Three Bears Nursery

Three Bears Nursery 226 Otley Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS16 5AB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/02/2014 05/11/2012

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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

 Children are developing positive communication skills because staff use a range of open-ended questions to promote children's thought processes, imaginations and extend their vocabulary.  Staff have created very positive partnerships with parents. Consequently, children are supported in their learning and development both at home and in the setting.  The strong management team have a clear focus and vision for the setting and for staff development. As a result, staff are very well supported to develop their knowledge and understanding in a variety of childcare subjects and the team have drive to continuously improve the setting.  The management team have created a thorough recruitment and selection procedure and have a clear understanding of how to safeguard children. Consequently, staff are carefully vetted to ensure they are suitable to work with children and all staff understand their roles and responsibilities to protect children in their care.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 On occasion opportunities to support children to embrace and use their home language in their play are missed by staff.  There is scope to further develop children's independence skills at mealtimes.

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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 observed children in the base rooms and in the outdoor area.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the deputy manager of the setting.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the provider, deputy manager, staff and two parents.

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Inspection activities

 A range of documents was inspected, including observations, next steps and tracking of children's progress.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of staff suitability, training certificates, policies, procedures, risk assessments and the setting's self-evaluation documents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to on the day and recent parent questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

Three Bears Nursery opened in 2005. It is registered on the Early Years Register and is situated in detached premises in the West Park area of Leeds. It is privately owned and managed. The setting serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The setting employs 12 members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including one member of staff with Early Years Professional Status and one member of staff with a relevant childcare degree. The setting opens Monday to Friday, all year round, except for one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm and children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 58 children attending, who are in the early years age group. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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

 extend the range of resources to support children with English as additional language, in order to further encourage children to use their home language in their play

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

 enhance the lunchtime procedure to further support children's independence skills by self-serving their meals and developing the ability to portion control.

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who attend

Staff know their children well, plan activities that motivate them to learn and as a result, the quality of teaching is good. Staff use children's interests, next steps in their learning and a range of resources to support them to make good individual progress in their learning and development. For example, children learn about different textures and this is extended by staff, who use tinned tomatoes to allow children to explore the texture of food. This is further extended by staff, who use a range of open-ended questions to support children to make connections to other items they have explored and touched. Children describe the tomatoes are 'tickly, just like feathers' and questions posed by staff support children to use their imaginations and make links to previous experiences. Children demonstrates high levels of confidence, developing their vocabulary as they talk to their peers and staff while engrossed in play opportunities.

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who attend

Children are developing skills to prepare them for school. They listen well to instructions and engage in small group activities. Staff regularly praise children's behaviour and they respond positively. Furthermore, children enjoy their learning in the setting and are happy to engage in solitary play, as well as group activities. For instance, children lead their own learning in the sand tray as they experiment with funnels and scoops. They test out their ideas as they fill the funnels and watch the sand empty out of the bottom. Other children join in with the play and are involved in the activity as they work together and spend prolonged periods investigating the sand. Other children enjoy a range of stories read by staff. Children fill in the missing words as staff read their favourite books, developing their memory skills. Their love of stories is further supported as they visit the library and choose

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who attend

their own books to bring back and read. Children with English as an additional language have a variety of books to read which are dual language and staff use picture cards to support their acquisition of English. All children with English as an additional language are making good progress in all aspects of their learning and development. However, fewer resources are available for them to encourage the use of their home language in their play and staff on occasion miss opportunities to help children embrace different languages and cultures.

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who attend

Children's development is regularly tracked and staff are aware of any emerging gaps in children's learning, promptly closing gaps with a variety of activities and learning opportunities. Parents are fully included in the life of the setting. For example, children's development files are always available for parents to access and parents regularly take these home to add photographs and short statements about what children have been learning at home. Staff are good at sharing children's learning in the setting and parents are given photographs of children enjoying activities on a daily basis. Furthermore, staff ensure information on the Early Years Foundation Stage is available for parents to access and read. This means that children are supported very well in all aspects of their learning and development between home and the setting.

