Liliput Day Nursery (York) Ltd

Liliput Day Nursery Unit 2f, Ings Lane, York Business Park, Nether Poppleton, YORK, YO26 6RA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/09/2013 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 confident in the nursery environment because they know what is expected of them. As a result, they behave extremely well and become highly independent individuals who delight in their own abilities.  Staff give high priority to promoting children's communication and language skills, particularly through story activities. Consequently, children develop good listening skills, use a wide range of vocabulary and are confident to ask questions.  Children are cared for in a very safe and inclusive environment. Each one is valued highly as an individual, and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive very good additional support. This means each child is supported very effectively to reach their full potential.  Strong partnerships with parents and the good sharing of information ensure children receive consistency and continuity in their care, learning and development. This

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This provision is good

provides security for them and means they settle well.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The range of everyday and natural objects in the baby room are not easily accessible to children on an ongoing basis.  There is scope to develop the opportunities for children to play imaginatively and make marks in the outdoor area.

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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 compulsory part 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 had a tour of the premises and observed children playing in the playrooms and the outdoor area, and having lunch in the dining room.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the owner/manager and the deputy manager, and spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, and discussed the provider's improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning records, planning documents and a selection of policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and from written testimonies they have provided.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector undertook a joint observation with the deputy manager of an activity involving two members of staff using a story sack with a group of older children.

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Information about the setting

Liliput Day Nursery was registered under the current ownership in 2008 and re-registered in 2013 due to a change in company status. It is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The nursery is owned by a private provider and operates from purpose-built premises sited on a business park in Nether Poppleton on the outskirts of York. Children are cared for in three rooms, with a separate dining room. There is an enclosed area for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, four at level 6, one at level 5, and one at level 2. Opening times are Monday to Friday from 7.45am until 6pm, all year round, except for Bank Holidays and a week at Christmas. Children attend for a variety of sessions and there are currently 62 on roll. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year- olds and supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association and receives support from the local authority.

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

 make the range of everyday and natural resources in the baby room readily available to further enhance the opportunities for very young children to investigate and explore in open-ended ways using their senses

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

 increase the opportunities for children to play imaginative and make marks in the outdoor area, to further support their creativity and emergent writing skills.

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who attend

Staff's teaching is rooted in a good knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the characteristics of effective learning. They are very enthusiastic in their approach and delight in engaging with children, which supports them very effectively in extending their knowledge. Staff regularly observe children in their play and very successfully use their findings to plan for the next steps in children's learning. This ensures children continually develop new skills and make good progress in their development. Consequently, they are well prepared to move on to school when the time comes. Parents are regularly invited to consultation sessions so key persons can discuss their child's ongoing progress in detail with them. Parents are actively encouraged to share children's interests with staff by recording these on a 'spark' sheet or on symbols outside each room. Staff then make good use of this information to plan activities linked to these

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who attend

interests, which means children want to take part. Ideas for activities parents can complete at home with their child are displayed, and a lending library is operated so children can take books home to share. This successfully promotes parents' involvement in children's learning, to further support and enhance their development.

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who attend

Staff provide a bright and welcoming environment for children to play and learn. Good examples of children's work are displayed alongside photographs of previous activities they have enjoyed, such as measuring and making a graph of how much their sunflowers have grown. This shows children that their efforts are valued and appreciated. Staff caring for very young children provide good opportunities for them to explore a variety of materials, so they can learn through using their senses. For instance, they give toddlers time to explore dried sand uninterrupted. Children become fully immersed in filling and emptying containers with this, which shows they are learning about capacity in their own way. A member of staff then extends children's learning by adding water to the sand and encouraging them to feel the change in texture. She shows children how they can fill a bucket with this and tip it over to make a 'castle'. Children show surprise at this and are

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who attend

keen to copy the actions, which supports them well in learning about cause and effect. Babies are provided with good opportunities to explore paint. For instance, a member of staff teaches them how to dip a sponge in this and press it on their paper to make marks and patterns. She emphasises the colours of the paint as she does so, to model language. Babies delight in copying the member of staff's actions, which shows they are making clear connections in their learning. Treasure baskets containing a range of natural and household items are also present in the room. However, these are not readily accessible to babies on an ongoing basis. This means the opportunities for them to investigate and explore further in open-ended ways are not supported as well as they could be.

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who attend

Staff make good use of conversation as children play and talk about learning rather than just directing. This encourages children to think critically. For instance, as one child explores leaves he has gathered outdoors, a member of staff asks 'What colour are the leaves?' She gives the child time to respond and when he identifies the correct colours she then asks 'Why are the leaves these colours?' The child then draws on what he has learned during earlier activities and responds with 'Because it's autumn'. Staff skilfully capture children's interest as they tell stories using props and different voices. For example, one makes very good use of a range of soft toys as she tells older children a story about a 'super' worm. As a result, children show high levels of interest, are not easily distracted and delight in joining in with familiar refrains. Staff also encourage children to develop very good questioning skills by providing focused activities, such as 'bug in the

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who attend

rug'. Children delight in taking turns to hide under a blanket or to ask questions, such as 'has the bug got red hair?' This enables one child at a time to try and work out who is under the blanket, without observing the rest of the group. A member of staff skilfully builds up the excitement and suspense by peeping under the blanket each time and answering with 'yes' or 'no'. Children then make an informed decision about who they think is hiding. This shows children are supported very well in gaining confidence in changing strategies as needed and testing their ideas in a fun way.

