Cleverclogs

Cleverclogs 441 Dereham Road, NEW COSTESSEY, Norwich, NR5 0SG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/02/2014 18/02/2013

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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

 Practitioners work well with parents and thoughtfully tailor the settling-in procedures to meet each child's needs. As a result, children are secure and settle well, forming good bonds with their key person and other practitioners.  Practitioners use effective teaching techniques because they have a clear understanding of how children learn. Assessments of children are used well to inform the planning of relevant activities that support children in making successful progress in their learning.  Managers, practitioners and the nursery owners are conscientious and continuously evaluate the work of the nursery. This ensures that children's care is consistent and their safety, welfare and development is promoted.  Children are motivated and are excited about their play and learning because practitioners' caring, enthusiastic approaches create a positive environment.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Practitioners do not always make use of all opportunities to encourage younger children to think further as they play. Consequently, children's ability to solve problems and find new ways of doing things is not promoted to the maximum.  Daily routines and practices are not always used to promote children's independence to the optimum.

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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 all rooms and the outside area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager of the provision and the two owners and carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation and checked the provider's self-evaluation information and their evidence of suitability of practitioners working with the children.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Cleverclogs Nursery was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in converted residential premises in New Costessey, Norwich. It is one of two nurseries owned by a private provider. The nursery serves the local and neighbouring areas and is accessible to all children. It operates from three main rooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

There are currently eight staff working directly with the children, seven of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm and children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 78 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It receives support from the local authority.

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

 enhance the opportunities for younger children to think further and begin to solve problems as part of their daily play

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

 build on the opportunities for children to develop their independence.

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who attend

Practitioners share information and take time to ensure that they fully understand children's developmental needs and interests. This enables them to offer children appropriate support and well-planned activities. As a result of this, children are secure and develop a positive approach to their play and learning, preparing them well for the move to school. Strong teaching techniques support children in making good progress. Practitioners have a thorough knowledge of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They gather a wide range of initial information from parents, supporting them in assessing children's starting points. They use this information to inform the activity planning and to monitor children's progress. Good communication with parents means that they have regular opportunities to share updates about their children. For example, they view their child's assessment files at least once each month and are able to

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who attend

add their own comments and observations to these. Parents are also supported well in extending their child's learning. For example, during meetings with key persons, they help plan their child's next steps and are offered ideas for activities to try at home.

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who attend

Children are supported well in developing the necessary skills to learn effectively and to achieve. The thoughtful planning and provision of resources means that children are offered opportunities to explore and experiment. For example, pre-school children enjoy making their own corn flour 'gloop' and play dough. Practitioners then extend this by providing the ingredients for children to make 'cloud dough'. The children work together to determine the required amount of each ingredient so that they make a soft, malleable dough. Practitioners are vigilant, noting what children are doing and offering them ideas to extend this. For example, when a practitioner notes older children collecting twigs, she offers them a container to secure these in. They then talk about what they could make with the leaves and twigs and the practitioner helps children to gather paper and tape so that they can make their own collages. Children's play is enhanced and their learning

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who attend

promoted as practitioners make resources to suit their needs. For example, babies and young children enjoy exploring the textures, colours and sounds of natural items in treasure baskets. The good use of local resources means that children are offered additional learning opportunities. For example, they enjoy choosing books from the mobile library bus.

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who attend

Practitioners observe children as they play, keeping clear records of their progress and interests. They make use of this information to inform the planning of children's next steps and to develop the daily planning so that this reflects their interests. This means that children are offered activities that capture their attention and promote their individual development. Practitioners' generally good interaction with children encourages them to think further. For example, older children engaged in drawing are encouraged to talk about their pictures, going on to link their ideas and thoughts to characters in a favourite book. However, this good interaction is not always consistent in order to encourage children in the newly-established toddler room to extend their skills in problem solving and creative thinking to the maximum. For example, during a painting activity young children enjoy using the sponge shapes but are not encouraged to name the colours or to explore

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who attend

by making different patterns or mixing the two paint colours. Children are offered a good selection of opportunities that promote their physical development. For example, they learn about balance and coordination as they walk, run and jump across tyres in the outdoor area. Thoughtful discussions and appropriate activities mean that children gain a realistic understanding of diversity. For example, children enjoy tasting traditional dishes from around the world and talking about their holiday destinations. They then use a world map and an atlas to find out more about the locations of the countries, going on to talk about distances, climates and traditions. Practitioners use age-appropriate techniques to promote children's language and communication skills. For example, they repeat new vocabulary to young children and encourage them to say and use new words. They engage older children in discussions about recent events or topics that they know will

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

Practitioners recognise the importance of working closely with parents and so make good use of the key person system to support this. As a result, they have a thorough understanding of each child and so offer them pertinent support. This helps children to feel secure at the nursery and they develop good bonds with practitioners. For example, babies smile and gurgle when practitioners talk to them, and older children readily include practitioners in their play and discussions. Practitioners are considerate and vigilant and offer children praise for their efforts as well as for their achievements. Children are encouraged to celebrate their own learning as they regularly look through their assessment records with their key person, noting their past activities and their progress. Children therefore feel positive about themselves and their learning and this prepares them well for the move to school.

