Little Rascals Day Nursery (Barwick Rd)

Little Rascals Day Nursery (Barwick Rd) Barwick Road, Crossgates, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS15 8RQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/10/2013 29/05/2013

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early years provision

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

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This provision is good

 The key person system is firmly embedded and children feel safe and secure. Partnerships with parents, carers and other professionals are strong, and as a result children make good progress in their learning and development.  Children's communication and language are given high priority; lots of opportunities are available to develop their skills. For example, children of all ages enjoy listening to stories and learning about phonics.  The staff work very well together as a team. They are dedicated to the work that they do because they strive to develop their knowledge and skills through a good range of training events and as they make regular enhancements to their setting to raise the quality of care and learning for children.  Children are happy and settled and have good relationships with staff and each other. Staff work closely with parents and others to make sure they are familiar with children's

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This provision is good

backgrounds and needs. This ensures children's individual needs are well met.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children's independence is not always promoted as much as possible, because staff do not always exploit opportunities to encourage children to self-select toys for themselves or encourage them to take responsibility small tasks at mealtimes.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all rooms and in the outdoor learning environment, and also observed lunchtime.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector completed a joint observation with the deputy manager and held meetings with the manager and deputy manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents and carers through completed questionnaires and comments in the children's learning records.  The inspector looked at some documentation and children's learning records.

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Information about the setting

Little Rascals Day Nursery was registered in 1994 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in purpose- built premises in the grounds of St Theresa's School in Leeds and is part of a chain of nurseries. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from five rooms and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 23 members of childcare staff. Of these, 21 hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 2 and 3, including one with Early Years Professional Status.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, except for Christmas and Bank Holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 108 children on roll who are in the early years age group. 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.

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

 enhance children's independence by offering more opportunities for them to self- select toys, and enable them to take extra responsibility for age-appropriate tasks, such as at mealtimes.

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who attend

The manager and staff recognise that children learn through play and provide a stimulating and welcoming environment where children feel confident and secure. They have a good understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how to engage and capture children's attention. Staff know the children very well and undertake thorough observations. They use this information effectively in order to plan challenging experiences for individuals and groups of children. Consequently, all children make good progress in their learning and are well prepared for their next stage of learning, such as moving on to school. Parents receive regular daily feedback and more detailed periodic written summaries and assessments showing them what their children have achieved. Parents also contribute well in their children's learning records, and also record what they are learning at home and when on holiday. This

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who attend

ensures continuity of learning and good identification of children's individual progress. They are invited to attend parents' evenings and have easy access to a broad range of information about activities and learning objectives within the nursery, through informative noticeboards. Consequently, parents are fully included and are helped to understand how to support their children's learning.

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who attend

The inside and outdoor environments are well presented with a very good range of resources and toys. However, these are mostly set out by staff and therefore do not always encourage children to freely select toys of their own choosing to fully support their independence.

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who attend

The manager and staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the requirement of the progress check at age two. Information and resources are in place to ensure that these include all of the required information for parents and other professionals. All of these elements enable staff to accurately assess two-year-old children's development and provide relevant information to aid their progress.

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who attend

Children's communication, language and literacy are effectively promoted across all areas of the nursery. They enjoy easy access to a broad range of books and reading materials, which are available both indoors and outside in the garden. Very young children enjoy the experience of sharing stories with staff and point enthusiastically at the familiar pictures. Older children have great fun as they listen to the story about the three bears. Staff and children interact extremely well, using puppets and props throughout the story. This helps to develop children's communication and language skills, along with encouraging them to listen and enjoy story time. Staff teach children in a very positive way about letters and their sounds. For example, older children sit in front of the large electronic screen and draw with their fingers around the letter of the week. All children make the sound and point to the words on the screen that start with the letter. The staff encourage them to

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who attend

sing along with the song about 'our letters' when they recognise the letter they get lots of praise. This activity promotes their self-esteem and socialising and personal skills as they also take turns to point to the letter. Staff gather key words from parents in their home language to support the inclusion of children who speak English as an additional language. Babies grow in confidence as they join in playing with the dough, and staff show them how to use the small rollers. As a result, they confidently follow the directions, using good hand and eye coordination. They pick up the dough and roll it in their hands, feeling the new texture. Younger babies lie and sit on the baby mats playing with a good selection of rattles and activity centres, pressing the buttons and pushing the lids back down. This encourages their early technology skills. Children enjoy being physically active and have regular access to the well-resourced outdoor play area. Children run around and stand by

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who attend

the new large sand tray and express how 'wet' the sand is, and others run around with their umbrellas and with staff jump in the puddles and all start to sing, laughing and waving their umbrellas around.

