Little Angels Day Nursery

Little Angels Day Nursery East Tilbury Children's Centre, Princess Margaret Road, Tilbury, Essex, RM18 8SB

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31/03/2014 Not Applicable

p.1

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

p.1

This provision is good

 Teaching is good. Staff know children very well and provide a well-planned, well- resourced and effective learning environment, both inside and outdoors.  Safeguarding procedures are very effective. Children are protected from harm due to well-practiced procedures, as well as the very professional partnerships they promote with other agencies.  Children's communication and language skills are promoted highly through a well- established and effective programme used in all rooms according to each child's level of development.  Staff make excellent use of the outdoor environment to support all areas of children's learning, particularly their curiosity, exploration and social interaction skills.  Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff use extremely good strategies to support children's understanding of right and wrong in a very calm and professional manner.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 Sometimes the usually well-organised staff are distracted during busy periods. This means that during these times children occasionally do not receive the otherwise high levels of adult support.  The self-evaluation programme is not sufficiently reflective to show the effectiveness of the improvements that are consistently being made in the nursery.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out observations of staff practice in both the indoor and outdoor environments.  The inspector sampled a full range of documentation.  The inspector took into consideration views from parents and carers.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with senior staff.  The inspector reviewed the self-evaluation programme.

p.2

Information about the setting

Little Angels Day Nursery registered as a limited company on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register in 2013. It operates from four playrooms in a purpose built premises, incorporating a children's centre. This is situated on the infant and junior school site in East Tilbury, Essex. All children share access to an outdoor play area, with a separate area for babies. Access to the premises is via a ramp to the front entrance. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. There are three apprentices working towards early years qualifications and the nursery also employs a cook and an administrator. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Opening times are from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions or for out of school care. There are 141 children attending in the early years age range. The nursery provides

p.3

Information about the setting

funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The setting receives support from the local authority.

p.3

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

 review the deployment of staff during busy periods in the baby room to ensure that all children benefit consistently from good levels of adult support in their learning and development

p.3

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

 reflect on the changes made to the provision to check that the action taken consistently improves the quality of children's care and learning.

p.3

who attend

Children are making good progress in all areas of learning within the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff are highly skilled at providing challenges and stretching children's learning through effective questions and statements that make children think for themselves. Children thrive in an exciting and varied learning environment that fully supports their learning both inside and outside. Children are engaged in all manner of activities that link to their interests either through child-initiated or adult-led play. Staff have a well-developed knowledge of how children learn and how to apply good teaching to support different levels of ability within a group of similarly aged children. Therefore, children's individual developmental needs are promoted well. However, on occasions, when there are busy periods in the baby room staff are not able to provide the youngest children with the usually high levels of adult support needed to maximise every aspect of

p.3

who attend

Children thoroughly enjoy the outside play area, using all the space and resources available to them to explore, experiment and interact with their peers. Staff support their learning extremely well outside, engaging children in their play and encouraging intrigue and curiosity. For example, young children, new to the setting, are encouraged to explore the hills and mounds in the garden to discover the talking tubes. They experiment with sound and listening skills, resulting in positive experiences of technology and learning to interact with other children. Children in the baby room really enjoy exploring texture. They experiment with materials and watch the end result with awe. Staff allow children to explore the feel of glue and glitter, watching to see how children react to the feel and sight of the glitter, as well as the stickiness of the glue. Staff use very effective questions to absorb children in the activity, challenging the more able children with questions to

p.4

who attend

promote their thinking, reactions and speaking skills. Simplified questions are used with the younger children to encourage participation. Pre-school children are supported in their readiness for school very well. They develop strong skills in writing and show a clear understanding of the purpose of labelling and mark making by writing their names in clearly formed letters on pieces of finished artwork. Numbers and references to colour, shape and size are brought into all activities to support children's understanding that mathematics is around them at all times and is used in everyday routines. Children's language and communication skills are highly promoted throughout the nursery. The nursery uses the 'Every Child a Talker' programme to engage children in conversation to promote their listening and understanding skills through simple and effective activities. Staff use very effective teaching strategies to encourage speaking, initially by encouraging

p.4

who attend

gestures and expressions to support children in communicating their needs. This proves very successful. For example, assessments show that gaps are being closed in the progress that different groups of children are making.

p.4

who attend

The nursery uses a very successful assessment programme. Staff gain information from parents when children first start to initiate planning for children's next steps. Children are carefully observed and these observations are used to track children's achievements within the areas of learning and to monitor and identify areas of concern or for the next stages of their development. Activities are planned for according to children's individual learning needs. Parents are encouraged to share children's progress from home through the 'wow' board and this information is used as part of the assessment programme to show their learning in other environments. Ongoing reviews are shared with parents, as well as ideas to promote learning at home. These are effectively used to support children as they move to other rooms or to school to promote their continual development and readiness for formal education.

