Happitots Day Nursery

Happitots Day Nursery 31 Chorley Road, Westhoughton, BOLTON, BL5 3PD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/10/2013 22/02/2011

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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

 Relationships between children and staff are warm, caring and supportive. Consequently, children are happy, secure and settled at the nursery. Children's emotional development is supported well through times of change, such as the birth of a sibling.  Resources are stimulating and stored at low level so that children can make independent choices about their play. Children are becoming active learners as they enjoy exploring their own ideas, which are supported by enthusiastic staff members.  Staff use effective risk analysis to remove hazards and to ensure a safe environment for children to explore during their play.

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It is not yet good because

 Monitoring is not sufficiently rigorous enough to identify that specific aspects of the safeguarding and welfare requirements are not fully met. Arrangements for staff appraisals and ongoing staff suitability are not yet robust.  Individual next steps for children's learning are not consistently implemented through effective planning. As a result, children's learning is not fully extended to help them make the best progress.  Sometimes, the nursery provides processed foods at mealtimes and occasionally does not provide fruit at snack times. This means that children are not given the best possible opportunities to make healthy choices about food.

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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 children's activities and staff interaction in the playrooms and the outdoor play area.  The inspector observed breakfast and lunchtime with the children.

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Inspection activities

 Discussions were held with children, individual staff members, the deputy manager, the registered provider of the nursery and some parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation, including menus, observations, assessments, planning, systems for tracking children's progress and a sample of other records, including policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

Happitots Day Nursery was registered in 1992 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in the Westhoughton area of Bolton and owned by a private provider. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from an end-of-terrace property and there is an enclosed yard area for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 6 members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualification at level 3 and one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 5. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, except for bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 16 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children and supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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must:

 implement appropriate arrangements to monitor staff's ongoing suitability to work with children, with regard to disclosing any convictions, cautions, court orders, reprimands or warnings which may affect their suitability

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must:

 implement regular staff appraisals to identify any training needs and secure opportunities for continued professional development for staff

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must:

 develop effective planning systems that incorporate individual identified next steps in learning, to ensure challenge for each child in all areas of learning and development.

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

 improve provision to help children learn about healthy lifestyles, for example, by increasing the range of fresh ingredients in the menus and at snack time.

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who attend

Staff have a sound knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Activities follow children's interests, which means they are motivated engaged. Enthusiastic staff support children in their play, as they make independent choices, explore their own ideas and become engrossed in active learning. Staff foster children's emotional development well, as they support children through transitions of change, such as the forthcoming birth of a new sibling. Strong secure relationships between staff and parents facilitate complementary learning and development in the nursery and home setting to offer support and security. For example, a child brings a doll in from home, that she has called 'baby Jacob' in anticipation of the birth of her new brother. Staff support the nurturing of 'baby Jacob' throughout the day, modelling appropriate care and talking to children about being kind

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who attend

and gentle. Children independently negotiate roles of 'mummy', 'sister' and 'big brother' in their play, while caring for the baby and use narrative and descriptive language to enhance their imagination and understanding. For example, children comment 'he's tired now, he needs to go in his cot', while others suggest 'no, he's not had his bottle yet'. Staff use effective teaching strategies by asking appropriate questions to make children think critically, without disrupting the role play. Staff give children time to think before asking any further questions, which supports them gaining the skills to support their future learning. Children's ideas are valued which gives them confidence and high self-esteem. Staff model how would they test the milk to make sure it wasn't too hot, and show children how to wind 'baby Jacob' after he's had his bottle of milk. Children incorporate this into their play and laugh as they make the burping sound. Children's choices are

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who attend

respected as 'baby Jacob' is given a place at the breakfast table. Staff support children's knowledge of the world as they explain that 'mummy's baby Jacob is still growing in her tummy'.

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who attend

Staff working with the youngest children support their emergent language by responding to gestures and by giving babies lots of eye contact and warm smiles. Staff model simple words and respond with praise and encouragement when babies babble back to them. Older children listen carefully at story time, as a member of staff asks them to count and then remember how many different foods a caterpillar has eaten. At group time children are encouraged to take turns speaking and listen to each other. This is effective, as staff are consistent in implement strategies and advice received in recent training to support children's language development.

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who attend

Staff make observations of children during play, which are assessed for characteristics of effective learning and individual next steps for children's learning are identified. However, these are not always consistently incorporated into planning, which means that children do not always make the best possible progress in their learning. As a result, children make satisfactory rather than good progress. Staff track children's progress every term, complete the progress check at age two and share their assessments with parents. Staff discuss with parents activities children have taken part in, to support individual learning. Individual development records are sent home and parents complete a questionnaire to gather their opinions about their children's learning every six months. Parents comment that they are happy with their children's learning and development in the nursery. Children who have English as an additional language are supported as staff discuss with parents

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who attend

key words in the home language. Resources and images reflect diversity in society, which was a recommendation from a previous inspection.

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who attend

Children independently count and use numbers in their play. For example, sitting on bikes they count 'one, two, three, go' as they pedal in the nursery yard. Staff encourage children to think critically and to use positional language in their play. When playing with the small world tree house, staff ask children to consider 'how can he go up?' and 'will that car fit through there?' Children concentrate and use their imagination as they build a castle out of small wooden bricks, using some of the triangular ones to represent dragons living there.

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who attend

Children engage in messy play activities as they enhance their creative skills and sensory development. Babies explore cause and effect toys and delight at making repetitive sounds by their own actions. Older children have continuous access to paints in the easel, which they access independently as they express their creativity. Children's unique drawings and mark making are displayed on the walls, which helps to boost their self- esteem. Older children confidently move large transformer figures via remote control as they demonstrate their understanding of technology. Children learn about living things as they care for the nursery goldfish and plant sunflower seeds that they nurture as they begin to grow.

