Little Poppets Day Nursery

Little Poppets Day Nursery 101 Fulbridge Road, PETERBOROUGH, Cambridgeshire, PE1 3LD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/11/2013 09/11/2012

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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

 Children's confidence and self-esteem are nurtured as practitioners encourage them to think about their actions, care for one another and take pride in a job well done, offering them much praise and recognition when they succeed.  Practitioners devise enjoyable ways for children to link sounds and letters. They help them form the initial letter of their names in the play dough they have made and children match them up with brightly coloured alphabet letters to further confirm their understanding.  Leadership and management of the nursery is good and practitioners and children alike enjoy their time spent there. The owner is a visible presence within the nursery and works closely with the tight knit and effective team.  Partnership working is well-developed. Useful information is exchanged with parents and other settings and effective links have been made with the children's centre and local schools.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Supervision arrangements for practitioners are not yet securely embedded within practice to offer them an accurate evaluation of their practice.  The training programme offered is not sufficiently targeted to fine tune practice within the nursery to maximise learning opportunities for children.

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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 main playroom and the outdoor area including a joint observation with the manager of a literacy related activity in the main playroom.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager of the provision and spoke to children's key persons as appropriate during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records, planning, evidence of suitability of practitioners working within the setting, the provider's self-evaluation and a range of other documentation.  The inspector took account of the views of three parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Little Poppets Day Nursery was registered in 1995 on the Early Years Register. It operates from two rooms within a converted house in Dogsthorpe, Peterborough. The nursery serves the local area and surrounding villages. It is accessible to all children and there is an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs five part-time members of childcare staff. All practitioners hold an appropriate qualification at level 3 or above. Two members of staff hold a level 4 qualification.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is open Monday to Friday of each week from 8.30am until 5.30pm, all year round, except for one week at Christmas and bank holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 22 children attending. The nursery provides funded early education places for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. They receive support from the local authority and have completed the local authority quality assurance scheme. The nursery is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association and the owner is the secretary for the National Day Nurseries Association local network.

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

 embed the supervision arrangements for practitioners to offer them consistent and sharply focussed evaluations to further enhance practice within the setting

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

 target the training programme to ensure that ongoing professional development opportunities for practitioners mean they are constantly improving their already good practice within the setting.

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who attend

Children's good progress is assured at this stimulating and well-organised nursery. Parents initially provide detailed information about children's interests and stage of development through completion of an 'All about me' booklet. They also complete an administration form which provides further information. Practitioners use this information to ease the settling-in process and to support their initial assessment of each child. Consequently, children settle easily and enjoy the time they spend at the nursery. The key person system successfully includes parents as valued contributors to their children's learning and development. For example, a monthly 'newsletter to support learning at home' is sent out for parents who also contribute their thoughts and ideas in a 'learning at home' booklet. Friendly, informal communication ensures that parents feel able to discuss their children's progress daily and to see their learning journals. Children are effective communicators

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who attend

who relate well to their peers and adults in the setting. They use their physical skills as they engage enthusiastically in the innovative and interesting activities on offer. As a result, they are developing the skills needed to help them take the next steps in their learning, including school where appropriate.

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who attend

Practitioners demonstrate significant skill in adapting activities to follow children's natural spontaneity and curiosity. For example, a child closely examines a tiny insect which lands on the seat of their sit and ride vehicle while collecting leaves. A practitioner supports the child by asking where they can find the insect a new home and together they decide a leaf can be used to transport it to some logs. This leads the child to explore the log pile searching for other bugs and exclaim joyfully when snails and a worm are found. Other children join in and a discussion follows about the shape of the snail shells saying they are 'swirly' and 'round'. Children use the magnifying sheet a practitioner provides to examine them more clearly and then explore further afield. They examine the effect on the environment as they see it through the magnifying sheet. Practitioners note their enthusiasm and plan further activities around bugs and insects which they integrate into

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who attend

the day's activities. Children's progress is consistently monitored and tracked across all areas of learning and development and gaps for children whose starting points are lower are closing. The progress check for children at age two years is embedded within practice and parents are involved.

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who attend

Practitioners are welcomed into children's play and the positive relationships which exist enhance their learning experiences. The attention given to children's ability to listen and communicate is worthy of mention. The nursery owner has undertaken 'I Can' training and also uses the 'Every child a talker' monitoring sheet to target activities for individual children. For example, children enjoy a musical activity designed to encourage them to listen to firework sounds they make with instruments and vocalise them, making full and proper use of their tongues as they do so. Children listen carefully as the practitioner demonstrates the use of each instrument and make sounds as she models them each time. Children choose coloured ribbon streamers to add a further dimension to their play and take the activity outside. They learn new words, such as 'swirly' as they run and watch the coloured streamers circle over their heads in the wind. Learning is easily

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who attend

absorbed during this enjoyable activity and they re-enact their play later on in the day. Older children communicate with growing confidence. They describe what they are doing as they play with different dried pulses, create ramps and use a dust cart to transport lentils to their 're-cycling' container. Children capably recall past events and are able to express their needs, such as, asking a practitioner to look at their foot when it hurts. Practitioners understand that children's good understanding of their home language supports them to develop their spoken English. They learn familiar key words, correctly pronounce words and introduce English language thoughtfully during the context of children's play. For example, they reinforce single words frequently and display them on the walls of the room. Consequently, children begin to develop their understanding of English vocabulary and they and their parents feel valued and included.

