Little Hands Nursery, Epsom Common

Little Hands Nursery Christ Church Scout HQ, Christ Church Road, Epsom, Surrey, KT19 8NE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/11/2013 14/01/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Staff establish warm and caring relationships with children through an effective key person system.  The introduction of a Forest School session allows children to experience greater sensory learning experiences in the outdoors.  A variety of resources and inviting play experiences are provided, encouraging children to participate. Consequently children are making satisfactory progress in their learning and development.

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It is not yet good because

 Staff do not always use effective and suitable strategies to manage children's behaviour and help children learn how to manage their feelings and own behaviour.  Some staff do not always make the most of the opportunities to extend children's language skills and to encourage children to think critically and problem solve.  Not all children's assessment records are well maintained and do not all contain information, such as children's starting points and their next steps in 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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the indoor and outdoor learning environments.  The inspector held meetings with the provider/owner and manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation including children's assessment records, a sample of policies and procedures and evidence of the suitability of staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and children spoken to on the day of inspection.

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Information about the setting

Little Hands Nursery is privately owned. It was established in 1997 and registered under its current owner in 2010. The provision operates from Christchurch Scout Headquarters, situated near to Epsom Common, in Surrey. The adjacent woods and church grounds are used for outdoor play. The premises are accessible to wheelchair users and have a disabled toilet. The nursery is open each weekday term-time only, from 8.50am to 3pm. The nursery offers a Forest School session on a Tuesday afternoon.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 56 children on roll, whose ages range from two to four years. Five staff are employed to work with the children, in addition to the proprietor. The proprietor holds a BA Hons degree in early years and has been awarded Early Years Professional Status. The manager is qualified to level 4. Four staff are qualified to level 3 and all staff hold a valid paediatric first aid certificate. The nursery welcomes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery is in receipt of early education funding for children aged two, three and four years.

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must:

 ensure suitable strategies are in place to manage any issues regarding children's behaviour

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must:

 ensure observations and assessments of children's learning and development are used effectively to clearly identify children's next steps consistently throughout the nursery.

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

 extend the teaching skills of some staff to develop children's language and critical thinking skills.

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who attend

The staff provide a welcoming environment and plan activities to ensure children make satisfactory progress in their learning and development across all areas. Although staff complete observations on the children as they play, not all staff are using them well to assess children's next steps in learning. Consequently some children's progress is not being effectively monitored to support their learning and development needs. Prior to children starting, staff make home visits, which help children build caring relationships with their key person. This helps children settle and feel confident to explore the nursery environment. However information gathered from these initial meetings is not being used by all staff to ascertain children's starting points to enable them to appropriately support each child's learning. Parents are invited to contribute towards their child's learning and development records as staff organise one-to-one meetings with them twice a year so

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who attend

their child's progress can be discussed.

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who attend

Children's personal, social and emotional development is well promoted as staff promote their independence, For example, they store toys in low-level units so that children are able to choose what they would like to use and play with. This helps develop effective learning skills as children choose toys and resources that reflect their current interests. Younger children enjoy playing imaginatively in the role-play area, dressing dolls and taking them for a walk in prams. Some children explore the properties of magnetic shapes as they construct buildings. They discuss the names of the shapes and show their sharing and designing skills as they combine their pieces to make a much larger model.

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who attend

Staff create a learning environment where children have space to use large wooden blocks to create different role play situations, such as a cave for a 'wild animal'. However, during some activities, staff's communication with children is not always weighted towards posing open-ended questions that encourage and extend children's critical thinking and problem solving. For example, when a mat used to make the roof of a cave kept falling off, the children were not given the opportunity and time to think why and what else they could use. Whereas, when children were building their goblin houses outside staff used questions effectively to help them use the natural resources they had collected to build imaginatively. Generally children's language and communication development is suitably promoted as staff engage effectively in their play. However, during Forest School sessions, staff miss opportunities to extend children's vocabulary by helping children to think about

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who attend

and describe what their senses are absorbing, to enable them to express their ideas.

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who attend

Staff help children develop their literacy skills as the nursery is rich in print. Children are able to identify their own name card and place it on a peg and they enjoy quiet times in the book area looking and talking to each other about the pictures in the stories. Staff provide drawing and painting materials on a daily basis so children can practise their early writing skills.

