Lovacott Nursery

Lovacott Nursery Lovacott Nursery, Lovacott, Torrington, Devon, EX31 3PU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/09/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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 very confident as staff provide an environment where they feel safe and secure.  Key staff effectively support children as they know their individual needs well.  Staff provide activities which engage the children's interest and promote their communication and language skills.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children are unable to fully make free choices in resources and materials they wish to use while being creative.  Staff do not always make effective use of the established links with other early years settings to fully share information about children's learning and development.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all areas within the nursery and outside.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the owner.  The inspector had discussions with staff and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documents including staff and children's records, safeguarding procedures and registration details.

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Information about the setting

Lovacott Nursery is privately owned and registered in 2013. It is situated in a self- contained building adjoining the village hall in Lovacott, near Torrington, in North Devon. The nursery has an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.45am to 5.30pm, closing for a week during the Easter and Christmas holidays. There are currently 47 children on roll, and of these, 27 are in the early years age group. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years. The nursery offers a breakfast club and an after school club for children attending the nearby village school. The nursery employs five members of staff to work with the children. Of these, four hold appropriate childcare qualifications.

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

 provide opportunities for children to freely access a range of materials to add to their creativity

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

 continue to build on links established with early years provisions to fully aid children's progress in their learning and development.

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who attend

Staff plan a range of activities which children fully take part in and enjoy. Planning shows that all areas of learning are covered, which promotes children's individual learning and development well. Parents are provided with opportunities to share in their child's learning on a daily basis through the use of daily sheets and discussions with their child's key person. In addition parents have the opportunity to access their child's 'learning journeys' whenever they want so they can see the progress their child is making.

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who attend

Staff respond and encourage children to explore. For example, staff ask 'what happens if you turn the switch one way then the other?' which allows children to try and see what happens for themselves. Staff skilfully use the activity to widen children's vocabulary as they introduce words to describe 'it is a slow song, we need a lively one'. Staff provide opportunities for children to explore paints using various types of brushes to make marks. Younger children enjoy the experience of experimenting with texture as they initially use their fingers and then their hands. However, there are fewer opportunities for children to freely and spontaneously develop their own ideas as they are unable to access art and craft materials for themselves. Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of children's abilities, interests and preferences. Children have time to and space to follow their chosen play. They enjoy and spend time with the water and sand play. Staff quietly become

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who attend

involved in children's play, gently talking to develop the children's language as they speak to them about what they and the water are doing.

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who attend

Staff introduce mathematics to children through various everyday routines, for example, older children are encouraged to count how many cups are needed. Staff use activities to help children sort 'small', 'medium' and 'large' items. Older children, while sorting bears into sizes, are able to recollect a trip to the woods, and are able to retell a familiar story about 'how they 'all went on a bear hunt'. As a result, children learn to hold conversations and can easily express their feelings, thoughts and ideas, which are useful skills for their future learning.

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

Children are happy, confident and very settled in the nursery. They freely move around, making their own choices in play from the range of well-organised resources. Staff know children well as they continue to share information with parents to ensure they are familiar with individual children's routines. All staff have a good understanding of each child's individual needs because the key person system is well organised. For example, named key staff settle sleeping children and respond to their care needs during the day. Staff securely hold children who require a bottle before a sleep, engaging in eye-contact, and enabling them to feel snug and safe, ready for their sleep. As a result children are secure in the nursery environment. Staff help children to learn to take turns and share to support their personal and social development. Older children are polite and behave well, as staff set good examples for them to follow.

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

Parents have the option of purchasing a cooked meal from the school canteen or providing a packed lunch for their children. The children are able to choose from a range of healthy snacks provided by the nursery. Staff and children sit together to eat and talk at all meal times, which encourages children to develop their social skills and independence. For example, younger children are encouraged to learn to feed themselves.

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

Staff promote good hygiene routines as they prepare younger children's bottles and undertake nappy changes hygienically. Younger children know routine practices, such as 'wash hands before snack' and take themselves off to the bathroom area to do so, which enables them to learn healthy habits. Children have opportunities to access fresh air and exercise as they use the outdoor area on a daily basis. In addition children also have the opportunity to explore the local wooded area, which supports their physical health and well-being.

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

Children learn about keeping themselves and others safe through everyday experiences. For example, staff remind older children how to use scissors safely and how they have to be careful around the younger children.

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provision

Staff demonstrate they have a good understanding of the requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, they engage children well with activities which are fun and interesting, and keep them safe. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding and promoting children's welfare. They know the procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child in their care. The induction procedure for new staff ensures they are familiar with the nursery's policies and procedures. The owner uses procedures to ensure all staff employed are suitable to work with children within the nursery environment. Regular ongoing monitoring of staff performance is in place. As the nursery is new, the owner has just begun to develop the appraisal systems. They plan to use these alongside the monitoring and supervision processes to identify staff's training needs and ensure all staff remain suitable to work

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provision

Parents receive regular information in various ways to keep them informed about their child's well-being and learning and development. This includes discussions at the end of their child's day, daily written information, sharing of learning journeys and newsletters. Staff provide an abundance of information to visiting parents and work closely with all parents to help children settle at the nursery. This further encourages partnerships and provides opportunities to share information about the children's progress. The nursery has developed partnerships with the local primary school, working together to follow the same planning to promote children's learning. Although there is some consistency to aid and encourage learning, staff do not take advantage of all possible opportunities to fully encourage and share information about the children's development and progress with all other settings children also attend.

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provision

The nursery staff are enthusiastic and continue to identify ways to improve the service they provide to the children who use the nursery. Staff meetings occur on a regular basis to discuss and share current planning and development action plans. For example, staff identified additional training needs in communication and language. All staff attended training and are now beginning to put aspects learnt into their practice to improve outcomes for children. Areas marked for future development include further improvement of the outdoor provision to further enhance children's 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 EY457707 Local authority Devon Inspection number 906778 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 47 Name of provider Frances Clare Spencer Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07866637548

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Setting details

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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