Little Monsters Day Nursery

Little Monsters Day Nursery Ltd The Poplars, Main Road, Anslow, BURTON-ON-TRENT, Staffordshire, DE13 9QE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/01/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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 good because all staff fully understand how to promote children's learning and have high expectations for their achievements. As a result, children's progress is rapid given their starting points and capabilities.  The staff provide a range of interesting and stimulating resources and activities in both the indoor and outdoor areas which support children's varying interests over time.  Engagement between parents and carers and the key persons are positive, which ensures that everyone is well-informed about children's individual development and progress over time. Partnerships with parents and other providers ensure a smooth and successful transition within the nursery and between the nursery, other settings and school.  Children's emotional well-being is effectively supported through warm, sensitive and loving care, thereby promoting children's ability to settle well in the environment.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to enhance younger children's already good listening and understanding skills during adult-guided play times by, for instance, reducing background noise from music and rhymes being played.  There is scope to enhance older children's already good literacy skills by extending the range of print displayed for them in their outdoor play areas.

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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 activities in the three base rooms and the outdoor play areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings and conducted a joint observation with the registered person.  The inspector held discussions with the staff.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of documentation; staff suitability, qualifications and training, policies and procedures and the providers self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Information about the setting

Little Monsters Day Nursery Ltd was established in November 2002, then was re- registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register after becoming a limited company. It is situated in Anslow, Burton- upon-Trent, Staffordshire. The nursery serves the local and surrounding area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 18 members of childcare staff. All but one member of staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one holds a level 2. Two members of staff also hold an Early Years Foundation Degree.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 5.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions in mornings, afternoons and/or full days. There are currently 105 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funding for two-year-old children through the Think 2 Project and the nursery also provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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

 support babies and younger children do develop their communication and language skills by reducing background noise during their adult-guided play times

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

 provide an outdoor environment that is rich in print such as, signs, symbols, notices, numbers and words that take into account children's different interests.

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who attend

Teaching within the nursery is effective and of good quality because the staff are qualified and undertake ongoing training. This enhances their already good knowledge of how children learn through engagement with the adults and other children. Staff are enthusiastic about their roles and ensure all aspects of the learning environment help to support children's progress towards the early learning goals. The provider, room supervisors and all staff have a clear understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All staff have high expectations of themselves and the children they care for. As a result, all children progress well given their starting points. The strategies used for teaching and the provision of an accessible environment enhances children's physical and communication skills as well as their personal, social and emotional development. For instance, staff working in the baby room

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who attend

have completed Baby Matters training. Following this, staff have improved their understanding about how younger children learn in different ways. As a result, the staff plan activities around younger and older children's current and changing interests across a variety of learning aspects. Staff have also attended training on equality and diversity; following this, an audit was undertaken and further resources sought and activities planned to raise children's awareness about the world around them. This includes, using puppets to help children think about how children feel and access to a broad range of toys that reflect positive images, such as small world figures and books about people with disabilities. Children also explore a broad range of festivals around the calendar year. To support toddlers and older, more able children's critical thinking skills, the staff use open ended questions during both adult-guided and child-initiated play times. This helps to

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who attend

enhance children's communication and language development which also supports their readiness for school. All children enjoy outings to places of interest in their local environment. This includes, visiting the local church to celebrate harvest time. Children also enjoy local walks and trips to the park where they notice the changing seasons, pick up leaves, sticks and conkers to bring back to the nursery to examine more closely. The outdoor areas also provide opportunities to notice the changing weather.

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who attend

Children all have access from their base rooms to the garden areas where they can ride their trikes, climb and balance or play football with their peers to develop their physical skills. During such times, the staff effectively support children's risk taking as they try new and more challenging activities. Visitors are brought in to support children's various interests. This includes, some of the parents, who bring in small animals, such as, rabbits, hamsters and an iguana and talk to the children about the care of such pets. Other visitors include the 'lollipop lady' who talks to the children about road safety. This enhances children's awareness of their personal safety and well-being. Children's interest in books is supported well. Staff arrange for the library bus to visit the nursery so children can choose their own books and listen to story time told by the librarian. This also supports children's

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who attend

readiness for school. All staff provide opportunities for children to explore media. For example, children enjoy sensory experiences, such as playing with cornflour and water. Babies particularly benefit from this activity as they squeeze it between their hands and fingers and look on in awe as it drizzles and drips back into the tray. During such times, children are introduced to different words that the staff use to describe what they are seeing. However, at times children's listening and understanding skills are less well- supported as the background noise of nursery rhymes playing affects their ability to hear what is being said clearly. All children enjoy pushing buttons and noticing cause and effect on battery operated toys. Older, more able, children also like to use the computer. This supports children's interest in technology and also supports older children's exploration of mathematical concepts, as they use a variety of programmes competently and use the

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who attend

mouse and the keyboard while following instructions on the screen.