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who attend

Children are developing effective early literacy skills. The nursery promotes children's understanding of letters and phonic sounds as they learn about fireworks and the letter 'f'. They are taught unusual words to describe fire work noises, such as 'fizzle' and 'frazz' and sing familiar rhymes, such as 'five little rocket ships'. The communication friendly spaces in the playroom encourage their use of books for enjoyment and they share picture books and stories with practitioners. Spontaneous singing of familiar rhymes takes place throughout the day and children particularly enjoy those with actions. Children happily make marks in the play dough they make and use. They colour it orange and add cinnamon as part of their Halloween and firework week. Children press letters into the dough and discuss groups of letters they arrange. They ask the practitioner what it says and she playfully reads the nonsense word the child has created. Play dough is used to

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who attend

form the initial letter of children's names and the practitioner sounds each letter for them. Older children are beginning to write their names and link sounds to letters. Children's mathematical development is effectively promoted. Practitioners encourage children to count during the context of their play and question them to build on their existing skills and knowledge. For example, children sing number rhymes and count the different foods they have made as part of the 'meal' they prepare for a practitioner. In addition, children develop an understanding of shape and pattern as they experiment with puzzle pieces in order to make them fit.

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who attend

Children are friendly and interactive in their play. They seek out friends to share in activities and enjoy the companionship of their peers. For example, two children make use of a quiet area of the garden to converse together. They discuss the magical fairy house set into the base of an adjacent tree and whether they would be small enough to fit through the door. Children learn to differentiate between loud and quiet voices as they clap the rhythm of their names at circle time, and whisper the days of the week patting their hands on their knees. They relish the varied use of their voices, particularly when they can shout out the months of the year.

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who attend

The outdoor area is used highly effectively as an extension of the learning environment. For example, children make use of the climbing frames, feed the tortoise and help 'put him to bed' for the winter, grow soft fruits and vegetables and work hard to pedal trikes across the soft grass. Practitioners support and challenge children's physical skills as they help them balance as they cross the logs set at differing heights. As they go inside for snack, the practitioner uses this as an opportunity to extend their learning further. Children gather in the gazebo and discuss which 'marching' song they will sing as they go indoors. The practitioner demonstrates successful marching techniques and children stand tall as they march indoors trying hard to lift their knees higher. Inside activities are often taken out into the open air, to add a further dimension to children's play by fostering their specific interests. A child who loves bugs and insects returns to their earlier investigation

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who attend

of insects as practitioners facilitate an activity specifically for them. The child is absorbed and concentrates hard as they search through a container full of pine needles and fallen leaves, finding spiders, beetles and flies.

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

Positive, warm and mutually beneficial relationships exist between practitioners, children and their families. Families are welcome within the nursery and are invited in before children begin attending. Practitioners use many strategies to reassure parents and children when they are new to the nursery. For example, parents are phoned on a child's first day and can stay and watch their child through a mirrored glass in the hall and children bring in comforters and toys. This enables them to develop confidence in the care and learning provided. Practitioners take time to find out about each child's background, preferences and routines. Together with the developmental information gathered they provide a strong foundation on which practitioners build children's progress from the start. As a result, children are offered a consistent and continuous nursery experience and a smooth transition between home and the nursery is achieved. The nursery is small and

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

children know all practitioners well. There is also a well-embedded key person system in place. Children therefore, feel secure and are respected as individuals through the positive emotional attachments formed. For example, a child confidently approaches a practitioner for reassurance and help when they notice their foot hurts. Sensitively, the practitioner takes a look paying heed to the child's concern that the sock is not removed during the investigation. The practitioner talks to the child throughout and they are reassured and build trust as they are listened to and their wishes respected.

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

Children participate in a wide variety of interesting activities in a warm, family oriented environment. A strong emphasis is placed on all children being friendly together and they learn early on to share, take turns and display kindness to one another. Practitioners offer age appropriate explanations to children to help them learn to manage difficult feelings. Children display high levels of confidence as they receive much praise and encouragement and practitioners recognise individually how to get the best out of each child. For example, a quiet child is gently encouraged to make choices and join the lively outdoor activity during a music session and 'high fives' are offered in recognition when a child eats well. Their independence is promoted as they self-register on arrival at the nursery and choose their 'job for the day'. Children learn about risks and how to keep themselves safe in ways relevant to their young ages. For example, they remove leaves from the logs as the

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

practitioner explains they have become slippery after the overnight rain. Frequent opportunities to use tools, such as scissors mean children learn new skills to take with them through life. Outings to the local shop and park present practitioners with many ways in which to further children's awareness of safety when out and about.

