Little Monkeys Day Nursery

Little Monkeys Day Nursery Oaklands, Braithwaite, KESWICK, Cumbria, CA12 5RY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/08/2013 08/12/2008

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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

 Children are supported by a team of experienced staff who have a good understanding of how children learn. They skilfully interact with children during a range of challenging and interesting activities supporting them to develop their thinking skills.  Children are provided with rich opportunities to investigate and explore as they access their exciting and very well resourced outdoor environment. As a result, children develop their all-round physical skills and adopt healthy lifestyles.  Children are happy and settled within the setting because the staff are caring and friendly. They work very closely with the family through a robust induction procedure to ensure that they are well aware of children's individual routines and interests.  The staff work very well together as a team. They are dedicated to the work that they do because they strive to develop their knowledge and skills through a good range of

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This provision is good

training events and as they make regular enhancements to their setting to raise the quality of care and learning for children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is room to complement the information already sought from parents to include more information about children's learning and development to further determine their unique starting points.  There is scope to enhance the visual stimulants available to children in the baby room.

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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 had a tour of the nursery premises including the outdoor environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children during a range of activities in the baby room and pre-school room.  Discussions were held with the children and the staff throughout the inspection.  The views and opinions of parents were taken into account on the day of inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager of the nursery in the toddler room.

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Inspection activities

 A range of documentation was looked at by the inspector. These included the policies and procedures, children's observation and assessment records, boomerang books, registers of children and staff records.

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Information about the setting

Little Monkeys Day Nursery was registered in 2008 on the Early Years Register. It is privately owned by the manager of the nursery. It is situated in the village of Braithwaite near Keswick and operates from a house. There is a playroom for babies and pre-school children on the ground floor and a playroom for toddlers on the first floor. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 5, five hold appropriate qualifications at level 3 and one holds Qualified Teacher Status. There are two qualified cooks who provide nutritionally balanced home cooked meals and snacks on the premises.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 54 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery 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:

 complement the information already sought from parents to include more information about learning and development to further determine children's unique starting points for example, by encouraging parents to complete or contribute more to their entry assessment forms

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

 enhance the baby room with a wider range of visual stimulants and hanging objects, such as mobiles made from natural materials and wind chimes for them to look at and listen to as they play.

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who attend

Children make good progress towards the early learning goals, given their starting points. 'All about me' booklets completed by the parents provide the staff with a wealth of knowledge on children's individual needs and routines and share some information relating to children's learning and development. However, there is scope to develop this by encouraging parents to be more involved with the entry assessment record that the staff complete to seek further information. This is particularly around children's learning and development to further determine their unique starting points. Incidental observations are carried out each day within all of the rooms and skilfully capture children's achievements as they play. Staff record these in children's individual learning files and clearly link them to the Early Years Foundation Stage. 'Focussed children' are observed over a two week period and the next steps in their learning are clearly identified because the staff are

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who attend

skilled when evaluating their learning and recording their progress on individual assessment records and regular progress reports. As a result, they are ready for their next stages in learning and are well prepared for their move onto school.

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who attend

Children are supported by a team of experienced staff who have a very good understanding of how children learn. They plan activities that are interesting and challenging, taking into account the needs and interests of all children. For example, children develop their early literacy skills as they make marks with large rollers and paintbrushes outdoors. They learn to explore and investigate as they dig for treasure and diamonds in the sand. Children develop their communication skills as they talk to each other using the communication telephones and as they relax with each other in one of the many cosy areas around the nursery. The staff skilfully interact with children during their play, supporting them to develop and extend their thinking skills. For example, children pretend to make currant buns with the dough. They begin singing five currant buns and the staff instantly join in with them. They then encourage them to count the number of

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who attend

currant buns that are left over, supporting them to develop their number and counting skills. Children extend their pretend play skills because the staff support them to plan and set up a princess castle role-play area, following an interest that they have shown. They skilfully involve them in the planning process and ask them what they would like to see in the area. Children delight as they bring in objects from home, such as princess and castle books to enhance the area. This all ensures that children are effectively supported in their learning and are provided with depth and breadth across all areas.

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who attend

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported extremely well within the setting because the staff work very effectively with parents and other professionals to set specific and measurable targets for children to achieve in their own time. All staff within the setting are committed to supporting all children to learn and work together as a team to develop their own knowledge and skills. For example, the staff have all been trained in Makaton and can therefore, support children with speech impairments very well as they competently sign with them during their play. As a result, children make good progress in their learning, given their starting points. All children learn about the diverse needs of others because the staff encourage all children to interact with each other during a range of activities. They teach children about difference through a range of festivals and have a wide range of resources within children's immediate play

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who attend

environments for them to engage with on a daily basis. This ensures that children have a good awareness of difference and diversity. Partnerships with parents are good because the staff communicate effectively with them on a daily basis and record daily activities in their child's 'Boomerang book'. They expertly involve parents with their children's learning at every opportunity. For example, planned activities are displayed for parents to see on the entrance doors with links to how they can support their child's learning at home. Progress reports are sent home each term and parents are actively encouraged to make comments and contribute to children's next steps in learning. 'Magic moments at home' enable parents to share children's learning and progress from home on a regular basis. This is then skilfully supported by the staff within the setting who record what they have done to further extend children's development. The

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who attend

staff encourage parents to share resources with their children at home. For example, they are able to select story sacks from the nursery library to share with their children at home. This all means that a shared approach to children's learning is fully established.

