Little Stars at The Beeches

Little Stars Nursery at The Beeches Child & Family Centre The Beeches, Rimington Avenue, Accrington, BB5 0NP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/03/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 The quality of teaching is good. Staff skilfully intervene to support children's learning. Consequently, children are engaged and interested as they actively explore and investigate.  Staff create a bright and enabling learning environment through effective organisation of space and use of high-quality resources, including open-ended and natural resources.  Staff give high priority to children's safety and to ensuring there are very robust safeguarding arrangements to protect children and promote their welfare.  Very positive relationships are established with parents and/or carers, including valuing and reflecting their backgrounds in the nursery environment, which positively impacts on children's care and learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to extend the information gained from the parents and/or carers of children who use English as an additional language, in order to support settling-in programmes more successfully.  Some hand washing arrangements are not always effectively reinforced to support children's understanding of how such good practices contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

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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 care routines and activities in the nursery playrooms and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager and held meetings with the provider, area manager and manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection. They also took account of the views of parents and/or carers spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including children's assessment records and planning documentation. They also checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children and the provider's self- evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Information about the setting

Little Stars Nursery at The Beeches Child & Family Centre was registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register. It is operated by Sure Start Hyndburn, an organisation with charitable status, from a converted and part new build children's centre, in the Fern Gore area of Accrington, Lancashire. It serves the children of the local and wider areas and solely accommodates children eligible for funded nursery places. The nursery opens five days a week from 1pm to 4pm, term time only. Children attend all five sessions each week. Children are cared for in one main playroom separated into three areas and have access to two enclosed outdoor play areas.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 12 children in the early years age range. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children who use English as an additional language. The nursery employs four members of childcare staff, including an area manager and a day-to-day nursery manager. All hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, except for the nursery manager who holds a level 6 qualification. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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

 strengthen the settling-in arrangements for children who use English as an additional language, for example, by further developing communication systems and the arrangements for ensuring they feel secure, in order to support transitions more effectively

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

 review and improve the consistency of hygiene routines, for example, by encouraging children to wash their hands after blowing their own nose, in order to increase their awareness of good hygiene practices.

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who attend

Staff have a secure understanding of the seven areas of learning and how children learn. Consequently, they plan a good variety of activities, which engage children well and ensure they are happy and enjoy their time at nursery. Children's individual needs and interests are very much considered. For example, they can explore their own ideas and move around freely, as a result of free-flow access to outdoors. Children's learning is also effectively supported, as a result of warm, trusting relationships established with staff and a stimulating, inviting and well-resourced environment. For example, staff organise space well. They effectively enhance areas of continuous provision to make them more exciting and encourage children to transport, combine, move and use resources and materials in different ways. This includes those familiar to them. For example, multi-cultural items are placed in the home corner role play area, including those provided by parents, along with

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who attend

cookery books. Children delight in enhancing their creative play as they pretend to make play food with the interesting pink, strawberry smelling dough, set out in the same area. Staff know their key children well and are developing purposeful records of learning. Those less confident or experienced in completing these are receiving good levels of support, in order to maintain a consistent approach. Staff undertake a precise assessment of what children know and can do once they have settled, in close consultation with parents and/or carers during an initial progress meeting. Monthly targeted learning plans are then shared with parents, in order for them to support children's learning at home. This helps children to make the best progress, as a result of shared and consistent approach. Parents and/or carers are actively involved in sharing things from home to contribute to planning for the children. For example, they are asked to bring in items for

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who attend

the role play areas and food containers or boxes. These enable children to create three- dimensional structures with things they are familiar with. Parents and/or carers have also recently been asked to bring in family photographs to help staff create an 'All about me' display, to promote children's sense of belonging.

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who attend

Children are making good progress, even in the short time they have been attending, as a result of good-quality teaching, including adults' enthusiastic and motivating approach. Where children's starting points are below those of other children of their age, staff support them well, in order to narrow any achievement gaps. Adults carefully balance their interaction and rather than directing children's learning, they act as facilitators. Consequently, children are acquiring the necessary skills and capacity to develop and learn effectively and be ready for the next stages of learning as they move onto school. This is because they have ample opportunities to explore and investigate, make links, discover new things and develop curiosity through active learning. For example, children delight in spontaneously learning about aspects of nature, such as the wind. They observe its effect on different materials, which they hold in the air, such as crepe paper. This leads onto

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who attend

them experimenting with other things, for instance, a longer length of foil wrapping paper. As this escapes from their hands and floats into the air, children cannot contain their excitement as they run indoors, beckoning adults to go outside to look at something. As adults follow them, children point to the piece of foil, flapping amongst the branches of the tree it is caught in. Staff enthusiastically share in children's enjoyment and excitement, enhancing this really well. This is further demonstrated as staff have fun outdoors as children ask them to lay down, in order for them to draw around them with chalk.