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

Children's good health and understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle is prioritised through the nursery menu, activities and discussion. Freshly prepared, organic food is cooked daily on a four weekly rotating menu, which is frequently adjusted to take account of children's changing preferences. Individual dietary needs and preferences are observed. Mealtimes are social occasions where children are encouraged to serve their own portions, give out plates and cups to their friends and make choices. Cutting up fruit for snack time each day is one of the daily 'jobs' children can select to do each day as they self-register on entry. They wash their hands and faces on individual flannels before and after eating. Good hygiene is encouraged as practitioners explain the value of washing hands after visiting the toilet and how this contributes to their continuing good health. Record keeping in respect of allergies, health needs, medication and accidents is thorough and further

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

promotes children's well-being. Together with the sharp focus on ensuring that children are active and enjoy daily opportunities to learn and explore in the fresh air, the nursery highlight the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to children. Older children make successful transitions to other childcare provisions because practitioners establish effective links with reception teachers. They share information about the children's care, progress and attainment levels.

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provision

The nursery owner and manager works effectively with her small, professional and cohesive team to ensure they have a good overview of the educational programmes. This enables them to tailor learning experiences to each individual child and successfully support them to make progress. The wide range of carefully thought out activities reflect children's preferred learning styles and teaching is targeted to ensure children gain the most in all they do. Staff appraisals take place annually and some training needs are identified. However, there is not yet a securely embedded supervision process and training is not always accurately focussed on priority areas for further development. Self- evaluation and reflective practice is seen as key to improving quality within the nursery. Completion of the local authority quality assurance scheme has helped the nursery owner identify strengths and weaknesses and prioritise improvements. For example, a recent

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provision

initiative has been to take account of the child's voice in appraising the nursery environment and activities offered. The recommendations given at the last inspection have been implemented and demonstrate the nursery's positive attitude to continuous improvement. In addition, the nursery owner seeks support from the local authority and conducts her own research into new initiatives. Training undertaken by any of the team is cascaded back to ensure that practice within the nursery is current and always improving.

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provision

The safeguarding and welfare requirements are securely embedded within practice which helps create a safe and welcoming environment. Policies and procedures are thorough and regularly updated to reflect changes to practice and governing legislation. These are routinely shared with parents who receive copies as their children begin attending. Practitioners each have copies in their handbooks and sign to say they have read and agree to abide by them. Recruitment within the nursery is handled professionally and takes account of the need to be vigilant that all those working with the children are suitable to do so. An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check is undertaken for all practitioners who sign every six months to confirm there is no new information they need to tell their employer. Practitioner understanding of the procedure to follow to ensure children are safeguarded is good and details are displayed for them to refer to should the

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provision

need arise. High priority is given to children's ongoing safety. Risk assessments are thorough and daily checks ensure the environment is suitable for their needs. Consequently, children move confidently around the environment in the knowledge they are safe. For example, the entry system to the nursery prevents anyone entering unnoticed and the safety latch is always replaced as each child leaves. The visitor's record shows who has been into the nursery and times of arrival and departure are shown.

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provision

Relationships between the nursery and parents are friendly, supportive and help children make good progress in their care and learning. A variety of steps are taken to offer parents information in support of their children's progress. For example, a wealth of information is displayed in the entrance area. Parents learn about children's key persons, planning, menus and can read articles about new initiatives. Through parental survey responses and discussions with parents spoken to on the day, it is clear that the nursery is valued for being a family setting, offering a close knit community feeling where children are respected as individuals and their specific needs are met. Children who speak English as an additional language receive appropriate individual support as needed. Practitioners learn key words in their home language, which are evident throughout the nursery on wall displays. Resources used also reflect children's backgrounds and culture. All children learn

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provision

to appreciate difference as the nursery invites a parent who speaks an additional language in to read a story with them. Initiatives such as this offer children a different perspective on their learning and help them develop a tolerant and accepting attitude towards others. The nursery has developed strong links with their local children's centre and catchment schools which ensure continuity in children's care and learning. For example, they offer parents support with school choices and completion of paperwork in association with this and reception teachers are invited into the setting. Comprehensive summary reports are taken to each school children move onto. This demonstrates the sense of responsibility the nursery feel for each of the children in their care.

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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 256781 Local authority Peterborough Inspection number 937860

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 4 Number of children on roll 22 Name of provider Sarah Louise Raucci Date of previous inspection 09/11/2012 Telephone number 01733 562430

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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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