p.4

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

Children's well-being is competently promoted. The key person system is initiated well when children first settle; with careful monitoring to ensure children make close attachments and bonds with their key person to promote close emotional ties. This helps to support children's progress, particularly their self-esteem and independence. Staff act as very positive role models for children. They work well together, supporting each other's roles and taking responsibility for delegated duties. Children's behaviour is exemplary. This is due to the consistent and positive behaviour management practices throughout the nursery. Children receive praise and recognition for achievements and are given clear and positive explanations to support their understanding of right and wrong. Staff are quick to intervene to support children with challenging behaviour, helping them to listen, reason and understand their feelings towards others. Staff work very closely with parents

p.4

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

regarding behaviour management to share strategies to provide consistent practices. Children are independent and confident in their play, taking the initiative to explore their surroundings and listen to instructions to keep themselves safe. For example, a group of children return to the room for snack. They stop at the top of the slope and express their understanding of waiting for staff to come with them to keep them safe. Staff have a very clear understanding of how to keep children safe from harm. All staff have received suitable training and this understanding is underpinned through effective practices. Professional links are successfully made between the nursery and other agencies to share information and to promote continuity of care and well-being.

p.5

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

Children develop a clear understanding of healthy living. They all have access to fresh air and outdoor play everyday and for most of the day. They make decisions for themselves as to whether they need coats on at a very early age. Children thoroughly enjoy the physical play, both indoors and outdoors but especially in the large, well-resourced garden. Children demonstrate emerging skills of pedalling bikes and asking others to help them by pushing from behind. Other children use skills to throw discs with enormous skill, propelling them long distances. Children use different speeds and paces around the track and show an understanding of helping each other and cheering each other on when others fall behind. Children help themselves to drinks throughout the day, quenching their thirst. They have freshly prepared meals everyday with a healthy snack in between. These are provided for children according to their individual dietary needs. Parents receive

p.5

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

information to support their understanding of healthy foods for children. Children demonstrate a clear developing understanding of good hygiene procedures. Older children take themselves to the bathroom and wash their hands independently before eating, after toileting and messy play. Younger children receive encouraging support to gain these independence skills in their self-care. These skills show that children are well-prepared for the next stage in their learning.

p.5

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

Staff promote children's understanding of the world around them and the differences in society well. They use resources that promote positive images of race, language, culture, gender and disability. Children with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities have effective support from all staff who use teaching strategies well to meet their individual needs.

p.5

provision

All staff, including the deputies, manager and registered person take responsibilities for monitoring the educational programme for all children. This is carefully assessed and results are positively used to make changes to improve the programme further. This supports children's learning and development and therefore, they make good progress towards the early learning goals. The monitoring also tracks the effectiveness of the assessment programme, which is used consistent throughout the nursery. By using this system staff successfully close the gap and providing appropriate intervention when children with identified needs are targeted. The management team have a very clear understanding of their role and responsibilities towards meeting the safeguarding and welfare and learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Robust recruitment procedures are in place to recruit

p.5

provision

suitably checked, qualified and experienced staff to work with children. A successful apprenticeship programme supports staff to gain professional qualifications and training. Policies and procedures are reviewed and updated regularly. These are shared with parents and staff through displays. Simplified versions are made available for easy understanding. Documentation that promotes children's ongoing welfare is recorded well, reviewed and evaluated and kept confidential. For example, accident records are completed immediately, shared with parents and reviewed to assess any hazards. Thorough risk assessments are completed and are implemented efficiently by all staff. Daily checks are carried out of the indoor and outdoor environments. A formal risk assessment is carried out frequently to monitor the environment and changes are made immediately when necessary. Staff record and monitor existing injuries as part of their

p.6

provision

responsibility to protect children from harm. These are also used to monitor and identify any developmental concerns.

p.6

provision

The whole staff team show a clear dedication and commitment to making improvements for children and their families. Staff regularly meet to discuss changes in practices, information from training and from other settings that are used to improve staff practice. Staff attend regular training both through the local authority and in-house. All staff are encouraged to bring new ideas to the nursery and implement these to great success. These successes are also shared with their sister nursery to provide continuity within the company. The nursery is committed to self-evaluation but has not used this as well as it can to demonstrate the effectiveness of the changes and the positive impact they have on the service provided for children and their families. A very positive appraisal and supervision programme identifies strengths and weaknesses in staff performance and is used to develop a training programme to support their professional development.

p.6

provision

The nursery promotes very positive partnerships with parents. Parents make very positive comments about their relationships with their key person and staff as a whole. They feel confident in the information they receive and are encouraged to share information from home to promote consistent practices. Parents feel welcome in the nursery and approach staff at any time to discuss their children. They have regular access to children's development information and are encouraged to take part in the nursery day. For example, fathers are encouraged to participate in their children's day to promote positive male role models for children. Parents have access to a good range of displayed, written, online and pictorial information about the nursery and how their children are taken care of and educated. The nursery has very professional relationships with others. They have close links with local schools, easing the move on to school for older children. They work

p.6

provision

closely with the children's centre, supporting parents to attend groups and using their facilities to extend children's experiences. They liaise with other professionals, such as area special educational needs coordinators, health visitors and social workers to provide a consistent approach to children's learning and care.

p.6

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

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

Setting details

Unique reference number EY469288 Local authority Thurrock Inspection number 940185 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 96 Number of children on roll 141 Name of provider LADN Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01375841100

p.9

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.

p.9

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.10

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,

p.10

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’.

p.11

Type of provision

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

p.11