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who attend

Staff, especially those who are more experienced or well qualified, skilfully listen to and question children during activities, in order to re-shape tasks and explanations to improve learning. New staff members who are a little less confident are supported by senior staff displaying statements, which can be used to extend children's creative and critical thinking as they play in different areas. Staff extend children's vocabulary as they play or during daily routines. For example, as children help to prepare fruit, they are encouraged to observe the patterns inside and staff introduce new words, such as segments. They also talk about the process of making orange juice. As staff sit alongside children playing with the dinosaurs, they extend their imagination by introducing new ideas. They encourage children to develop new interests and gain new skills as they monitor how children play and extend activities to support learning. For example, as children enjoy exploring the

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who attend

shells on the sea-themed table-top display, staff encourage them to put it to their ear and listen to any sounds. This extends to a discussion about what the shell looks like and a suggestion that they paint a picture of this. As staff hold the shell, children are encouraged to create their own representation of this. As they do so, children develop good small physical skills and early skills in writing and writing as they make different marks, which staff describe to them. Children are further supported as staff put names on their pictures, helping them to learn that print carries meaning as they link sounds to letters. Children's interest in print is fostered further through labelling in the environment and by staff enthusiastically reading stories. Children's early awareness of mathematical concepts is skilfully incorporated indoors and outdoors, for example, by number bays being created for the bicycles. Where children use English as an additional language, staff

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who attend

help them to link words to objects, to help develop their understanding and use of the English language. For example, they point to corresponding pictures of sea objects that are displayed on the wall and represented in books.

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

Staff promote children's well-being effectively. For example, they are fully aware of and sensitive to potential and actual harm to children. Staff demonstrate to children and families that they are all important and valued; they recognise their uniqueness and create a welcoming atmosphere. For example, they reflect the family backgrounds of all those who use the nursery through resources and dual language signs, created with the help of parents and/or carers. In addition, staff take great care to display children's artwork attractively. Children's sense of security and emotional well-being is effectively fostered through well-organised settling-in arrangements. Children are allocated a key person when they first begin attending, enabling them to build up a strong emotional attachment with a special person within the first few weeks. Consequently, positive relationships are observed between children and staff who are warm and nurturing and children develop

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

confidence to explore and try out new things. A welcome board in the nursery entrance enhances transition arrangements because there are photographs of the staff team and the names of children's key persons are displayed alongside these. There is close partnership working with parents and/or carers during the settling-in period children. For example, a variety of helpful and detailed documents are used to exchange specific information about each child's uniqueness. This ensures a consistent approach to children's care and education and ensures their individual needs are fully known and met. However, the arrangements for helping children who use English as an additional language to settle are not as strong in fully promoting their personal, emotional and social development. There are good arrangements in place for supporting children's future move to school, in order to foster their continued sense of security. For example, progress

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

reports are forwarded on and teachers are invited to visit children at nursery.

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

Children are supported well in developing independence and confidence. For example, staff create a very enabling environment, which allows children to make choices about what they would like to do; initiating their own learning. Children are encouraged to manage their own hygiene and personal needs, such as washing hands and putting on their coats to play outside. Where they are not yet able to manipulate fastenings, such as zips, staff sensitively intervene to support them. The daily routine and organisation of activities encourages children to have sustained time for concentration, engagement and extended thinking. For example, children do not have to break off from what they are doing because they decide when they would like to eat, as a result of the cafe style snack system. Older, more able children are involved in the preparation of snacks, helping to peel and chop up the fruit, practising their small physical skills as they use the child-

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

friendly knife. While doing so, staff skilfully use such daily routines as a perfect opportunity to extend and support children's learning. Children show good social skills, including listening and behave well, as a result of effective role modelling from staff, enthusiastic praise and encouragement and gentle explanations about sharing and taking turns. Younger children happily play alongside each other, for example, in the water tray. Older, more able children are beginning to develop friendships with others, linking up to share experiences. For example, they play imaginatively in the home corner role play area and build constructions together outside with the soft blocks.

