Little Owls Nursery Armley Moor

Armley Moor Children's Centre Daycare 95 Town Street, Armley, LEEDS, West Yorkshire, LS12 3HD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/05/2013 15/04/2009

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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 have a good understanding of how children learn and develop, and use opportunities well to promote their learning through their engagement, enthusiasm and effective teaching methods. Consequently, children are interested and eager to learn.  Children's participation and exploration are well-supported through a stimulating and accessible learning environment, which includes free-flow for all children into the outdoor play space.  Children are confident and sociable and form good relationships with staff, who support their play well. They show independence and curiosity and benefit from many opportunities to initiate their own play.  The nursery have excellent arrangements in place to work alongside parents and other agencies. Information from parents on children's learning from home is used well to inform planning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always maximise the daily routine, such as lunchtimes, to engage children in conversation.  At times, staff do not fully promote the development of children's self-help skills.

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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 playrooms and the outside area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the children centre manager, early years foundation stage teacher and key persons at appropriate times throughout the observations.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journey records, planning documentation, the provider's self-evaluation form and a selection of policies and children's records.  The inspector also took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held final feedback discussions with the children centre manager, two assistant children centre managers and the early years foundation stage teacher.

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Information about the setting

Armley Moor Children's Centre was registered in 2005 and operates from a purpose built nursery within the Primary Health Care Trust buildings, in the Armley area of Leeds. The children centre is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Children have access to three playrooms with attached access to the outdoors.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 19 members of childcare staff. Of these, 15 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above and one staff member has qualifications at level 2. The children centre manager and assistant children centre manager have completed the Early Years Foundation Degree. One staff member has the Early Years Professional Status Award.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm all year round. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 126 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two- and three-year-old children. The nursery supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 review the organisation of children's lunchtime to ensure opportunities for staff to engage with children to develop their language skills are maximised

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

 further extend opportunities to promote children's self-help skills by ensuring they wear appropriate footwear in the outdoor play areas.

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who attend

Children are enthusiastic and engage well in activities as they are supported by staff that makes learning fun. Staff are skilled in capturing children's interests and using most opportunities to extend their learning through their spontaneous responses and appropriate use of questions and suggestions. The focus of the centre nursery is to support children's progress through their own play choices, and staff use these to encompass different areas of learning. There is a strong focus on supporting children to acquire skills in the prime areas of learning, which ensures the progress check at age two record is put together very well. Children add their ideas through discussion and also make their own contributions on the planning board. Staff effectively use their observations to reflect on children's progress and to inform the individual play plans which the key person draws up weekly for each child. This ensures that appropriate support is

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who attend

provided to help children enjoy their learning and make good progress in all areas. Planning is discussed within the room and activities are evaluated to provide effective challenges for individual children. As a result, children are engaged in their learning and are developing the skills that they need to support them in their next stage of learning.

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who attend

Children's developing language is mostly well-supported through conversation, for example, inviting children to share events from home, choosing a character in circle time or naming the different mini-beast in the outdoor area. Children who speak English as an additional language have a range of visual signs and displays, including those in their own language, and are often supported by the diverse language skills within the staff team. Children engage enthusiastically in a water exploration session where skilful and sensitive techniques by staff ensure that all are included and supported, allowing the more reluctant children time to participate. Children learn to wait their turn and listen and respond to others. Children thoroughly enjoy the water, which helps support their language and social skills and inspires an understanding of mathematical concepts. For example, they pour and empty water from different containers or observe the changes when different colour

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who attend

paints are added to the water. They feel and talk about the different textures and discuss making each other cups of tea with the water. Children work very well together and as result they demonstrate strong personal, social and emotional development skills. However, during children's lunch, opportunities to use this social time to engage with children and extend their language are not always maximised by staff, due to the distractions caused by parents collecting children.

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who attend

Children benefit immensely from a very well-resourced environment where they are able to access toys of their choice and initiate their own learning. The free-flow opportunities into the outdoor area for all the children further enhance these experiences. For example, children are able to balance their body weight by sliding on their front and are able to balance themselves on the beams. A typical day includes some planned activities, but play is very much led by children's choices and interests. Staff respond well to this and spontaneously change their thoughts and focus to allow play to be led by the children. Staff are skilled at extending children's interests through questions and ideas, and at incorporating the different areas of learning into one activity. For example, the smart board is used for children to explore technology thinking and physical development as children spontaneously move their bodies to different sounds. Similarly, the children use

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who attend

the smart board to create their own designs, talk about colours, count the numbers of stars, make marks and practise their writing skills.

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who attend

Children thoroughly enjoy opportunities to investigate and explore, using many interesting methods and materials. Children develop their imagination through lots of different role play, trying on different clothes or playing in the home corner and pretending to care of the baby dolls. They also demonstrate a strong understanding of the environment and other cultures through celebrating festivals of the world. For example, children take part in planting activities and learn about festivals such as Eid, Diwali and Chinese New Year.

