Kingfisher Day NurseryOfsted inspection, 7 Aug 2013

Kingfisher Day Nursery 150 - 152 Porchester Road, Mapperley, NOTTINGHAM, Nottinghamshire, NG3 6LB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/08/2013 17/04/2013

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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 sit and engage well during adult guided opportunities. This is because staff effectively question children, which maintains their interest and promotes their communication skills.  The nursery builds strong relationships with parents and keeps them informed and involved in their children's care and learning.  Children are happy and form close attachments in this nurturing and caring environment. Staff praise children's achievements, which effectively promotes their confidence and self-esteem.  Staff have good knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They use this to ensure children's individual next steps are included in all the planning of activities. This ensures all children make good progress in all areas of their learning and development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Older children, occasionally, have fewer opportunities to explore mathematical concepts through routines. This means their mathematical development is not always promoted as well as possible.

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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 indoors and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the manager and owner at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents, staff and children spoken to on the day.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of staff working within the setting, the provider's self- evaluation and a range of other documentation.

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Information about the setting

The Kingfisher Day Nursery was registered in 2005. It is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in two converted Victorian houses in the Mapperley area of Nottingham and is one of four privately owned nurseries. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There are two fully enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and two hold qualifications at level 2, including the owner who has Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round and is only closed for one week at Christmas and all public bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 46 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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

 scope to develop opportunities for the more able children to explore mathematical ideas and concepts through routines, such as counting out cutlery or cups at lunchtime, to further enhance their very good learning.

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who attend

The children attending have an enthusiasm for learning and getting involved in activities. This is enhanced because the staff team have a good understanding of how to engage the children and capture their interest. They understand that children learn through their play and they make the most of opportunities that arise during the session to extend this. Staff undertake regular observations and use these to assess children's development and identify next steps for learning, which feed into planning. This ensures that children are presented with good levels of challenge as they engage with their chosen toys and adult- guided experiences. Staff spend time talking to parents to find out what children can do before they start at the nursery. This enables them to create realistic starting points to meet children's development needs. Recently developed forms, 'My Smooth Early Moves', are closely linked to children's developmental stages. This means staff can include learning

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who attend

and development from home from the outset to plan and track children's progress. Staff complete the 'progress check at age two'; these are shared and agreed with parents.

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who attend

Discussions take place between key people and parents about children's current interests or dilemma's. These can then be incorporated into daily experiences so children play an active role in guiding their play and development. For example, a child who has developed a dread for bath time. The children became highly engaged in washing dolls in the water tray. They experience splashes and the conversation between staff and children is rich and varied as they discuss the merits of bath time. This means that staff ensure the speaking skills of all the children are developing through play and self-care worries are also being addressed. The well-resourced reading areas in the nursery mean children can sit quietly and comfortably to look at and share their favourite books, both with their peers and adults. Children listen eagerly at spontaneous story times. The book prompts an interactive story session that is rich in conversation and listening skills. Staff ask open

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who attend

ended questions which help children to concentrate and actively participate with the story time.

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who attend

Children show confidence and curiosity as they explore their learning environment in playrooms and in their outdoor play area. Doors remain open in the downstairs rooms, so children can freely move between indoors and outdoors. Staff ensure physical development is supported well for all children in the outdoor space. Traditional ride on toys combined with more modern climbing frames give children the opportunity to develop their physical skills. For instance, they whizz around on scooters and trikes, negotiating space and avoiding obstacles. Children show an enthusiasm for writing and drawing and utilise the readily available chalk, crayons and pencils. Older children attempt their names, forming recognisable letters on their artwork and show a good sense of pride as they show their work to staff and the inspector. Staff plan a good range of sensory activities that enable children to explore texture and form, such as, shaving foam, sand and crunchy

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who attend

breakfast cereal. Children's understanding of mathematics is, mostly, well promoted as staff teach them to count as they play. For example, children recognise that anything can be counted as they count the pencils as they draw. However, opportunities for more able children to explore mathematical concepts through routines are less well explored, such as, calculating how many cups are needed at lunchtime. This means their progress in this area is not always as rapid as possible.

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who attend

Staff in the baby room acknowledge the sounds and gestures of younger children very well. They introduce vocabulary and ask questions that encourage the babies' language skills. Babies display confidence in their surroundings and as they make choices from the play materials that arouse their interest or curiosity. They learn to pull themselves up and are inspired to take first steps using available walkers. They have sensory experiences, which help them to learn about the world around them. For instance, they thoroughly enjoy feeling and exploring the textures of the treasure baskets. They smile and giggle as they investigate rolling and bouncing textured balls. All children have the opportunity to explore and learn about technology using appropriate resources. Younger children explore simple cause and effect toys, while the pre-school children use interactive computers with skill. These skills and opportunities support children's readiness for school.

