Crow Kids Day Nursery

St. Matthew's Little Monkeys Limited St. Matthews Nursery Ltd, 45 New Street, Walsall, West Midlands, WS1 3DF

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/08/2013 14/04/2011

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 2 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

p.1

This provision is satisfactory

 Children learn about the world around them as they visit the local community and parks and grow fruits, vegetables and herbs outdoors.  Staff are warm and caring, resulting in children forming secure emotional attachments with key persons, which promotes their well-being.  There are range of suitable activities outdoors and indoors which enable children to extend their physical skills.

p.1

It is not yet good because

 Self-evaluation lacks rigour, which means that priorities for development have yet to be fully identified to support long-term improvement.  Opportunities for older children to develop independence are not fully explored during mealtimes, and planning sometimes does not reflect the learning needs of the younger children when they are cared for alongside the older children.  The transitions for some of the children as they move into full-time school are not fully supported as staff have not developed relationships with schools that are further away from the nursery.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities throughout the nursery in both indoor and outdoor spaces.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with a senior member of nursery staff and other staff at appropriate times throughout the day.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation including children's records, learning and development information, staff records and a selection of policies and procedures.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation of children's activities with a senior member of staff.

p.2

Information about the setting

St Matthew's Little Monkeys Limited is privately owned and was registered in 2007 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from a converted community building. The nursery serves the local and surrounding areas. It is accessible to all children and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

p.3

Information about the setting

The nursery employs seven members of childcare staff, six of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 43 children on roll who are within the early years age range. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. It supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.3

must:

 implement performance management and monitoring systems to ensure that the quality of teaching is monitored and the information is used to shape practitioners' professional development in the future.

p.4

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

 enhance children's developing independence skills by reviewing and improving the organisation of the lunchtime session so that older children are able to serve themselves food

p.4

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

 use self-evaluation to effectively monitor the overall quality of practice, and use the views of staff, children and their parents to help identify areas for change and drive forward improvement

p.4

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

 develop relationships with all of the schools that children will attend to support children's transitions as they move into full-time education

p.4

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

 improve the planning so that the way that younger children learn is reflected in their activities when they are cared for alongside the older children.

p.4

who attend

Staff have an appropriate understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and use their knowledge to plan a range of suitable activities for the children. Staff observe children's activities and use this to assess their progress against the seven areas of learning and then plan for their next steps. Individual learning journals record children's progress and, together with daily diaries, these keep parents informed of their child's development. These also provide parents with ideas of how they can further support their child. Methods of monitoring the educational programme, however, are not fully in place as managers have recently commenced informal peer-on-peer observations. This results in the quality of teaching not being continuously monitored as staff are not given clear feedback regarding their progress so they have no guidance on what requires improvement. There is a lack of accuracy when planning activities for older and younger

p.4

who attend

children who are cared for together, as sometimes these are too complicated for the younger children and they become distracted. Staff complete profile of children's abilities with their parents prior to them attending the setting. This allows staff to plan for children's individual progression as they build on what children already know and take into account their existing abilities when planning for their progress.

p.4

who attend

Children develop good communication skills as staff explain activities and extend their vocabulary as they introduce new words. Children enjoy a group activity and learn how to use number for a purpose as they count the number of legs on plastic insects and decide which insect has more legs than the others. Staff lead this activity and engage children's interest by gradually introducing more insects, which encourages children's participation further. Newly introduced building materials engage children's interest and encourage their enjoyment of outdoor play as they learn about length and volume. They measure the height of each other and compare the numbers they see on the tape measure. This introduces them to mathematical language and how to use number for a practical purpose, and provides children with suitable preparation for their move into full-time school.

