Kiddi Caru Nursery

Kiddi Caru Nursery 7 Holme Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 9AU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/09/2013 15/10/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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

 Staff balance support with allowing children to discover for themselves, meaning they remain engaged in their learning for significant periods given their young age.  Children have good opportunities to explore mixing media as they learn about cause and effect.  Children behave well because staff explain their expectations to them and praise them frequently.  The highly qualified manager inspires the staff team to work together to aim for high standards in care, benefitting all children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There are insufficient appropriate indoor resources for children to develop their large motor skills though climbing and balancing.  Staff do not always encourage children to be independent and look after themselves by providing aprons for them to use during messy play activities.

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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 all the rooms where children play.  The inspector had discussions with parents, staff and children.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including children's records, safeguarding procedures and self-evaluation.

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Information about the setting

Kiddi Caru Nursery was registered in 2001 on the Early Years Register. It is situated in purpose-built premises in Bedford, and is one of 20 privately owned day care provisions managed by The Childcare Corporation PLC. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round, except for Bank Holidays and a week between Christmas and New Year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 55 children on roll. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds. It supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 18 members of childcare staff. Of these, the manager holds a degree, two further staff have a relevant degree, one of whom also holds Early Years Professional Status, one member of staff has a relevant level 4 qualification, and all other staff have obtained or are working towards level 3. The nursery also employs a cook.

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

 provide a greater range of opportunities for young children to explore their interest in rolling, tumbling and climbing when playing inside, in order to further develop their large muscles

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

 establish routines that encourage children's ability to become independent and care for themselves, such as wearing aprons during messy activities.

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who attend

Staff motivate children to learn by encouraging them to explore and follow their own ideas. Activities are open ended and provide children with the chance to experiment. For example, staff encourage children to use a range of media which they mix together. Children enjoy filling up cups with water from the tap and adding it to their mixture, watching the change in consistency and feeling the change in texture. This engages them for long periods of time given their young age. The activity evolves and children direct what they want to do. They start to wipe the table, and together staff and children tidy away. Children enjoy the responsibility of completing small tasks, such as putting the paper towels into the bin after wiping up spills.

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who attend

Staff balance their interactions with allowing children to find their own conclusions. They wait for children to invite them to join in and guide their learning in a way that does not intrude upon their ideas. Staff plan for children's next steps in learning by using well- informed learning maps. These record children's interests and include parents' observations of children's learning at home. This accurate form of observing children's progress builds upon what they already know and helps children to make good progress in their learning and development. Staff record children's learning at nursery and share it with parents through regular summaries, parents' evenings and daily diaries. Parents' involvement in children's learning ensures that they experience continuity as they move between home and nursery. The two-way sharing of information helps to accurately monitor children's achievements.

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who attend

Young children move around the room freely, developing in their physical skills as they pull themselves up to stand on low-level furniture. They climb into ball ponds and through tunnels as they gain in confidence in their movements. However, as they test out what they can do physically, children frequently climb on tables. Staff explain to children why it is not safe to do this and move them down carefully. There is little opportunity to channel this urge as there are no resources inside to encourage this aspect of their development. Outside, children explore a wide range of activities which support the development of their large muscles as they balance, slide and develop coordination. Children use a range of tools to support their smaller muscles. They use technology, such as tablets, to practise forming letters as they trace over the outline with their fingers. This increases their skill and learning of letters as they begin to recognise letters that form their name.

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who attend

The nursery staff prepare children well for starting school as they encourage them to understand routines and lead their own learning. Children direct their play by making choices and selecting what they want to play with. Staff provide resources on low level shelves and in transparent boxes so they can choose what they want to play with and when. Children develop into strong communicators as staff support their developing language. They model words and repeat sounds for young children to copy. Children babble in long streams, which staff listen to intently before replying. This shows children that their early attempts at conversation are important and of value. As children increase in age, they engage in discussion about their ideas. Children use commentary in their play and plan for what they will do next. When children speak English as an additional language, staff learn key words to support them. Children pick up very basic sign

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who attend

language to help them to express themselves and make their needs known to staff.

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

There is an effective key person system in place at the nursery. Staff encourage children to choose staff they are fond of to be their key person. This means they develop secure and close bonds with those who care for them. As children form secure attachments to staff, they are confident to separate from parents each day. Parents share a great deal of information about children's routines at home. Nursery staff follow these routines for children, enabling them to feel secure. Familiar comfort items, such as dummies and blankets, help children settle at sleep times. Staff settle young children by giving them a bottle of milk, maintaining eye contact while feeding and talking to them gently. Children drift off into a peaceful sleep and wake feeling rested.

