Cuddles and Care Too Day Nursery

Cuddles And Care Too Day Nursery 105 Leigh Road, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 9DR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/10/2013 08/04/2010

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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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 An effective key person system helps all children feel emotionally secure and provides a strong base for their developing independence as they make good progress in their learning and development.  Good strategies are in place to engage and continue to work in partnership with parents so that children make the best possible progress in their development and learning across all contexts.  The management team has an excellent understanding of their responsibility to ensure that the provision meets the requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and has effective systems to monitor their implementation.  All staff have a strong drive for improvement and a commitment to meet improvement targets through training, working hard to implement new ideas and more rigorous practices.  Children are well prepared for their moves within the setting and for their move to school.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Not all staff make the most of daily opportunities to develop children's ability to think critically.  The manager and deputy manager are less experienced at making consistent and sharply focused evaluations of the impact of staff's practice.

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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 a wide range of activities and care routines across the indoor and outdoor play areas, and talked with staff, children and parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documents relating to safeguarding, staff recruitment and self-evaluation, and checked a selection of other policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation including children's records and progress checks, the setting's planning and evaluation documents and information sharing with parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day, checked the complaints log and reviewed information provided by parents in their responses to questionnaires and in home-school books.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the provider and undertook a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Cuddles and Care Too Day Nursery registered in 2009 and is one of three privately owned settings. The nursery is located in Eastleigh and is within walking distance of local school, shops and parks. Children aged two and over use the ground floor of the property and children aged under two years are based on the first floor. All children have access to a fully enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 29 children on roll. The nursery is open each weekday from 8.00am to 6.00pm for 51 weeks of the year. It is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

There are twelve members of staff at the nursery, including the cook. The provider has a foundation degree in early years education. Eight members of staff hold National Vocational Qualifications in Childcare and Education to at least a level 3. Two apprentices are qualified to level 2 and they are currently training at level 3.

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

 consider further ways to develop children's skills in creating and thinking critically, as well as giving them time to think through challenges

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

 continue to strengthen an astute and targeted programme of professional development to help ensure practitioners are constantly improving their already good practice thereby enhancing the progress of all children in their care.

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who attend

Cuddles and Care Too Nursery is very good at meeting the needs of the range of children who attend. A thorough and effective system of key persons helps children settle in to routines and activities within the nursery and engages parents in the process. Parents comment appreciatively on the various ways key persons share information with them and how their knowledge of their child is the basis for new learning opportunities. For example, parents and their key person share an 'ideas sheet' each term, and having noted the children's interests, the nursery builds learning experiences around them. A cafe scenario develops, on the basis that a child enjoys going to a local cafe with her grandmother. Other children in the group make similar links with daily life and help measure and mix milkshakes, look for pennies in their purse and pay for them at the play till. The children share these beverages at a small table, set with a tablecloth and examine

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who attend

a vase of real roses and carnations. Staff model new words and children learn how to ask politely for what they want. From one small, but significant event in children's lives, staff skilfully develop a whole package of learning. Activities cover measurement and mixing, developing relationships and negotiating, touching tasting and smelling everything from food to flowers. These are rich role play experiences adapted to promote all areas of learning and development in children of all ages.

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who attend

Staff's understanding of how children learn effectively through playing and exploring, and active learning is good. However, not all staff are as skilled in helping children learn to think through the problems that arise in their daily play and discovery, or work towards their own solutions. For example, children are not always given time to stop, make decisions about how to approach a task and later review how that strategy worked.

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who attend

The learning environment indoors and outside provides a diverse range of resources to challenge and stimulate children of all ages. The recently refurbished garden area is a feast of ideas and possibilities. A climbing wall gives older children the opportunity for challenging their physical skills, leaving more space on the ground for younger children to use small seesaws and slides. A tepee provides both a quiet place to curl up with a book and a hide-away for busy explorers. Areas of the garden are multipurpose, and include sand, water, sensory play, paints, chalks and gardening. Laminated picture books illustrate how children may adapt each area for different types of small world play, construction and exploration. For example, pictures by the workshop area include photographs of children using real hammers and nails with wood. Under the watchful supervision of the staff, children may ask to have a go, learn how to manipulate new tools and understand how

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who attend

their world fits together. Children access and choose from a wide variety of learning experiences and this encourages them to persist with activities and feel proud of their achievements. Laminated artwork hangs all around the garden and confident children clearly express how they worked on their own or as a team to produce each masterpiece. The learning environments are highly stimulating and very well thought out, with ample resources to stimulate and excite all the children.

