Humpty Dumpty Childcare

Humpty Dumpty Day Nursery (Dartmouth) Dartmouth Academy, Milton Lane, DARTMOUTH, Devon, TQ6 9HW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/03/2014 23/09/2008

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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 make good progress because their attachments with key persons and other staff are strong, so they are confident to play.  Staff support children's individual needs well because relationships with parents, carers and outside agencies are strong, so their needs are known and met.  The quality of teaching is good and children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.  Management ensure the safeguarding and welfare requirements are implemented by the staff team so children are kept safe and play in safe environments.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff miss some opportunities to promote the personal independence of the older children.  The staff team's management of potty training arrangements does not consider the children's privacy.

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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's activities both inside and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager, and held a meeting with the owner and manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of staff suitability and their qualifications, and the scrutinized the provider's self-evaluation form.  The inspector spoke to some parents, children and staff during the inspection.  The inspector viewed children's t records.

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Information about the setting

Humpty Dumpty Childcare (Dartmouth) opened in 1991, and occupies premises situated on the ground floor of the children's centre which is part of the Dartmouth Academy Campus. There is enclosed outdoor play space. It is one of a group of three private nurseries running in South Devon and is administered from the Humpty Dumpty Childcare head office based in Dartington. The nursery is open daily from 08.00 until 17.30. There are currently 42 children enrolled, 13 of whom are in receipt of nursery education funding. The group supports children with special educational needs and children who have English as an additional language. There are 11 staff members who are employed to work in the nursery (some part time), all of whom hold an appropriate early years qualification. There is additional support from senior members of the nursery chain. The nursery receives support from the Local Authority. This provider is on the Early Years Register.

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

 enhance the programme for the older and more capable children's personal, social and emotional development in regard to children taking on appropriate small responsibilities so that they are as well prepared as possible for the eventual move to school

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

 revise arrangements to ensure children's privacy is maintained during potty training

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who attend

The provider takes time to gather information about children before they enter the setting. This ensures the educational programmes provide children with a range of appropriate and interesting activities right from the time they start at nursery. This approach helps children to remain engaged in activities, so they concentrate well. Staff continue to make observations of children's play so that their achievements are quickly identified and recorded appropriately. This system means staff continue to understand children's changing needs and progress made. The staff team's ongoing monitoring and evaluation recognise children's developing skills and changing interests; suitable planning means these continue to be stimulated, so children make progress.

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who attend

Staff plan the environment to cover all areas of learning and so that children learn through playing and exploring. This means, for example, that during their chosen play children learn about shapes and counting with support from staff, so gain an early understanding of mathematics. Children who receive additional support, such as for their speech and language development, benefit greatly from one-to-one support from staff and make good progress. Their confidence grows so they are able to progress in other areas of their learning and development. Staff teaching strategies enable children to investigate organised activities independently. Timely interventions encourage children to use their natural curiosity which provides children with a sense of purpose and enables them to actively lead their own learning.

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who attend

Staff record children's progress accurately in a scrap-book style journal. This record provides parents with a wonderful pictorial account of their children's daily activities and progressive achievements. Parents are encouraged to take the books home whenever they wish, so that these may be viewed in their own time and shared with anyone who cannot come into the nursery. This system helps all to keep all parents updated on children's progress.

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who attend

Parents regularly share information with staff through an 'I can do' book, so there is a useful two-way exchange of information. Staff use this information to provide more meaningful activities to individual children or as points for discussion during the day reflecting children's home lives. For example, staff ask older children about shopping trips at the weekend. Using topics of interest which are specific to individuals, helps to engage children in an activity and boosts their feelings of self-worth because they know staff are interested in them. Staff promote children's personal, social and emotional development well but sometimes miss opportunities to teach the older children some useful personal skills, such as pouring drinks or serving themselves at meal times. Nevertheless, staff teach children to manage their own needs; for example, older children manage their toileting needs independently. By promoting independence from a young age, staff help

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who attend

children to feel a sense of achievement and satisfaction.

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who attend

The staff team recognise the importance of developing children's communication and thinking skills. These underpin all teaching and learning. The quality of teaching is good.

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who attend

Staff teach children to develop good communication skills by talking to the children frequently during activities. They use a range of teaching strategies such as reinforcing their use of words by using hand gestures so that younger children are able to understand. For example, when toddlers are asked to wash their hands, the staff pretend to wash their hands whilst talking. Children take turns in conversation and are given time to respond. For example, staff apologise for 'not replying sooner' because of listening to another child. This helps children to understand other people have needs, are also important and that they must wait patiently.

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

Children demonstrate they are happy in the nursery. Staff are good role models and interact appropriately with the children. There is a culture of respect. As a result, children behave well and are polite to both staff and other children. Staff provide routines throughout the nursery, with which children become familiar. These aid children's feelings of security. Staff understand that feeling secure is essential to children's development. They promote this through use of an effective 'key person' system that enables children to feel settled and confident so that greater learning can take place because they have a special person to take responsibility for them.

