Little Owls Nursery

Little Owls Nursery Dark Lane, Broseley, Shropshire, TF12 5LW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/08/2013 20/03/2012

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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

 Staff plan a varied range of activities to help all children acquire new skills. These interesting and challenging experiences help children make good progress from their starting points.  Staff engage parents and carers well in their children's learning and these positive relationships contributes significantly in supporting children. Consequently, children are happy, confident and well settled in this caring environment.  The strong parent committee and the manager work extremely well together to build on the good practice and maintain and sustain their achievements so far. This results in good quality care and education for the children attending.  Highly successful partnerships developed with the on-site children's centre and school staff result in a strong sharing of information and a tailored approach, which contributes well to the good outcomes for children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to further develop opportunities for children to use mathematical language and consider mathematical concepts more fully when playing outdoors and in the sand, water and role play area.  Resources, such as, the arts and crafts, sand and water are not made freely available indoors for the more able children in the baby room. This means they cannot access them at their own leisure in order to increase choice and enjoyment.

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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 the playrooms and the outside learning environment.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of staff working at the nursery, the provider's self-evaluation form and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also took account of the feedback from parents and carers spoken to on the day and feedback questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

Little Owls Nursery opened under the name of The Mount Nursery in 1995. In September 2012 it amalgamated with the on-site playgroup under the new name of Little Owls Nursery. It operates from within the grounds of Broseley C of E Primary School in Broseley, Shropshire. The nursery serves the local and surrounding areas and has strong links with the on-site school and children's centre. There are three playrooms and an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday for 48 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 60 children on roll in the early years age group. The nursery also offers an out of school club and holiday club. Currently, there are 17 children on roll, of whom nine are aged from five to eight years and eight are aged over eight years. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early years education to children aged two-, three- and four-years-old.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 16 members of staff. Of these, two hold a qualification at level 4 in early years, 13 hold a qualification at level 3 and one holds a qualification at level 2. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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

 increase opportunities for children to use mathematical language and consider mathematical concepts through making better use of the outdoor area and activities, such as, the role play sand, water and role play area, to further enhance children's mathematical learning

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

 make resources such as the arts and crafts, and the sand and water more freely available for the older children in the baby room so they can access them at their own leisure.

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who attend

Staff plan and deliver a broad range of experiences across all areas of learning to help children make good progress in their learning and development. For example, they use the seasons, festivals, children's interests and topics, such as 'People who help us', as a base to plan motivating experiences, which capture the children's interest and curiosity. Systematic ongoing assessments of the children's progress are used well by staff to understand their needs and plan an interesting and challenging range of activities to support and extend their learning. Therefore, children are well prepared for school. Parents and carers and supported well to become involved in their children's learning. For example, they contribute to 'All about me' booklets, to provide useful information for staff to plan unique experiences for the benefit of their children. Once every term, parents and carers attend a parents' evening and receive a written summary about their children's

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who attend

progress to keep them fully up to date and involved.

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who attend

Children are clearly, happy and well settled in this caring and inclusive environment. They settle easily into activities and show good levels of interest and enjoyment in what is provided. This is because staff are active and act as good play partners to encourage children to get involved.

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who attend

Children's communication and language is supported well. Staff show a genuine interest in what children say and allow them time to talk and think during activities. Children under two years are supported very well to increase their vocabulary as they play. For example, staff continually repeat words and phrases and reinforce new words and change the tone of their voice to capture their attention. All staff use songs, musical instruments, books and puppets well throughout the day to capture children's interests and increase their language development. Staff provide a good range of resources for older and more able children to build secure foundations for early literacy. For example, outdoors, children freely make marks on the ground, the mounted board and in the writing area. Indoors, children use clip boards, which are made easily accessible for them to use during their play. Many children recognise their names during registration and enjoy rhyming activities

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who attend

and playing games, which encourage them to distinguish sounds.

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who attend

Outdoor play provides good opportunities for children to test and extend their physical skills and offers meaningful planned, purposeful play and exploration. For example, all children, including babies, have the opportunity to be outdoors and are supported well to use a challenging range of physical play equipment. A safe area indoors has been created for babies, who are not mobile to lay, sit and stretch. Children aged two to three years benefit from physical apparatus for them to climb, crawl and move around. Children over two years also benefit from using the school hall and equipment for a physical education session weekly.

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who attend

Supporting the children's understanding of the world is good. Children greatly benefit from weekly using the school 'Forest' site. They learn about the natural environment and use natural items to make structures, such as, dens, 'stick men' from branches and crowns from leaves. Natural resources such as shells, fir cones, bark and branches are made available for children to use, for example, in the water, sand and in their play. Children begin to learn about recycling, such as, sorting plastic, paper and food waste and as they use the water butt and compost bin. Digging areas are popular with the children and they have been learning about planting and caring for strawberries, carrots and rhubarb.

