Daisy Chain Day Nursery

Daisy Chain Day Nursery The Annexe, Norton Community Centre, Kempton Way, Norton, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 3AZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/11/2013 14/05/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 4 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 have high expectations about how children learn and develop, resulting in effective teaching that motivates and challenges children as they make good progress in all areas of learning.  There is a very high emphasis on valuing the thoughts, ideas and interests of the children and engaging them in planning, devising boundaries and learning to calculate risks for themselves.  Partnerships with parents are well established and contribute to a shared approach and their active engagement in promoting children's learning and development, both in the nursery and at home.  Outdoor learning is a key strength in the setting as children explore, investigate and experiment, developing their confidence and skills, preparing them well for the next big steps in their future educational experiences.

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It is not yet good because

 The premises are not maintained in a clean and hygienic condition in some areas, increasing the risk of the spread of infection.  Mealtimes for older children tend to be too long as children serve themselves, leading to some children's food going cold while they wait for their turn.  Self-evaluation is not yet wholly effective in identifying and prioritising future improvement in a focused and methodical way to address some weaknesses.

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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 practice in all areas of the setting, indoors and outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with children, staff and managers during the course of the inspection.  The inspector carried out a safety check on all areas of the premises.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a sample selection of documentation including policies and procedures, children's developmental and admission records, staff suitability checks, training and deployment records.

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Information about the setting

Daisy Chain Day Nursery opened in 1994 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is privately owned and managed, and operates from its own building, which is situated in an annexe to Norton Community Centre in Stourbridge, West Midlands. Children are cared for in playrooms based on their age and stage of development. The premises are accessible via two steps at the front door. All children share access to secure enclosed outdoor play areas. The setting adopts the Reggio Emilia approach and the Forest Schools ethos in their work with the children. There are number of animals on the site which children have controlled and supervised contact with.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 156 children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age group. The setting is open Monday to Friday all year round from 7.30am until 6pm. It is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early years education for two-, three- and four-year- olds. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language. The setting employs 30 staff. Of these, two hold degrees, one has a foundation degree and 19 staff hold early years qualifications at levels 2 and 3. There are six members of staff working towards appropriate qualifications. Some senior staff also hold qualifications in Forest School leadership. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 improve the cleanliness and hygiene of the premises to reduce and minimise the risk of the spread of infection, with particular regard to general cleaning and the condition of some cot mattresses.

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

 review the lunchtime arrangements for older children to reduce the waiting time as they serve themselves independently

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

 develop the process of self-evaluation to clearly identify, analyse and prioritise targets for improvement.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is effective in ensuring that children make good progress in their learning and development. Staff have high expectations of what and how children learn, planning activities and experiences based on their in-depth knowledge of each child's character, ability and interests. Staff are highly enthusiastic and use their skills, training and intuition to observe, assess and monitor children's progress across all areas of learning. Children are motivated to explore, investigate and organise their own play in the vast outdoor areas. Older children learn to set their own boundaries to their play as, for example, they go bug hunting. Children leave no logs unturned in their search, followed around in their task by the chickens, who capitalise on the children's efforts to find the worms and insects.

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who attend

Children secrete themselves in their self-made dens and plan their activity. Discussions have taken place about some key issues currently in the news, such as the disaster in the Philippines. Children learn to process such events very effectively as staff weave these serious concepts into their play. The sweeping of leaves from the deck of the tree house promotes a discussion between the key person and children. They compare moving the leaves to the trauma of the people in the Philippines as children observe that the people 'have had to sweep away their whole houses.' Such teaching is highly effective in supporting children's knowledge and understanding of their world and the needs of others. Babies and toddlers are supported well as they reach developmental milestones and enjoy selecting their own activities. They activate pop-up toys with increasing skill, startled by the action of the toy and seeking reassurance from the familiar adults. Staff work closely

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who attend

with parents to obtain key information about their needs and levels of ability, and take time to observe and assess before setting the planning for each child's progress. This ensures that staff know the children's characters and that children have settled well and are ready to learn.

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who attend

Younger children delight in discovering their reflections in the large mirror, noting their facial features as staff sing appropriate songs to reinforce the learning. Children's communication and language development is promoted well as staff deliver a language- rich provision. Running commentaries are given as children play, and staff are mindful of extending vocabulary through effective questions and conversation with children. Children consider the emotions displayed on the wooden spoon characters they have made. A child declares that one character looks 'guilty' and staff extend this to assess the child's understanding of the concept. Praise is then given for the use of such vocabulary. Staff skills are utilised well to promote children's understanding of different languages from around the world. Children proudly count and sing in a number of languages including Punjabi, Spanish and German. Staff are also skilled in the use of non-verbal

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who attend

communication as they implement Makaton sign language throughout daily activity. This supports the communication of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with emerging language skills or additional home languages. Such teaching also encourages all children to develop skills which they can use in the future. Partnerships with parents and carers are extremely strong and are highly effective in promoting the consistent teaching and learning between the nursery and the home. Some parents speak in glowing terms of the support they and their families receive, particularly where additional support is sought, to ensure all children reach their full potential. Parents contribute to the written diaries, sharing what has happened during the weekend and any special family celebrations. This enables staff to include such familiar events into individual children's planning to promote their learning and development. For example, a child shows

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who attend

an avid interest in motocross activities, like dad does, and so a motocross track is devised in the outside area. This activity is used to very good effect as children consider the layout, the number of tyres needed to make the track and the safety aspects. This supports their active learning as they develop the characteristics of being motivated and are eager to have a go. It also means children are well prepared for the next steps in their learning, especially the move to full-time school. Reciprocal visits are conducted so that children become familiar with the schools they will be moving on to. The nursery has also developed strong links with other settings children may attend to ensure consistency in their learning and development.

