The Little Kingdom Nursery and Preschool

The Little Kingdom Nursery and Preschool Baptist Church, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL53 8AP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/09/2013 16/01/2013

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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

 The nursery provides a welcoming and stimulating environment enabling children to make good progress in their learning and development.  The nursery is a safe environment for children because of the good level of care provided for them.  The staff work well as team to ensure children's individual needs are met well.  The manager regularly evaluates the quality of the nursery and is constantly looking for ways to improve its provision of experiences for children.  There is a strong partnership with parents who value the good quality of provision made for their children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 More effective planning and resourcing of some activities is needed, and making their purpose clear to children.  More opportunities are needed in the outdoor area to reinforce the development of children's number skills.

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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 held discussions with parents and took account of their views.  The inspector spoke to children and staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector made a number of observations of activities, including undertaking a joint observation of an activity with the nursery manager.  The inspector held discussions with the manager.  The inspector reviewed a sample of the nursery's documentation.

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Information about the setting

The Little Kingdom Nursery and Pre-school registered in 2012. It is located at a Baptist Church in Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. The nursery shares the use of the building and facilities. The premises include two halls, one of which is divided into two areas, a sleep room, toilets and a kitchen. Children have access to an enclosed, outdoor area. The nursery and pre-school operate each weekday all year round, except for bank holidays, from 8am to 6pm as required. This provision is registered on the Early Years Register. There are 25 children aged from four months to under five years on roll on a full- and part-time basis. There are four staff, including the owner, working directly with the children. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is working towards a qualification. The owner/manager has Qualified Teacher Status, having specialised in early years childcare. The nursery receives funding for free early education

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

 provide greater opportunities for the reinforcement and development of children's number skills in the outdoor area.

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

 ensure group activities are effectively planned and resourced, and the purpose of the activity is made clear to the children at the start

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who attend

The nursery provides a welcoming environment where children make good progress in their learning and development. This is because staff plan a range of interesting and enjoyable activities across all areas of learning. Activities are linked to themes that interest the children, such as trains and dinosaurs, and this ensures children engage well in learning. This is a small nursery where children of all age groups mix together and play alongside each other, and this helps support their personal and social development. Children are encouraged by staff to participate in activities and to explore the well resourced and equipped environment. This helps them to become active learners. Staff provide plans to meet the needs and interests of all age groups, and encourage children to choose their own toys and equipment and to initiate their own play. The room is well resourced and set out with different areas for activities covering the

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who attend

areas of learning. Babies and toddlers play confidently and follow their interests. The 'treasure baskets' provide sensory experiences for them to examine, handle and shake. They enjoy the soft play toys, and those with buttons and levers that make musical sounds and play tunes. Older children enjoy the well furnished reading area as they turn the pages of the attractive books and look at the pictures with interest. The pre-school children develop counting skills through regular circle time activities. They are beginning to recognise some numerals as they select numbers to put on the date chart. Staff provide opportunities for them to practice and use their counting skills. But there is little reinforcement of the development of number skills in the outdoor area. Children are introduced to sounds that letters make, and are beginning to recognise their names through the self registration activities. Some are able to write the initial letter of their

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who attend

names as they practice early writing skills on the whiteboard in the outdoor area. Other activities reinforce their small muscle control through manipulating play dough and using tools to cut and shape their work. Younger children greatly enjoy drawing animals on the small blackboards with chalk. Staff skilfully talk about the different parts of the body, and get children to count the number of legs. They learn how to use scissors safely so that they become more independent and do things for themselves.

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who attend

Staff provide enjoyable group tasks where children can experience new activities, such as sponge printing with paint to produce train pictures. On occasions staff fail to give clear instructions and provide an adequate supply of resources, consequently children are not sure about what is expected of them and some quickly lose interest. Wall displays show how children experience a range of creative activities through experimenting with paints, and cutting and shapes from different textured paper. In the role play area children imagine they are the doctor and they use a stethoscope to listen to 'patients' hearts. Children learn to sing action songs and enjoy the challenge of matching words to actions. This supports the development of their co-ordination skills well.

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who attend

Staff engage well with children and join in their play. They skilfully ask questions in order to develop children's understanding, and make suggestions to extend their play. Children enjoy visits to the library that are linked to their topics, and the supermarket. The local park and woodland provide opportunities for children to be active, as well as to observe the changing seasons and to enjoy forest school activities.

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who attend

Staff undertake regular observations of children, and record and assess the progress they make. This includes the progress check for two-year old children. Assessment of progress information shows that children are generally working within the expected level for their age, and is shared with parents at the end of each term.

