Lighthouse Day Nursery

Lighthouse Day Nursery 34 Yarm Road, STOCKTON-ON-TEES, TS18 3NG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/12/2013 09/02/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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

 Teaching is securely based on staffs thorough knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Therefore, they make good use of opportunities to promote children's learning through free play and structured activities.  Staff are caring and attentive. As a result, children feel safe and secure.  Self-evaluation and performance management is effective and rigorous, which means that targets for development are identified and implemented to secure improvement and good quality care is provided for children.  Children are protected through robust procedures to prevent them from coming to harm. Staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities and the correct steps to take should they have a concern about a child.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children to develop their early literacy skills in the two to three-years- old room are not as effective as in other areas of the nursery, as there are fewer resources used to promote the regular and purposeful use of letters, signs and symbols.  There is scope to further extend the range of open-ended and reclaimed materials available to children in all areas of the nursery.

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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 had a tour of the premises including the outdoor environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the, manager, staff and children at appropriate times throughout the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation including children's records, learning and development information and a selection of policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents through discussion and from written questionnaires sent out by the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of staff suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and the providers self-evaluation form.

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Information about the setting

Lighthouse Day Nursery has been registered since September 1996 and is owned by a private provider. The nursery is situated within The Lighthouse Fellowship Centre, which is a multi-purpose building in the centre of Stockton-on-Tees. The nursery uses the rear of the building, with exclusive access via a side entrance. Children are cared for in five main areas, depending on their age and development; all areas are situated on the ground floor. Children share access to an enclosed, outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The nursery operates each weekday for 52 weeks of the year, from 7.30am until 6pm. It closes for public holidays. Out of school and holiday care is also provided within a designated area of the nursery and children can be taken to and collected from local schools and nurseries. The provider is on the Early Years Register and is also on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 11 members of staff employed to work directly with the children, of these three members of staff hold a level 4 qualification and the remaining staff hold a level 3 qualification. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds.

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

 increase the amount of print and signs in the two- and three-years-old room to enhance these children's understanding that words have meaning, in order to further support their early literacy skills

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

 provide children with more open-ended play resources that are non-prescriptive and can be used in a variety of imaginative ways, for example, lengths of fabric, tarpaulins, cardboard boxes of various sizes and real life objects.

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who attend

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. From the beginning, staff value the importance of gathering useful information from parents about their child's starting points. They have a good understanding of how children learn through play and carefully plan play pertinent to individual children. The staff have effective assessment arrangements in place to accurately track the progress of each child and check they make consistently good progress. This information is analysed by the manager to assess the levels of children's attainment and progress. Staff complete a range of assessments, including the progress check at age two, and each child has their own 'Learning Journal', which is shared with parents to help them understand how well their child is progressing. Parents are well informed about what their children are doing at nursery. This is achieved through an effective key person system with key staff talking to

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who attend

parents as they drop off and collect their children. Activities and ideas are shared between the key person and parents, encouraging them to understand the importance of play in learning.

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who attend

Staff are experienced practitioners and use their skills and knowledge to promote children's communication and language well. Parents say that their children have made good progress in their speech and interaction since attending the nursery. This is because staff use every opportunity to ask open-ended questions and encourage children to respond fully, giving children time to gather their thoughts without providing the answer. They adeptly use books and stories to support children's communication and literacy skills and to fire their imagination. A good selection of books is easily accessible and children enjoy looking at them, both independently and with others. The care room for three- and four-year-olds is rich in print, and is effective in supporting children's early literacy skills. However, this is not used as well in the rooms for under threes to further strengthen these children's understanding that words and print have meaning. Staff interventions are

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who attend

effective, for example, when the children throw their paper aeroplanes, staff use positional language, such as 'under the table', and 'over the washing line'. This high level of interaction is largely responsible for the quick development of children's language skills.

