Daisy Chain Nursery

Daisy Chain Nursery Billinghay Church of England Primary School, Fen Road Billinghay, LINCOLN, LN4 4HU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31/01/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The quality of teaching is extremely strong and delivered to a consistently high standard by all members of staff. Teaching is rooted in a comprehensive understanding of the educational programme and of each child's ability and preferred learning style.  All staff have high expectations for children's achievement and provide children with rich learning that ensures all children make rapid progress in the learning and development.  Children form exceptionally strong bonds with their key person, all staff and children. They develop an excellent understanding of healthy lifestyles, how to manage risk safely and their behaviour is exemplary.  The leadership and management is inspirational and continuously drives improvements that staff, parents, children and partnerships are fully included in. Safeguarding is prioritised through the robust systems that are in place to keep children safe, excellent team work and the commitment of highly dedicated staff.

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This provision is outstanding

 Partnerships with parents are firmly embedded and make a significant contribution to the progress that children make.

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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 had a tour of the premises, observed activities in both playrooms, the outside learning environment and spoke with staff and children.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager of the provision and spoke with the lead practitioner from the Children's Centre.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and from information included from the setting's own parent survey and feedback.

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Information about the setting

Daisy Chain Nursery has been operational since 2001 and re-registered in 2013 when it moved to its new purpose build premises on the site of Billinghay Primary School, Lincolnshire. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. Children are cared for in two different rooms according to age and both rooms have direct access to the enclosed outdoor areas. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs eight members of child care staff, two volunteers and one administration member of staff. Of the childcare staff, the provider who is also the manager, holds a degree in early years, and five staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, one at level 2 and one is nearing completion of a level 2 qualification. The nursery opens Monday to Friday term time only. Sessions are from 9 am to 3 pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery provides funded early education for two, three, and four-year-old children. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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

 encourage staff to have more confidence to deviate from the focused learning objective in planned activities, by exploring and further extending children's self- initiated conversations in order to enrich the already highly purposeful learning they receive.

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who attend

The quality of teaching in this nursery is extremely strong and delivered to a consistently high standard by all members of staff, including those who are still receiving training. All staff have high expectations for children's achievement and provide children with rich learning that ensures all children make rapid progress in their learning and development. This is a knowledgeable staff team who skilfully translate their knowledge of how young children learn into exciting and challenging experiences that reflect each child's individual needs and interests. Teaching is rooted in a comprehensive understanding of the educational programme and of each child's ability and preferred learning style. Observations, assessment and planning are highly effective tools that staff use seamlessly to provide children with purposeful learning that has meaning to them. Staff provide an excellent balance of adult-led and child-led activities and engagement in all learning is

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who attend

consistently strong. Children are provided with an extremely well-resourced, rich learning environment in this new premises. They access their resources independently and are highly industrious, active learners. Learning is a continuous process throughout the nursery, indoors and outdoors, and children demonstrate an eager, enthusiastic desire to learn. The majority of children are extremely articulate and organise their own ideas by discussing what they want to do. Staff always listen to the children and encourage their thinking. Regardless of what children decide to do, the staff skilfully focus on children's next steps in learning as well as covering all other areas of learning through excellent questioning. The questions that staff ask consolidate things children already know and extend their existing knowledge to what they need to know next. For example, staff ask a lot of, 'do you remember' questions that re-visit previous activities and explore children's understanding.

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who attend

They ask, 'what do you think might happen next, what do you think we should do with this, how do you think we could get that to work', which promotes children's critical thinking and develops their problem-solving skills. It helps children to explore, investigate, and motivates them to want 'to have a go' and to try. Staff support children extremely well and if something does not work the first time, they encourage and reassure children so that they are confident to try again and develop their perseverance with tasks. Children learn to be self-assured and develop high self-esteem when they succeed and recognise that sometimes things have to be done several times, in different ways, until they get the result they intended. This is a very important part of children's learning that staff are fostering as it develops a culture of 'I can do this', which drives children forward in their learning. This is a highly stimulating learning environment, both indoors and outdoors, and

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who attend

children make excellent use of their resources and use their environment creatively. For example, the large sandpit becomes the surface of the moon because a child has silver boots that the children associate with astronauts. Children refer to the garden area as the 'Secret Garden', because staff, together with parents and the children, have created a magical area of awe and wonder. Children talk about the fairies and the 'Fat Bottom Dragon' who live there. They toast marshmallows round a fire, grow plants and vegetables and learn about bugs and lifecycles, tend to their worm-based compost, and learn about re-cycling. In the main outdoor area, children use water pumps and tubes to explore the properties of water, quantity and measure. They use crates, drain pipes and guttering for construction and balancing. Children use information and technology in a range of ways and are highly competent with computers, printers, electronic white boards and cameras.

