Little Wonders Nursery and Educational Services Ltd.

Little Wonders Nursery 50-54 Fishwick Parade, PRESTON, PR1 4XQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/12/2013 27/01/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The nursery manager does not have a sufficiently good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a consequence, a number of safeguarding and welfare requirements are not fully met. There is no copy of the statutory framework document on site at the nursery.  Information and records relating to the recruitment and vetting procedures are not detailed enough to demonstrate staff's suitability.  Regular staff supervisions are not in place to help improve practice.  Some areas of teaching and practice within the nursery are less effective than others because monitoring arrangements are not robust enough to ensure consistency.

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It has the following strengths

 Children have positive relationships with the practitioners who care for them, this results in them feeling secure, safe and happy.  Partnerships with parents are effective.

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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 three playrooms and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager of the provision and several members of staff.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children.

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Information about the setting

Little Wonders Nursery opened under its current registration in 2006 and is operated by an organisation, which is run by a charitable committee. It is based within converted premises, situated within walking distance from the town centre of Preston, Lancashire. The nursery operates from 8.50am to 11.50am and 12.30pm to 3pm each weekday, term time only. Children are cared for within three rooms on the ground floor of the property.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 50 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 58 children, aged from two to under five-years-old on roll, all children attend on a part-time basis. The nursery supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as children with English as an additional language. Children attend from the local area.

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Information about the setting

There are 10 members of staff, all of whom hold early years qualifications to at least level 3. The deputy manager is qualified to level 4 in Children's Care Learning and Development. The nursery provides funded early years education for two-, three- and four-year-olds and receives the support of the local authority.

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must:

 ensure that all records of Disclosure and Barring Service checks include the reference number, the date of issue and details of the person who obtained it

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must:

 improve all staff's knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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must:

 ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place for the effective supervision of staff, so that they benefit from a culture of mutual support, teamwork and continuous improvement

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must:

 improve the management and accountability arrangements to ensure that those in charge monitor the overall quality of teaching and staff practice on a routine basis, so that children make good progress in all areas of their learning and arrangements for keeping them safe and well cared for are robust.

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who attend

Children engage in a varied range of activities around the nursery, however, some areas are less well planned for and some teaching is variable, which means that children are not always challenged consistently. For example, the nursery has a large physical area that joins the main playroom and consists of a large climbing frame with tunnels and a slide and a scattering of large foam jigsaw shapes around the room. However, this area is uninviting and staff do not make best use of the space available to create challenging learning opportunities for the children. As a result, it is mainly used as a waiting room for when children are getting ready to go outside to play. Children have access to a laptop to develop their understanding of technology throughout the nursery, although, this is only used during adult-directed activities and there is little opportunity for children to explore it independently.

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who attend

The tracking of children's development is effective overall and ensures that most children are making reasonable progress in their learning. After children start at the nursery, the staff undertake a series of observations and monitor the children's progress, using relevant guidance documents to help them assess the current stages of development. They use these assessments soundly to identify if children are showing typical development for their age or if they are operating above or below in any areas. Most staff have a sound understanding of how children learn and use this knowledge to plan activities, which generally support the children in their learning and development and readiness for school. Progress checks for children aged two years are completed appropriately, however, the majority of checks that were sampled during the inspection had identical next steps detailed within them. This means that the information gained

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who attend

from the progress check is not necessarily meaningful or individual to each child. Children's development files show they are making suitable progress within their age group, ensuring they are prepared for their next stages in learning. Most staff work well with children in small groups or on a one-to-one basis. They get down to the child's own level and us some well-chosen, appropriate questioning to extend communication and thinking. However, some staff's use of questioning is less effective than others, so children do not benefit from consistent teaching, which minimises the learning taking place.

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who attend

Creativity is a key focus within the setting. Children enjoy a separate room with a variety of resources to extend their creative play. They enjoy exploring shaving foam that has been mixed with green glitter. Staff encourage children to think about the texture and use key words for children to learn, such as 'smooth', 'soft' and 'sparkly'. Children delight as they go to smell the shaving foam and accidentally dip their noses into the mixture. Children access a small outdoor area each day and go out to play in all weathers. However, while some outdoor activities are stimulating, most of children's experiences outdoors are limited to using a basic range of physical equipment. Child-initiated activities and adult-directed activities are balanced appropriately. This means that children learn from their individual likes and interests. Staff organise regular group times throughout the day for children and plan a variety of story sessions using props. For example, during the

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who attend

inspection, the children enjoyed listening to a story about a duck who could fix things. Staff encourage children to tell them what they think will happen and give children time to think and come up with ideas, such as 'he is going to use his ladder'. This means that children learn to tell stories in their own words and predict what might happen next.