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who attend

The assessment of children's learning and development is effective within the nursery because all staff have a clear understanding of the need to observe and assess children as they play. This is followed by good assessment and the identification of children's next steps in their learning. Older children's literacy skills are fostered through access to books, writing and mark making resources. Some older, more able, children are beginning to have a go at writing their own name with good support and praise from the staff. Indoor play areas are rich in print. However, there are missed opportunities to extend children's learning about the meaning of print, because the outdoor areas do not show examples of print or provide children with enhanced opportunities to refer to words.

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who attend

Strategies in place work well to engage parents in their child's learning and development. The staff talk to the parents and share children's topics so that they too can work with their children in the home setting. Parents are also encouraged to add to children's learning journals. This supports effective two-way communication so that parents and staff are working together to support the individual child's developmental progress. Children with identified needs are supported well through intervention and discussions with parents about how best to support their child. Staff caring for toddlers within the nursery discuss with parents the most suitable time to provide a comprehensive summary of their child's learning and development in time for their health visitor check at age two. During settling-in sessions, parents and their child's key person discuss routines and the child's previous learning so that the key person can ensure securely identified starting

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who attend

points on which to build children's learning and development across all areas.

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

The staff provide a warm and inviting environment which fosters children's emotional well- being very well. The key person system ensures individual care and attention is provided for each child. The staff actively contribute to children's self-awareness and confidence by building and sustaining strong attachments and bonds and clearly know that this is the key to furthering children's learning and development. For example, babies are cuddled and comforted to ensure effective settling-in for every child. As a result, children develop emotionally over time and build on their confidence, which ensures they are resilient over time. All children are meaningfully praised by the staff who work hard to support them during times of transition. For example, as children move up to the next room, their new key person spends quality one-to-one time with them, talks to the other key person and discusses the child's progress to ensure a quality insight and identification of the child's

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

needs for care and learning. There are also transition meetings between key persons and parents prior to the move. As a result children's confidence is fostered so they can all settle well into the nursery environment.

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

Older pre-school children are also well-supported by staff in their readiness to move on to school. For instance, they actively provide activities and discussions about what starting school will be like. Discussions are held with parents about the strategies used at the nursery to support their child with this very important transitional phase. This ensures all parties are working together to ensure children's needs are identified and met. The children show good levels of positive behaviour and resilience. They show empathy for one another and play cooperatively during activities both indoors and outdoors. They also have a developing understanding about the importance of sharing and turn taking and are keen to be involved in tidying up their environment. The staff make good use of such opportunities to support children's independence. Children are also encouraged to put their own coats and shoes on as they get ready to go outside.

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

Children develop an understanding of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. They have healthy balanced meals and the staff talk to them about the benefits of eating well. They are physically active every day because they access the outdoor areas during all weathers. All children like to run around in the fresh air with their friends. Babies too have opportunities for fresh air as they also play outdoors each day. The children learn about hygiene as they sing songs about germs and learn about washing their hands through daily routines.

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provision

The leadership and management of the nursery are strong. The management and all staff work effectively to ensure high levels of care, learning, well-being and safety for all children within the nursery. There is a strong drive for continuous improvement at all levels. For example, the management and staff ensure that parents and carers and their children are all included in their self-evaluation processes. All parties work together to identify and implement well-focussed targets for future improvement on an ongoing basis. This ensures the children are the key focus at all times. Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. They ensure the learning and development, safeguarding and welfare requirements are met at all times. Leaders and managers ensure all staff have a clear awareness and understanding of the safeguarding policies and procedures and how to implement them.

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provision

Staff regularly update their knowledge of child protection through training, which ensures they are able to identify and report any concerns about the children in their care. To protect children further, all staff have a clear understanding of the whistle blowing procedures to be followed should there be any concerns with anyone working at or visiting the nursery. This ensures children are kept safe at all times. The recruitment procedures of the nursery are robust and include checks on staff to confirm their suitability to work with children. In addition, the staff ensure all indoor and outdoor areas are risk assessed each day to ensure the safety and security of all children attending. All outings are also risked assessed by the staff before the children are taken out.

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provision

The teaching and learning programmes are monitored well within the nursery. For example, the quality of teaching by the staff is monitored through observation of practice by the room supervisors and the provider. This is fed back to the staff through the supervision sessions that are in place to support the staff and thereby benefits all children. There is a continuing targeted programme for the professional development of all staff to ensure they consistently improve their early years knowledge and understanding over time. For example, staff have attended Effective Practice with Young Children training and Effective Planning training. As a result, all staff are able to ensure an enabling environment, which covers all aspects of learning so that children progress well in their development in all areas.

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provision

Partnerships with parents and other providers and professionals is strong. Effective relationships between all parties ensures anyone working with the individual child is included so that each child's needs are fully identified and met at all times. Parents comment particularly on the good transition strategies and how good the Saturday morning parents' sessions are in supporting their understanding about how their child learns through play. There is a good range of information provided to parents to keep them informed and up-to-date at all times about the nursery and their child's progress over time. There are displays, newsletters and access to all policies and procedures detailing how the nursery is run and managed.

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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 EY463837 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 931437 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 105 Name of provider Little Monsters Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01283 815588

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Setting details

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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