Littleways Day Nursery

Littleways Day Nursery 81 Albert Road, Levenshulme, Manchester, Lancashire, M19 2FU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/07/2013 12/07/2010

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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

 Babies and children are relaxed and confident to explore the well-resourced environment. They show high levels of independence, curiosity and imagination and consistently make good progress in relation to their starting points.  The well-embedded key person system helps children to form secure emotional attachments as staff skilfully support them in their play. Consequently, children are well prepared for their transitions, both across the setting and into school.  Arrangements for safeguarding children are well established, and clear policies and procedures are implemented consistently to ensure children are kept safe at all times.  Partnerships with parents, external agencies and other early years providers are very strong and make a significant contribution to meeting all children's needs.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities to further support babies' good exploratory and investigatory skills are not yet fully resourced with more natural and open-ended type materials.  The good systems in place for monitoring staff performance do not yet fully include peer observations, in order that staff can learn from each other through honest and critical reflection.

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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 the four playrooms and the outdoor environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager, talked to staff, children and key persons and carried out a joint observation with the manager of an adult-led activity.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at various documents, including a sample of policies and procedures, children's records, planning and assessments and evidence of the suitability of staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection and from written questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

Littleways Day Nursery is privately owned and operated and was registered in January 2004. It operates from a converted semi-detached dwelling, which is situated in the Levenshulme area of Manchester. Care is provided over three floors of the premises in four playrooms. All children access secure outdoor play at the side and rear of the building. Entrance to the building is via two steps. The setting opens Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, all year round, with the exception of one week at Christmas, statutory holidays and five staff training days.

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Information about the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 61 children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age range and attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. It provides funded early years education for two- , three- and four-year-old children.

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Information about the setting

There are 12 members of staff employed to work directly with the children. Of these, six hold an early years qualification at level 3 and four are unqualified. The manager holds Early Years Professional Status and one member of staff holds an early years qualification at level 6. The setting is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association.

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

 extend opportunities for children to enhance their good exploratory skills and further develop their strong sense of curiosity, for example, by providing an extensive range of natural materials and everyday objects for them to investigate

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

 build on existing good systems for the monitoring of staff performance, for example, by fully establishing peer observations to continue to build on their already good practice.

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who attend

Babies and children thrive in this good quality setting and consistently demonstrate the characteristics of effective learning. Teaching is rooted in a secure knowledge of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and a comprehensive understanding of how children learn. Staff practice is good and in several instances, outstanding. As a result, children's individual needs are well met and they make consistently good progress in relation to their starting points.

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who attend

The environment is stimulating, challenging and well-equipped with a wide range of interesting and good quality resources to promote children's natural curiosity and develop their exploratory skills. For example, babies investigate water, mirrors, interactive toys and bottles filled with pasta, sand, rice and coloured water. They have a wonderful time as they sit, crawl and roll around in trays filled with paint, when they use their whole bodies to experience what it feels like. However, opportunities for babies to explore an extensive range of natural materials and everyday objects in order to further enhance their understanding of the world around them, are yet to be fully embraced. Older children investigate shaving foam, sand, a wide range of creative materials and technology equipment. Consequently, children access a broad and balanced curriculum, are eager and motivated to learn and consistently demonstrate the characteristics of effective learning.

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who attend

Staff place a strong priority on helping children to acquire communication and language skills, and supporting their physical, personal, social and emotional development. This means that children gain the skills, abilities and attitudes that prepare them well for the next stage in their learning and school. All children, including young babies demonstrate high levels of independence as they confidently move around the environment to experience the exciting activities and resources on offer. For example, babies crawl rapidly towards the resources that they particularly enjoy, toddlers choose their favourite small world toys and pre-school children actively seek out a familiar story in the book area. Staff teach children to share and cooperate in their play and provide them with a wealth of opportunities to do this. For example, children work harmoniously together as they build towers and engage in role play. The effective use of a timer on the computer table

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who attend

supports children further in their understanding of taking turns and sharing fairly. Staff provide skilful and sensitive support to help children to achieve, which effectively builds their self-esteem. They consistently praise children for their achievements and use words such as 'wow', 'good boy' and 'well done' to encourage them to persevere with tasks and gain a sense of pride in their achievements.

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who attend

Staff are especially skilled in the way they support children to develop their communication and language skills. They provide a running commentary as children play, to role model language and extend their vocabulary. For example, as children play in the construction area, staff introduce new words, such as 'wrench', 'saw', 'hammer' and 'screwdriver' and use the appropriate actions to demonstrate how they are used. Children have a wonderful time and squeal with delight as they pretend to drill the arm of the member of staff, making 'zzzz' noises as they do so. Babies are encouraged to communicate by attentive staff who recognise the sounds they make and repeat them back so that they begin to learn the art of 'two-way' conversation. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language are expertly supported through gestures, facial expressions, pictures and visual clues. Furthermore, staff work in

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who attend

partnership with parents to learn key words in children's home language to support their understanding of English. Children are given a wealth of opportunities to listen and talk to each other for a variety of purposes to meet their individual development needs. For example, they are encouraged to share news about their home and family at circle time, participate in regular story and singing sessions and follow instructions as they play, 'What time is it Mr Wolf?'. Children's imagination is fired through the extension of their favourite stories. For example, children's learning is extended as staff and children develop the role- play area into the 'Three Bears Cottage' and taste porridge for breakfast. This helps children to successfully make links in their learning. Staff use a phonics programme effectively to teach pre-school children to tune into, listen to and talk about sounds. Older children are beginning to understand initial sounds and link sounds to the letters in their

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who attend

name. These repeated daily activities have a significant impact on the development of children's literacy skills.

