Doves Nursery

Doves Day Nursery 1 Stoke Road, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 1LT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/09/2013 02/04/2013

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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

 There are effective procedures in place to safeguard all children. Children feel safe and secure in the nursery.  Practitioners acknowledge the uniqueness and individual needs of every child and fully support them in making good progress in their learning and development.  Partnerships with parents and other agencies are good. This helps to ensure that children are given good levels of support to meet their individual needs and that parents are fully informed in their children's learning.  All staff, and in particular the manager, have a clear vision for the nursery and endeavour to improve practice through new initiatives gained from training.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There are few activities and resources that support children to learn about their own and others' lives, and to accept and value differences between people.  The programme for literacy is not fully developed to include extended opportunities for children to practise their writing skills in the outdoors.

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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 had discussions with the owner (manager) and deputy manager.  The inspector observed children at play.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation, including policies, children's records and the nursery's self evaluation form.  The inspector sought the views of parents of children who attend the nursery.

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Information about the setting

Doves Day Nursery registered in 1996 and is privately owned. It operates from various rooms on the ground floor and the first floor of a converted building in the Gosport area of Hampshire. Children have access to a secure outside play area. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and opens from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday all year round. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions or full day care. There are currently 66 children on roll. The nursery receives funding for free early education for two, three, and four year olds. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are learning English as an additional language. A total of twelve staff work directly with the children; two hold Early years Professional Status. All other staff hold relevant level three qualifications or higher.

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

 provide more literacy resources in the garden area to support children's early writing skills

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

 extend opportunities to develop children's awareness of differing cultures.

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who attend

Children thoroughly enjoy attending this nursery, which provides them with a welcoming, vibrant and stimulating environment to learn through play. Resources are appropriate, well maintained and accessible for all children. As a result, children are able to find the equipment they require and make independent choices from the wide selection available. Staff are sensitive in their approach to individual children and meet their care needs appropriately. Consequently, children quickly gain confidence and become eager participants and active learners. They are purposeful in their play and learn to focus on their investigations, for example, when stirring and pouring sand or working out how best to stick paper to make a pattern.

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who attend

Staff promote a relaxed environment in which children develop the confidence to join in conversation with adults, for example, when playing around the water tray or sitting at the snack table. Lively conversations often take place in different parts of the nursery. Children speak confidently to adults and their peers. They talk openly during circle time sessions about their families, likes and dislikes and themselves. Staff give a high priority to children's communication and language development. For example, staff read stories with enthusiasm, which captivate children's interest and attention. Staff are skilled when using open-ended questions which encourage children to develop effective communication and thinking skills. Older children understand that print carries meaning and handle books with care. They are also beginning to link sounds to letters; some are naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet, gaining skills that will be useful when they move on to school.

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who attend

However, children have fewer opportunities to practise their early writing skills outdoors.

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who attend

Children have access to a good selection of craft resources where they can independently select paper, paints and glue to create their own pictures to display in the room or take home with them. The effective use of an exciting range of programmable and push-button toys mean that children are developing good technological skills. Children demonstrate a good interest in mathematics. For example, they often refer to objects by size and shape and regularly count. Children make good progress in their physical development. Staff plan activities that engage babies in physical experiences, both indoors and outdoors. This includes rolling balls on the floor to babies and providing push and pull-along toys to encourage movement. The local area is used to enable children to explore nature and different features of their environment. Their learning is enhanced by many outdoor activities and the use of natural materials in their play. Children demonstrate a good

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who attend

understanding of space in the outdoor play area, especially when skilfully manoeuvring the wheeled toys to avoid riding into their peers or play equipment.

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who attend

A good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities ensures that children are the prime instigators in their own learning. Staff have high expectations of children and are aware of their capabilities and starting points. Staff are sensitive, calm and patient, offering guidance to children as they play. Therefore, children are motivated, involved and show high levels of interest in all that they do. The effective systems of observation and assessment ensure that children are monitored in their development across all areas of learning. The planning of activities targets children's individual development needs, thereby ensuring that all children are effectively challenged and make good progress in their learning.