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who attend

Clear, routine and precise observations and assessments of children lead to effective planning for their next steps in learning. Regular observations of children's progress are included in a large 'All about me' file. Every observation and photograph links with areas of development, helping staff to constantly stretch children's learning and skills. Each session includes a language activity, where there is a specific focus on extending children's language and speech skills. The staff's sharp focus on social, physical and communication development helps all children make rapid improvement in their learning from their starting points. Parents discuss termly plans with their child's key person at parents' evenings, or intervening meetings, so that any concerns turn into positive action plans to keep children on track. The progress check at age two occurs promptly, enabling parents and staff to secure timely interventions, support or challenges to meet their child's needs.

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who attend

Clear systems are also in place to support children with challenging behaviour. In addition, a committed team work creatively to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, in a close partnership with parents. Links with external support agencies are well established and are used effectively to close any gaps in children's learning, and when initiating and reviewing intervention plans. These measure help to ensure that all children are very well prepared for their next steps in learning.

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

The nursery makes an outstanding contribution to the well-being of the children in its care. Excellent measures are in place to settle even the youngest children's into the nursery. Profiles of the children's likes and dislikes, preferences and needs develop from the first meetings with parents. Care arrangements are recorded clearly in strategic places to ensure that every member of the team knows about the children from their first day at the nursery. This provides consistency across all staff and situations, and helps settle children into the nursery very quickly.

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

Each child's key person tailors care to meet their individual needs and works closely with their parents. Children also have a 'buddy' key person, who is a second member of staff who focuses specifically on the child and liaise with their family. Parents comment that this is highly effective in reassuring them that their child's individual needs are met well. They particularly appreciate the prompt sharing of a reassuring text or photo of their child happily at play. Daily diaries and comment books also link parents in with their child's activities with notes to and from the key person. The key person/buddy system also helps children flourish when they join in with the older children, playing outside or in a music and movement session. Younger children join in enthusiastically, but visually check their adult is nearby should their confidence wobble. Sensitive and thoughtful staff nurture the children to join in with new challenges and adventures. With such support, children are

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

secure enough to venture out, try new activities and gain confidence in their actions.

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

Staff provide consistent role models and have high expectations for children's behaviour and children generally meet those expectations. Their own 'Golden Rules' are on display to remind them of their chosen aims. Staff and parents display children's achievements on a special and frequently updated 'Achievement Tree'. A 'wall of adventures' includes postcard style updates of children's travels, celebrations and successes, so they may talk about these with their peers. Staff use an abundance of praise, clearly identifying why children's actions and comments have caused pleasure and delight. This helps children reflect on their behaviour, become more self-aware and confidently extend their skills into other areas of life. Staff enjoy taking children out into the community where they learn about buying tickets at the train station, make friends with the local policeman and greet shop keepers. Through such first-hand experiences, staff help children make more sense

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

of subjects such as road safety, 'stranger danger' and recycling materials.

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

Regular trips to the local supermarket give children the opportunity to find and purchase the ingredients they need to cook with later in the day. They learn that pizzas need different ingredients from biscuits, and that their cook uses a particular type of flour to bake their bread. The older children like talking with the cook as she prepares their meals, and she takes pleasure in hearing them explain their latest thoughts on the world. Children also bring her vegetables that they have grown in their own small garden plot. This helps them understand the effort and satisfaction of planting, nurturing and eating their own produce. Changes to the daily menu reflect responses from a recent parent questionnaire. Snack times are opportunities to try new flavours from around the world. An inspiring display on spices shows children not only cooking with spices, but smelling them, making potions with them, and matching them to pictures of the plants. Children

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

take an interest in the food they eat, they learn to make choices about eating healthily and begin to appreciate the processes behind each meal.