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who attend

Children's mathematical learning is fostered well and children show a keen interest in sorting, shape, pattern and size, during their play. For example, children have been taking photographs of various shapes in the environment and weigh and count as they bake cakes and biscuits. A topic on 'Patterns' has been used well by the staff to encourage children to look at animals and their natural markings, such as, giraffes, leopards, peacocks, snakes and butterflies. However, staff acknowledge they do not often enough incorporate a mathematical element into activities outdoors. In addition, effective use of resources, such as the role play area, sand and water, is not made to further enhance children’s mathematical learning. The computer is used well to reinforce mathematical concepts and children have good opportunities to use a challenging range of puzzles, games and construction toys to build and problem solve.

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who attend

Overall, children enjoy a wide range of experiences to express their creativity and imagination through experiencing a variety of arts and crafts materials and engaging in role play. All children respond well to what they hear, see, smell and touch, such as, when they use instant whip, jelly, beans, pasta and shredded paper. However, staff caring for children aged under two years do not make these freely available throughout the day for the more able children to access at their own leisure, to further increase choice and enjoyment.

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

Children are cared for in rooms according to their age and ability and supported well by staff who know their individual care needs well. For example, the key person system and effective information sharing amongst the staff team means that children's care needs are met very well. Positive and caring relationships between the staff and children result in the good fostering of children's personal, social and emotional development well. Children are well behaved and all staff clearly understand the behaviour management policy and how to implement it. They use positive strategies to reinforce acceptable behaviour and are consistent in their approach.

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

Staff place a clear emphasis on children learning how to stay safe and improving their health. For example, during the 'Forest School' session, children learn about safety in relation to berries and the rules of behaviour around the use of the 'fire circle'. Visits from the police, fire brigade and nurse, reinforce messages of staying safe and healthy. Meals are provided by the on-site school and parents and carers also have the option of providing a packed lunch for their children. Meals provided are varied, healthy and nutritious. Staff adopt effective hygiene practices to prevent the spread of infection, such as, wearing protective clothing when changing nappies and all areas are kept clean and hygienic. First aid, medication and accident requirements are met to secure the children's health and well-being. Children are supervised well to ensure they can move safely and freely in their environment. Resources are of a good quality, safe and suitable and well

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

maintained by the staff team to offer rich learning opportunities for children.

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

Children, who transfer to the on-site school benefit significantly from the seamless transition from nursery to school. For example, the excellent sharing of information about children's individual circumstances, care and educational needs results in high support for these children. Children become familiar with the school environment from an early age as they have their lunch in the school hall and use many of the school facilities. They also attend regular events and meet their teachers before they start school. Staff also place a good emphasis on preparing children attending the local and surrounding schools as they share information and arrange visits, to help children become familiar with the school staff and environment.

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provision

The leadership and management team consists of the committee, which is made up of parents of children currently attending and of those who attended previously, as well as, the manager of the nursery. The Chair of the committee is well experienced and the committee have a strong influence on the direction of the nursery and provide good challenge and support. Since the last inspection, there have been some significant changes. In September 2012 the amalgamation of the on-site playgroup and nursery has resulted in a separate room for the pre-school children, a refurbished building and restructuring of staff. Despite all these changes a clear focus has remained on delivering a good quality educational programme and securing the children's well-being and safety.

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provision

The manager and deputy are clearly well qualified and experienced and show a strong commitment to seek improvement and continually enhance practice. For example, good progress has been secured since the last inspection and all the required documentation to secure the children safety and welfare is in place and regularly reviewed. There is a good programme for ongoing staff professional development and their ideas are used well to further enhance quality. The manager knows the staff team well, including their strengths and areas for further development due to the robust monitoring systems in place.

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provision

Effective recruitment, vetting and induction procedures ensure staff are suitable and clear about their roles and responsibilities. Staff have a secure understanding of child protection issues and the procedure to follow in the event of safeguarding concerns to help secure the children's welfare. Robust risk assessments are in place to ensure areas are safe and children can move safely and freely.

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provision

The nursery is highly committed to working in partnership with parents and carers for the benefit of the children. A detailed prospectus, well-used notice boards and informative newsletters ensure parents and carers are kept very well informed about the nursery and its educational curriculum. Parents and carers play a strong role in shaping the service. For example, they were consulted heavily when changes were made in relation to the closure of the playgroup and how it would affect their child and their ideas acted upon. Feedback from parental and carers on the day of the inspection and satisfaction surveys clearly demonstrate that they are happy with the service provided. The very strong links with the on-site children's centre has resulted in a weekly 'Stay and Play' session running from the nursery, which is open to all parents within the community. These sessions are used well by the children's centre staff to reinforce messages of health, safety and promote the

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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 224208 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 915486

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 77 Name of provider Little Owls Nursery Committee Date of previous inspection 20/03/2012 Telephone number 01952 882232

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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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