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

The nursery's thoughtful procedures help new children to quickly settle. Practitioners talk with parents about their child's needs and work with them to tailor the settling-in procedures to suit the child. Practitioners also take care to find out about children's preferences and abilities, ensuring that these are reflected within the daily planning and routines. For example, young babies sleep and feed according to their home routine. Similarly, care is taken to make sure that children's movements from one room to another are smooth and do not unduly upset them. For example, children visit their new room and gradually spend more time there before moving up permanently. Practitioners are supported well in using appropriate behaviour management methods. For example, this area is discussed during regular supervision sessions and as part of each team meeting. This means that the handling of children's behaviour is consistent and children are

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

supported in developing their understanding of how to manage their own behaviour. This is further promoted as older children work with practitioners to develop their own 'golden rules' for their base room.

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

Children are offered good opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles. For example, their understanding of the effects of exercise is promoted as they participate in music and movement sessions and then talk about why this makes them feel tired and why it is important to drink water after exercise. Their awareness of healthy eating is extended as they make their own illustrations of their favourite foods and discuss which ones are healthy options and how to eat a balanced diet. Children are generally supported in developing their self-care skills. For example, older children put on their own coats before going outside and all children help themselves to their drinks containers throughout the day. However, their independence is not consistently promoted to the optimum. For example, practitioners wipe children's noses for them and do not always encourage them to put their own paintings and craft work on the rack to dry and then take home. Children

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

are supported well in developing their understanding of safety. For example, they learn to use tools, such as scissors, safely and learn about fire safety when the fire service visits the nursery.

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provision

Children's welfare is promoted well because arrangements for safeguarding are thorough. All practitioners receive training in this area and are well supported by the manager. She ensures that they understand safeguarding issues and would follow the correct procedure should they have any concerns about a child. There are robust systems in place to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. This is supported by the nursery's effective supervision and appraisal system, that enables staff to discuss any issues that concern them or that could affect the welfare or care of the children. Practical risk assessments are in place and are reviewed regularly. These help to ensure that any hazards are minimised or removed, enabling children to play safely. The manager and practitioners work together to evaluate their practice. Feedback from parents and children is used to inform this, giving a full and honest overview of the nursery's strengths and weaknesses. This

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provision

information is then used to inform and prioritise improvements. For example, recent changes include the introduction of a dedicated room for toddlers. This provides them with a secure base area and access to resources and equipment that meet their needs and promote their individual development.

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provision

The nursery owners and manager work well together and are committed to providing the best childcare they can. They have good procedures to support practitioners in their work. For example, practitioners are supported in attending training and gaining higher childcare qualifications. This has a positive impact on children. For example, as a result of training relating to communication and language, practitioners have introduced 'talking boxes'. These contain various items, for example, with a seaside theme. Children are encouraged to feel the item and describe it, going on to talk about where they might find it and what it could be used for, thereby developing their language skills. Regular staff meetings are used well to enable practitioners to ensure that they understand the requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Policies and procedures are also regularly reviewed to check that they support practitioners in meeting the

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provision

requirements and promoting children's health, welfare and development. The manager's practical ongoing monitoring supports her in identifying any areas where children require further support. She also spends time in each base room each week. This enables her to support practitioners in dealing appropriately with behaviour management and safeguarding issues and in planning for each child to ensure that all make good progress.

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provision

The manager and practitioners are experienced in working with other professionals and demonstrate a good understanding of the support available. This aids them in seeking any further help required by children and their families. There are good procedures for sharing information with other providers caring for the children. For example, a communication book is used in order to exchange assessment information, enabling all to work together to promote children's welfare and development. Practitioners work well with parents and keep them informed of their child's progress and activities. For example, they complete daily diaries for children under three-years-old and organise regular consultation events. Parents report that they appreciate the good partnership working and feel that they can talk with practitioners at any time.

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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 EY442600 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 954344

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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 78 Name of provider Cleverclogs (Longwater) Limited Date of previous inspection 18/02/2013 Telephone number 01603742592

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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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