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who attend

Staff provide children with many opportunities to develop their physical skills, both indoors and outdoors. For example, good quality, low-level units in the baby rooms enable children to pull themselves up to a standing position safely and cruise along furniture. Older children develop their large muscle control and coordination as they ride wheeled toys, throw balls into a basket and pour and use large climbing equipment. Babies and young children develop their finer hand movements as they turn the pages of a book, push buttons on interactive toys and complete simple inset jigsaws. Pre-school children and toddlers fill and empty containers with water and sand, thread beads and make marks with chalk, pens, crayons, pencils, sponges and paintbrushes.

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who attend

The effective observations and assessments on children ensure that children's needs are clearly identified and this information is used to inform future planning. Consequently, they are provided with stimulating and challenging experiences. For example, children learn about capacity as they explore 'full' and 'empty' when they play in the water. Children's progress is effectively tracked through a continuous assessment of their achievements. This helps staff to support them to make good progress in their learning and development, as their unique needs are recognised and planned for. In addition, any gaps in learning are quickly identified and appropriate interventions are sought to enable all children to achieve to their full potential. Children's learning journey records contain a wide range of information, including photographs, observations and examples of their work. They are well-presented and 'parent friendly' and are a lovely record to share with

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who attend

parents as evidence of children's achievements and progress. Home links and good information sharing with parents are also included in this process. This provides staff with a clear picture of what children can do and can accurately assess their needs and the next step necessary for their continued development. Staff value parents' input and share information about how they can help their child's learning through simple activities at home. Parents are given information about their children's learning through daily verbal feedback, regular written summaries of children's progress and opportunities to review children's learning journey records.

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

The key person system is effective and well embedded which helps children form secure, emotional attachments and provides a strong base for their personal, social and emotional development. Staff greet children and welcome them into the room which ensures that they feel valued and cared for. A warm and caring environment is created in which children are supported by the consistent routines and the effective, trusting relationships with their key person. Babies are looked after by loving, caring staff who intuitively understand their individuality and respond quickly to their physical and emotional needs. Children select resources independently and learn to plan and initiate their own learning as they explore the good quality resources and activities provided. Very young children demonstrate their independence skills as they find a box full of sun hats and take them to the member of staff to put on children before they go out to play. Children have their own

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

tray to store their possessions and, as a result they develop a strong sense of belonging.

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

Staff encourage children to do things for themselves as well as ensuring they are close by to support children if they need help. Babies and children are happy, content and well- settled in the setting because staff have a thorough understanding of their needs through information provided by parents on entry to the setting. Photographs of babies' and children's families are displayed in all rooms to help children with the settling-in process and enable staff to talk to them about significant people in their lives. Effective systems are in place to support children as they move rooms, such as discussions with new key persons, sharing children's developmental progress reports and settling-in visits. Consequently, children experience continuity and consistency of care and learning.

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

Staff help children manage their behaviour as they explain about sharing, distract children with other resources and talk about feelings. They consistently praise positive behaviour by using words, such as 'clever boy' and 'what good listening' and showing children the 'thumbs up' sign. Staff respond to minor disagreements sensitively and calmly and encourage children to talk about what has happened and what they can do to resolve the situation. This helps children to become aware of the effect their actions have on others. Through effective daily reminders, staff reinforce the behavioural expectations, such as using tools safely and tidying up resources so that they do not fall. Staff provide consistent and clear boundaries to promote children's positive behaviour and, as a result, their behaviour is good. They sit appropriately during meal times, are polite and ask for things nicely as they respond with 'please' and 'thank you'. Children demonstrate a helpful and

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

caring attitude to each other and staff. For example, children show concern for their friend at tea time as they tell staff that 'they have not got a sandwich or a plate'.

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

Children learn about keeping themselves safe as staff teach them the safety rules as they walk up and down stairs to and from the outdoor environment. Children demonstrate their understanding as they hold onto the rail or an adult's hand and walk slowly. They are encouraged to manage their own risks outdoors as they use large climbing equipment and crawl along a structure they make from bricks.

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

Staff effectively teach children about health and hygiene as they role model good practice and support them with daily routines. For example, staff effectively support younger children with hand-washing routines as they draw their attention to the sequence pictures on the wall and role model what they need to do. Children enjoy a variety of nutritious snacks and meals, including fresh fruit and vegetables and rice and pasta dishes. Children are aware of the need to eat healthy foods to make their bodies grow and give them energy. They independently access fresh drinking water and explain that the hot weather and running around has made them thirsty. The setting provides a vegetarian menu for all the children which is carefully planned to ensure it is well balanced. Older children learn to be independent and develop their self-care skills as they serve themselves and pour their own drinks. Younger children learn to feed themselves with the caring support of their key

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

person. Children have daily access to outdoor play to access regular fresh air and exercise and the provision of quiet, cosy areas within the indoor environment give children opportunities to rest and relax. As a result, children's health and hygiene is successfully promoted, which in turn has a positive impact on their physical and emotional well-being.

