Caring Kindergartens

Caring Kindergartens Duston St. Lukes Centre, Main Road, Duston, NORTHAMPTON, NN5 6JB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/10/2013 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 form strong relationships with practitioners, particularly within the baby room. This increases children's confidence and self-esteem.  Thorough safeguarding procedures are understood and implemented by all practitioners, including a thorough recruitment process. Consequently, children are kept safe at all times and their individual care needs met.  Children make good progress due to the organisation and monitoring of the educational programme by the manager. Efficient plans are in place to increase children's readiness for school.  Detailed planning and accurate assessments provide individualised learning for all children based on their interests. As a result, children make good progress.  Children enjoy independent access to a wide range of resources that promote and extend their learning and development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Organisation of the well-resourced outdoor environment has not yet been fully developed. Consequently, children's learning is not always completely supported in this area.  There is scope to develop the range and accessibility of information, communication technology resources, to further enhance older children's skills in preparation for school.

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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 conducted a tour of the premises.

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Inspection activities

 Observations within all main rooms, including outside and the art room were undertaken.

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Inspection activities

 Discussions were held with the practitioners, manager, area manager, parents & children.  A meeting with the manager was held.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked children's assessment records, including the progress check at age two, as well as planning documentation and policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

Caring Kindergartens was registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The day nursery is situated in renovated premises at the St. Luke's Centre in Duston, Northampton and is one of several nurseries under the ownership of CK Childcare Ltd.

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Information about the setting

The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play and a forest school. The nursery employs seven members of childcare staff and a part time cook. All of these hold appropriate early years qualifications, including one with Early Years Professional Status and a Qualified Teacher.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. There are currently 30 children on roll. It supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 improve pre-school children's access to relevant information, communication technology materials, to further enhance their readiness for school

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

 enhance the use of the outdoor area, particularly for the younger children, to give them maximum opportunities to explore and investigate the outdoor environment.

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who attend

Children take part in a broad range of interesting activities that promote their development across the seven areas of learning. These activities are well-planned and based on their interests and stage of development. Children are developing independent learning skills, this will help them in the next stage of their development, including their readiness for school. For example, the nursery have specific strategies in place to help children with their letter sounds. This learning is specific to individual children and is also shared with parents so they can continue to extend their development in the home environment. Children enjoy their learning and are keen to find out more information about things which interest them. They also share information about their understanding. For example, when engaging in a practical imaginative activity a child demonstrates their knowledge of traffic lights, bus routines and the location of places. There is scope to

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who attend

further enhance children's readiness for school by extending the range of information, communication technology resources and ensuring they are more easily available as part of the everyday curriculum.

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who attend

The resources throughout the nursery are well-managed and wide ranging, with the children enjoying independent access to them. For example, within the baby room there are a significant range of natural resources available that they enjoy exploring. The nursery also has a well-resourced outdoor area to promote development. For example, the children are growing various vegetable items and the nursery also has pet chickens. This helps promote children's understanding of where food comes from as well as how to care for animals. Although this environment is well-resourced and utilised well, there is scope to consider access arrangements to allow children to explore and investigate this environment more freely and consistently. Thorough assessments demonstrate that the children are making good progress relative to their starting points. They are conducted quickly and accurately by skilful practitioners, this enables planning to closely link to the

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who attend

next steps in children's learning. Planning is closely monitored and supported by the management team, this ensures that children experience a wide range of activities across the seven areas of learning.

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who attend

Communication throughout the nursery is strong, with both children and parents. The nursery involve parents and other significant extended family members in children's learning. For example, they provide regular evenings for them to experience the nursery day from their child's point of view. They also communicate on a daily basis to share information in order to promote children's learning. These relationships are aided by a well-established key person system that provides a further link between the home and nursery environment. For example, children take pictures home of their key person so they can talk about them in the home environment. Parents felt that this helped children to settle quickly within the nursery. Practitioners also communicate effectively and affectionately with the children, in particular within the baby room. This enthusiastic communication engages children, consequently, children are developing effective

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who attend

communication skills. Practitioners within the nursery have a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the ways in which children learn. This ensures that children make good progress in their learning and development.