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

All children settle extremely well in the nursery because staff give high priority to making it a home-from-home environment. They work closely with parents to make children's transition into their care a pleasant experience for all. For example, parents are asked to provide as much information as they can about their child's individual needs, and settling- in visits enable children to gradually become comfortable and familiar with their new surroundings. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from the very strong support provided by the nursery. Staff work very closely and cohesively with other professionals involved in children's care, and skilfully use individual education plans to promote their learning very well. Consequently, children have good security and stability, which means they quickly bond with their key person and are confident in being away from their parents.

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

Children's health is promoted very effectively. For instance, they are provided with nutritious meals, such as fish cakes and an array of vegetables for lunch. Staff sit with children as they eat and sensitively help them to develop a positive attitude towards healthy eating. For instance, they say 'Well done for eating your broccoli, it will make you big and strong'. Children have good opportunities to access the outdoor area several times during the day. This means they have freedom to move around and play on a larger scale and benefit from lots of fresh air at the same time. Children have good opportunities to develop their physical skills as they use a range of equipment. For example, they demonstrate good control of their bodies as they walk along low beams and scoot around on 'balance bikes'. Staff clearly enjoy being outdoors themselves and are keen to engage with children as they play. For instance, they sit alongside children as they play in the

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

water tray and use a range of mathematical language, such as explaining how containers are 'full' or 'empty'. However, there are not many role play resources and materials to make marks outdoors. For instance, paper, pencils and chalk are not readily available and there are few associated resources to support children's play as they use the toy cookers. This means children's emergent writing skills and imaginative play are not supported as well as they could be in the area.

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

Children behave very well in the setting, which promotes a calm and very harmonious atmosphere. Staff expect children to be capable, and as a result, children develop a can- do attitude and become confident and independent individuals. For instance, older children competently use various implements to serve their own food at lunch time. This prepares them well to cope with similar experiences they will encounter at school. Children are polite and engage well with visitors, knowing their carers are close by. For instance, one child delights in showing the inspector a woodlouse he has found outdoors. Children are supported effectively by staff in learning how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, they are taught to walk sensibly and not run in a confined space when they leave the dining room together, to prevent bumps and falls.

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provision

The nursery is led and managed very effectively, which promotes children's safety, well- being and learning to a good standard. For example, staff are vigilant in carrying out daily safety checks, and the security of the premises is good. All staff attend training in child protection and a comprehensive safeguarding policy is in place, which staff can confidently discuss. For example, they are in no doubt about what they should do if they have a concern about a child's welfare or another member of staff's practice. Robust recruitment, vetting and induction arrangements are in place to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. Their contribution to the nursery and their ongoing performance are monitored successfully through regular team meetings, supervision sessions and an annual appraisal. This enables staff to reflect on their performance, and in conjunction with management, identify any further training needs to support their ongoing professional development.

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provision

The planning for individual children's development is monitored effectively by management. Staff observe, record and track children's achievements in accordance with their age and stage of development, and the owner/manager oversees this process. For example, she regularly scrutinises children's developmental records to ensure the educational programmes successfully cover all areas of learning. If any gaps are identified, these are discussed with staff and action taken to address them, for example, through providing additional staff training or resources.

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provision

The management team is highly motivated, conscientious and committed to providing high quality care. Effective self-evaluation processes are in place to monitor and assess the quality of the service. For instance, management have a clear understanding of the nursery's strengths and areas for development because they regularly consult with staff, parents and children to gain their views. Staff provide input at team meetings, and parents are asked to complete regular questionnaires. Parents are also asked to sample dishes from the menu at open evenings. This means they can provide informed feedback on the quality of the meals their children are provided with. The nursery welcomes support visits from the local authority, and staff regularly visit other settings to share good practice. A clear development plan is in place to show how the service will move forward. All of this shows the nursery is committed to continually improving the outcomes for

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provision

High priority is given to working in partnership with parents. They receive a comprehensive prospectus when the placement begins, which leaves them in no doubt about how the service operates. Chats and written information keep them well informed of their child's day. Parents and family members are fully involved in life of the nursery. For instance, children take turns to take the nursery hamster home, and parents help them record the animal's time with the family in a diary. Grandparents are often invited to join their grandchildren for breakfast, and when it is time for older children to leave the nursery parents are invited to a 'graduation ceremony'. This enables them to celebrate their child's achievements along with staff. Parents describe staff as very caring and approachable, and say are very satisfied with all aspects of the service. Staff pay good attention to working in partnership with other early years settings, such as schools

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provision

children will move on to. For instance, teachers are actively encouraged to visit the nursery to meet children in a familiar environment, and the same methods of teaching phonics are used across the settings to provide continuity for children.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY462791 Local authority York Inspection number 913351 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 62 Name of provider Liliput Day Nursery (York) Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01904 786541

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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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