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

Children benefit from the way staff manage movement between the outside and indoors. The system used allows children to decide for themselves when they want to play outside. This helps those children who prefer to learn actively outdoors. This approach also provides children with an extended area in which to explore and means children's physical skills are continually being developed. They enjoy playing on a range of equipment developing different skills. Staff use the opportunity to extend learning in the area by bringing indoor activities outside. For example, children enjoy playing with musical instruments and sing songs with staff, whilst others play on the climbing frame talking about being 'high' and 'low' on the slide. In this way, staff encourage children to enjoy being outside so they gain a positive attitude to being in the fresh air

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

Staff enable children to gain the most out of their time at the nursery by establishing strong relationships with parents. Staff instigate thorough systems to obtain information about all children upon entry and home contact books continue the exchange of information so a united approach is taken to promoting children's care and education. Children develop strong and secure attachments to their key person, which helps to ensure they are emotionally well prepared for their next stage of development and learning.

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

Staff encourage children to develop their independence at appropriate times throughout their stages of development. For example, children are taught to butter their own crackers at snack time, although some opportunities to promote taking on small tasks are missed. Some children benefit from a caf style snack time which enables them to choose if they want to stop playing to eat a snack. Encouraging children to make choices independently helps them to begin to think for themselves and manage their own needs.

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

Staff teach children to deal with challenging situations in a calm and sensitive manner. They talking to children about their feelings and explain how their behaviour can affect others. For example, during story time children are drawn into discussions about how someone may feel in different situations. This encourages children to express themselves and to begin to show respect and empathy towards others. The early introduction of these essential social skills is useful for the eventual move to school. All staff are fully aware of how to protect children. They are confident on what do to if they feel concerned about a child's safety or welfare. The safeguarding policy is updated regularly and training takes place annually.

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

Staff prepare children well for their transitions into school. The setting has established and close links to local schools. These relationships enable children to smoothly transfer and settle into formal schooling further supporting future learning.

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provision

The owner and manager know the nursery well. Their passion and dedication is apparent throughout the nursery and in leading the staff team. Together with staff they produce strong ideas and plans to evaluate and develop practice. Monthly staff meetings allow all staff to contribute to the overall success of the nursery by contributing their views. Together, they devise strategies to help children progress. For example, the nursery is part of a scheme to help children in the local area improve their language skills. This has meant all staff have received specialised training from external providers and are aware of how to develop communication skills more effectively in the nursery.

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provision

Staff benefit from a thorough induction process. This process includes being allocated a 'buddy' who helps them to settle in and understand their individual roles and responsibilities. They are given time to read and understand the nursery's policies and procedures. These systems help maintain the consistency of children's care and implementation of procedures, such as the behaviour management policy, across the staff team.

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provision

All staff have the opportunity to contribute to the evaluation of the quality of teaching. They work with management to highlight areas for their personal professional development. For example, management use video recordings of staff interacting with children to identify where further training is needed. This approach means that training is targeted on weaker areas of teaching in order to drive up the quality of teaching. Attending regular training ensures staff continue to up-date their knowledge and are aware of new teaching strategies which may aid children further.

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provision

The owner oversees robust staff appointment procedures. All staff hold a relevant first aid qualification, have suitable person checks and receive ongoing safeguarding training. This means children are cared for by adults who are aware of appropriate strategies to help and maintain children's safety and know how to protect them from harm. Staff make good use of their qualifications. They meet all children's learning and development needs and understand how to help them gain necessary skills in readiness for school.

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provision

The owner and manager show determination to improve the provision for children. Effective monitoring of planning and assessments are regularly undertaken and together with staff they check that activities continue to be appropriate for children's needs. For example, in one room the manager feels the current snack-time system can be improved so children's play is not interrupted. This demonstrates the management and staff team's ability to identify areas for development accurately, although some points, such as children's privacy during potty training, are overlooked.

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provision

The children benefit from the nursery's location in the children's centre. As such they have quick access to specialist services that provide support young children and families; such as language therapists and health visitors. Good relationships support these communications. This greatly benefits any parents who find it difficult to engage with such services. Parents are encouraged to share their views and opinions about the nursery provision. Good relationships with key persons and management help parents to feel comfortable enough to share concerns. This means staff are quickly aware of any issues affecting children. Parents are happy to complete questionnaires about the service and know they can use a 'comments book' to contribute ideas. These processes help drive improvement. Parents commented that they were happy to attend a recent parents' evening find staff are 'always friendly' and they report that their children 'love attending'

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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 106136 Local authority Devon Inspection number 839381 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 29 Name of provider Humpty Dumpty Childcare Limited Date of previous inspection 23/09/2008 Telephone number 01803 832579

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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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