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who attend

Staff use successful strategies to engage all parents in their children's learning, such as holding parent's evenings, suggestion boxes and organising loan use of cameras in order to extend and encouraging them to share their observations from home. Consequently, staff use the 'I have been learning' records to increase their understanding of the children's attainments from home. As a result, staff and parents are working consistently together to share information to support children's progress. Close and collaborative working with teachers also ensures children's summative assessments are shared. Consequently, the arrangements for children when they move to school are good.

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

Children's well-being is supported through strong relationships with staff and the effective use of key persons to ensure information is shared and support is given as they settle in. For example, parents are given a flexible settling-in time and are encouraged to share all useful information about children's routines and individual needs. The offer of home visits, which most parents accept, creates opportunities for staff and parents to talk openly and observe children in their familiar surroundings. This creates a firm foundation for developing children's sense of security and supports an easier transition from home to nursery. As a result, children show high levels of confidence, independence and enthusiasm in initiating their own play.

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

Parents are fully involved in regular reviews of the children's progress to ensure that the care and learning opportunities are consistent and appropriate. Children and parents also receive plenty of support when children move from one room to another within the nursery, and when they go to school. Children receive good support and encouragement from staff, which helps them feel valued. Children's behaviour is generally good and they respond well to routine requests, such as sitting down for song time. Through a range of activities and group sessions, children learn to share and cooperate with others, to listen and await their turn. Staff provide opportunities for them to develop their independence by taking responsibility for small tasks, such as setting out the resources and helping to put things away. The learning environment is well-planned to enable children to confidently explore and investigate, to follow their own preferences and make their own

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

Visits and guidance from health professionals help children learn the importance of healthy lifestyles. Children describe which foods will make them strong and learn to understand the changes that happen after physical exercise, such as their heart beating faster. Children's health is further supported through healthy snacks, nutritious meals and access to drinks at all times. The use of resources, such as the dental hygiene box, encourages children to learn about the importance of brushing their teeth and other personal hygiene practices. Children are generally developing their self-care skills as they know to wash their hands before eating and after toileting. However, at times younger children enter the outdoor play spaces without appropriate footwear. As a result, staff do not fully consider exploring and promoting children's abilities to put on their own footwear.

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

The well-planned nursery enables children to benefit significantly from the free access between indoors and outdoors. The doors to the garden remain open for children to choose for themselves whether to play indoors or outside. As well as climbing and riding bikes they have fun running along the different levels of ground and hiding in the bushes. As a result, they develop good physical skills. Children are developing a good awareness of health and safety through guidance from staff and the opportunity to take responsibility for their own well-being. For example, they learn to take appropriate action to keep them safe when using the outdoor equipment. They move with great confidence around the nursery and into the outdoor area. They are routinely reminded to take care, for example, when moving water between trays during a water play session.

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provision

The management team have a good understanding of their responsibilities for meeting both the safeguarding and welfare requirements and the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The designated persons for child protection are experienced and fully trained in this role. Robust systems are in place to ensure the on-going suitability of all staff including trainees. This includes appropriate vetting checks and induction programmes. Effective performance management systems are in place. The management team monitor the educational programmes and the delivery of the learning and development requirements in a number of ways. These include staff appraisals, training days and whole staff team meetings. They are fully supportive of staff gaining further qualifications and offer in-house training to enable them to continue to develop their professional skills. For example, all staff members participate in a mandatory

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provision

training programme which includes safeguarding. A well-organised range of security measures, risk assessments and policy documentation is in place. These measures help to make sure children are protected from harm while in the nursery and when out visiting local places of interest.

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provision

The nursery has embedded strong reflective self-evaluation practice alongside the local authority quality improvement plans. The previous recommendation from the last inspection has been addressed. For example, the nursery has good observation and assessment arrangements in place to monitor children's progress. With the support of the foundation stage teacher, the management use the assessments to monitor the effectiveness of the educational programmes. This demonstrates the nursery's strong commitment to maintaining ongoing improvement. Managers recognise the lunch periods could be better organised so staff and children are able to build on their social skills without disruption. They also acknowledge that staff could encourage children's self -help skills further by ensuring children understand the need to wear appropriate footwear outdoors.

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provision

The 'parents as partners' philosophy ensures that parents and carers are fully included and consulted at every stage of their child's time at the nursery. In addition, their views about aspects of how the nursery is run are welcomed, considered, and influence decision making. For example, parent representatives sit on the children centre board. At the inspection, parents stated that they can see the progress their children make in their learning and welcome the level of communication they have with their child's key person. They added that their children are happy, so they are happy too. Children make good progress and are thoroughly happy and settled, because of the partnership with nursery.

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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 EY317005 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 850315

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 80 Number of children on roll 126 Name of provider Leeds City Council Date of previous inspection 15/04/2009 Telephone number 0113 2143539

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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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