Creative Minds Nursery

Creative Minds Nursery 25 Stanhope Road, DEAL, Kent, CT14 6AD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 04/11/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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

 Staff are well-qualified and experienced, giving children a consistently good quality experience of play and learning.  Staff use observations and assessment successfully to plan for children's next steps in their learning; therefore, children make consistent progress in relation to their starting points.  Children benefit from secure and trusting relationships with the staff. They provide children with praise and reassurance, which boosts their confidence and helps them to become self-assured individuals.  Clear self-evaluation has identified areas for development and there is a continuous programme of improvement to consistently provide good quality care for all children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Some younger children new to the setting find it difficult to communicate and understand the routine of the day, as there are few visual prompts to support them.  Staff are committed to outdoor learning, however, there is scope to improve the outdoor environments to maximise opportunities for children's learning and development.

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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 had discussions with the manager and most staff members.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled records and documentation relating to children's progress and development.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children engaged in activities indoors and in the outside area.  Four parents were interviewed and their views taken into account.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector and manager undertook a joint observation of an indoor activity within the toddler room.

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Information about the setting

Creative Minds Nursery is owned and operated by Creative Minds Nurseries Network Ltd. The nursery operates from a converted building in Deal, Kent. The nursery comprises three playrooms and a separate staff room/office. The nursery serves families from the local community and surrounding areas. It opens five days a week from 7am until 6pm all year round. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register, as well as the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 35 children on roll in the early years age range. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education. The nursery currently supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

There are currently seven members of staff, including the manager, who work with the children. Of these, three hold a recognised early years qualification at National Vocational Qualification level 3. The manager has a Masters of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education and the deputy has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Early Years Leadership and Management.

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

 provide visual aids for younger children to help them understand the routine of the day and express their needs

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

 enhance the outdoor play environments, to reflect the quality of the continuous indoor provision and to extend children's learning and development opportunities outside.

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who attend

Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation and understand how young children learn. They create age appropriate child- centred environments in each of the rooms. Although the outdoor learning environments are good, staff do not extend children's learning opportunities by providing as many stimulating resources and learning experiences as they do in the indoor environment. Staff understand children's individual needs because they talk to parents about their child's preferences, characteristics and capabilities through home visits. Staff use this information efficiently, along with their own initial observations, to form the children's starting points for learning. Staff also complete the progress check for children aged two years and give parents a summary report. Each area of learning and development is implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mixture of adult-led and child-initiated

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who attend

activity. As a result, children settle quickly and are well motivated.

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who attend

Staff provide numerous opportunities for toddlers to learn about the world around them. They enable children to use all of their senses as they explore natural materials and everyday objects in treasure baskets. Staff take children to visit the beach or on trips in the local community to extend their learning. Toddlers show great enjoyment as they bang and shake instruments to produce sounds and join in enthusiastically with the words and actions to songs while listening to music. Staff enable toddlers to match and post shapes, push buttons and to complete puzzles independently. This allows children to try for themselves and results in them achieving their goal.

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who attend

Staff have a wide range of good teaching skills. Children's communication and language abilities are developing well. This is because staff engage in a wide range of conversations with children and use open-ended questions to support them to develop their vocabulary. However, this is less successful with those younger children who find it difficult to express their ideas or find it difficult to follow routines when new to the setting. Children spontaneously use mathematical language in a variety of activities. For example, they talk about adding 'more' water to make their beakers to make it 'bigger', and can estimate how many bricks they will need to build a tower of a certain height.

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who attend

Children receive good preparation in terms of independence skills and confidence for their next steps in education. They are able to manage their coats and shoes, and understand how to take part in group activities. The nursery has recently formed links with local schools and teachers in preparation for those children who move onto school.

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

Staff teach children to manage their own personal needs very well. Consequently, they wash and dry their hands before lunch without prompting. Staff offer lots of encouragement and support when children need it, which promotes children's sense of independence well. For example, toddlers are encouraged to make choices between apples and bananas. Staff follow good hygiene and health routines, particularly when nappy changing and dealing with children who are unwell. This ensures that children are cared for in a very clean environment, where the risk of cross infection is minimised.

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

Children benefit from a warm, safe and stimulating environment. Well-resourced playrooms offer plenty of space for both tabletop games and floor activities. Children reach toys with ease, due to the arrangement of low-level cupboards and drawers. Children are well behaved, play cooperatively with each other and share resources. Relationships within the setting are strong between children and staff. They are sympathetic to children if they become upset, supporting them well with cuddles and kind words. The children can move freely between indoor and outdoor areas throughout the day. There is huge hilarity as children extend their play, using their imaginations as they mix porridge oats and lentils in the home corner pretending to cook.

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

Children develop close relationships with all staff and particularly with their key person. This helps to ensure that children's emotional needs are met. Home visits are offered to parents before children start, which have proved successful in helping children settle in quickly. Children are gently reminded by staff to encourage good manners, as they prompt the children when necessary to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Staff carefully guide children in talking about their personal safety and managing feelings. As a result, children learn about expected levels of behaviour from positive role modelling of staff and from each other. This supports children in behaving safely and develops their understanding of respecting other people.

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provision

There are effective arrangements in place to implement the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. The manager has robust recruitment processes, staff supervision and efficient appraisals in place. Staff understand their responsibility to keep children safe and safeguarding is a priority for the nursery. They understand their role in reporting any child protection concerns and know how to follow the correct referral procedures. Comprehensive risk assessments cover the premises, aspects of children's play both indoors and outside, and trips out into the community. Accurately recorded accidents and medication forms help safeguard children's welfare.

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provision

During the inspection, the inspector discovered that although the provider had contacted Ofsted to request that they be registered on the Childcare Register they had not taken robust action to ensure that the required documentation had been completed to enable this to happen. As a result, the provider had cared for older children without being registered to do so. However, the provider had ensured that all requirements of the Early Years Register and Childcare Register had been met and there was no impact on the early years age range children as a result. Therefore, on this occasion Ofsted will take no further action.

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provision

The manager and staff reflect on their practice as a result appropriate changes are made. They have a clear drive for positive improvement to enhance the provision for children. The manager and staff work well together as a team, creating a welcoming environment. Staff liaise with parents and children and gather their views through questionnaires and use this information to help plan their improvements. They share details of the improvements with parents through newsletters so parents see how their views have a positive impact on the care and learning provided for their children.

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provision

Parents are enthusiastic about the provision and describe staff as very easy to approach, saying how 'great support' is offered, 'the bright and happy atmosphere' and how pleased they are with their child's progress. Parents are familiar with their children's development as they receive regular verbal feedback from staff as well as a written report. Staff engage parents in supporting their child's learning at home and contributing to the assessment processes. The nursery has formed links with outside agencies in order to provide a joint approach to meeting children's needs. As a result, the nursery provides a service aimed at the families who attend to promote good outcomes for all 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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY455789 Local authority Kent Inspection number 913610 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 35 Name of provider Creative Minds Nurseries Network Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01304 370314

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

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

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