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

Children develop close and appropriate bonds with their key persons. Babies crawl and toddle over for reassurance from the adults when visitors enter the rooms, reassured and comforted warmly. Staff take time to discuss children's needs with parents, encouraging settling in through the highly effective 'stay and play' sessions that help children become familiar with the environment. Staff also offer opportunities for home visits, if parents wish, to build on the partnership between home and nursery from the outset. Children's care, medical and additional needs are identified and planned for to ensure that appropriate support, guidance and specialised equipment and resources can be sourced to promote development.

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

Indoors, children are active as staff take on the role of football coach in the adjacent hall. Children talk animatedly about the effect active play has on their bodies, referring to a 'thumping heart' when they have been running. The outdoor areas of the nursery are inspiring places and children enjoy active outdoor play in all weathers. They delight in splashing through the muddy puddles, clambering over the undulating terrain and learning about being healthy and fit. They contribute very actively to assessing risk in their play for themselves, valuable lessons to learn for their future lives. For example, children explain about being aware of nettles and brambles, washing their hands after contact with the animals and after collecting the eggs. Older children know how to behave when accessing the tree house, where they delight in climbing the gnarled branches as they test out their nerve. Staff supervise such activity closely, while remaining discrete in order to not thwart

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

Indoors, however, some areas of the premises are not always maintained sufficiently to fully minimise the risk of the spread of infection. Mattresses in the small cots show signs of staining, although staff do cover them with clean individual sheets when they are in use. Some surfaces around the setting show significant layers of dust and cobwebs, and some small parts of resources and toys become trapped in dust behind radiator covers, possibly enticing young children to crawl and investigate. On the day of the inspection, the main heating system was not operational and the owner has secured an engineer to address this. Electric heaters are available to boost the temperature at such times.

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

Staff conduct risk assessments for all aspects of the provision, including activities children may engage in. This ensures that any allergies, medical and individual needs can be catered for appropriately. Most of the staff hold current first aid qualifications and manage children's minor injuries and accidents with care, attention and humour, reassuring children at times of upset. Appropriate records are maintained to ensure parents have been fully informed of such incidents. Children also become very aware of following healthy diets and enjoy balanced and nutritious meals and snacks throughout the day. Children are supported well in managing self-feeding and becoming independent in such routines. Older children are encouraged to serve themselves in a cafeteria style system. However, this can take some time to get every child through the process and result in some portions being smaller and meals cooling before all children have sat down to the

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

table. That said, the children do gain a level of independence and responsibility as they clear away their crockery and cutlery and help with washing and wiping up the items. Such routines are designed to support children's self-help skills, particularly in preparation for the move to the more structured routines in school.

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provision

Following the last inspection, the management has taken steps to address the main issues with regard to staffing ratios and the supervision of children. The nursery works in excess of the minimum required adult-to-child ratios and this is particularly effective in the support of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Further changes have been made to the management structure within the setting and there is now a named deputy in place to take charge in the absence of the managers. Clear records are maintained to indicate each child's name, their days and times of attendance, assuring their safety. Supervision of children is effective in ensuring their overall safety, particularly when playing outside in the exciting and challenging environment. This action demonstrates a willingness and commitment to improving the provision and outcomes for children.

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provision

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding issues, reassuring parents of the nursery's duty of care to act in a child's best interests at all times with regard to child protection. Staff undertake regular training to update and renew their knowledge of this aspect. They are also aware of their responsibility to report any concerns they may have about practice in the nursery in order to promote children's welfare. Risk assessments are undertaken for all aspects of the provision, including children's contact with the various pets and animals they care for. Parents are further reassured of their children's welfare as the staff recruitment procedures follow the requirements with regard to assessing qualifications, skills and attributes. All staff undergo the vetting procedures to ascertain their suitability. Regular appraisal and supervision procedures support staff in assessment of their ongoing suitability. The process also contributes to the monitoring of overall

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provision

practice and supporting individual staff, where necessary, as they gain confidence and become more intuitive practitioners. The managers are in the process of reviewing the self-evaluation of practice and its impact on children's progress. However, the focus for strong improvement in the teaching and learning has resulted in some weaknesses in meeting some welfare requirements fully, such as the maintenance and overall cleanliness of the nursery.

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provision

Parents are extremely complimentary about the nursery and the progress their children are making. Many parents are using the nursery for subsequent children and refer to the open and friendly approach that is always available from the owner and her management team. They have every confidence in the nursery and the staff, valuing in particular the vast opportunities children have for learning through the outdoor activities on offer. They trust staff in the nursery and thoroughly enjoy the ways in which they share their learning and development between the nursery and their home and family. Some parents liken the experiences to their own childhoods and are not unduly perturbed as children 'get active and get dirty' in their play. Parents feel fully involved in any decisions made about their child, particularly as they move up through the nursery and get ready for the next big steps in their education.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that premises and equipment used for the purposes of the childcare are safe and suitable for that childcare (Compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that premises and equipment used for the purposes of the childcare are safe and suitable for that childcare (Voluntary part of the Childcare Register)

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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 253797 Local authority Dudley Inspection number 928681

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 61 Number of children on roll 156 Name of provider Ketrina Hill Date of previous inspection 14/05/2013 Telephone number 01384 444031

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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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