Ditton Early Years Centre

Ditton Early Years Centre Dundalk Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 8DF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/11/2013 25/10/2012

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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

 Teaching is consistently good and sometimes outstanding. Staff are skilled at using a range of techniques, including open ended questions, to promote children's learning. Therefore children make good progress.  There is strong leadership in the provision to support staff and continually evaluate and drive improvements for children. The management team have a clear focus and drive for continuous improvement.  There are robust safeguarding policies and procedures in place which are fully understood by everyone in the team. Children are therefore safeguarded well at the setting.  Partnerships with parents are good. Staff talk daily to parents about what their child is learning and they are encouraged to share information from home.  Staff sensitively help children to form secure attachments and this enables children to develop and increase their confidence and independence.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Information gathered from parents to accurately assess what children can already do, when they first start at the setting, is not used to best effect to have the maximum impact on tailoring activities for children.  There is scope to provide further opportunities and activities for children to access outdoor play and learning.

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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 playrooms and the garden.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held meetings with the provider and the management team.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability of practitioners working with children, the providers self-evaluation and improvement plan.  The inspector spoke to parents and children.

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Information about the setting

Ditton Early Years Centre was registered in 2004 and provides daycare facilities in a shared building with Ditton Nursery School, which is located in the Widnes area of Cheshire. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is run by Halton Borough Council and the daycare manager takes day-to-day responsibility for the management of the provision.

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Information about the setting

The centre operates from purpose built premises and provides full day and out of school care for children aged from birth to under eight years. Children are cared for within five rooms according to their age. The centre is open each week day from 8am to 6pm for 52 weeks of the year, with the exception of the Christmas period and public holidays. All children share access to the outdoor play areas.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 72 children attending in the early years age range. Children mostly attend from the local area or their parents travel to work in the area. The centre employs 12 members of staff, including the day care manager, 11 staff hold an appropriate level 3 qualification and one member of staff is qualified to level 2.

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

 make better use of children's starting points obtained from parents by tailoring activities further, to support and build on children's interests

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

 extend the opportunities for learning outdoors, by reflecting on how resources can be better utilised outside to promote children's overall development further.

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who attend

Staff and managers are secure in their knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They observe children frequently and use their observations and knowledge and understanding of how children learn to plan a good range of activities and experiences that meet the needs and interests of the children. Through individual planning and a clear identification of children's next steps by staff, children make good progress. Each member of staff demonstrates that they know their key children extremely well. This is evident in how they differentiate and reshape activities to ensure all children can access them. Staff obtain information from parents about children's starting points in learning. However, there is scope to make better use of children's starting points obtained from parents, by tailoring activities further, to support and build on their interests. Younger children play in the water trough, washing home corner toys but one child is reluctant to put his hands

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who attend

into the water. Instead, staff provide him with sponges and pan scrubbers to explore and play with so he can still be involved in the activity. The quality of teaching is consistently good and sometimes outstanding, as all staff are competent and very skilled at using a variety of techniques, including open ended questions, to extend and improve each child's learning.

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who attend

There is a sharp focus on helping children acquire skills in communication and language. Staff routinely repeat words and phrases back to children, introduce new vocabulary and extend children's sentences. Children also gain good knowledge of numbers and mathematical concepts as staff effectively use opportunities to count and talk about weights, quantities and size. As a result, children are gaining the skills and aptitudes to prepare them for their next steps in learning, including school.

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who attend

Children are well motivated and eager to join in or explore new experiences. For example, children find out what happens to ice as they put it into the water trough. They excitedly chat together as they try to predict how quickly the ice will disappear and they experiment by putting it into different containers. Younger children explore a basket of bottles filled with water and glitter and watch as they shake them up. Staff build relationships with children and their parents. Children's progress is frequently shared with parents and this supports their continued learning at home.

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

The setting is very welcoming and highly stimulating both indoors and outdoors, with all areas of learning addressed. Children are able to choose resources and lead their own learning. The rooms are well designed and staff have effectively used the space and resources to create calm and cosy areas as well as places to explore, build, create and pretend. Photographs of children and their families are displayed as well as displays showing activities that the children have been involved in. Staff successfully create a warm and reassuring environment where they form strong attachments with the children. As a result, children are happy and content throughout the nursery. They interact positively with adults and other children, which supports them to make friends. The key person system works very well in supporting children's confidence and liaising with parents to ensure information is regularly shared.

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

Food is freshly prepared each day by the cook and children learn about healthy lifestyles as staff talk about the food they are given. Staff take care setting the tables with table cloths and cutlery, jugs of water from which children can pour their own drinks, and small vases of flowers. This ensures that mealtimes are special times at the setting. Older children enjoy choosing their own food from a healthy selection to make their own sandwiches for tea. Children are encouraged to taste new food. This supports their understanding of healthy food and their independence. The time is spent talking about the food and lots of other topics and children and staff clearly enjoy this time of the day when they can sit together and allow the conversations to flow. Children are also learning to become independent in their self-care skills as they are given appropriate levels of support and encouragement to wash hands or put on coats when going outside to play. Staff

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

ensure children have access to fresh air as they play outside each day. This also gives children opportunities to run, climb, build in the construction area and explore nature by finding bugs in the bug hotel. However, some of the planned activities and resources could be moved outdoors to give children greater opportunities to learn in the outdoor environment.

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

Behaviour is managed very well. Staff have all recently attended in-house training and as a result have adopted a setting wide behaviour management strategy. Staff are good role models for children and give consistent and clear messages about what is expected at the setting. Children's transitions between rooms and into school are managed well because there are good arrangements in place to support their emotional well-being. This includes visits from teachers, visits to schools and good use of planned activities, such as story time to talk to children about what to expect. Staff share information about the child so that teachers are well informed and able to support their individual needs.

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provision

The management team have a good understanding of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and how to implement this within the setting. There are robust recruitment procedures in place which include relevant checks and staff are asked to sign an annual disclosure to ensure their continued suitability for the role. Managers and staff have attended a range of safeguarding training and as a result, they are clear about how and when to report any concerns they may have about a child. Staff know how to keep children safe, they frequently risk assess the setting and ensure spills are cleared up quickly. For example, as children play in the water, they are reminded about the possible consequences of a wet floor and encouraged to use the mop and bucket to keep the area dry.

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provision

The management team monitor the educational programme to ensure it is meeting the needs of all children who attend. There is good self-evaluation of the assessment and planning process to ensure teaching strategies are successful in driving children's achievements. Managers use supervision and appraisal to support staff in their role and provide access to relevant training so staff continue to develop their skills and knowledge. The setting's drive for improvement is demonstrated by the range of changes that have taken place over recent months and the plans that staff have developed for each room.

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provision

Children's progress is tracked regularly and this is used to identify any areas where children may need further support. The setting has good partnerships with parents and a range of outside organisations to ensure appropriate interventions are put into place for any children who require further support. This ensures children continue to make good progress.

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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 EY280132 Local authority Halton Inspection number 941852

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 54 Number of children on roll 72 Name of provider Halton Borough Council Date of previous inspection 25/10/2012 Telephone number 0151 424 4687

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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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