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who attend

They listen extremely well during small group work and make very good progress with their letters and sounds, counting, shapes, colours and recognising numerals. Staff bring all areas of learning into everything that takes place, always referring to sounds, letters, numbers and also introducing new vocabulary to children to extend their communication skills. On very rare occasions some minor learning opportunities are not extended to the maximum potential, but this is because focus is being placed extremely well on the main learning objective. For example, when children are playing with blue shaving gel during an activity, the member of staff talks to the children about the colour blue, but overlooks talking about the fact the gel turns from blue to white when it is touched. Although size and numbers are actively included in the activity, some comments that children make about size are not fully explored. However, this has minimal impact and does not detract

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who attend

from the rich learning that children receive in this activity and throughout the nursery. Significant focus is placed on children's language and mathematical understanding and is promoted extremely well through all areas of learning in all activities. When children leave this nursery they are well-prepared for school. Staff involve parents in their child's learning in many ways, which makes a significant contribution to the rapid progress children make. Parents contribute to the progress check at age two, which helps to identify any gaps in a child's learning at an early stage. This enables staff and parents to take prompt action to reduce the gap or to seek additional support if this is needed. Parents contribute to their child's observations and assessments by adding their comments from home about any achievements, special interests or events. Staff use this information extremely well to contribute to their planning, which ensures

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who attend

that children's full range of experiences are fully considered. Parents are provided with ideas about ways in which they can support their child at home to consolidate or extend the learning that takes place in the nursery. They attend 'stay and play' sessions, which enables them to be actively involved in activities with their child. These sessions are extremely well attended by both mums and dads and this has a very positive impact on children's learning. Parents also helped to create the outdoor garden area and are extremely supportive of nursery initiatives and improvements. Staff meet with parents daily and additionally have termly, formal meetings to go through learning journals and assessments. Parents are able to see exactly what stage their child has reached, where they need to go next, why this is necessary and how they can help. Parents are provided with learning resources to use at home with their child and also take home the camera so

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who attend

their child can take photographs of things that interest them to share with the children at nursery. This helps to promote children's self-esteem and their communication and technology skills. Staff show a high regard and respect towards parents as their child's primary educator. They demonstrate how seriously they value their contribution, knowledge and skills through these examples.

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

Children form exceptionally strong bonds with their key staff and all other staff in the nursery. Staff gather comprehensive information from parents about their child's routines, needs and ability. They consult fully with parents about their expectations for their child and work extremely closely with parents to ensure that these expectations are met. Staff have an excellent understanding of the prime and specific areas of learning and include children well in making decisions about their learning. Staff interaction is highly respectful and gives children a strong voice in the nursery. As a result, children are confident and self-assured. Their own interactions mirror the respect that staff model. Staff support children extremely well with their transitions within the nursery. Key staff spend time with children in their new room helping them to adjust before they move. By the time children leave the nursery they are emotionally prepared and have developed the skills they need

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

Staff prepare children very well with their understanding of time and routine. Children are given the responsibility for making choices and learning how to organise themselves. Staff consult with children in advance when snack time is coming so that children can plan how they wish to organise their play around snack time. They inform children what choices are on the menu for snack today so that children have time to think about what they would like. It is necessary for children to consider how many children are already having snack and if there a place for them now or do they have to come back in a while. All children collect their name, which the majority of children recognise with ease, and they find a place with a table mat. Children serve themselves and help to tidy up when they have finished. They eat extremely healthy snacks and often try new foods, such as unusual fruits. Children also learn well about foods from around the world, other cultures and

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

customs. At the inspection, they have a restaurant where they eat many different types of Chinese food and learn about Chinese New Year. The food has been contributed by a parent, which demonstrates another way in which parents are actively involved in the nursery. Children eat with chopsticks and many can do this really well, showing good physical control. They explore the fortune cookies and show an interest in what is written on them, which further promotes their literacy and communication skills. Children's self- care skills and growing sense of independence and responsibility is further promoted as they help prepare snacks and foods, set tables and pour their own drinks. At lunch time they organise their own lunch boxes and enjoy a relaxed social time with staff and children. Throughout the day children are chosen to be responsible for keeping an eye on the time by using a sand timer and alerting others when it has run out. Children are

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

remarkable at remembering to do this while they are engrossed in their play, checking the sand timer and shouting out 'it's time now'. They retain information extremely well and show an excellent understanding of why time, routine and rules are important. Children's behaviour is extremely good and, as a result, children in this nursery are independent and self-sufficient.