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who attend

Children thoroughly enjoy the Forest School sessions staff organise on a weekly basis. These outdoor experiences promote the children's physical development and understanding of the world around them as they squelch through mud and climb and balance on logs. Children also learn how to use various tools in a safe way as they take turns using a mallet and small axe to chop a piece of wood. This encourages them to develop their concentration and coordination skills. However, as not all staff have Forest School experience, the purpose of the outdoor activities are not always clearly communicated. For example, staff did not know the objects children were collecting in the woods were to be used to make goblin houses. This has an impact on the learning outcomes for children during Forest School activities.

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

Children form caring relationships with their key person as staff spend time getting to know the children through home visits and their settling-in sessions. Parents appreciate the time staff spend finding out about their child's individual care needs and feel they are friendly and approachable. This enables parents to feel confident to discuss their child's needs and any concerns they may have about their child's development.

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

There are opportunities for children to learn about safety, to think about risks and learn how to manage them so they develop resilience. Staff help children learn how to use tools safely during their Forest School sessions. For example, children learn to use mallets and saws with care and skill on a log of wood. Staff support and supervise children as they learn about boundaries, by carefully explaining where they can go in the woods. Staff praise children for their achievements and encourage them to make right choices. Consequently on a daily basis children are learning how to respect others and their environment. However, staff do not implement appropriate strategies when dealing with unwanted behaviour, to help children learn about boundaries and expectations. In addition, they do not discuss issues with parents to help support children to learn to manage their feelings and behaviour in an appropriate way.

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

Children learn about healthy lifestyles as staff are conscientious about ensuring they are given healthy and nutritious snacks. This is further emphasised by encouraging parents to provide healthy choices in their child's lunch boxes. Staff provide some opportunities for children to develop aspects of their independence skills during snack and mealtimes. Children are able to pour their own drinks and learn how to open and peel items of food in their lunch boxes. This also helps children in their preparation for when they move to school. Children have daily opportunities to play and exercise outside and in the adjacent woodland during their Forest School sessions. This also supports children who prefer to learn in an outdoor environment. Staff help children learn how to keep themselves healthy by encouraging good hygiene practices. Children know to wash their hands after using the toilet, before eating, after they have been outside and following a Forest School session.

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provision

The manager and staff have sound procedures in place to safeguard children. The manager ensures that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting children through attending ongoing training and through performance management. Policies and procedures reflect the most recent changes, such as the use of mobile phones in the nursery. Procedures for staff recruitment help to ensure only adults suitable to work with children do so. These procedures enable the manager to work alongside the owner of the nursery to ensure the necessary checks are carried out prior to staff commencing work at the nursery. Appraisal systems are in their infancy, however the staff are proactive in seeking out training courses to improve their knowledge and skills. This is encouraged by the manager and contributes to improving outcomes for children. As a result of this, and, since the last inspection, all staff now hold relevant early years qualifications and some

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provision

staff are studying for qualifications at higher levels. The introduction of Forest School sessions means children are able to explore and use the natural environment to help progress their learning and development.

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provision

The manager and staff have a sound understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. There is some monitoring of the planning and assessment systems by the manager to ensure children's needs are appropriately supported. However, this is not rigorous as some children's learning and development records do not identify their next steps or show their starting points. Therefore children are not being challenged effectively and their individual learning needs are not being consistently well met.

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provision

Staff are vigilant about maintaining a secure premises and all visitors are asked to sign the visitor's book. The staff make sure the registers of attendance accurately record the times children arrive and leave, as part of their daily safeguarding practices. All staff have appropriate first aid training and these measures enhance safety at the nursery.

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provision

Parents and carers are made to feel welcome. Information is displayed on boards outside the nursery and in the nursery itself so parents can keep up to date with events, such as the recent 'Grandparents week' where they were invited into the nursery to talk and read to the children. All parents spoken to on the day of the inspection were very complimentary about the staff team and the range of activities they provide. Parents knew who their child's key person is and therefore to whom they could discuss their child's learning and development. This helps to provide continuity of care between the nursery and home. The nursery links with other agencies, such as speech and language therapists and local authority advisors, to support and meet the needs of all children.

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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 EY409891 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 940923 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 56 Name of provider Hyacinth's Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 14/01/2011 Telephone number 07768 907822

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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

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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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