Lilliputs Day Nursery

Lilliputs Day Nursery 226 Bolton Road, Westhoughton, Bolton, BL5 3EF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/08/2013 08/03/2011

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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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children gain an excellent understanding of the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle.  Children are thoroughly prepared, physically, socially and emotionally, for their next phase of learning at nursery or school.  The outdoor provision is excellent and, combined with the forest school experiences, children make very good progress.  The manager, owner and staff are highly reflective in their practice, which means they have a very strong capacity for improvement.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The levels of staff involvement and interaction are not always consistent across the whole of the nursery to maximise children's very good learning.  The timescale to plan and implement children's individual next steps in learning is sometimes too long to optimise all children's learning through their most current interests.

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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 took a tour of the nursery, indoors and outdoors, with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of staff's teaching and children's learning during activities throughout the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation, including planning, children's learning journals and policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager and members of staff throughout the day.

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Information about the setting

Lilliputs Nursery was registered in 1998 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a converted school premises in the Westhoughton area of Bolton, and is privately owned. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from three main rooms and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 17 members of childcare staff. Of these, 16 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above, including the manager, who has Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 95 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. It supports 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:

 enhance the very high standards of staff interaction and involvement in children's play so that it is consistent across the nursery and helps children to learn even more effectively

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

 make optimal use of children's current interests by reviewing the timing of children's next steps in learning so their progress is even more rapid.

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who attend

Children are happy and busily involved in purposeful play. Staff provide rich and varied experiences based on their knowledge of the children's interests. They set up many varied types of imaginative play to help children extend their learning, and spontaneously adapt activities to children's emerging interests. For example, a planned activity for children to take part in a wedding ceremony was quickly adapted and children cleared the chairs and fabrics to make room for the post-wedding party time. They thoroughly enjoy the opportunities to be creative, dress up and create their own characters and scenarios fuelled by their imagination. However, occasionally, the very high standards of staff involvement and interactions with children are not completely consistent across the nursery to maximise children's learning.

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who attend

Children are developing skills for the future as they use computer technology regularly. They particularly enjoy using the interactive whiteboard where they search pictures of interest to them. Staff make very good use of this to spark discussion and to pinpoint children's interests to incorporate into planning. Staff are always on hand to join in with children's play and support their learning, but only after asking permission or being invited to do so. This all builds children's self-esteem and confidence through everyday play and routines, which enables them to develop good skills and attitudes for the next stage of their learning.

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who attend

Children enjoy a full range of excellent activities and resources outdoors across all areas of learning. 'Ted's shed' is a sanctuary of creativity where children can explore natural mark making and use creative resources to express themselves while learning about the world they live in. The go on a bug hunt and collects mini beasts while being sensitive to their needs, handling the bugs with care and transferring them to the airy net basket for examination and identification. One area is currently being left to grow wild and this is attracting wildlife to the area. Children learn basic scientific principals and enjoy the sensory experience of the natural water area, complete with water pump. They develop very well physically as they run around in open areas and explore the natural wooden climbing frame with slide and pole. The 'pod' at the top of the structure provides many opportunities for stimulating outdoor experiences. This covered structure has electric

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who attend

lighting and a music system, providing a sensory environment for children to relax in the fresh air. They create a comfortable cushioned area where they can enjoy reading and cosy group activities. The nursery also takes children to 'forest school', where they learn in the natural environment without the confines of walls, doors and ceilings. They learn about the world they live in through first-hand experiences across all areas of learning.

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who attend

Children progress quickly as knowledgeable, motivated staff observe children's ongoing interests and use this information generally well to plan the next steps in their learning. However, the timescale between observations and planning of children's individual next steps is sometimes too long. This means staff sometimes do not always fully optimize all children's learning through their most current interests. Staff track children's progress very well and they understand the different assessment processes, such as the progress check at age two. This ensures any need for additional support for children can be identified at this early age and acted upon in a timely way. Staff know children very well and use this knowledge to complete children's record of achievement to pass on to their class teacher at school.

