Daisy Chain at Mytton Oak

Daisy Chain at Mytton Oak Mytton Oak Road, Shrewsbury, SY3 8XD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/07/2013 23/03/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children are exceptionally happy, very motivated and keen to learn. They have excellent relationships with each other and the staff who care for them. Children show consistently high levels of curiosity and independence.  A highly effective key person system ensures that the children are exceedingly well supported and meeting their needs is given the highest priority. Relationships are extremely secure and warm. Parents and carers have a very high degree of trust in the nursery staff.  The manager of the nursery has developed a very robust system to monitor the educational programme and the performance of the staff. Each member of staff has an individual professional development plan, which motivates them and significantly helps to develop practice.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Notice boards for parents and carers have some information, such as daily menus and calendar dates which are out of date. As a result, parents cannot see at a glance what meals have been served in the nursery that day.  The lettering on some displays, particularly in the pre-school room looks shabby and letters are missing. As a result, mixed messages about the printed word are given to some children.

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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 activities in the four main play rooms, the sensory room and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with both the nursery and the company managers and undertook a joint observation with the nursery manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of staff working in the nursery, the provider's systems for self- evaluation and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also took into account the views of children, parents and carers and staff spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Daisy Chain at Mytton Oak is one of four nurseries managed by Daisy Chain Daycare Limited. It was registered in 2007 on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from a purpose built building situated in the grounds of The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The nursery is accessible to all children and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 18 members of staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above. Currently one member of staff holds Early Years Professional Status. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7am until 6pm. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 144 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three-and four-year-olds. It supports children with who speak English as an additional language.

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

 make sure that all information displayed on notice boards for parents and carers, such as daily menus and calendar dates, is up-to-date

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

 ensure that lettering on displays, especially in the pre-school, are maintained and of good quality so that children develop awareness of correct print.

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who attend

Staff know the children exceptionally well because they gather information from parents and carers about their children's needs, abilities and interests. This is obtained when they start at the nursery and throughout their time in the setting, through daily care diaries for younger children, learning journey files, frequent discussions and planned key person and parent interviews. Staff observe children closely throughout the sessions. They use this information highly effectively, together with their excellent and knowledge of how to promote children's learning and development. Parents and carers are encouraged to continue their child's learning at home through information about activities that children have been involved in at nursery. Parents and carer effectively contribute to the assessment and planning process through comments in children's daily care diaries and learning journeys. They also contribute fully to the progress check at age two and some

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who attend

parents have shared this with their health visitor and other professionals. The staff liaise with teachers from local schools and are highly aware of the skills that benefit children as they move on to school.

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who attend

There is an exceptionally wide variety of rich educational activities planned and offered to the children which enhances all aspects of their development and learning. As a result, children are very interested, active, highly motivated and make outstanding progress. For example, staff skilfully extend children's learning, interest and curiosity when exploring ice cubes in water and also when babies are attempting to climb up a ladder to a slide.

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who attend

Communication between children and staff is highly purposeful. Staff use many open- ended questions to extend and develop children's learning. For example, two-year-olds talk about healthy foods and their favourite fruit and vegetables when playing a matching game. Staff listen attentively to what the children are saying and their responses increase children's vocabularies by sensitive inclusion of new words, such as 'I like raspberries too, they are delicious'. Communication and language skills are given very high priority; for example, labels on resources in the rooms are in different languages as well as English. This also supports children for whom English is an additional language. These children are further supported by staff who speak the child's home language. Where children are recognised as requiring extra support, staff work with parents and other professionals to make sure each child's individual needs are met.

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who attend

Children's personal, social and emotional development is promoted exceedingly well. Children in all but the youngest room willingly take turns and share. For example, children in the Saplings room sit on a bench and wait very patiently for other to complete washing their hands before taking their turn at the wash basins. Younger children in the Acorns room are beginning to play in groups, for example, when playing outside. These children and babies in the Catkins room take a highly active interest in what other children are playing with and the staff around them. They use gestures, smiles and some words to show their pleasure and delight and staff are highly responsive. Children are exceptionally confident and well-behaved. For example, a child in the Oaks room tells the inspector that he is the 'special helper of the day' and in a confident and delightful way, tells the inspector about his responsibilities.

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who attend

Many developmentally appropriate activities are planned to help children develop physical skills. For example, children in the Oaks room competently use scissors to cut paper and card to make pictures. The Catkins room is spacious and so allows babies to freely crawl, stretch and safely pull themselves up. For example, low sturdy tables and storage units allow babies to pull themselves up without fear of toppling over. Staff offer very sensitive support to encourage a baby attempting to walk and she shows her pleasure with gurgles and smiles. Children are actively encouraged to use cutlery at meal times and their physical skills are further developed as they serve themselves and pour water into beakers. The outdoor learning environment is very well equipped with both large and small apparatus and toys. There is plenty of space for the children to run around freely, climb and develop their skills. The outdoor area is used very effectively to encourage

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who attend

exercise and as a result, children benefit from fresh air and outdoor play all year round.

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who attend

Children become highly involved in their play and they are highly motivated and very interested in the activities, both planned and freely chosen. They freely access books in all rooms and children show pleasure and delight in listening to familiar stories, such as one about hunting a bear. They join in with the actions and repeated phrases with obvious fun and excitement. Children freely access mark making materials, such as pencils, crayons and water and paint brushes outside. They draw with great confidence and pleasure. Some write their names and correctly identify initial letters, responding with big smiles and pleasure when staff praise their achievements.

