Little Legs Day Nursery Ltd

Little Legs Nursery 70 Thames Road, REDCAR, Cleveland, TS10 1PP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/11/2013 21/06/2010

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early years provision

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

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This provision is good

 Teaching is good because of staffs' positive interaction. Children are achieving well and are motivated and keen to learn. They explore confidently and play purposefully and are developing skills they need to support the next stage in their learning.  Children receive very good levels of care from staff that have a lovely rapport with them. This results in children who are secure, happy and confident to express themselves.  Staff have created an environment that is well-resourced and accessible for children which enables children to develop their independence.  The partnership with parents is effectively managed as staff are skilled in sharing relevant information regarding child development, ensuring that children's needs are met.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope for staff to enhance children's appreciation of healthier choices at snack and meal times by talking about different foods.  There is room to improve staffs' awareness of the language that they use with children so that they model the correct terms at all times.

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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 playroom and outside area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager, carried out a joint observation and spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's development records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of staff working in the nursery and a range of other records, policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents through discussion at the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Little Legs Nursery was registered in 2001 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is one of two nurseries managed by a private provider situated in converted buildings in a parade of shops in Redcar, Cleveland. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from three playrooms and there are two enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and the manager holds an appropriate early years qualifications at level 4. There is an additional manager with Early Years Professional Status who works with both nurseries.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 57 children on roll, of whom 13 children are in the early years age group.

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

 help children to appreciate healthier choices by talking about different foods, such as at snack and meal times

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

 enhance staff's awareness of the language they use with children so that they model the correct terms at all times.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good because staff have a very clear understanding of their responsibility towards children's learning. They regular observe and note what children can do and enter this information into a learning journey of their learning and development in electronic format. They evaluate their observations so that they can effectively plan the next step in children's learning. Written plans show learning intentions for individual children and they are evaluated at the end of each session. This means that planning is very current for each child and is focused on their interests and individual learning needs and supports children in their steady progress towards the early learning goals. Staff place a clear emphasis on fostering the children's personal, social and emotional development. Children settle really well and happily explore the environment. Teaching is good as staff stay near to children so that they quickly respond to their needs, such as helping them if

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who attend

they get stuck somewhere as they start to crawl and walk. The playroom is set up by staff so that children easily access the resources at floor level, which encourages their ability to explore their surroundings. For example, children choose from resources, such as the treasure baskets, which contain stimulating everyday items that help children learn about different textures, such as fabrics, metal spoons, pots and things made from wood. Children particularly enjoy the spoons and pots and happily bang them with the spoons and listen to the different sounds they make. Staff sensitively observe children and are on hand to give a reassuring cuddle when children check back with them.

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who attend

Staff build a firm foundation for children to become skilled communicators. They constantly talk to children during their activities and children show their enjoyment as they babble and start to pronounce recognisable words in return. Staff recognise children's growing ability to understand and follow simple instructions. For example, they ask children to get some bibs out for snack time. Children respond by saying 'yes' and 'in there' when they get to the draw where they are stored. The manager works closely with the staff and children and models how to interact appropriately for less experienced staff. For example, she repeats words clearly that children attempt to say, so that they learn the correct way to pronounce them. Children are taught how to be polite through staff responding with 'please' and 'thank you' when children hand a ball to them. However, staff occasionally slip into using words that are abbreviated, such as 'ta' which does not

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who attend

promote children's full understanding of how to use some words in the correct way. Staff teach children about numbers through everyday activities. For example, they count items, such as blocks when building with them. Staff sing familiar action rhymes and show children the actions which encourages them to join in. For example, at the end of Miss Polly has a dolly, children wave bye-bye and say 'bye doctor'. They spontaneously start to sing head, shoulders, knees and toes and point to the correct parts of the body as they do so. Overall, children's learning and development is in line with the expected developmental ranges for their age. As a result, they are obtaining the skills, attitudes and dispositions they need to be ready for school or the next stage of learning.

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who attend

Parents are warmly welcomed into the nursery by the approachable staff. Staff encourage them to take part in their children's learning and development. They invite parents to six monthly meetings where they share children's learning journeys and how they are developing. They share the electronic record which includes photographs of children's activities and parents are able to take a copy home for their reference. Staff complete a summary of children's development once a year and at the second meeting draw up learning action plans with the agreement of parents. On a daily basis staff discuss their child's day when they drop off and collect their children and staff complete a daily diary of what their children have been involved in. For example, they record information about nappy changes, meals, any sleep that their child has had and the activities they have been involved in. These strategies both help parents to continue their children's learning and

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

Children feel very secure at the nursery, as staff are very caring and give a high priority to children's well-being. A programme of settling-in visits for new children helps them to make a smooth transition from home to the nursery. They gather good information from parents about their child's needs. Children develop a close bond with their key person because staff observe their interactions with adults on their visits to see who they naturally feel close to. In addition, each child has a second key person who takes over in the absence of the first one. This means that children's emotional well-being is securely supported. Children's behaviour demonstrates that they feel safe and secure and they are confident and at ease as they happily approach visitors. Staff treat children with kindness and respect and speak calmly to them. Children are well supported with learning how to manage their own behaviour as staff carefully guide them. They use suitable methods to

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

develop children's awareness through talking to them down at their level and using distraction. Staff are vigilant about children's safety and teach them how to evacuate the nursery through regular practices, so that they keep themselves safe and understand what is happening when the alarm sounds.

