Little Owls Nursery Kentmere

Kentmere Children's Centre Daycare Kentmere Avenue, Seacroft, LEEDS, West Yorkshire, LS14 1BN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/11/2013 15/12/2010

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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

 Practitioners give good attention to safeguarding children. They have a good knowledge of their roles and responsibilities in this area, which means they can respond promptly to any concerns and protect children.  Children have good ongoing opportunities to play and learn outdoors. This means they benefit fully from fresh air, keep fit through physical exercise and have freedom to explore and learn on a larger scale.  Practitioners implement very effective key person arrangements, which provide children with good individual support. Consequently, children form secure bonds with their carers, which means they feel safe and secure in the nursery and enjoy their time there.  Children enjoy their learning in the nursery and join in with the activities with enthusiasm, particularly those relating to singing and rhymes. Consequently, they make good progress in their development and become confident communicators.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to improve the arrangements for parents to share information about their children's learning at home with practitioners.

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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 and observed children playing in all the playrooms and the outdoor areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the deputy manager for daycare, the children's centre teacher, the children's centre manager and assistant manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with practitioners and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children and discussed the provider's improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's records, planning documents and policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector undertook a joint observation of an activity with the assistant manager for the children's centre that involved a small group of children using a matching game.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Kentmere Children's Centre Daycare was registered in 1998 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in the Seacroft area of Leeds and is run by Leeds City Council. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from three rooms in purpose-built premises, with several enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, one at level 2, three at level 6 and one has Qualified Teacher Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round from 8am until 6pm, with the exception of bank holidays, the Christmas period and for five staff training days. The nursery closes at 4pm on the first Monday of each month for staff training. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 69 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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

 improve the arrangements for parents to share their children's learning at home, so practitioners have a full picture of the development of all children outside the nursery, to aid them in planning even more precisely for the next steps in children's learning.

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who attend

Staff are well qualified, which means they have a good knowledge and understanding of how children learn and are confident in their teaching. They skilfully make the link between observation, assessment and planning, which means children are provided with a range of activities tailored to their individual needs that support their development very well. Consequently, children make good progress towards the early learning goals and are ready for school when the time comes. For example, a practitioner working with babies identifies one child's interest in clothes pegs. To support this she sets up a line of string in the outdoor area and shows him how to clip pegs to this. The child is keen to access the activity and the practitioner observes and carefully records how he is motivated, persists with the activity and gains precision in removing the pegs from the line. This shows the clear progression the child is making in his learning. To move his learning on further the

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who attend

practitioner identifies the child's next steps as being inserting small pegs into a board, to extend and challenge his new found skills further.

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who attend

Good attention is given to promoting children's early writing skills. For instance, practitioners in the baby room tape large pieces of paper onto the floor, so very young children can make marks with crayons. This enables them to develop good control of their small muscles as they grip the crayons and to make connections in their learning as they see marks appear on the paper. Practitioners in the two to three-year-olds' room teach children how to draw a road way on a large piece of paper so they can send toy cars round this. This teaches children how marks have meaning and how they can use these to represent real objects in their play. Practitioners keep parents fully informed of their child's progress in the nursery through the sharing of their development records and conversations at the end of the day. Parents are given ideas to support their children's learning and development at home. For instance, they are provided with the recipe to

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who attend

make play dough and information leaflets, such as 'Promoting, positive behaviour together'. However, the arrangements to enable parents to share what children have achieved at home are not fully effective. This means that practitioners do not have a full picture of the progress all children make outside the nursery, to aid them in planning sharply for the next steps in all children's learning.

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who attend

Good attention is paid to promoting children's development in communication and language. They have regular opportunities to join in with songs and rhymes, so they build up their vocabulary through repetition. For example, they join in with 'twinkle, twinkle little star' with gusto and delight in singing 'happy birthday', to acknowledge and share their friend's special day. Practitioners skilfully ask children open-ended questions and give them time to reply, to promote their thinking skills. For example, during a matching game a practitioner asks 'what is this?' as she holds up a picture of a 'piggy bank'. One child correctly identifies this and the practitioner encourages the child to think further by asking 'and what is it for?' The child then replies 'to put money in'. This shows children are supported well to be active learners who are encouraged not to settle on their first idea but to think what else is possible. Practitioners provide a rich and stimulating environment

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who attend

for children to play and learn. There is a wealth of words and numbers displayed to show children how these have meaning and how they are used in context. For instance, one child shows the inspector her coat peg and says 'look that's my name'. To support children who speak English as an additional language practitioners learn and display key words in their first language, to aid communication. Good attention is paid to supporting children's mathematical development. For example, older children regularly join in with counting rhymes to practise their skills in this area. As a result, they can confidently count how many candles are on a birthday cake. They also learn the skill of counting backwards from ten as they pretend they are rockets going to the moon.