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

Staff consistently give the highest priority to the safety of children. They support their growing understanding of how to keep themselves safe and healthy. For much of the day children can choose to play indoors or outside in the fresh air. Both provide highly stimulating opportunities with abundant resources and challenges. Children choose the healthy option and play in the fresh air for a large part of the day. Outside they develop an excellent understanding of how to manage risks relative to their ages on an outdoor climbing wall. Older children learn to wait as the toddlers pull themselves up on the lower handles, then they climb only as far as the 'green line'. This helps children build up their strength and their self-confidence and be willing to try other new ventures.

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

Children of all ages talk about how their heart is beating faster after a rather energetic 'bear hunt'. They are beginning to learn about the impact of exercise on their bodies and the need for a quieter story time before rushing off for lunch. Above them, another large wall display shows children cleaning their teeth and visiting a dentist. They find their individual brushes at the end of each meal and brush independently. Children also learn to sit around the table together and later to tidy away their cups and plates. Independence relative to their age is encouraged at all opportunities, helping children rise to those expectations and take increasing responsibility for their own actions. This helps to prepare children for the next stage in their learning, be that at a new out-of-school activity or for the move to primary school.

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provision

The effectiveness of leadership and management of the nursery is good. The provider has recently completed a Foundation degree in early years education and has set high standards for the delivery of the learning and development requirements. The manager and deputy manager are also well trained and committed to the provision of diverse and challenging educational programmes. The team have worked hard to sharpen up their range and use of monitoring and assessment. They routinely build on children's interests, evaluate what children have learnt in different situations and identify next steps and appropriate challenges. Assessments are consistently thorough across the nursery and identify children's skills, abilities and progress. Consequently, children with identified needs receive additional support, interventions have a clear focus and gaps in progress are quickly closed. The provider and managers have a clear understanding of their responsibility to ensure

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provision

that the nursery meets the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. All staff receive regular updates in child protection and diligently implement the setting's policies and procedures in this area. Effective systems are in place to check the suitability of all the staff on the premises and keep good ratios of staff to children. All staff receive training in paediatric first aid and follow strict protocols when giving medicines or recording accidents and incidents. Hygiene standards across each part of the premises are high. These measures help keep children as safe as possible while they are in the setting and on their visits into the community.

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provision

The providers' drive for improvement is clear in her response to four recent areas of development. Staff are now much more effective at working with parents to settle children into the nursery. The key person and buddy system of tailoring care to meet individual children's needs is now highly effective. All children feel safe and secure within the nursery and make good attachments to their key-person and buddy in particular. Staff's knowledge of learning and development is stronger following a concerted effort by all members of the team to implement the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage with more rigour. Also the whole team make more precise observations and assessments of individual children's achievements. This supports tighter planning for next steps and helps children to make the best possible progress. A current focus for improvement uses environment-rating scales to identify areas of weakness. The main

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provision

outdoor play area is significantly improved to better meet the learning and development needs of all children outside, as well as inside. Parents, staff and children have all had a part to play in this development. Rethinking the benefits of a new sensory play area in the garden is still a keen focus. These improvements enrich children's experience across the nursery environment giving them more experiences to explore, learn from and talk about.

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provision

Staff and children's needs inform priorities for training for each member of staff, and training opportunities are plentiful across the team. An effective programme of appraisals and professional development is helping managers to improve their knowledge, understanding and practice to a high level. This system continues to transfer to middle management and the junior members of the team. This will embed currently high aspirations for sustaining improvements across all members of the team.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are effective and lead to timely progress checks and interventions for all children. A well-known network of external advisers and agencies also helps staff design, implement and review interventions for children so that they may quickly catch up with their peers. The nursery also shares a management team with a pre- school on the site of the local primary school. This helps the team link in with developments beyond the Early Years Foundation Stage so they can better prepare children for their move to school. The nursery liaise with the reception class teachers from all the schools in the area, and these good relationships support children's move from one setting to another.

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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 EY398372 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 844823 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 25 Number of children on roll 29 Name of provider Jayne Sergeant & Gail Rolfe Partnership Date of previous inspection 08/04/2010 Telephone number 07810422185

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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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