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

The staff provide a very stimulating environment for children. Both indoor and outdoor areas are well resourced with a wide range of good quality equipment, activities and positive interaction, which engages their interest and develops independence. Children gain high levels of confidence and curiosity by the enthusiastic encouragement from staff. Children's physical development is positively promoted and they gain confidence as they move around. They have plenty of space indoors and staff provide resources that engage children in rocking and climbing, both indoors and outdoors. For example, children explore the garden and climb the steps on the slide and sit on a rocker and rock back and forwards. More mobile children push trucks and prams round and express their delight through babbling, when they notice some water has collected in a pram. Staff help children to learn self-care skills. For example, at lunch time very young children are given

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

a spoon so that they can start to feed themselves while staff also feed them. This develops as they get older and they become competent in feeding themselves. Healthy snacks and meals are freshly prepared on the premises and children enjoy foods such as banana at snack time and sausage pie for lunch with mashed potato and vegetables. However, staff miss the opportunity to talk to children about the different foods and how they are healthy for children, to help them learn to make healthy choices for themselves. Staff ensure that they look after children's personal needs appropriately. For example, nappies are changed in a hygienic manner and children are offered the opportunity to have a sleep after lunch in comfortable surroundings. They are familiar with the routines and quickly fall asleep showing that their well-being is a priority.

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

The staff have a good knowledge of how to prepare children for a transition to another setting. Once children turn two years they move to the other nursery run by the same provider. To prepare children for this staff visit the nursery with the children and pass on their learning journey and development summary. The key staff liaises together so that once the children move, staff can plan for their interests and needs effectively.

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provision

This is a brought forward inspection due to an Ofsted visit following concerns raised with them. Ofsted carried out a visit and found no evidence to suggest that the requirement were not being met. However, at the visit, Ofsted raised a notice to improve on an unrelated issue with regards to ensuring that Disclosure and Barring Service Checks are obtained in respect to every person working directly with children. This has been addressed effectively and the nursery now carries out their own vetting on all new staff.

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provision

All staff understand their roles and responsibilities to protect children. They capably describe procedures that they would follow, should a concern be raised in order to protect children from harm or neglect. They are proactive in minimising potential hazards in the playrooms and garden, enabling children to explore safely and freely. Good adult to child ratios are maintained and staff are well deployed, ensuring that children are well supported in their play and learning.

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provision

There are robust recruitment and induction procedures, and clearly written policies and procedures are well implemented, to support children's safety and welfare. Staffs' ongoing suitability is effectively monitored to ensure they remain suitable for the job. Staff appraisals are carried out every six months. This gives them the opportunity to discuss any concerns about performance and any training and development needs, which results in an action plan being put in place for their development. The Early Years Professional regularly visits the nursery and observes staff during their work. She feeds back to staff afterwards which helps her to identify good practice and to encourage changes in practice where it is not so good. Attendance at appropriate training courses is encouraged and the Early Years Professional sets staff tasks to carry out, to help identify their understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. For example, staff are currently compiling a book

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provision

about children's activities and identifying how they support children's development. This will be reviewed and advice given about any areas that staff are less sure about.

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provision

The manager has an excellent overview of the educational programme. She regularly looks at children's learning journeys and also assists with compiling the pictures and observations. Each child has individual targets which are reviewed by key people, their families and the manager. This effectively ensures that any gaps or delays in children's development are easily identified and followed up and that the manager is able to monitor the effectiveness of teaching strategies because she knows the children well. Improvements made since the last inspection demonstrate the manager and staff's' drive for excellence. The previous recommendations have been successfully implemented. For example, photographs displayed in the nursery raise children's awareness of diversity and the introduction of e-books, which contain pictures of children's family life gives a good basis for staff to talk to children about what they do at home. Continuous reflection on

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provision

practice is enhanced by objective and accurate self-evaluation to sustain improvement. This ensures any areas for development are swiftly identified and promptly addressed. Parent's views are sought through questionnaires so that staff can incorporate their views into the self-evaluation and they take on board advice from the local authority development officer, adding suggested areas for improvement to their action plan. Very positive and trusting partnerships are established with parents and daily verbal dialogue is encouraged. Parents' comments, received during the inspection, are very positive. They state that they are kept well informed about their child's learning and development and receive updates through meetings about their children's progress. The staff understand their responsibility to work closely with other childcare professionals, as appropriate, to support any identified needs a child may have.

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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 EY262372 Local authority Redcar & Cleveland Inspection number 941936

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 37 Number of children on roll 57 Name of provider Little Legs Day Nurseries Ltd Date of previous inspection 21/06/2010 Telephone number 01642 485455

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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