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

Staff support children to develop a good understanding of the importance of physical exercise and a healthy diet. They provide only healthy snacks and drinks, as part of the centre's accreditation, encouraging children to make positive choices at nursery about what they eat. They regularly introduce new items to children to expand their experiences. Staff promote good hygiene routines, in order to minimise cross-infection and children are encouraged to wash their hands before eating and after toileting. However, older, more able children are not always encouraged to wash their hands after wiping their own nose, in order to develop a full understanding of how such practices contribute to good health. As children have free-flow access to the nursery outdoor area, they benefit greatly from fresh air and learn that exercise is good for them and have lots of fun. While using different types of equipment, such as wheeled toys and a small climbing frame and slide,

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

they learn to take managed risks and develop confidence in their physical skills. Children's understanding of dangers and keeping themselves safe is also reinforced inside. For example, staff remind them to be careful that they do not slip on the wet floor as they mop up spilt water.

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provision

Leadership and management of the nursery is strong. The organisation of and implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage is clearly attributed to the well- organised management structure. The provider and management team have a very secure understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements and the learning and development requirements. Therefore, they implement these successfully. Consequently, they promote children's welfare and ensure a good- quality early years experience for all children, with a key emphasis on inclusion. As part of this, there are good arrangements for monitoring the educational programmes, assessment and planning. Consequently, staff can ensure that all individuals or particular groups of children are effectively supported in their progression towards the early learning goals. Because organisational policies and procedures are robust, children are effectively

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provision

safeguarded. There are good recruitment and vetting arrangements. For example, as part of the selection process, prospective employees are observed with the children. In addition, new staff complete specific mandatory training as part of their thorough induction. Staff have a good knowledge of potential signs of abuse or neglect. They are aware of reporting procedures within their own organisation and externally. There are clearly designated roles and responsibilities and clear protocols in place for referring on concerns promptly to promote children's welfare. In addition, staff work very closely with other agencies to monitor children's continual well-being. Robust risk assessments ensure that hazards are effectively identified and minimised to keep children safe. In particular, the parents' entrance is extremely secure and a controlled electronic door fob system prevents general access to the nursery from the family centre. Staff are also vigilant in

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provision

maintaining a safe environment, promptly mopping up after children's excitable water play.

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provision

There is a strong drive for improvement of children' achievements over time and to ensure the nursery's continued future success. The ethos for a quality provision is clearly shared by all and reflected in robust self-evaluation, which involves staff at all levels and strong performance management. This includes regular staff supervision and appraisals, in which the professional development of the staff team is well supported, especially those who are newly employed in the company. Since the new nursery opened, new initiatives have had a very positive impact on the nursery provision and continue to be embedded. Additional future priorities are documented well. The nursery is very receptive to advice given by colleagues who work for the local authority and an Early Years Professional who works within the organisation. Ideas, such as adapting and using the environment more effectively to suit children's individual needs, are positively welcomed. They are then

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provision

implemented in a very timely manner to enhance children's care and learning. There has been a key emphasis on establishing the new staff team and settling-in new children. Parents and/or carers are encouraged to continually share their views of the nursery informally. Yearly questionnaires are going to be distributed to obtain their views more formally, once the nursery is more established. Parents and/or carers speak highly of the nursery. For example, they comment on the good communication, supportive staff, welcoming environment and the progress they have seen their children make during the short time they have been attending.

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provision

Staff have a good knowledge of the importance of working closely with parents and/or carers, in order to ensure a shared and consistent approach to children's care and learning. They have been closely involved in the opening of the new nursery, for instance, attending 'play and stay' sessions beforehand. This has also been helpful in helping children to settle-in to a new environment. Parents and/or carers are provided with good- quality information before children start and during their time at the nursery. For example, staff have friendly conversations with them each day, they can view displays and newsletters keep parents fully informed about any new initiatives. A family forum is currently being developed to increase parental involvement in the nursery. Where children have specific health needs, staff follow care plans precisely to promote their welfare. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of establishing strong partnerships with other

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provision

professionals, in order to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, should they be required to do so. Where shared care is provided, there is a good exchange of information between the nursery and other providers, in order to complement children's learning and help them to make the best progress.

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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 EY469692 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 937523 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 12 Name of provider Sure Start Hyndburn Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01254399488

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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

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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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