The Honey Pots Day Nursery

The Honey Pots Day Nursery 55 Newhall Road, SWADLINCOTE, Derbyshire, DE11 0BD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/10/2013 15/08/2013

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early years provision

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

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This provision is satisfactory

 Leaders and managers are focused on driving the setting forward and improving the care and learning for children. Their enthusiasm is shared by all staff who are positive about new ideas and techniques.  Children are happy and relaxed. They are confident in their base rooms and pre-school children enjoy the freedom of an indoor environment that is organised to enable them to enjoy free movement between the downstairs rooms to access different activities.  Children's safety is suitably promoted because staff have a suitable understanding of safeguarding and implement appropriate safeguarding and welfare procedures, which helps to keep them safe at all times.

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It is not yet good because

 There are times when children are not fully engaged in activities as the planning is not suitably robust to ensure that their individual needs and interests are being consistently met.  The monitoring of staff performance does not sharply focus on the impact of teaching in order to accurately inform staff practice. Consequently, teaching is variable and does not always maximise children's learning opportunities.  Currently the outdoor environment is not set out to ensure that children's desire to explore and investigate is promoted successfully.

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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 compulsory part 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 spoke to the children, staff and parents and held discussions with the management team.  The inspector observed free play, focused activities and mealtimes.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined children's learning journey records and the planning and assessment procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with the children, the provider's written policies and procedures and self-evaluation documents.

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Information about the setting

The Honey Pots Day Nursery was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is situated in converted premises in Swadlincote, Derbyshire. It is one of two nurseries owned by the same provider. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs eight members of childcare staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. Two staff are qualified at level 4, four hold a level 3 qualification and two staff members are qualified at level 2.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7am until 7pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 44 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 ensure that planning consistently takes account of children's emerging needs and interests and that challenge is promoted through a balance of adult-led and child initiated activities.

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

 develop further the performance management of staff so that it sharply focuses on the impact of staffs' practice on children's learning and development

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

 improve the outside area so that it reflects the seven areas of learning and provides a more stimulating and inviting environment that children are keen to explore and investigate.

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who attend

Children are relaxed and settled in the nursery. Babies snuggle up to enjoy stories and have fun in the soft play area, where they crawl over the large soft blocks and play in the ball pit. Toddlers and pre-school children independently select toys to play with and engage the staff in their play, building robots out of blocks and discussing how they are going to build a castle. Staff generally engage well, getting down on the children's level and building alongside them, discussing the colours and number of bricks they use in their creations. This encourages children to talk about their activities as well as develop their mathematical skills as they correctly count the number of blocks in the tower. Children enjoy plenty of time to play independently, selecting their favourite toys and engaging in make-believe. Pre-school children, in particular, enjoy the freedom to move around the two base rooms, accessing a wide range of resources. They enjoy dressing-up as police

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who attend

officers or builders, or play imaginatively with baby dolls in the home corner. They have lots of fun sculpting with play-dough, making rockets and pretending to fly them into space. Their physical skills are developed as they handle tools correctly, cutting the dough and using the rolling pins to flatten it out. Staff model new techniques, such as rolling the dough in the palm of the hand to create a ball. This is quickly imitated and children show good co-ordination as they roll, press and squeeze the dough to make shapes to their own design and satisfaction.

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who attend

Children also enjoy regular outings in the local area. They visit the local shops and buy pet food for the hamster, helping staff to choose the right product and paying for it at the counter. This develops their understanding of the world as they consider what the animal needs to eat and work out the amount of money that is needed to complete the purchase. Children also go to the library and select books to take back to the nursery. They enjoy walking around the local area and using the pedestrian crossings with staff. This encourages them to develop an awareness of road safety as well as promoting an understanding of their local community. Physical development is also promoted through regular access to the nursery's outside area. Children have access to climbing frames and slides, where they develop their co-ordination and balancing skills. They enjoy group games with the large parachute, working as a team to keep balls balanced upon it. They

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who attend

also have plenty of space to run around the large grassed area. However, the outdoor area is under-developed. There are few resources to promote children's natural desire to investigate or explore and with the exception of physical development, the seven areas of learning are not represented in the outdoor environment. Consequently, children are not engaging in a particularly wide range of activities or enjoying a rich learning experience while outside.

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who attend

Early literacy skills are developed as children enjoy crayoning, making recognisable drawings as they increase their pencil control. Younger children make marks in the sand with lolly sticks, showing increasing precision. Children develop their mathematical skills as they make a 'human number line', jumping up with their number card to get in the right order. They learn about volume as they transfer water between jugs during water play and weigh and measure items during baking activities. Children also learn to share, listen to others and wait their turn with popular equipment as they play together. This helps them develop key skills for future learning, such as concentration and turn-taking, as well as helping them to be confident in other group settings, such as the classroom. All children are making steady progress towards the early learning goals through the generally sound support of the staff. This also helps to prepare them well for their future

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who attend

learning and the move onto school. Children's achievements are recorded and the key person checks their development to ensure that they are continually making progress. Consequently, staff are aware of children's individual interests and developmental abilities. They plan some activities based on this, which stimulate and engage children. For example, a game with trains is used to help children show their listening skills, as they move them fast then slowly around the track. Children really enjoy this as they are playing with their favourite resources and find it amusing to make them go at different speeds. However, at other times the planning is not linked to children's emerging needs or interests and staff are not always effectively challenging children to make progress in their learning. For example, although the children in the toddler room enjoy making handprints and squeezing sponges onto the aqua mat,

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who attend

staff are not clear about how the activity promotes their skills. They ask them about the sponges they select and encourage them to name the animal shapes, but are sometimes unsure about how the activity links to individual children's emerging needs and interests, which means that children are not consistently challenged. Staff make positive links with the local schools that children will attend. They accompany children on their initial visit to the school, making this a 'shared adventure'. This helps children to feel relaxed as they have the support of a familiar staff member in a new environment. Positive relationships are also in place with parents, which also benefits children's learning and development. Parents discuss their children's abilities at the start of a placement, helping staff to determine their starting points. Parents are then kept informed of their child's activities through the notices on each base room door. These

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who attend

show what children will be covering each day and enable parents to discuss the activities with their children and consolidate their child's learning.