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

All children have a key person who really understands the importance of making children feel safe and secure. Each key person is responsible for taking care of children's intimate care needs and building a strong attachment with the child and parents. This means that children develop good levels of confidence and self-esteem. All children are settled and confident and keen to take reassurance from staff when they need it. For example, babies who are teething take comfort in cuddles and staff immediately know why children are upset. Staff follow children's individual routines and liaise with parents both verbally and through the daily diary system with any changes to routines. This means that continuity of care between home and the setting is maintained.

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

Children are encouraged to explore their environment both indoors and outdoors. Babies are supported to practise climbing on soft play equipment while staff are close by to prevent any accidents occurring. Allowing children to take small risks in their play supports children to understand what they are capable of and learn about how to stay safe. Staff are well-deployed to support children in their play, they encourage them to try new experiences and keep children safe. A good range of resources are provided for all children and are easily accessible. Baskets are filled with sensory objects for babies to learn about the world around them and self-selecting resources encourages children to make independent choices in their play.

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

All children have access to the outdoor area throughout the day and the large space allows children to run around and use their large muscles freely. Staff support children to understand the clothing that should be worn in different weather conditions and children are proud to show off their wellington boots to visitors. Children are adopting healthy practices through regularly exercising and eating a varied and balanced diet. Snack times encourage children to eat a range of fruit and mealtimes cater for many children who have specific dietary requirements. Lunchtime is a sociable time and children talk in small friendship groups. Children are developing their independence skills as they use appropriate sized cutlery to cut and eat their meals. However, there is scope to further develop their independence by allowing children to self-serve their meals and learn how to control their portion sizes.

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provision

The inspection was brought forward by Ofsted following a notification made by the provider regarding an allegation made against a member of staff. The inspection found that safeguarding practice was of a high priority and staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe and protected from harm. Staff have a clear understanding of what to do if they are concerned about a child's welfare or the behaviour of any staff member. The policies and procedures underpinning practice are regularly reviewed by all staff and therefore, all staff take ownership of implementing them effectively. All staff have attended safeguarding training and at each staff meeting safeguarding is discussed and staff knowledge and understanding reinforced. The provider has completed advanced safeguarding training and is aware of who to contact should she need advice and guidance. The recruitment procedure for new staff is extremely thorough

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provision

and the management team take time to ensure that suitable candidates are recruited. For example, in-depth questioning is used to gather information on candidate's understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage, safeguarding and health and safety. Each applicant's identity is checked through obtaining three different pieces of evidence, numerous references are sought and all staff are subject to a clear Disclosure and Barring Services check before they commence employment. These rigorous procedures ensure that only people who are suitable to work with children are allowed to do so.

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provision

Staff feel very well supported by the management team and as a result, are keen to reflect on their practice and change the way they work to benefit the children. Peer observations are regularly conducted and the deputy manager is able to quickly identify strengths in staff's practice and areas for development. This means that their already good practice is constantly evolving and improving. The setting has a clear development plan which is used as a working document. All staff are involved in appraising the setting and working on continuous improvement. The quality of teaching is closely monitored by the management team and senior staff audit the planning documents and learning opportunities provided to ensure staff are well supported and children are making good progress from their starting points. The provider is committed to supporting her team to further their childcare knowledge and supports staff to pursue further qualifications both

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provision

giving staff time to study and financially supporting their courses. As a result, staff work hard to use their knowledge to benefit all children and support their colleagues in their individual roles.

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provision

It is very clear that partnership with parents is at the heart of the setting. Parents are quick to praise the staff and the provider for their hard work and dedication to the job. Parents feel very included in the setting and that their thoughts and suggestions are taken seriously. Parent questionnaires are regularly sent out to parents and changes are quickly implemented following their feedback. For example, changes to menus have been implemented following the last questionnaires and parents state that staff and the provider promptly deal with any queries or concerns. Partnerships with other professionals are also embedded. The manager knows who to contact for advice and support and partnerships with other local providers are in place to share good practice. The staff team are committed to driving improvement and using professionals in the local vicinity to deliver high quality care and education for all children.

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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 EY295764 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 950448

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 43 Number of children on roll 58 Name of provider Alhamdani Consultants Ltd Date of previous inspection 05/11/2012 Telephone number 0113 2759393

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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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