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who attend

Children develop a very good understanding of mathematics through play activities and during daily routines. For example, staff caring for babies count the steps up to a slide, sing number rhymes and count fingers and toes. Older children confidently and correctly count the number of fish in lava lamp in the sensory room. They count children sitting at tables at snack and lunchtime. Children in the Oaks room choose to play with number cards and count confidently up to 20 as they pretend to be at school. Children have free access to computers and a very wide range of resources, such as torches, programmable toys and clocks which effectively develop their awareness and understanding of technology. Children sing with great pleasure and enthusiasm and spontaneously engage in pretend play which fosters their imaginations and creativity very well.

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

Children are exceptionally confident, happy and interested in the activities available to them. They have very warm and highly secure relationships with each other and with staff. An exemplary key person system is fully in place throughput the nursery. As a result children's impendence is effectively promoted and nurtured. For example, babies happily reach out to their key person when being handed over by a parent. Relationships are very strong between staff and children, also with parents and carers. Staff gather good information from parents to ensure their child's individual needs and their well-being is fully supported. Children benefit from very good settling in procedures which are based around their individual needs. The transitions between rooms are highly effective and parents are involved at each stage. Children and their key persons join in activities in new rooms several times over an eight week period before the transition is fully made. As a

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

result, children are very effectively supported.

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

Staff offer plenty of praise and positive comments to encourage and support children and their respond with smiles and giggles. Children are very well-behaved and any minor disagreements are dealt with swiftly and efficiently. Children willing take turns and share, for example when sitting on a bench waiting to wash their hands. Staff are very positive role models and are deployed very effectively across the nursery. Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and as a result, children's well-being is fully promoted.

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

Children show good awareness of how to keep themselves safe. For example, they all wear hats when playing outside and sit patiently as staff apply sun cream. Children use dustpans and brushes to sweep up spilt sand without prompts from staff. Children move around the setting with care and control and show good awareness of space.

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

The nursery offers children a healthy and balanced menu of meals and snacks. Children are encouraged to be independent in their personal hygiene practice and when feeding. For example, children use appropriately sized cutlery to eat food and serve themselves, as a result they can eat independently. Staff are vigilant in maintaining a clean and hygienic environment as they regularly disinfect equipment, undertake frequent checks of toilet, nappy changing areas and baby sleep room.

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

All the rooms are bright and airy and offer a stimulating environment. They are spacious and organised allowing children to move around freely and safely. The rooms and outdoor area are well resourced and all children are able to access these and toys independently. For example, in the Catkins room toys and books are placed at floor level and so crawling babies can select their own toys. Named drinking cups and bottles help children develop a sense of identity. There are many attractive displays in all rooms, however some of these are not well maintained and look untidy.

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provision

The manager and staff have a good and detailed understanding of how to protect the children in their care. They have been proactive in contacting Ofsted to inform them of significant events. Staff are well aware of the procedures for child protection and clearly know who to report concerns to. There are effective recruitment and induction procedures and all staff have undergone the necessary checks to make sure that they are suitable to work with children. The nursery has appropriate policies and system in place and these are reviewed every six months. As a result, there is consistent practice across the nursery which contributes positively to children's learning and development. Risk assessments are completed for all areas indoors and outside and resources. This helps to monitor and ensure children's safety.

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provision

Staff have a very secure knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which enables them to effectively support children in making very good progress in their learning. There is a good balance of child-initiated and adult led activities. For example, staff respond to the hot weather by planning a highly appropriate and excellent activity with water and ice cubes for a group of pre-school children. This activity is further enhanced by the inclusion of some children visiting a new room as part of the transition process. Children have very successful interactions with adults and other children during the activity. Support for all children is excellent and as a result, they explore and investigate with enthusiasm. Staff maintain clear and detailed records of observations undertaken on each child, which are linked to the areas of learning, characteristics of effective learning. Records also include details of the next steps planned for children. This information is effectively monitored and

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provision

evaluated through the planning system. Children's achievements are consistently tracked against the early learning goals, to monitor their progress. This information is regularly shared with parents and carers.

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provision

The manager of nursery, effectively supported by the company, sets high aspirations for quality and has established very valuable self-evaluation procedures. The recommendation from the previous inspection has been met in full and the nursery has a very effective transition system which fully supports children's needs. Priorities for improvement are identified through consultation with staff, parents, and children. Staff performance is monitored through an appraisal system, regular staff meetings and frequent supervision interviews. Staff feel well-supported and their professional development is given high importance. As a result, staff have good opportunities to improve and develop their skills and knowledge which enables children to make good progress. The manager is highly motivated, enthusiastic and is able to pass this positive attitude onto her staff. As a result, all staff are committed to developing and improving the provision.

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provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are very good. They are highly complimentary regarding the standards of care given to the children. For example, parents speak about how approachable staff are, excellent staff knowledge and how much they value the daily care diary for younger children. Parents have good opportunities to contribute to their child's learning journey. This, together with daily informal discussions and planned interviews with key persons, means that they are kept well informed of progress. Information is shared with parents in a variety of ways including regular emails. There are attractive information boards for parents outside each room and in the main nursery foyer. However not all of the information is current, for example, a calendar of notable dates is out-of-date.

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provision

The nursery has established effective links with local schools and other providers. For example, children from Oaks room visit the reception class and teachers also come into the nursery. Links have been established with other professionals to help staff meet the needs of some children.

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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 EY360792 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 915388

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 72 Number of children on roll 144 Name of provider Daisy Chain Day Care Ltd Date of previous inspection 23/03/2012 Telephone number 01743 243257

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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

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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