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

Children build positive relationships with the staff and with each other. They are helped to settle as the nursery offers settling-in sessions where parents can slowly build up the time they leave their child. Staff also find out about children's likes and dislikes prior to them starting, so that they are able to ensure that favourite activities are on offer. This encourages children to quickly join in and enjoy their time at the nursery. Where special requirements are identified, staff ensure that all relevant information is collated and that appropriate action is taken to meet these needs. For example, details about any food allergies are shared with all staff and with the cook to ensure that all meals and snacks are safe and suitable for children to eat.

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

Children are kept safe and show that they feel safe in the nursery. All exterior doors are kept secure and staff are vigilant in ensuring that the main front door is fully shut and chained after parents or other visitors leave the premises. Suitable risk assessments ensure that all areas and equipment are fit for use. Specialised safety equipment such as safety gates are used to prevent children from accidental harm. Children also learn how to keep themselves safe. They know how to respond swiftly during a fire drill as these are practised every week. Children also understand why rules are in place. They understand that they must take their time going down the stairs as otherwise they could fall. Consequently, they display a mature understanding of how to behave appropriately. They receive encouragement and praise from staff throughout the day, which helps to build positive self-esteem. Any unwanted actions are dealt with calmly and with regard to

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

children's individual personalities. For example, children are calmly reminded to be careful when they are over exuberant at the table and knock over their drinks.

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

Children are aware of the resources that are available and move around to access the toys they want. The resources take account of the needs of children who attend and promote an understanding of diversity, with toys and stories displaying a range of different backgrounds and abilities. Additional support is provided for children with identified needs. For example, staff work effectively with speech and language therapists to help children with delay catch up with their peers. All children's good health is suitably promoted through appropriate routines. For example, children's hands are washed prior to eating and after messy play activities. Staff also ensures that nappy changing procedures protect children from any cross-contamination. Active play is encouraged with regular outings in the local community and daily access to the outside area. Children enjoy a range of nutritious meals such as shepherds pie with carrot and swede. The nursery provides a

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

cooked meal every day or parents send their children with packed lunches if preferred. Children are encouraged to bring in a toothbrush and clean their teeth after lunch. This helps them to maintain good oral health.

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provision

The nursery owner is dedicated to her role and is keen to drive her nursery forward. She has started to address the recommendations set at the last inspection. For example, staff now complete daily sheets for all toddlers regarding their care needs so that parents are aware of children's activities, when nappies have been changed and how long they have slept for. This helps to promote continuity of care. The owner has also employed a new manager, who has developed an improved planning system to meet children's learning and development needs and who brings a new buzz of energy to the nursery. However, the changes for planning are not yet fully embedded and not all staff are effectively planning for children's next steps at this point. Therefore, this remains an area for improvement at this inspection. Nevertheless, the manager has successfully shared her ambition for development and staff are keen to try new techniques in order to improve

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provision

outcomes for children. Training courses have been accessed and staff are building on their existing skills as they complete courses on 'tuning into toddlers' and 'child development from birth to two years'.

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provision

The owner and manager have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. They use self-evaluation appropriately and have identified key areas for improvement. Parents are asked to provide feedback about the care their children receive and children's views are also sought. Staff performance is currently monitored through annual appraisals. The new manager is bringing in peer on peer observations as a new way to encourage staff to recognise the strengths and weaknesses in their own practice. At present, however, staff are not always aware of the impact their teaching styles have on children's learning. Consequently, there is variable practice and not all activities are delivered to maximise children's experiences.

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provision

Staff have appropriate qualifications. They have all completed paediatric first aid and basic safeguarding courses. This helps to ensure they are able to promote children's welfare at all times. Staff display a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. They are aware of the signs and symptoms that may indicate abuse and know how to report this appropriately. Every member of staff has a current disclosure and barring service check which indicates that they are safe and suitable to work with children. Staff are well-deployed throughout the nursery, providing suitable levels of supervision to children at all times. Staff work within the correct ratio for the numbers of children cared for, ensuring that they are able to provide appropriate levels of interaction and support during all activities and at routine times such as nap time.

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provision

All required policies and procedures are in place, including suitably detailed risk assessments for the premises and all resources. Staff are vigilant, ensuring that any risks are promptly dealt with to minimise the potential for accidental harm. For instance, any spillages are swiftly cleaned up and toys are regularly tidied away to keep the base rooms clean and uncluttered. The nursery is secure, with all exterior doors being kept locked. This protects children as access to the nursery is only possible with staff agreement.

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provision

The nursery works in partnership with parents and other professionals to meet children's individual needs. Parents are warmly welcomed into the nursery and staff chat with them on a daily basis about their children, ensuring that any changes or issues are promptly discussed. Where children require additional support, staff work with specialists such as speech therapists to provide a consistent approach to helping children make progress. All policies and procedures are available for parents to view and the nursery ensures that parents are aware of how to make a complaint if they need to. Parents indicate that they are happy with the care their children receive and that they have been impressed with the progress their children have made. They particularly praise staff for being 'friendly and approachable' and for helping their children to develop confidence.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY442478 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 937279

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 44 Name of provider The Honey Pots Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 15/08/2013

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Telephone number

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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