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who attend

Parents are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning through contributing to their child's development files, daily verbal feedback and attending parents' evenings. This helps them to learn things about what their child enjoys doing at nursery, so that they can join in with the learning at home. Staff work closely with families and children, so that they can plan to support each child appropriately according to their needs. Staff are able to communicate effectively with all children and parents in their home language as well as English. This helps children to settle well when they first start at nursery.

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

A key person is assigned to each child who works closely with the parents during the settling-in period. Staff use these times to get to know the children and build relationships with them. They ensure that individual needs are catered for and gather a good amount of information from the parents before the child starts nursery. Staff are warm and welcoming and they have developed strong bonds with the children. Children are settled and are easily soothed by the key person if they become unsettled. As a result of this, children enter happily and with confidence. However, staff vetting arrangements are not secure, so children develop a false sense of being safe.

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

The nursery serves a community where most children celebrate the Muslim faith. As a result of this, the nursery has adopted an Islamic ethos that is age-appropriate for children. Staff introduce children to simple prayers, which are said before they eat food and after they drink milk or water. Children learn about giving thanks for what they have and enjoy singing songs that they also sing at the Mosque with their families. This means that children are learning about the world around them and the community in which they live. Children learn about being healthy as they wash their hands before sitting down for fruit and milk. They are also involved in washing the fruit before it is prepared for them to eat. However, not all care practices and teaching are consistently effective and as a result, some aspects of children's self-help skills are not fully developed. For example, the children are not encouraged to help cut and prepare the fruit at snack times, which limits

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

how they learn as part of everyday routines. Staff discuss portion sizes with the children as they sit around the snack table. This helps children to understand about eating sensible amounts of food and contributes towards their understanding of keeping healthy.

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

Children's behaviour is generally good and staff encourage polite interactions between the children as they mostly present as good role models. Staff speak calmly to the children and model the use of manner, such as using 'please' and 'thank you'. Children are encouraged to help with putting away their toys through use of a tidy up song, which they enjoy singing. This means that children are learning to look after their environment and be considerate towards others. Generally, good transitions are in place and children are supported as they prepare for change. For example, as children prepare for school, the nursery invites school staff into nursery, share tracking information with schools and complete a transition document.

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provision

Safeguarding procedures are mainly understood by the staffing team. There is a policy and procedure in place that suitably supports children and their families should a child protection concern arise. The safeguarding officer for the nursery is aware of the responsibilities that accompany her role as the designated person for safeguarding children, however, the nursery manager is less confident in her safeguarding knowledge. All staff are vetted through the Disclosure and Barring Service. However, those in charge only record the issue number and there is no record of the date of issue or the person obtaining the check. This means that legal requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage are not fully met and that the persons in charge cannot prove fully the suitability of all the staff working with the children. As a result, staff suitability arrangements are not given a high enough priority and this has a significant

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provision

impact on the nursery's ability to keep children safe and protected. Other aspects of safeguarding are sound. Child protection is included within the induction process for all new staff and this was evident through discussions with new staff who were aware of the procedures to follow to report any child protection concerns. Secure safety practices are in use. For example, visitor identification is checked on entry, mobile telephones are kept in the office and there is a secure password system in place. The nursery also keeps records of accidents, incidents and attendance, which helps to protect children and promote their welfare. Risk assessments are completed and reviewed annually. A daily health and safety audit highlights any potential hazards before the start of the day. For example, when the main entrance door was not locking effectively, this was identified by the person carrying out the audit. Therefore, the situation was risk assessed and suitable alternative

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provision

arrangements were put in place for the day for parents to safely drop off and collect their children using the side door to the nursery.

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provision

Performance management systems are ineffective because they fail to ensure that teaching and care practices are consistent across the nursery and that all staff have a clear understanding of how to meet the requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. While annual staff appraisals are carried out, ongoing supervision arrangements are not in place for staff to meet with the manager, discuss performance and benefit from a culture of team support. This means that not all legal requirements in relation to staff support are fully met and impacts on the nursery's ability to make continuous improvements. In addition, self-evaluation is weak and relies too heavily on the local authority advisor to help identify areas for improvement. This means that the capacity to improve is reliant on others. The nursery has established strong links with parents and carers. Parents' comment positively about the homely feel of the

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provision

provision and they feel fully informed about their child's progress.

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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 EY337869 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 873327

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 58 Name of provider Little Wonders Nursery and Educational Services Ltd Date of previous inspection 27/01/2010 Telephone number 07828 170004 or 07973 340 667

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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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