Ladybirds Nursery

Ladybirds Nursery Ltd Birch Centre, Hill End Lane, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 0RA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/10/2013 19/01/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 1 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 The quality of teaching and learning provided in the pre-school room is outstanding. This enables these children to make very good progress and be very well prepared for school.  All children are making good, and sometimes outstanding, progress because they are provided with a stimulating range of interesting and challenging activities. These are based on accurate tracking of children's individual abilities and interests.  Babies and children have formed strong and secure emotional attachments with the staff. They are eager and happy to attend and settle very quickly.  Strong partnerships between the nursery, parents and external agencies ensure that accurate information is shared and children receive consistency in their care and learning.

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It is not yet good because

 Entry into the nursery is not always secure.  There is scope to improve the consistency of the excellent practice provided in the pre- school room to further improve the learning experiences for children in younger age rooms.

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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 observed staff and children interacting in activities in each of the main rooms and outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the managers, talked to staff and key persons and carried out a joint observation of an adult-led activity.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at various documents, including policies and procedures, children's records, evidence of the suitability of staff, and safeguarding procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of a number of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Ladybirds Nursery Ltd registered in 2003 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in the Birch Centre in the Highfield Park area of St Albans, Hertfordshire. The nursery has sole use of the premises and has nearby parking. It is owned and managed by two early years teachers. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from four base rooms and there are enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 20 members of staff, 18 of whom work directly with children. The two owners hold degrees and Qualified Teacher Status. One also has Early Years Professional Status. 14 members of staff hold early years qualifications at level 3 and above, one holds level 2 and one is unqualified.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, with the exception of public holidays. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 81 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 ensure that the entry to the premises is securely monitored at all times.

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

 provide the younger children with an outstanding range of learning opportunities to further enhance their good progress.

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who attend

Children arrive eager and motivated to start their day in the nursery. Babies and toddlers smile and confidently reach for their key person, displaying good levels of confidence, and they settle very quickly. Staff greet every child by name and with a smile, which enhances children's sense of belonging, resulting in eager, happy children. Staff in the pre-school room are particularly attentive. They calmly and quietly give support to those children who need a confidence boost to join in with circle time discussions. This promotes children's self-esteem, knowing that their views are valued. Communication is given high priority by staff; they use clear language, gestures and expressions and sign language. Toddlers mimic their pet snail's tentacles by wiggling their fingers on their head. Staff praise the children, telling them, 'That is right, the snail has tentacles'. This promotes children's confidence in communicating their thoughts and ideas. Children display their growing

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who attend

independence as they become more confident in their self-help skills. Pre-school children show their competence in putting on their clothes and changing into their wellington boots. Occasionally, less experienced staff will intervene to help the child before they have attempted the task themselves. For example, staff help children to put on their coats and do up their zip ready for outdoor play. On the whole, staff effectively support the children by holding back and giving the children them time to have a go themselves.

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who attend

The nursery is surrounded by an exciting outdoor environment. Every day children freely choose to play in the enclosed outdoor areas. They explore the large parkland that surrounds their nursery, gaining good quality hands-on experiences about the changing season, the weather and the lifecycle of creatures and plants. Staff regularly use the open spaces and a wide variety of equipment to hone children's physical skills. For example, children participate in a throwing and catching activity, working together with a partner and taking turns. This is successful in enabling children to form relationships with others and to practise their coordination skills. Babies pull themselves up to a standing position by holding on to sturdy equipment. Staff verbally encourage children to try and applaud their success as babies beam with pride at their achievement. Younger children confidently handle family photograph boxes and they enjoy the comfort of familiar faces as they

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who attend

competently turn the box to see the next photograph.

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who attend

Children enjoy books and even young babies show they handle books well. Children enjoy stories, choosing their favourite one, and older children borrow library books to take home. The children return the book and discuss what they liked about it, what it was about and what happened. This promotes children's good progress in their literacy skills. Older children find their names on their pegs and self-register by identifying their name. Pre-school children are progressing rapidly in their literacy skills. Very good use of phonics is backed up by fun activities, such as finding pictures and objects starting with that letter or sound. This enables learning to be fun and ensures that children make good progress. Babies too have the opportunity to recognise familiar words through labels and pictures. For example, babies' beakers are identified with a picture and the child's name. This enables children to develop their understanding that the written word has meaning.

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who attend

Children regularly use a variety of tools and resources to make marks and practise early drawing and writing skills. Pre-school children are carefully tutored to understand how to form letters as well as recognising them. They benefit from specifically tailored activities which prepare them extremely well for school.