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who attend

Parents are an integral part of nursery life and their children's development. They state that they feel very much at ease with the staff and turn to them for advice about children's behaviour and development at home. The recent pirate fun day saw parents get a taste of the excellent range of activities their children experience on a regular basis across all areas of learning. Therefore, children benefit from continuity of learning between home and nursery. This all means children are being well prepared for their next stage of learning within the nursery or at school.

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

Staff work extremely closely with parents, gently settling children in, to ensure each child's transition from home into the nursery is a very smooth and positive experience. Each child is allocated a key person to support them and form a strong partnership with parents. Parents have detailed discussions with their child's key person on a daily basis and are exceedingly confident in the staff's knowledge of their individual children. This helps staff to understand and meet all children's individual needs highly effectively. Staff are very caring and attentive towards the children and get to know them very well as individuals. Consequently, children's well-being is significantly enhanced as they form strong, comforting bonds with their key person.

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

Children clearly feel extremely safe and self-assured with staff, freely and confidently approaching them with their comments and requests, and inviting them to join in with play. The nursery is exceptionally well resourced and offers children an extensive range of play and learning experiences, indoors and outdoors. Resources are readily accessible. This teaches children to be very confident in their ability to make decisions by enabling them to make their own choices and selections, which heightens their sense of belonging and independence. Children have excellent opportunities to take part in additional activities, such as Spanish language lessons and 'forest school' experiences. This means children gain confidence in the world they live in and develop an extremely comprehensive set of life skills.

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

Staff are superb role models of behaviour and treat children with kindness and respect. They are expert at supporting children to learn how to manage their own behaviour and emotions. This is helped by a calm approach and clear explanations and reminders from staff to enforce reasonable boundaries. Children are consistently well behaved as staff use positive strategies to help children learn right from wrong, and manage minor behaviour issues. Children are honing their social skills and learning how to manage their own behaviour in fun ways, for example, as they help to teach the 'dragon' how to behave in social situations.

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

Meals are varied, healthy and nutritious, encouraging children to make positive food choices. They are learning to care for themselves and develop their independence even further as older children serve their own food and control their own portion sizes. Children learn excellent hygiene habits through regular routines and reminders, for example, washing their hands after toileting and before eating. Children understand how to keep themselves safe as they learn to take risks in a supported environment, competently using tools in the garden, climbing and sliding down the pole on the climbing frame. A healthy lifestyle is given utmost priority as children have daily opportunities for fresh air, daylight and exercise in the outdoor area. This, combined with trips to forest school and harvesting and using fruits from the nursery garden, means children are gaining excellent physical skills and a highly comprehensive understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

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

This all actively contributes to children being thoroughly prepared socially, emotionally and physically for their future transitions to school.

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provision

Arrangements for safeguarding children are effective and staff have a secure knowledge of what to do should they have any concerns about a child. This contributes well to maintaining children's safety and protects their well-being. Effective staff deployment and safety practices help keep children safe. For example, in the 'pod', a staff member is always on hand to ensure children's safety.

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provision

Robust recruitment and vetting procedures ensure that everyone working with the children is suitable to do so. The management monitor the ongoing suitability of all staff effectively through regular meetings and appraisals. These procedures promote children's safety and the quality of provision well. Staff work well as a team. They are knowledgeable and enthusiastic, demonstrating a high level of commitment to further training.

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provision

Parents have high levels of regard for the service provided and feel the nursery places enormous value on their opinions. Transitions for children moving on from nursery to school are also very well supported. A comprehensive transition document is completed by the key person and passed on to school teachers, who are invited to meet the children before they move on. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make outstanding progress due to the excellent joined up approach of all professionals involved with the children's care.

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provision

The staff team are committed to the continuous evaluation and improvement of their practice. All of the staff team actively contribute their views and opinions, and they monitor and evaluate the provision well. The manager and room leaders collect and evaluate information on children's progress within the nursery to ensure that they offer a full range of learning opportunities across all the areas of learning and children make very good progress. Staff use their planning generally successfully to consider ways to support and extend children's current learning and development.

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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 316017 Local authority Bolton Inspection number 930445

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 55 Number of children on roll 95 Name of provider Gillian Green Date of previous inspection 08/03/2011 Telephone number 01942 811 866

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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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