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provision

The manager is relatively new in post and together with senior managers, the staff team and local authority Quality Assurance Framework Officer has worked incredibly hard to develop practice since the last inspection. This is particularly evident in the reorganisation of the playrooms, the additional good quality resources provided and the recruitment of very experienced, knowledgeable staff. All previous actions and recommendations have been successfully addressed. For example, staff are vigilant as they manage hygiene routines and the accessibility of hand-washing facilities helps to reinforce children's understanding of good health care practices. As a result, learning outcomes for children have significantly improved.

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provision

There is an effective self-evaluation system in place which includes contributions from staff, parents and children. For example, children are able to effectively air their views through the implementation of the effective 'mosaic approach'. This involves children using a digital camera to record their likes and dislikes within the setting environment. As a result, staff can then talk to children about the reasons behind their thoughts and subsequently make appropriate changes. Priorities for improvement are clearly identified through the effective self-evaluation process and consistent monitoring of the environment. These are well documented on detailed, separate action plans for each of the playrooms. Staff constantly evaluate their practice and the environment to ensure they continue to improve, as they strive to provide the best possible care and education for all children.

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provision

The manager takes overall responsibility for monitoring the educational programmes to ensure children access activities and experiences that cover all areas of learning. She holds Early Years Professional Status and effectively uses her knowledge and skills to guide staff in their practice and support them with the organisation of areas of continuous provision. All staff are passionate and fully committed to their work and the service they provide, and this is reflected in their enthusiasm and the enjoyment they demonstrate when interacting with the children. In addition, because they are so dedicated and genuinely love working with children, they often give up their own time to develop the environment to ensure it is maintained to a good standard at all times. As a result of thorough systems in place to monitor the quality of teaching, such as appraisals and general observations, practice is consistently good.

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provision

The manager ensures that all staff have ample opportunities for further training, which is discussed at appraisal meetings, and that any mandatory training is updated as required. However, as yet a system for peer observation is not yet fully embedded to enable staff to learn from each other through honest and critical reflection. The deputy manager takes responsibility for monitoring planning, observation and assessment to ensure that children's progress is accurately recorded and key persons plan effectively for the next steps in their learning. She regularly reviews children's learning journey records and successfully supports staff in their implementation if needed.

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provision

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how to protect and safeguard children and policies and procedures are known by all staff and implemented consistently. They have all attended safeguarding training and are fully aware of what to do and who to contact if there are any safeguarding concerns. Risks are managed effectively and daily checks of the environment ensure that children can learn and play in complete safety. The vigilance of staff, consistent supervision of children and extensive security systems, such as closed-circuit television cameras, keypad locks on doors and the use of safety gates are effective. These ensure that children are kept safe from unwanted visitors and cannot leave the premises without an adult. A secure password system is in place for adults collecting children who are unknown by staff. The consistent monitoring of staff and children attending each day and the use of qualified bank staff to cover staff absences

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provision

ensures that ratios are met at all times and children's needs are effectively promoted. Accidents and existing injuries are recorded in detail and shared with and signed by parents to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The robust recruitment and induction systems ensure that staff skills are valued and children are cared for by a safe and knowledgeable staff team.

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provision

Partnerships with parents and other early years providers are strong and make a significant contribution to meeting children's individual needs. This ensures continuity of care and learning and effectively supports children with the transition process. Relationships with outside professionals and external agencies, such as educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and the teacher of the deaf are exceptionally good. Consequently, all children receive the appropriate support and interventions they need and no child is disadvantaged. Close monitoring of children's progress throughout the setting, ensures that gaps in learning are swiftly identified. This demonstrates how the setting is closing the achievement gap of vulnerable groups of children. Parents have access to a wide variety of organisational policies and procedures and information about what to do and who to contact if they have any concerns. The use

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provision

of daily diaries, along with opportunities for parents to share verbal information with friendly, approachable staff, ensures that there are strong relationships between the home and the setting.

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provision

Parents comment very positively about the setting and the care and education their children receive. They are particularly impressed with the changes the manager has put in place to improve the quality of the setting. They are given lots of information about the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage through parents' notice boards, leaflets and newsletters. Questionnaires were given out to parents to ask how they felt about attending a 'stay and play' session on a Saturday morning. Many parents responded positively to this idea, saying it was a good idea and that they would be interested in participating. Parents state that their children are 'happy, well-settled and sociable' and 'benefit greatly from the homely, nurturing environment and the team of experienced, knowledgeable staff'.

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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 EY265472 Local authority Manchester Inspection number 921299

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 31 Number of children on roll 61 Name of provider Littleways Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 12/07/2010 Telephone number 0161 248 5889

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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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