Oakey Dokey Childcare

Oakey Dokey Childcare 9 Danesholme Centre, CORBY, Northamptonshire, NN18 9EJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/08/2013 08/01/2013

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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

 Teaching is strong as practitioners have a confident knowledge of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They ensure that activity planning is rooted in children's interests and next developmental steps. Children are, therefore, interested, motivated and eager to learn.  Practitioners take time to get to know each child. This contributes to children feeling secure and supports them in developing a positive approach to their play and learning.  Practitioners' good interaction supports and extends children's communication skills. Children, therefore, learn to express themselves and interact appropriately with others.  The manager and practitioners work well together and are committed to developing the setting further. Their thorough self-evaluation ensures that children are offered an environment that is safe and well organised.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The outdoor area is not used to the optimum to offer children opportunities to explore natural resources and the natural world and so fully extend their learning in this area.  Opportunities for children to gain an even greater awareness of the wider diversities of society are not fully explored.

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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 observed activities in the main rooms and in the outside area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the setting owner/manager and carried out a joint observation with them.  The inspector talked with children present.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and as recorded in their written feedback to the setting.

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Information about the setting

Oakey Dokey Childcare was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register. It is situated in a converted retail premises in the Danesholme Centre in Corby, Northamptonshire, and is managed by a private provider. The setting serves the local and neighbouring areas and is accessible to all children. It operates from three interconnecting rooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The setting employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications a level 3 or above.

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Information about the setting

The setting opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 43 children attending who are in the early years age group. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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

 extend the use of outdoor areas, to offer children further opportunities to investigate natural materials and the natural world

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

 enhance the educational opportunities for children to gain a greater understanding of the world with regard to the similarities and differences between families, communities and traditions.

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who attend

Practitioners take care in getting to know each child and so offer them well-tailored support. This contributes to children feeling secure and being positive about their play and learning. Children make good progress because teaching techniques are strong and practitioners have a confident knowledge of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children are supported well in developing the skills they need in order to learn effectively. Good tracking procedures enable practitioners to identify where children need further support. They then plan this in order to ensure children's good progress in all areas. For example, after noting that communication and language skills are weaker, practitioners introduce further activities to promote these skills. Children enjoy extending their vocabulary as they describe the contents of 'feely bags', participate in group discussions and retell favourite stories. Children who use English as an additional

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who attend

language are supported well and make good progress in their learning. For example, practitioners use simple picture prompt cards to aid early communication and to start to build children's English vocabulary.

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who attend

Children's starting points are assessed well as practitioners gather a wide range of initial information from parents. This information is used to inform the planning and to help monitor children's progress. Practitioners make good use of regular 'stay and play' sessions for parents to aid them in understanding each child and in working with parents. These sessions give parents an opportunity to update practitioners on children's progress at home. Practitioners are also able to share their knowledge of how children learn as they play and suggest ideas for further activities, thus supporting parents in extending their child's learning at home.

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who attend

Ongoing observations and assessments of children are used well to ensure that children's current interests and needs are actively included in the planning. This means that children are offered activities and resources that capture their attention and promote their development in all areas of learning. All planning and daily activities are evaluated to ensure that children are offered balanced opportunities to play and explore independently and to participate in adult-led activities. They are, therefore, supported in playing an active part in their learning and are well prepared for school. Children are offered a wide range of opportunities that promote their physical development. For example, they enjoy using balance beams and ride-on toys, thus developing their skills in balance and coordination. Children are offered appropriate opportunities to learn about other cultures and ways of life. For example, they taste traditional dishes from around the world and

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who attend

participate in activities to celebrate festivals. However, activities and opportunities are not used to the full to promote children's greater awareness of the wider diversities of society.

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who attend

Practitioners' good interaction encourages children to solve problems and find new ways to do things. For example, children using a large construction set work together to make a den. A practitioner shows them a book of ideas and they work out which pieces they need for their chosen project. They collect other items from around the room and are so pleased with the final result that they invite other children to share it with them. Practitioners make good use of children's interests to encourage them to think creatively and develop their ideas. For example, after noting that children are interested in junk modelling, practitioners put up photographs of different buildings and vehicles in the craft area. Children are inspired by these and create a variety of different models.