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

Children's transitions into the nursery are managed very well. For example, parents meet with a practitioner for an admissions meeting before their child starts the nursery. This means information about children's individual needs and how these can be met is shared effectively. A home visit is offered if parents feel this is beneficial and settling-in visits are arranged and tailored to children's individual needs. This means they gradually become familiar with their new surroundings at their own pace. Photographs of key groups and their key person are displayed for parents' information. Parents praise these arrangements. For example, one describes how at the suggestion of her child's key person she attends stay and play sessions operated from the same premises. She describes how this has helped her child to recognise and associate the building as being one of positive experiences. All practitioners demonstrate a caring and patient manner, which means

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

children develop close bonds with them. As a result, they feel safe and secure in their care and are happy to spend time away from their parents. For example, as a practitioner crawls after a baby she squeals and giggles as she toddles away and hides behind her key person. This shows the child is happy to take part in such activities, safe in the knowledge that she is able to 'check in' with her special carer. Children's transitions to school are also managed sensitively, to ensure there is continuity in children's learning and they settle quickly. For example, visits are arranged between the settings.

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

Children learn to behave well because they have secure routines and know what is expected of them. For example, they are taught to remain at the table until they have finished eating, which promotes good manners and social skills. Practitioners use a consistent approach and coping strategies to manage any incidents of challenging behaviour and are confident in supporting parents with positive behaviour management. Practitioners introduce any visitors to children and explain why they are there, which helps them to manage any changes to their day. Good attention is paid to teaching children about personal safety. For example, when a cone is placed in front of the slide, children know this is 'closed' and can only be used when there is a practitioner available to supervise the activity.

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

Practitioners pay very good attention to promoting children's good health. For example, they enable children of all ages to access the outdoor area each day. Children delight in the space and freedom this brings to their play and learning. They develop good control in their coordination as they practise movements and master the use of play equipment. For example, they confidently pedal trikes and paint pictures on the ground with large brushes and water. Older children confidently manage their own risks as they build and climb onto blocks and crates at a height they are comfortable with. Practitioners also effectively raise children's awareness of nature as they play outdoors. As a result, children delight in turning logs over and hunting for creatures, such as worms and spiders. They take great pleasure in shuffling through fallen leaves and observing birds, such as red kites that often fly in the area. Children are provided with nutritious meals, such as roast chicken,

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

vegetables and potato for lunch. Practitioners sit with children as they eat and sensitively help them to develop a positive attitude towards healthy eating. For instance, one practitioner says 'I like vegetables and this mashed potato is really nice' as she eats the same meal as the children. She encourages children to try the vegetables and praises them when they do so.

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provision

Arrangements for safeguarding children within the nursery are good. Practitioners have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities in terms of child protection issues and know to whom they should refer any concerns. This means children are well- protected. The inspection took place following a notification of an incident of a child being bitten by other children whilst playing in the outdoor area. The inspection found the nursery was fully aware of its responsibilities and took all necessary steps, informing parents and the relevant authorities. The manager carried out a full review of the outdoor area and the arrangements for supervising children following the incident. It was found that the required adult to child ratio was met; however, it was also found a practitioner had not followed the nursery's outdoor play procedure when supervising children alone in the area. This resulted in some children not being as closely supervised as they should be

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provision

in their play. The manager revisited the procedure with all practitioners to ensure they fully understand this and they have all signed to confirm this. Arrangements have been made to remove some trees from the grassy bank, to improve practitioners' sight of children when using the area. Practitioners were observed vigilantly following the correct procedures on the inspection visit.

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provision

The nursery is maintained to a good standard of safety in all areas because risk assessments and daily safety checks are carried out to minimise hazards. The premises are kept secure, and an intercom system means practitioners can monitor who is at the door before opening this. This means there is no unauthorised access to children. Careful consideration is made to the deployment of practitioners, which means children are supervised appropriately in their play and learning. The arrangements for the recruitment and vetting of any new staff are robust to ensure they are suitable to work with children. The system for monitoring the performance of practitioners is fully embedded, with regular supervision and appraisal meetings. Targets are set at these meetings to enable practitioners to progress professionally. Concerns about practitioners' performance or behaviour are responded to sensitively, yet effectively. Under-performance is supported

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provision

with action plans, which identify the need for support or training. Practitioner observations have recently been introduced by the management team, to further strengthen the monitoring process.

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provision

The arrangements for monitoring and evaluating the quality of the service are good. Children's learning is assessed on entry and exit and at key points during their time at the nursery. For example, monthly or half termly summative assessments are made of children's progress depending on their age. These along with the required progress check at age two enables management to identify any gaps in the educational programmes and to support practitioners in addressing these. This means each child is supported to reach their full potential. The recommendations for improvement raised at the last inspection have been addressed successfully and a detailed self-evaluation document clearly shows that the management team has a good understanding of the nursery's strengths and areas for development. Practitioners are able to express their views of the service at team meetings and a parents' forum meets regularly which all parents and carers are invited to.

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provision

This enables them to express their opinions, to help shape the service so it meets the needs of all families. For example, parents have been involved in writing the 'toys from home policy'. Plans are in place to develop the outdoor area further and children have been consulted as to what they would like to see included. This means the nursery's capacity for continuous improvement is good. Parents receive good information about the nursery and are regularly invited to events, such as 'dad's day' and a 'beach party'. This gives them good opportunities to be involved in the nursery as a family and to meet up with and socialise with other parents. Parents' comments about the nursery are very positive. For example, they say they find practitioners 'approachable and friendly' and that the nursery is a 'safe place' for their children. There are also very strong links with other agencies and the children's centre, which means that all those involved with families work

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provision

cohesively to promote children's welfare.

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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 512412 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 942619

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 69 Name of provider Leeds City Council Date of previous inspection 15/12/2010 Telephone number 0113 2144126

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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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