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

Care practices are well-established, embedded within practice and meet the needs of the children. The nursery works closely with parents to ensure the needs of the children are met. For example, they have recently changed and developed their sleep routines for a particular child based on the views of the parents. This has had a positive effect on her sleep within the nursery. This approach to tailored care routines and close collaboration with parents enables the nursery to provide individualised care and meet children's individual needs. Children are always kept safe within the nursery as practitioners have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and receive good support and training from the nursery to keep their knowledge up-to-date. The security of the premises also promotes the safety of children. For example, there is a robust entry process that ensures unfamiliar people are kept out of the nursery. Supervision of the children is good, this

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

allows them to take appropriate risks within their play to extend their learning and development. For example, in the outdoor environment a practitioner effectively supports a young child to climb a high obstacle.

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

Children are encouraged to learn about maintaining good health and hygiene practices. The nursery provide a well-balanced, nutritious menu using fresh ingredients. The food is prepared in a hygienic area and due attention is given to allergies. For example, for children with allergies, their food is placed on a different coloured plate to ensure their needs are met. Children have strong attachments to their key person and other staff, particularly within the baby room. This ensures children have the confidence to take risks within their play and are enthusiastic about their learning. They arrive happily and separate from their parents easily. Staff show warmth and affection for the children in their care. Children also form some close relationships with each other, this further enhances their confidence. The nursery have not yet had to manage transitions, however, appropriate procedures are in place to facilitate this in the future. For example, there is

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

good continuity and the children are familiar with all the practitioners due to the movement around the nursery. The nursery also make good use of the practitioners within the chain of nurseries to provide continuous care for the children.

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

The stimulating environment is welcoming for children, with resources easily accessible. This free access to choose their own play activities promotes their independence and means they sustain their play activities for a period of time. For example, babies access the book area and remain interested in the stories for a sustained period of time. Children also display an eagerness to learn and attain knowledge. For example, when playing with the paint the children ask questions such as 'I wonder what would happen if I mix red with blue?'. This allows them to explore with appropriate support from the skilful practitioners.

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provision

The management of the nursery is strong, and the manager has a detailed understanding of the learning and development requirements. She has a good overview of the educational programme and performance of the practitioners. This robust system helps to ensure that children experience a wide range of activities that promote their learning and as a result, they make good progress. The assessments are also consistent and accurate, this enables the management to evaluate the learning and close any identified gaps. Regular observations and reviews help the manager to identify any particular strengths and areas for development within the nursery's teaching. Regular meetings are undertaken with all the practitioners to ensure that there is regular communication to help meet children's individual needs. Self-evaluation is also good and the nursery have identified some areas that they are currently working to develop further. There is a highly

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provision

qualified team of practitioners and a wider support network within the chain to effectively support the manager. For example, the practitioners use their regular access to appropriate resources to keep their training up-to-date.

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provision

Good partnerships with parents have been developed, and the nursery also consider how they can involve extended members of the family. Parents comment positively about the care their children receive and the learning opportunities that are provided for them. The nursery also make good use of the other professionals within the chain to extend their knowledge. For example, they use the Special Educational Needs Coordinator to identify any additional needs that children have at the earliest stage and put measures in place to ensure they achieve.

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provision

Safeguarding is given a high priority within the nursery. There are strong procedures in place that are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure safety within the nursery. For example, there is a thorough recruitment procedure that is currently being updated. This procedure ensures that the nursery are taking all reasonable steps to ensure the suitability of the practitioners. The knowledge of the manager and the practitioners in relation to safeguarding children ensures that children are kept safe within the nursery.

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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 EY462952 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 916381 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 104 Number of children on roll 30 Name of provider CK Childcare Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01604882241

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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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