p.5

who attend

Outings to local areas, parks, museums and shops enable children to gain an appreciation of the wider world. They visit local shops, parks and museums with staff. The outdoor area is used to encourage children to understand the natural world. They grow fruit, herbs and vegetables, and observe the life cycles and habitats of insects and bugs. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported as staff learn some of their key words and encourage children to become involved in all activities. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported by staff, who attend meetings with other outside agencies. The partnership with parents is established as parents are encouraged to continue with their child's education in the home setting through discussions with staff, who give them ideas and support. Children are developing their independence as they visit the bathrooms and wash their hands before meals and

p.5

who attend

after outdoor play. They help themselves to drinks, however, the older children are not encouraged to serve themselves food at lunchtime, which limits their ability to be fully independent in preparation for full-time school.

p.5

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

Children have formed close relationships with their key workers and other staff as they approach them easily for comfort and cuddles. Babies explore a spacious area where different floor coverings encourage their mobility. Comfortable furniture, such as settees in the baby room, helps to support children's emerging walking skills as they hold onto this. All children have ready access to outdoor areas where they explore a range of malleable materials, such as sand and compost, and enjoy extending their physical skills by using wheeled toys and equipment. Children are mindful of their own safety as they climb a small mound outdoors and use the climbing frame. Visits into the local community encourage children to learn about road safety, which prepares them for their move into full-time school. Children are forming friendships and are kind and considerate to each other as they play and share toys. They are learning about a healthy lifestyle as they

p.5

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

enjoy physical activity and use the climbing frame and wheeled toys. Parents bring fresh vegetables and fruit into nursery, and these are eaten with children's snacks and meals. Children also take an interest in the fruits, herbs and vegetables that are grown in the garden. There is some support available for children who move into full-time school as staff have established links with the local school. However, children who will attend schools further away from the nursery are not so well supported as staff have yet to establish links with these schools so children's learning objectives can be shared. Transitions within the nursery are appropriate as children move from one area into another. Staff assess children's abilities individually and organise their move into another area when there is more than one child moving. This enables children to have the support of each other. The open-plan arrangement of the nursery allows children of different age groups to be cared

p.5

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

for in partitioned off areas and enables younger children to have frequent contact with the older ones. This helps with their transitions as they are already familiar with the activities and organisation of their new area. Appropriate and accessible resources enable children to explore and encourage their further learning as their interest is engaged.

p.6

provision

There are some performance management systems in place, such as team meetings and annual appraisals, and staff are supported through training opportunities and pursue further professional qualifications. However, the monitoring of the educational provision is not fully effective as peer-on-peer observations have recently commenced and are completed informally. This results in the quality of teaching not being continuously monitored and staff not having clear feedback regarding their progress. All staff are suitable for their role as there are appropriate recruitment methods in place and all staff are suitably vetted. Methods of evaluating the progress in the nursery are developing, as the nursery engages with the advice and support offered by the local authority development staff. However, this does not fully reflect contributions from staff, parents and children so that areas for improvement and further developments are not clearly

p.6

provision

Staff work with outside agencies to provide support for children who have an identified need. They participate in support meetings and help implement individual plans for children to support their learning needs. Children who speak English as an additional language have appropriate support as staff seek outside help if needed and work alongside their parents in supporting their child. Parents know they can view their child's learning journey record and speak to the staff at any time. They speak well about the staff and of the enjoyment of their child while at nursery. Parents' involvement in the nursery is encouraged and some parents bring in freshly grown vegetables which children can eat.

p.6

provision

Staff have an appropriate understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. They have attended safeguarding training and are confident of the steps to take if they have any concerns they may have regarding a child's care. There are appropriate risk assessments in place that are updated regularly. These minimise any risks; for example, an outdoor wall in the children's play area is area made safe by the installation of a bamboo fence which protects the younger children from uneven brickwork.

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

Setting details

Unique reference number EY356225 Local authority Walsall Inspection number 915091

p.9

Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 43 Name of provider St Matthew's Little Monkeys Limited Date of previous inspection 14/04/2011 Telephone number 01922 474 660

p.9

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.

p.9

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.10

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,

p.10

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’.

p.11

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.11