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

All staff welcome children warmly, as well as making sure that their families are fully welcomed into the nursery. The effective key person system means that staff know the children as individuals. They gain a wealth of relevant information about the child from their parents when they join the nursery. This enables staff to fully support the emotional well-being of each child and help them to settle and to develop secure emotional attachments.

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

Children are well behaved when taking part in free play and attentive at circle times. Staff help children to negotiate with others to solve any disputes as they give them clear explanations, which they can understand. Staff lead by example as they encourage the children to help tidy away the resources they have finished with. Children benefit from clear boundaries as well as frequent praise and encouragement.

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

Babies form very strong attachments to their key person and respond with smiles and gurgles when they interact with them. Daily routines, such as nappy changing, are well managed so young children are comfortable throughout the day. They are supported to feed themselves and drink from their cups. The nursery provides appetising and nutritious meals that meet children's dietary needs and help ensure they remain healthy. Staff further promote children's health as they maintain good levels of hygiene and support children to develop independence in their personal hygiene. They engage purposefully with children and make good use of questioning by asking them how they can keep themselves safe in the sun. Children reply by indicating they know they must have a hat on before garden play in the hot weather. Children's emotional and physical health is very well supported in this good quality environment. Practitioners have a good understanding

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

of the care needs of individual children and parents' preferences

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

Children are developing the skills to embrace new experiences and demonstrate confidence to explore the world around them. For example, they eagerly engage with visitors to the nursery, initiating conversations and explaining what they enjoy playing with. They explore all areas confidently and independently, accessing toys of their choice from the very wide range available. However, the nursery has not fully explored resources that develop children's understanding of different cultures. Staff place a high priority on supporting children through transitions. Children spend time with their key person in their new environment as they move through the nursery. This helps them to become familiar with their new surroundings and routines and settle quickly. Older children visit local schools to spend time becoming familiar with a school environment. Staff also share information on children's learning and development to promote effective continuity of care

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provision

The leadership and management have a good understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, including arrangements for safeguarding and suitability of staff. All staff are fully aware of how to respond to any concern about a child. They have clear procedures in place for managing and reporting concerns about the well-being of children. They implement these consistently to create an environment that is welcoming, safe and stimulating. Robust recruitment procedures ensure that all staff have suitability checks before working with the children. Comprehensive risk assessments cover all aspects of the premises and any outings. Access to the nursery is closely monitored. Staff are vigilant about arrival and collection procedures and good security precautions contribute towards children's safety.

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provision

Effective partnerships with parents mean that there is a united approach to meeting individual children's needs. They are fully involved with all aspects of their child's learning and care as their views are sought through discussions and involvement. There are appropriate arrangements in place to check children's progress at age two, and to share information about this with parents. All parents spoken to on the day of inspection stated that they were very pleased with the nursery. They like the level of communication they have with staff. Parents also mentioned how supportive staff are when events in the children's lives at home are troubling them, and how they give them the extra emotional care they need. Successful links are established with other providers, such as the local schools and external agencies, to ensure a smooth transition between settings and support continuity of care and learning for each child.

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provision

Staff have regular supervision which is used to identify strengths, areas for development and training needs. They continue to develop as they are encouraged to gain further qualifications and extend their knowledge, improving outcomes for children. They work well together as a team to evaluate provision and make improvements where necessary. In-house training is also used to enhance practice. Good levels of self-evaluation value and take into account the views of staff, children and their parents. The information is used to improve and develop policies, practice and procedures. Since the previous inspection the staff have worked hard to address weaknesses and have successfully implemented the recommendations made. The manager works closely with staff from the local authority, actively seeking advice and acting on it to improve the provision. The nursery has developed a clear and well formed programme for continuing to raise the

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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 110125 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 931762 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 54 Number of children on roll 66 Name of provider Caroline Walsh Date of previous inspection 02/04/2013 Telephone number 023 92425281

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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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