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who attend

Assessments for children are clear and focused on what they know and can do. These are based on staff's regular interactions, observations and tracking of children's good learning and progress. Staff provide exciting, individually tailored experiences and challenges for children, based on their interests and abilities. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive targeted support and appropriate intervention. Clear recording and monitoring shows that gaps in children's learning are closing. Parents comment that their children are gaining in skills and confidence as a direct result of their children attending this nursery. They feel well informed about the topics, themes and next steps for learning for their children. Parents take an active role by following guidance given by key persons to continue children's learning experiences in the home. This benefits children by providing consistent experiences and cohesive teaching. However, there is scope to

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who attend

extend the outstanding learning opportunities that children in the pre-school room receive, to further improve the progress of younger children.

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

Children are happy and display good levels of confidence at this nursery. They have formed strong bonds and attachments with each other and their key person. They settle quickly and show that they are happy as they eagerly explore and investigate the toys and activities. Babies smile and babble to their familiar staff, and older children spontaneously cuddle and kiss staff, pleased to see them when they arrive. Staff display a detailed knowledge of the individual needs of each of the children in their care. Prior to starting at the nursery, parents and children visit and meet their named key person. Parents share information on their children so that the key person has a good understanding of their individual needs. Regular discussions, meetings and information sharing ensure that parents are well informed and involved in all aspects of their children's welfare, learning and development. Parents say that their views and ideas are valued and their children are

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

eager to attend and are very happy, often wanting to stay a bit longer.

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

Children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. Older children, who are moving up to full-time school, participate in a daily range of carefully planned activities specifically to ensure that all children have the skills and confidence and are ready for school. Babies and toddlers are successfully supported in moving to the next age- appropriate room within the nursery. Children move together so they are supported by being with children they already know. They gradually spend more time in their new room, which enables them to familiarise themselves with their new key person, the toys and resources.

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

Children are aware of their own personal safety. For example, they show competence when using tools, such as scissors and cutlery, safely. Their behaviour is very good and even toddlers show awareness of the safety of others as they carefully avoid bumping into each other while helping care for the pet snail. Children's behaviour is consistently well managed by all staff. This gives children clear and dependable messages about behaving safely and responsibly while having fun. However, on the day of the inspection, their safety was compromised because entry to the setting was not adequately monitored.

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

Children display a good understanding of the importance of good hygiene procedures. They routinely use soap to wash their hands, and wipes for young children to clean their own face after eating. Toddlers are reminded to look in the mirror so they can see when their face is clean, then they competently dispose of the wipe in the bin. Children enjoy a range of nutritious snacks which are carefully monitored to ensure that children are provided with appropriate ingredients that meet their individual dietary requirements. Children begin to understand about the need for healthy food, fresh air and exercise. They frequently play and explore outside, appropriately dressed for all weathers. Children are provided with quiet rooms in which to sleep and nap if needed. The strong professional partnerships between all adults and professionals in the children's lives ensure that they receive consistency in their care and learning, which effectively promotes children's well-

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provision

The safeguarding of children has been compromised. The management has not ensured that entry to the nursery is secure. There are systems in place to support the security of the nursery, such as closed circuit television and a reminder notice to parents about entry to the setting. However, these are not consistently effective as, on the day of the inspection, an adult was able to gain unauthorised entry to the setting. This is a breach of the regulations regarding the security of the premises for providers who are registered on the Early Years Register, and the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. In other respects, good procedures, risk assessments and vigilance protect children. All accidents, incidents, possible risks and any complaints are addressed promptly and thoroughly recorded. All staff have received training on safeguarding children and they generally understand the procedures to follow should they have a concern about a

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provision

Managers ensure that all staff are checked regarding their suitability. They are regularly observed by the managers to ensure their practice is of good quality at all times. This generally identifies any strengths and weaknesses in staff practice. Staff are supported in improving their practice through professional training and development. Regular systems for professional supervision are in place; these are based on staff appraisals and discussions during one-to-one meetings with their manager.

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provision

Effective partnerships between the nursery, parents and external agencies ensure that children's needs are quickly identified and met. Accurate information is shared to ensure that children receive cooperative and consistent care and learning. This effectively supports children's good progress based on their starting points.

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provision

The monitoring of the nursery's implementation of the learning and development requirements is good. A sufficient self-evaluation process incorporates the views of all staff, parents and children. This information is organised to form action plans and implement improvements, which effectively supports almost all aspects of the nursery's drive for improvement.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that no one can enter the premises without the knowledge of a person who is caring for children (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that no one can enter the premises without the knowledge of a person who is caring for children (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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 EY240007 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 913513

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 61 Number of children on roll 81 Name of provider Ladybirds Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 19/01/2011 Telephone number 01727 730783

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Type of provision

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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