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

Children are very happy and settle easily in the nursery areas because they feel safe and secure with friendly, caring and kind staff. The robust induction procedure allows children plenty of time to settle and get to know the staff through well-organised settling-in sessions. Key persons use this time effectively to develop good relationships with the child and their family, seeking information relating to their individual needs and routines. The nursery also implements a 'buddy' key person to ensure that there is someone there for the children and parents should their own key person be absent. As a result, strong attachments are formed between children and staff, which ensures children's individual needs are well met. As children move to a new room within the nursery, their key person completes an exit assessment report and the new person an entry assessment. Therefore, children have their individual needs competently met at all times by a team of well-

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

Children benefit from safely organised, welcoming play environments which are rich in print and stocked with a wide range of good quality resources. Children's artwork and photographs are creatively displayed around the areas and entrances for them to see. As a result, they feel valued and can be proud of their achievements. Staff ensure that children of all ages are made aware of staying safe. For example, children are reminded not to run about inside. Children learn about the evacuation procedure through regular practising of fire drills, and when out in the community are reminded to walk, look and listen for cars and to hold hands, and they wear high-visibility jackets. This further develops children's awareness of staying safe.

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

Children are fully aware of what is acceptable behaviour because the staff are good role models. As children play, they encourage them to share resources and say 'please' and 'thank you' to other children. The staff teach children to play with the resources respectfully and safely, and encourage them to help with tidy-up time. As a result, children are well mannered, show respect for one another and play safely and cooperatively with each other. All meals are effectively adapted to meet individual children's needs. This ensures that all children are treated equally and with respect. Mealtimes are a very social occasion as children and staff all sit together and chat about a variety of topics. However, staff so not make the most of opportunities to further develop children's independence, such as encouraging them to pour their own drinks. Children learn about healthy eating practices because the staff skilfully teach them about the effects of germs through the

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

very good hand washing procedures in place. As a result, children adopt healthy lifestyles.

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

The nursery has a very good transition policy and procedure in place. When children are moving on to school, they invite the teachers from the schools into the setting to meet the children, and plan themes around 'going to school' and display the uniforms. They share the children's learning records and complete reports for the reception teachers, and also take the children to visit their school. This ensures good continuity of care and education.

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provision

Leadership and management of the nursery are strong. Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the signs and symptoms to look for, should they have any safeguarding concerns. There is a well-written policy and procedure to follow, which staff are made aware of, as well as the role of the practitioner who takes the lead responsibility for safeguarding. The nursery's recruitment procedure is clear and fully established. This means that every person who works in the nursery is properly vetted and cleared though a secure system to ensure their suitability to work with children.

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provision

The inspection was prioritised as the result of a concern relating to staff ratios and safety issues around the outside security. As a result, Ofsted issued a notice to improve and sent a low-level warning letter to the provider. At the inspection, it was seen that the manager and staff have implemented stronger procedures relating to entry into the nursery. For example, on the outer gate, another lock has been fitted and notices displayed to remind people entering to close the gates. Staff also monitor the gate throughout the peak periods of the day, and also when children are playing outside a further lock is used and can only be opened by a member of staff. Further to this, a separate risk assessment has been implemented and daily checks carried out. Newsletters and notices have been given out to parents, and signs are also displayed around the nursery as reminders to close gates to ensure a safe environment and to protect children. Throughout the inspection,

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provision

staffing ratios were also adhered to at all times and extra staff were present when children play outside. This ensures that the environment is safe for children to play in and the notice to improve has been fully addressed.

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provision

Staff work effectively as a team and they are supported well to understand their roles and responsibilities in the nursery. For example, regular reviews of policies at team meetings help staff to recognise that safeguarding is a high priority. Induction, supervision and appraisals are effective tools that the leadership team use to support staff and ensure that they have the opportunities for continual professional development, through attending further training. For example, staff have successfully implemented strategies cascaded from 'letters and sounds' training to enhance children's literacy skills. Staff ensure that all planning is completed daily and is adapted to meet all children's interests, any additional needs are identified and their stage of development recognised. Planning is displayed through the nursery for parents to see and also to contribute to. This ensures children's skills and abilities are monitored and that they continue to make comprehensive progress

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provision

in their learning. Effect self-evaluation of the nursery and practice ensures that priorities for improvements are identified and acted upon to enhance the care of the children. Staff take into account the views of parents, through discussion and regular questionnaires.

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provision

The nursery has a well-established partnership with parents; the manager ensures that settling-in periods meet with parental needs. Parents receive information through regular newsletters and informative notice boards, where all key persons' photographs are displayed. Staff make parents feel welcome in the nursery and provide daily feedback, in addition to regular consultations, so that parents are continually involved in their children's learning and development. Parents are given access to their children's learning records and are encouraged to contribute to them.

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provision

Links with other providers are effective and promote the sound integration of care and support for all children. The manager and staff have very good links with other professionals, including speech therapists and local children's centres, to ensure good continuity of care and learning for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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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 319370 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 937130

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 70 Number of children on roll 122 Name of provider Kenneth and Angela Mountain Partnership Date of previous inspection 29/05/2013 Telephone number 0113 2326858

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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

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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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