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

In addition to learning about healthy foods, children develop their understanding of healthy lifestyles through their outdoor experiences and activities that help them to learn about their bodies. This includes learning how to take care of their bodies safely to avoid accidents and injuries. Many activities that children participate in have an element of risk attached, such as, climbing on crates, balancing across planks or toasting marshmallows round an open fire. Staff deployment and supervision is robust and vigilant, which keeps children safe. However, staff actively promote children's independence in these activities and focus on teaching children how to be safe for themselves. Through the well- considered guidance and rules, children learn how to take risks safely by fully understanding their responsibility and consequences. For example, children know why there is a fire blanket and a sand bucket as part of the fire pit equipment. They

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

understand road safety rules when they go out on trips. They understand jobs that people do to keep us safe and why it is important to tell these people if they feel unsafe about something. Children understand the expectations of staff and how to use resources, such as scissors safely, why running indoors is dangerous and that being kind and considerate to others by sharing and taking turns is important.

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provision

The leadership and management is highly successful at sustaining quality and driving further improvements that enhance practice and benefit the children. Safeguarding is prioritised by all staff who have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of their duty to protect children. All staff effectively translate the policies and procedures into practice to ensure the smooth running of the nursery to keep children safe at all times. Recruitment, induction and a robust supervision and appraisal system ensure that all staff constantly update their skills and knowledge and are kept fully informed about any changes and new initiatives. Management ensure that all new staff complete the relevant checks that are required and are fully vetted for their suitability. All new staff are supported through a buddy system with a more experienced member of staff during their probationary period and while completing training. Afterwards they continue to be supported while they

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provision

develop the skills and level of expertise required to be assigned to a key group of children.

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provision

The staff team is inspired, extremely well-led and cohesive. All staff have a shared vision for the success of the nursery and all work together with the manager to achieve their goal. Monitoring systems are robust and continuously applied through a focussed programme that covers all aspects of practice. Observations, assessment and planning are thorough and purposeful. Staff all assume individual responsibility for the quality of their practice. Each member of staff has a very clear plan in place to progress every child in their learning and also a very clear plan in place for their own professional development. This ensures that each member of staff is very capable of assuming responsibility for the nursery because they all have excellent knowledge of the children and of the organisation of the nursery. Staff have highly effective teaching skills. They use the skills and knowledge they have acquired through their qualifications well and continuously build on

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provision

these through further training to improve learning for children. This is an established nursery which has re-registered due to moving premises. The manager has achieved a degree in early years and this has inspired other staff to consider undertaking higher qualifications, which are currently being explored to find the most appropriate. Further to this, a great deal of purposeful training has been completed within the team, particularly around language and communication, adding further expertise and diversity to the existing staff skills. Self-evaluation is a continuous process of reflection and involves all staff, parents, children and partnerships. Since the last inspection, improvements have continued to be driven with rigor and purpose to benefit the children. The most significant of these is the move to the new, purpose built premises, which benefits the children as they have a more vibrant learning environment. The improvement plan continuously

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provision

moves forward, raising targets that consider all aspects of the environment, resources, partnerships and staff development. This nursery demonstrates no sympathy towards complacency and constantly strives to build on the existing excellent care and learning they provide. The manager and staff keep themselves very well informed of new initiatives and embrace this as a challenge and an opportunity to improve further.

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provision

The well-embedded and highly proactive partnerships that are in place contribute significantly to the high quality of care and learning children and their families receive. The strong partnerships between the nursery, children's centre and school ensure that children and their families receive high levels of linked support that meet their needs. This is a continuous process, which accurately tailors support that is based on solid knowledge and a shared understanding of what is needed to help progress children and reduce gaps in their learning in readiness for school. Staff work very closely with parents and involve them in all aspects of their child's care and learning. They take full account of the learning that parents feel will have the most impact for their child. Staff are extremely skilled at approaching learning in many different ways and from many different angles to help move children forward with their learning to prepare them for school. This includes having the

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provision

correct mechanisms in place to support children with special educational needs or children for whom English is an additional language. By the time children leave this nursery they have acquired the skills they need for their future learning at school.

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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 EY465803 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 933022 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 48 Name of provider Carole Farrow Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01526860786

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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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