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

The nursery generally provides sufficiently healthy and nutritious food. However, sometimes meals consist of processed foods and fresh fruit is not always available at afternoon snack times. This means that children are not given the best possible opportunities to make healthy choices about food. However, children's individual needs are considered within this menu. For example, children's individual allergies and cultural requirements are catered for to respect family requirements. The nursery provides meals that are prepared on the premises by staff who have basic food hygiene qualifications. Staff follow hygienic procedures when preparing food and serving children with snacks. Children drink diluted juice, but are offered milk and have free access to drinking water during the day. Staff sit with children at mealtimes and encourage the youngest with their self-help feeding skills. Mealtimes are used as a social occasion and staff remind older

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

children to wash their own hands prior to coming to the table.

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

Children are encouraged to put on their own coats prior to going out to play and to hang them back up carefully to encourage their self-care. Older children safely access the bathroom area incorporated into the playroom independently. This is because the action raised at the last inspection, to ensure that hazards to children are kept to a minimum, specifically with regard to the hot water in the bathroom, has now been completed. Staff follow hygienic procedures when changing individual children, wearing plastic gloves and aprons to minimise risks of cross infection. Sleeping children are well supervised and their individual sleep routines are respected which supports their well-being. The nursery has a small enclosed yard for outdoor play, incorporating a covered sheltered area so it can be accessed in all weathers. Consequently, children are able to benefit from exercising in the fresh air on a daily basis. Pre-school children enjoy the acceptable risk of

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

pedalling bikes down the slope and the challenge of trying to pedal back up the hill. Children's physical development is enhanced further with trips to the local park, where they can enjoy outdoor play in a larger environment. Staff ensure children are safe through effective supervision and support children in adopting safe practices. For example, children are encouraged walk up the ramp from the yard to the nursery entrance while holding the handrail. Children take part in emergency evacuation procedures to learn the procedure to follow to keep safe.

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

When children start at the nursery, a gradual settling-in process enables staff to gather information about their individual needs and their personal preferences. This enables staff to respect children's home routines and aid continuity of care, supporting the formation of secure attachments. Consequently, children are happy and settled in the nursery. Children's emotional security is supported well through times of change. This is because staff support children with changes happening in the nursery, such as moving rooms and with changes happening in the home environment, such as the birth of a sibling. Consequently, children feel safe and secure as they are well prepared for future events. Staff praise children for their efforts and this boosts children's self-worth and enhances their confidence. Gentle reminders from staff consistently help children to modify their actions and, consequently, they behave well. Children are sociable and learn to accept

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

each other's ideas as they negotiate their play. As children are learning to appreciate the needs of others, this helps to prepare them for their move into the larger social environment of school when the time comes.

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

The nursery provides quality resources that create a warm and stimulating learning environment. They borrow additional resources from the local toy library, which enables them to provide new stimulus and maintain children's enthusiasm. The resources are at low level and well displayed, which means children access them independently as they make choices about their learning. The nursery is small, with only two playrooms currently being used. Consequently, children do not make a large number of transitions into different rooms through the nursery. This supports children's well-being as staff and the surroundings are already familiar to ensure any transition is smooth. Teachers are invited to come and spend time with children in the nursery. This sharing of information with their key person, prior to their move to school, helps support children's continuity of learning.

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provision

Staff have sound knowledge of child protection and the management has ensured procedures include referrals to the Local Area Safeguarding Board in the event of an allegation against a member of staff. Policies relating to the use of cameras and mobile phones in the nursery support the safeguarding policy. Recruitment and vetting procedures establish whether adults are suitable to work with children. However, managers do not currently monitor staff's ongoing suitability through staff disclosure, to ensure that they are fully aware of their responsibility. Staff induction procedures support initial understanding of roles and responsibilities. The nursery is small and managers regularly work alongside staff to offer some support and guidance. However, there is no procedure to monitor staff performance through annual appraisals to target and support professional development.

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provision

The premises are well maintained and staff use risk assessments to remove hazards and ensure the environment is safe for children to explore. Fire exits are clearly signed and fire doors and the fire escape steps are free from obstruction. Doors at the top and bottom of the internal stairs are closed to support children's safety. Staff ensure they know the identity of any visitor to the nursery prior to allowing them entry. All unknown visitors are asked for identification and are required to sign the visitors' book, which helps maintain a safe environment. Staff risk assess opportunities to extend learning within the local community as they take children to the local park and on the bus to the museum.

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provision

Staff attend some relevant training and are supported by local authority advisors. The nursery has recently begun to use a local authority quality audit called 'Reflecting on Quality' as part of its self-evaluation process. The views of staff and parents are beginning to be sought in relation to areas to improve the provision. The provider has a desire to drive improvement and has recently completed a Foundation Degree in Early Childhood Studies as part of her professional development. She is beginning to devise development plans that are both realistic and achievable to continue to improve the service she provides.

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provision

Staff regularly monitor children's progress in all areas of learning. The management understand the learning and development requirements well and look through individual children's files to check their progress. This checking along with discussions with staff, and working with the children, enables early intervention to be sought if required. The nursery does not currently support any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, but is aware of the benefits of multi-agency working to enable all children to make the best progress in their learning.

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provision

Staff engage well with parents and support them with ideas to support their children's learning through discussion and sharing development files. Parents share their children's interests from home with staff. Questionnaires are used to gather parents' views and parents comment very positively about the service the nursery provides. Parents say that the nursery staff are loving and kind and that they are very supportive.

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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 316020 Local authority Bolton Inspection number 938577

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 16 Name of provider Diane Margaret Barstow Date of previous inspection 22/02/2011 Telephone number 01942 815 702

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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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