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

Children are very happy and settle easily in the setting because they feel safe and secure with friendly, caring and kind staff. The robust induction procedure allows children plenty of time to settle and get to know the staff through well organised 'taster' sessions. Key persons use this time effectively to develop good relationships with the child and their family, seeking information relating to their individual needs and routines. As a result, strong attachments are formed between children and staff and children have their individual needs well met. Care plans and effective communication between all staff are effective in supporting children during times when their key person is absent. Therefore, children have their individual needs competently met at all times by a team of well qualified and confident staff. An open door policy ensures that parents feel welcome to talk to staff at any time. As a result, they feel assured that their children are happy and

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

Children benefit from safely organised welcoming play environments which are rich in print and stocked with a wide range of good quality resources for children to independently access. Children's artwork and photographs are creatively displayed around the rooms for them to see. As a result, they feel valued and can be proud of their achievements. However, there is scope to enhance the visual stimulants in the baby room by providing a wider range of hanging objects, such as natural mobiles and wind chimes for children to observe and listen to on a daily basis.

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

Children have plenty of opportunities to exercise and develop their all-round physical skills as they explore their exciting and very well resourced outdoor play environment freely on a daily basis. For example, they climb on the climbing frame and balance along the tyres, managing risks for themselves. They ride wheeled toys and can investigate as they play in the construction area and build with a variety of materials, such as pipes, milk crates and cones. Children can relax in the fresh air as they eat their healthy, nutritious snack in the cosy outdoor area. Children learn about healthy eating practices because the staff skilfully teach them about the effects of germs through the hand washing and teeth cleaning songs. As a result, children adopt healthy lifestyles. Children are confident and motivated learners who are encouraged to do many things for themselves. For example, as they arrive they hang up their own coats and bags and self-

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

register as they select their photograph or name badge. They wash their hands before mealtimes and help to pour their water from the jug. Children have opportunities to become 'helper of the day' and make choices for themselves as they plan what activities they intend to be involved in during the day. Younger children make their preferred choices using a range of photographs. For example, they choose activities from the circle time book and plan their outdoor activity using the outdoor photo board. As a result, children develop their confidence and independence skills in preparation for their next stages in learning.

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

Children are fully aware of what is acceptable behaviour because the staff are good role- models. As children play they encourage them to share resources and say please and thank you to other children. The staff teach children to play with the resources respectfully and safely and encourage them to help with tidy up time. As a result, children are well mannered, show respect for one another and play safely and cooperatively with each other.

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provision

The manager and her team of staff have a good knowledge of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and implement this effectively within the setting. They skilfully monitor the educational programmes through regularly completing a progress record for each child to ensure that they are making good progress in their learning, given their starting points. The quality of teaching is good because the whole team have a good understanding of how children learn. They capture children's ongoing achievements through a range of focussed observations and accurate assessments and support the next steps in their learning through a good range of challenging and interesting activities. The staff are experienced and committed to the work that they do, striving to continually improve their own knowledge and skills through regular training events and as they make regular enhancements to the setting to raise the quality of care

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provision

and learning for children. As a result, children are ready for their next stages in learning and are well prepared for their move on to school.

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provision

All staff have a good understanding of protecting and safeguarding children and know the procedure to follow should they have any concerns about a child in their care. Recruitment procedures are robust because the manager ensures that detailed checks are conducted on all staff members before they are appointed in their role. For example, references are sought from previous employers, suitability checks are effectively conducted and a thorough interview process ensures that staff are experienced. Therefore, this ensures that staff are highly skilled and suitable for their role. Policies and procedures are well written and are accurately reflected in practice by all staff. Daily checks of equipment and resources and well maintained staff ratios ensure that children are kept safe at all times. As a result, children's safety and well-being is highly promoted in all aspects. Self-evaluation is well established and clearly highlights the strengths and areas for

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provision

improvement. Parents are encouraged to contribute to the evaluation process through regular discussions and questionnaires. Children have daily opportunities to talk about their likes and dislikes and twice yearly consultations are conducted with them to seek further information on what they would like to see in the setting. The staff have a clear vision and work together during staff meetings to identify areas for improvement. Focussed improvement plans clearly recognise the positive impact that the improvements will make for the children in their care. The recommendations from the last inspection have been successfully implemented and regular supervision meetings and appraisals are conducted with all staff to seek their views and improve performance. This all clearly demonstrates that the staff are committed to drive the setting forwards in order to improve the quality of care and learning for children.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are strong because the staff have formed very good relationships with them and communicate effectively with them on a daily basis. They are fully involved with their children's learning because the staff provide parents with a wealth of information about the Early Years Foundation Stage within their welcome pack and on the nursery website. Parents report that they are extremely happy with the caring, friendly and approachable staff who work extremely well together to support their children. They feel well informed of the progress that their children are making and have many opportunities to contribute and share their children's learning from home.

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provision

Partnerships with external agencies are well established. The staff have developed good relationships with shared settings and work closely with them to ensure that children's learning is complemented. For example, 'Boomerang books' are used to share what children have been involved in at each setting and are shared with the parents. Regular meetings are held to discuss children's learning and progress and to share planned activities. Children who are moving on to school are supported well because the staff prepare them effectively. For example, they seek information from schools and create a book with photographs of their new environment, this is then further enhanced using a treasure basket with items, such as school jumpers and bags for them to look at. Summative sheets are sent to schools to detail the progress that children have made towards the early learning goals. This all ensures that a shared approach to children's

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provision

learning is fully embedded and children benefit from seamless transitions.

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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 EY371284 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 858057

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 54 Name of provider Laura Fradsham Date of previous inspection 08/12/2008 Telephone number 01768778192

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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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