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

Staff get to know the children well through the detailed information that parents have shared with them. This enables staff to effectively cater for each child's individual needs and interests. Staff support parents by helping children to settle quickly when they are initially upset, and skilfully comfort and occupy them to enable them to join in with the other children. Strong emotional bonds are formed as a consequence with the children's key person. The good relationships ensure parents are confident that their children receive a high level of care, and make good progress as a result. Children enjoy the activities provided and mix and play together with, and alongside each other. The warm and caring relationships ensure children feel safe in the secure environment.

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

Resources are stored to accessibly for children, and cover all areas of learning. Children enjoy the freedom to choose activities for themselves. They are encouraged to develop independence through having a go for themselves, such as putting on their shoes for outdoor play. Pre school children are able to attend to their own toileting needs, and know when and why they need to wash their hands. They learn how to handle tools safely and know that they should not walk around carrying scissors. Staff encourage children to be adventurous in the outdoor area whilst ensuring all children behave in a safe manner to ensure their own safety as well as the safety of others. Staff regularly reinforce their expectations of positive behaviour so that children are well supported in developing their understanding of what is acceptable.

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

Staff promote the importance of healthy lifestyle so that children learn effectively to follow a positive example. Parents support the nursery's policy through providing healthy snacks and lunchboxes. Consistent routines are followed so babies settle quickly and benefit from regular feeding and sleep patterns. Meals times are social occasions where children learn to sit together with adults, and table manners are reinforced. The older children take responsibility for accessing their own lunch boxes and drinks. The outdoor area is used well to encourage children to be active as they ride the tricycles, and climb and explore the climbing frame. The challenge of climbing up the scramble net helps the development of children's self confidence. Children benefit from being out of doors in all weathers and opportunities to walk to the park where they can actively explore their surroundings.

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

Staff monitor and observe children's development over time and compile assessments of their progress. This is shared with other settings to which children transfer. The skills children develop and the good progress they make helps to prepare children for the next stage of their education.

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provision

Staff know and understand the nursery's policy on safeguarding children, and are familiar with the procedures for reporting any concerns they may have in order to keep children safe. Two staff recently updated their safeguarding knowledge at a locally organised training course. Secure recruitment procedures are followed when appointing new staff to ensure their suitability for working with children. The nursery is a safe environment for children. Premises are secure and risk assessments and safety checks are carried out regularly to ensure equipment is safe for use, and that there are no hazards in the outdoor area. Should any concerns be raised about children's safety the manager takes swift and prompt action to remedy them. For example, when the inner gate to the nursery was left open, procedures were put in place and staff and parents were informed immediately. Children are safely accounted for through the signing in process and the

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provision

daily registers that are kept. An appropriate number of staff are trained in first aid, and good hygiene practices are in place to prevent the spread of infection. Regular fire evacuation drills are practised and children know what to do when the bell rings. The manager has produced a set of policies and procedures to ensure the smooth and safe running of the nursery, which are understood and followed by staff.

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provision

The nursery staff work well as team and frequently interchange their roles as the need arises to support their colleagues and the management of the children. As the nursery is relatively new the manager is regularly looking for ways to improve, and works closely in partnership with the local authority advisor to evaluate the quality of provision. She has identified the need to provide more investigative activities in the outdoor areas that will provide greater stimulation for children and support their learning more effectively. Regular monitoring of children's development leads to the planning of interesting activities that match children's needs and interest. The two recommendations raised at the last inspection have been followed up. Firstly, opportunities for children to grow in independence have been increased to encourage them to do more for themselves as they get older. Secondly much more detailed information of the areas of learning is discussed

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provision

with parents before their children are admitted so that more accurate starting points for assessing children's development can be established.

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provision

The manager and staff have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and use it effectively to plan to meet the needs of all children. Enjoyable activities support learning across all areas of learning. Regular monitoring is undertaken to assess its effectiveness and to build on previous learning. Regular assessments are undertaken to check children are making appropriate progress. Annual appraisal interviews for staff are used to evaluate their effectiveness, and to identify any training needs. There is a strong partnership with parents who say they value the quality of provision made for their children. They appreciate the daily diaries that inform them of how their children have been each day, and any achievements made and details of their daily routine. Parents say there is very calm atmosphere in the nursery that helps children to settle quickly. Staff are very accommodating and communicate well with parents. Parents ideas and suggestions

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provision

are taken up by staff, and they are 'Really happy with the nursery and recommend it to their friends'.

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provision

The manager has established strong links with other nurseries and pre-schools in the area and meets up with them periodically to discuss matters of common interest and to exchange ideas. Detailed assessment information is provided to support children who may be transferring to them or to school.

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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 EY449695 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 932296 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 25 Name of provider Laura Jane Pearson Date of previous inspection 16/01/2013 Telephone number 07971314014

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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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