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

Practitioners make good use of the key person system in working with parents and getting to know each child. They, therefore, offer children consistent support and effective activities. This contributes to children feeling secure and developing good relationships with practitioners. Children are supported in making independent choices and expressing their views. This aids them in developing a positive approach to learning and prepares them well for the move to nursery or school. This is further supported as the setting works well with local schools. For example, they invite children's prospective teachers to visit them at the setting and so get to know them before they start school. Much consideration has been given to ensuring that the setting's indoor areas are accessible, interesting and well-equipped. For example, children extend their play and explore further as they choose resources from low storage containers or from appealing displays. However, the outdoor

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

areas are not used to the maximum to make full use of opportunities for children to explore natural resources and the natural world and so extend their knowledge of these areas.

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

Practitioners pay attention to finding out about children's interests and preferences, thoughtfully using this information to help them settle. For example, children feel welcome and comforted when they see their favourite toys as they come through the door at the start of the session. Children's transitions within the setting are supported well as they play in mixed age groups. This offers them opportunities to learn from each other and develop the skills that support their social interactions. Children's self-esteem is promoted as practitioners thoughtfully praise them for both their efforts and achievements. Practitioners create a positive environment by showing care and respect for all. Children respond well to this and so develop a good appreciation of the needs of others. Practitioners offer children simple explanations, enabling them to understand the effects of their behaviour.

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

Children are supported well in developing their self-care skills. For example, they help serve their snack and competently tidy away their plates and cups after this. Children are offered good opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles. Their understanding of the effects of exercise is promoted as they participate in specific activities. For example, they enjoy setting a stopwatch and counting the number of star jumps they can complete in a given time. They then note their increased heart rates. Children are offered healthy and nutritious snacks and meals. These are prepared daily on the premises using fresh ingredients. All staff involved in this preparation have undergone appropriate food hygiene training. Practitioners ensure that all children participate fully in all mealtimes. Children's understanding of safety is promoted well. For example, they talk about road safety and this is gently reinforced through the use of associated stories and role play.

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provision

The owner/manager sets high standards for the setting. She ensures that practitioners are supported in all areas of their work. For example, they have good ongoing supervision and are encouraged to attend training and attain higher professional qualifications. Practitioners are supervised well and their practice is monitored throughout the day. They maintain a professional approach to their work and any discussions and meetings are conducted in an appropriate manner. The manager works in partnership with practitioners to review the setting's policies and ensure that they are meeting the requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are, therefore, able to make sure that they are promoting children's health, welfare and development at all times. This is further supported by their comprehensive approach to self-evaluation. This includes feedback from parents and children and so provides a representative overview of

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provision

the setting's strengths and weaknesses. The manager uses this information to develop practical action plans that lead to improvements. For example, recent changes include the introduction of joint parent and practitioner observations of children. These give a good insight into children's current developmental stages and enable all to work together to plan further activities to promote children's development.

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provision

Thorough safeguarding arrangements mean that children's welfare is promoted well. Good procedures for induction, training and supervision ensure that all practitioners and students fully understand their responsibilities. Practitioners have attended appropriate safeguarding training and demonstrate a good understanding of the process to follow should they have any concerns about a child. There are robust measures in place to ensure that all practitioners are suitable to work with children. Children's welfare is further promoted as there are clear procedures that protect children's privacy. These include detailed guidance relating to the use of social networking websites. Correct staff ratios are maintained at all times. Thorough risk assessments ensure that hazards are minimised or removed. Children, therefore, play safely in a well-maintained environment. This is further supported as all accidents are appropriately recorded and parents are informed of any

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provision

accidents their child has at the setting. The manager monitors this record to check for any patterns or areas where the setting needs to take further action.

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provision

The manager monitors activity planning and has robust procedures that support her in checking each child's progress. She can, therefore, ensure that all children are offered a wide range of play opportunities that supports their good progress towards the early learning goals. Practitioners are experienced in liaising with other professionals and are aware of how to seek additional support for children and their families when needed. The setting also has procedures in place to support them in sharing information with others caring for the children, enabling them to work together to promote children's development. Parents are kept well informed of their child's progress and activities. For example, practitioners write detailed daily reports in the children's home-link books. Practitioners build good relationships with parents and always offer advice and support in an appropriate manner.

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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 EY440387 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 931578

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 43 Name of provider Oakey Dokey Childcare Ltd Date of previous inspection 08/01/2013 Telephone number 01536742000

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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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