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who attend

Parents have good opportunities to share in their children's learning. They receive regular termly updates on children's progress and can talk to their child's key person daily. Their child's learning journals are available for them to see at any time and they are invited to contribute to these with observations from home. They also have a 'Kingfisher Star' board where they add special achievements, news and experiences their child has at home. Staff use this information well to enhance planned activities for children and to promote their language as they talk about them. The strong partnerships help to ensure that children are well prepared to move on to the next stage in their learning, including school.

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

Close and caring relationships and strong attachments ensure children are secure, happy and confident in this friendly, welcoming setting. An effective key person system ensures staff know the children well because they gather good information from parents when they first start. Therefore, staff meet their care and learning needs effectively. Children settle quickly to play when they arrive because the staff are skilled in engaging them in their activities. They actively support the children to choose what they would like to do. There are displays of children's work on the walls. This supports their self-esteem and belonging. The staff are good role models and use positive techniques for managing children's behaviour. As a result, this has an impact on the children as they display good behaviour at all times and are kind and caring towards one another. Children begin to understand the concept of time as they wait five minutes to take their turn on a bike.

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

Physical skills and exploration are well promoted as children have access to the nursery's garden and car park area. When the children are playing out the gates are securely locked. Children are encouraged to explore risk as they use the large equipment when visiting the local park or soft play area. Children learn to take responsibility for their own safety, for instance, as they practise the emergency evacuation drill. Further safety measures are promoted as children learn to hold the handrail as they come down the stairs.

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

Children develop an understanding about the importance of healthy lifestyles through the provision of healthy snacks and home-cooked lunches. The owner, together with her cooks, has developed a menu that represents a variety of food, this includes, vegetarian, cultural and child-friendly options. Children all sit down together at lunchtime and enjoy a relaxed, social period of time, talking to each other. They eagerly try the vegetarian chilli and tell staff, 'Carrots help you see in the dark, they are healthy'. Children who bring a lunch box are supported to make healthy choices first, such as a savoury sandwich and yoghurt. Children use the bathroom independently or staff support them by taking them and helping them with their clothing and hand washing when they are young.

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

Transitions within the nursery are smooth and effectively help children to settle in their next stage of learning. The nursery is small and the open-plan outdoor play allows the age groups to see one another at all times and this supports an easy hand over. All staff know all the children well and they pass on and discuss the children's learning records. The nursery has developed a relationship with local schools, which ensures that children feel secure and confident during the transition phase to school. Transition boxes provide children with opportunities to familiarise themselves with their new school, such as uniforms and photographs of their teacher. Teachers are invited to visit the nursery to meet the children. This supports continuity of learning when children move on to a new phase in their learning and development.

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provision

Arrangements for safeguarding children within the provision are good. Staff have knowledge of child protection procedures and what to do if they are concerned about a child in their care. The manager is clear about her role if there are any allegations about a member of staff in the nursery. This inspection took place following a concern regarding a member of staff's poor interaction with a child. The nursery took immediate action to ensure practice was improved. At the date of the inspection the nursery has made subsequent changes to their supervision process. For instance, CCTV is now used for monitoring to track all staff. This further supports children's safety in the nursery.

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provision

The educational programme is monitored effectively by the manager and all staff. This includes regular tracking of practice and groups of children to ensure appropriate intervention and monitoring of children and the areas of learning. Recruitment procedures are sound and together with background checks, induction training, performance management systems and team meetings, mean that staff remain suitable for their role. No unvetted member of staff is permitted unsupervised access to children in the nursery. The nursery benefits from a dedicated staff team that are committed to working together to improve outcomes for children. Performance management of staff, which includes, regular supervisions and appraisals, are used to identify the future training needs of staff. Staff's professional development is given a high priority. This ensures children benefit from being taught and cared for by staff who are up-to-date with current practices. For

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provision

example, recent training includes specific baby guidance and outdoor development training.

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provision

Policies and procedures and other documentation helps staff to successfully promote children's welfare. Risk assessments are maintained to ensure that all areas children access, both indoors and outdoors are safe and suitable and this support children's well- being. The owner, manager and staff share a vision for driving improvements. Detailed self-evaluation helps identify the nursery's strengths and weaknesses in order to enhance the provision and opportunities for children. For example, many improvements, including those raised at the last inspection, have been addressed. These include the improvement of the communication and language development programme delivered by staff. Outdoor play continues to be a development strategy, this in ongoing and is included on the current improvement plan. For instance, an exciting project for a mud kitchen is causing great delight for the staff team. This means improvements are continually being raised

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provision

and fed into a well-targeted improvement plan. Parents state they are happy with the standard of care and learning their children receive. They confirm children are making good progress and the staff are friendly and approachable. Overall, children are provided with good levels of support to aid their future learning and development. Information is shared with parents through email, paper newsletters and a recently introduced a social media page. The management team understand the importance of partnership working with external agencies in order to secure appropriate interventions for children to receive the support they need. The management team understand that partnerships with other providers who deliver the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage should be effectively established. For example, information about the children's care and learning needs is regularly exchanged. This ensures continuity in the children's ongoing learning and

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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 EY302965 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 925979

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 46 Name of provider Kingfisher Day Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 17/04/2013 Telephone number 0115 993 2915

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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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