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who attend

Children are well supported in all aspects of their learning and development. Staff provide activities and experiences covering all seven areas of learning. A balance of adult-led and child-initiated experiences are provided and children learn through playful and enjoyable experiences. As a result, children thoroughly enjoy the time they spend at the nursery and are excited and motivated to learn. For example, young toddlers delight in their play with play dough, using their senses to smell and feel the different textures. They excitedly join in with action songs because practitioners show this is fun by using props, such as puppets. Within the baby room, staff give priority to the prime areas of learning to ensure children have a secure foundation to build on for future learning. For example, staff foster a baby's physical development well by supporting them to have 'tummy time' which allows them to learn how to move and what they can do when lying on their tummy. Children

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who attend

develop their creativity and enjoy using a good range of media and materials. They demonstrate a sense of pride in their creations and are keen to share their achievements with others. For example, one child is keen to talk to the inspector about the letters to Santa he has made. Children benefit from range of sensory experiences; they use sand, water and dough on a daily basis, exploring textures. However, the range available does not routinely include open-ended resources which children can use, move and combine in a variety of ways. This means opportunities for them to play and explore imaginatively are less well promoted.

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

Staff are kind, caring and attentive. As a result, the attachments between them and the children are strong and promote children's well-being. Staff have successfully created an exceptionally caring and secure environment where all children are warmly welcomed, and feel extremely well supported. Children are happy and engage in their play. This helps to promote their emotional well-being. Parents say that their children are happy to come to nursery and frequently talk about their friends and nursery staff at home. Staff work very sensitively with all children helping them to settle at their own pace. For example, the number of visits and length of time children are left initially varies greatly to meet individual needs. As a result, children are confident and come into nursery smiling and happy to be there.

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

Staff are positive role models, they model resources, interact with children and play at their level. Behaviour is managed in a positive way and, as result, children are well behaved and learn good social skills, for example, children are encouraged to say 'please' and 'thank you' at snack and mealtimes. Staff are calm, reassuring and give children lots of praise and clear explanations about expected behaviour, consequently, children's behaviour is good and their self-esteem is high. Staff are skilled at helping children become as independent as possible, for example, children pour their own drinks, cut up their own snack and three and four-year-olds use a self-registration system in preparation for starting school.

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

Staff promote children's understanding of healthy lifestyles as children benefit from regular fresh air and exercise in a well resourced outdoor area. They learn good hygiene habits through regular routine and reminders, for example, washing their hands and disposing of tissues in the bin. Staff continually reinforce children's understanding of how to keep themselves safe through daily practices and planned activities. For example, they remind them to how to use tools and resources correctly during play and invite professionals, such as fire fighters and the oral hygienist into the nursery to talk to children. Staff have a good understanding of the procedures required when administering medication and dealing with accidents in order to safeguard children's health, and the majority of staff have completed paediatric first aid training.

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provision

The manager fully understands her responsibility in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements. As the designated lead for safeguarding, the manager has a good understanding of her role and all staff are well versed in what to do should they have concerns about a child. There are clear and well understood policies and procedures in place, for example, regular risk assessments are carried out to ensure the environment is safe and secure for children. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures are in place, which ensures children are cared for by suitable adults. Induction for staff includes safeguarding, health and safety, including evacuation procedures and first aid training. A high staffing level ensures staff are deployed effectively, as a result, the children are well supervised and ratios are consistently met.

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provision

The manager has a good understanding of her role in monitoring the delivery of educational programmes. The manager monitors the quality of teaching and learning through peer observations and regular reviews of children's assessments and planning. Regular supervisions and annual appraisals identify and support staff development. The nursery's self-evaluation is robust and reflects the settings aims and the management's vision for the future.

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provision

Parents are supportive of the nursery and comment that they feel very welcome. It is apparent from the comments made that parents are extremely pleased with the care their children receive. They speak very highly of the staff and many say that they recommend the nursery to their friends. Daily contact enables them to share information so staff keep updated on any changes. The team work well with their local authority advisor and welcome and embrace the advice and support provided. They also work in good partnership with the four local primary schools, and transition forms are in place to ensure vital information is shared about the children and their learning and development.

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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 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 305962 Local authority Stockton on Tees Inspection number 876768

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 34 Number of children on roll 47 Name of provider Alexander Robert Paterson Date of previous inspection 09/02/2009 Telephone number 01642 640022

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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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