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

Staff are good role models for children. They talk to children respectfully and tell them about changes in their routine so they can predict what will happen next. Staff talk about their expectations for behaviour and praise children frequently. This gives them clear ideas about how to behave well and raises their self-esteem. Older children learn about how to care for others and be gentle and considerate as they care for Monty, the nursery mouse. Children explain that they must be gentle as he is small and delicate and does not like being touched in a rough way. Caring for the mouse is important work to children and they learn a great deal from this. After handling the mouse, children immediately wash their hands as they know this reduces this risk of spreading germs. Younger children understand about what belongs to them by having their photograph on their drinking cups and the placemats they use at lunchtime. Children learn independence at mealtimes by

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

serving themselves their food. However, there is scope to develop independence further and increase children's ability to care for themselves, by providing aprons for them to choose to wear during messy activities.

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

Children enjoy walking around their local community as they visit the library. Staff observe the weather to ensure that children are suitably dressed before playing outside. Children enjoy fresh air and exercise. They engage in yoga classes, which helps them to stretch and bend their bodies. Children eat meals which the cook prepares to meet their individual nutritional needs and dietary requirements. Children learn about safety as staff encourage older children to begin to assess the rooms where they play and tell them of any risks they find.

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provision

Staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Senior staff review the policies and procedures on a regular basis to keep children safe. They use journals and recent case reviews to update and tighten procedures. There are rigid systems in place to protect children in the event of concerns being raised about staff. Close working with local authority designated officers ensures that the nursery follows stringent guidelines in relation to children's protection. Extensive induction procedures ensure that all those who work with children and thoroughly checked to confirm their suitability. Staff know and understand their responsibility in relation to reporting any concern they might have about children's welfare. They supervise children closely, and regular reviews of minor accidents evaluate safety and security at the nursery on a continual basis. Entry to the nursery is

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provision

controlled via a telecom and video system, meaning that staff check the identity of all those who enter the building. This protects children from any potential risk.

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provision

The highly qualified manager communicates her drive for improvement amongst the staff team. She uses parents' and staff's views to formulate self-evaluation which targets weaker areas. Children share their ideas and show their interest in activities, which staff use to plan activities. Close working with the local authority development workers enables the manager to reflect upon the action plans she develops to address weaker areas. Furthermore, the nursery gathers information from the schools children attend to review how they can better prepare children for school in the future. The manager records the action plans in the staff room. Staff can see the progress they make in overcoming obstacles and increasing the quality in care for children. Staff put into place programmes to support groups who are vulnerable to under achievement. The nursery is beginning to use systems to track each group to measure progress and identify further areas for

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provision

support. Recommendations from the previous inspection have been thoroughly addressed and the manager strives for further development to build upon these areas and raise the standards in care for all children. This demonstrates that the nursery has a strong capacity to maintain ongoing improvement in the future for children.

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provision

Senior staff tackle underperformance amongst staff swiftly. Supervision of staff identifies training needs and encourages staff to increase their knowledge and skills. Regular meetings monitor the curriculum for children and the progress they make. Staff feel supported by the manager and are welcoming of appraisals and peer support. As a result, staff are happy to undertake further training in their free time and attend the nursery during their holidays to support fellow staff. This supportive culture helps staff to feel content and happy in their work. In turn, this impacts upon children as the staff team is stable and children experience consistency in those who care for them.

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provision

Assessments of children's learning give an accurate picture of their development. Staff work closely with parents, and together they write the two-year-old check for children. Regular reviews and summaries of what children can do keep parents up to date and mean that monitoring reflects children's capabilities. Staff share these with children's teachers when they start school. They invite teachers to attend the nursery, and build relationships with the school where children will attend. Staff are aware of the importance of working with other professionals when the need arises and why this benefits children. Parents feel confident in the staff who care for children and find them to be friendly and approachable. Children benefit from their close working relationship and make good progress as a result.

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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 EY217012 Local authority Bedford Borough Inspection number 912504

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 75 Number of children on roll 55 Name of provider The Childcare Corporation Plc Date of previous inspection 15/10/2012 Telephone number 01234 272262

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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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