff skilfully support children in becoming independent

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who attend

learners who are confident in making decisions for themselves. For instance, at the start of the day staff ask children what they would like to play with and record this on a board. Children are then given valuable opportunities to play uninterrupted, which enables them to discover things for themselves. For instance, several children delight in sending toy cars down a large cardboard tube and racing to the end to see if they can catch these. This successfully enables children to learn about cause and effect, distance and speed for themselves. At the end of the morning children gather together for 'recall time' when staff ask them if they have achieved their plans, what they have enjoyed and if there is anything else they particularly want to do. This very successfully enables children to become confident communicators.

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who attend

Staff lead planned activities very well, and as a result, children become fully immersed and show high levels of concentration. For instance, as one member of staff teaches children how to make 'herbal sun tea' she encourages them to smell the fresh mint leaves they are using. She skilfully asks children open-ended questions to make them think, such as 'What do you think the leaves smell like?' She gives children time to formulate their answers and one child answers 'It's like toothpaste'. This shows he is making clear connections in his learning. When children have put the leaves in a jar and added water the member of staff then explains about putting the jars in the sun so the goodness comes out of the leaves. She enables children to make decisions by asking them to find a sunny place and they confidently decide the best spot is on a table outdoors.

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

Children's transitions into the nursery are managed very effective, which makes it a pleasant experience for both them and their parents. For instance, if parents agree, staff make a home visit before the placement begins, which enables them to meet children in their familiar environment. They take their 'key person' box, which contains items relating to their personalities and interests, to share with children. This means parents are very well informed about who will be taking a special interest in their child. Parents are also asked to complete an 'All about me' form detailing their child's individual needs and prior learning and settling-in visits are then arranged. All of which, mean children quickly develop close and trusting bonds with their carers. This is very evident as one child spontaneously comes and gives his key person a cuddle. Children happily leave their parents on arrival and settle quickly. This shows they are emotionally secure, which means

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

they have a strong base for their learning and development.

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

Children learn to behave very well because staff have high expectations of them and expect them to be capable. As a result, children develop very good levels of independence and are very confident in their abilities. For instance, they independently wash their hands before mealtimes and put their used paper towel in the bin. Children are taught to use knives safely, which means they are confident in preparing their own food at snack and lunchtime. For instance, they cut oranges into pieces and spread butter on bread and fill this with ham to make a sandwich. One child also shows a good understanding of size and shape as he explains he is cutting his sandwich in half to make squares. Staff really value children's efforts and achievements and they use lots of praise to acknowledge these. This raises children's self-esteem very effectively. For instance, a member of staff clearly demonstrates her delight as she tells one child 'his cutting is getting very good' as he

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

successfully cuts slices from a cucumber.

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

Staff give high priority to promoting children's understanding of personal safety. They involve them fully in risk assessing any outings and encourage children to think what may be a hazard and how they can minimise this. As a result, children know to wear a high visibility jacket so they can be seen and to walk in twos as they go out to the wooded area. They refer to their partner as their 'muddy buddy'. This means children feel confident to take part in activities outside their normal environment, which further prepares them for when they move onto school. Children have excellent opportunities to play outdoors. This means they benefit from lots of fresh air and have freedom to move around and play on a larger scale. For example, children delight in making 'pies' in the 'mud kitchen'. They have opportunities to challenge their physical skills and develop their ability in climbing and balancing through daily access to a soft play facility and adventure

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

park that is housed on the same site. Staff are trained in delivering 'Forest school' activities and they are passionate about supporting children to engage with nature. For example, they teach children how to make dens and inspire them to make 'fairy rings' in what children have decided is a 'magical' part of a wooded area. Children have very good opportunities to learn about healthy eating, food sourcing and processes. For instance, when they make their own vegetable soup they write a list of items they need and purchase these at a supermarket using a self-service scanner. They then help to chop up the vegetables, and when these are cooked, they use a hand-blender to produce their soup. This is then taken home to share with parents so they can enjoy this too.

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provision

The nursery's arrangements for safeguarding children are good. For instance, the recruitment and vetting of staff is thorough, which means their suitability to work with children is carefully assessed. The premises are kept secure at all times, which ensures there is no unauthorised access to the building. Staff are confident about the procedures to follow, should they have any concerns about a child's welfare and they fully understand the nursery's policy for the use of mobile phones. They are vigilant in following this. For instance, on arrival, they leave their phone at reception and they do not access this whilst caring for children. The only exception to this is that the manager takes her phone with her when taking children on activities outside the setting. This is then only used in an emergency or for parental contact. Consequently, children's safety and well-being is promoted very effectively.

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provision

The owner is passionate about the nursery and to providing an environment where children come first. She enthusiastically shares her vision with staff, which means they are motivated to providing high quality care and learning experiences for children, to help them achieve their full potential. Good attention is paid to monitoring and evaluating the quality of the service and the educational programmes. For instance, all staff contribute to the nursery's self-evaluation form. This then plays an important part in helping the manager to draw up a clear development plan, to show how she intends to move the service forward. Children's individual development records and their progress as a group are reviewed regularly, to assess the effectiveness of the educational programmes. If any gaps are identified in children's learning effective action is immediately taken to address these. For example, additional activities specific to that area of learning are provided.

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provision

Children are asked on a continuous basis what it is they like about the nursery and they take photographs of their favourite activities. These are used to compile a book entitled 'Voice of the children'. This shows children's views are really valued and appreciated. Good attention is given to the performance management of staff and to assessing the quality of their teaching. For instance, peer observations are regularly carried out and all staff are keen to attend training and gain additional childcare related qualifications, to develop their knowledge and practice. This means the nursery's capacity for continuous improvement is good which in turn enhances the outcomes for children's learning.

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provision

Staff give good attention to working in partnership with parents. They receive good information before the placement begins and on an ongoing basis, via daily discussion and newsletters. Their views of the nursery are actively sought and staff are very responsive to making any necessary changes. For instance, one parent asked for a children's uniform to be introduced and there is now the option of purchasing a shirt with the setting's logo. Parents are unanimous in their praise of the nursery. They describe the nursery as being 'fantastic' and state that they are very pleased with the way their children have settled. They describe staff as being very caring and dedicated to their job. Partnership working with other early years settings children also attend or will move onto is being developed. For example, to aid transitions teachers from the local schools have been invited to the nursery so they can get to know children and observe their learning before they move into

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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 EY444577 Local authority York Inspection number 923610

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 9 Name of provider Masce Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01904696003

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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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