Happy Hours Day Nursery

Happy Hours Day Nursery Happy Hours Day Nursery, Milton Crescent, DUDLEY, West Midlands, DY3 3DR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/03/2014 16/08/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Secure bonds between children and staff are in place throughout as a result of positive interaction between adults and children. Children are safeguarded as there are appropriate policies and procedures in place. Also, staff have a secure understanding of how to protect children.  Staff plan interesting activities both indoors and outdoors that support children in making good progress in all areas of their learning and development. Teaching is of a good quality and consistently supports children to think critically and become confident communicators.  Children manage the well planned and interesting play areas, which promotes their confidence. Relationships with parents are well established and they are provided with a wide range of ideas where they can continue with their child's learning at home.

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It is not yet good because

 The nursery has failed to inform parents of accidents sustained by a child, on the same day or as soon as it was reasonably practicable compromising children's welfare.  Self-evaluation does not take full account recent breaches of statutory requirements, and as a result, is not focused sufficiently on improving weaknesses in the nursery.  Children are not actively encouraged to understand which foods contribute towards a healthy lifestyle at mealtimes and why they need to eat a variety of food.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the four playrooms and the outside learning environment.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held meetings with the owner and the two managers of the nursery.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and from information included in the setting's own parent survey.

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Information about the setting

Happy Hours Day Nursery was registered in 1989 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a purpose built premises on the campus of The Straits Primary School, in the Gornal area of Dudley. The nursery is privately owned and is accessible to all children and serves the local area. It operates from three main care rooms and there are two enclosed outdoor areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 19 members of childcare staff. Of these, 15 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including one member of staff, who holds an appropriate qualification at level 5. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 92 children attending, who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children and supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 ensure that parents are informed of any accident or injury sustained by their child on the same day, or as soon as reasonably practicable and that all staff consistently implement the relevant policy and procedures.

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

 improve self-evaluation, so this places a clear focus on improving weaknesses in the nursery and any breaches of statutory requirements that have an impact on children's well-being

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

 promote children's understanding during discussions at mealtimes of why they need to eat a range of different foods to sustain a healthy lifestyle.

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who attend

Children make good progress in this nursery as staff have a good understanding of how to promote effective learning opportunities. This results in effective teaching as activities are stimulating and focus on children's different needs and stages of development. Assessments of each child's needs commence as they start at the nursery as staff observe their play preferences and then securely plan for their further development. Planning then closely links to any gaps in the child's learning as staff include activities that builds on what they already know. Children are confident in their play and learning as there is an interesting range of indoor and outdoor resources that provide strong inspiration for their creative skills. Younger children are enthralled as they discover the floor is filled with shredded paper. They enjoy picking up handfuls in their arms and throwing this in the air. They carefully observe how this falls onto the ground, which encourages the development

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who attend

of their hand-eye coordination skills. They enjoy extending their physical skills as they climb steps on the soft play equipment, which increases their sense of adventure as they enjoy the excitement and sensation of landing in the crunchy paper. Staff extend learning opportunities as they introduce new words to the children enhancing their vocabulary and developing their communication skills. Staff wait for the less confident children to approach the activity, so they can enjoy this at their own pace and then gently support their curiosity. Staff carefully observe and assess children throughout their activities, knowing when to intervene and ask questions. This results in rich learning experiences where children make optimum progress and thoroughly enjoy their learning.

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who attend

Outdoor play is made accessible throughout most of they day, which encourages children to discover further experiences. Older children work together and build a den using different sized crates and washing up bowls. They develop strong problem solving skills as they utilise the smaller crates to build the walls and larger crates for the roof. Staff extend children's creativity by asking questions that inspires their imaginative thinking even further. This encourages children's sense of adventure and they begin to work together deciding what they can build. They learn that including each other in their play opens up further opportunities as they help each other carry the larger crates. Their problem solving skills are challenged when they decide the den is to become a garage and successfully park a wheeled toy inside. These activities are good preparation for the next stage in children's learning and as they move into full-time school. Children are developing their

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who attend

independence as they scrape their plates at lunch time and see to their own personal needs.

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who attend

Group circle time is made stimulating for toddlers as staff introduce colour sheets and shapes. This encourages children to recognise the colours they are wearing and match these to similar colours in the room. This promotes children's conversational skills and develops their confidence as they ask and answer questions. Older children enjoy group circle time as they participate in a song about currant buns. This develops their understanding of subtracting a smaller number from a larger one and some understanding of position, size, and shape. Outdoor play is continuous throughout the day and increasingly popular with children as they weather gets warmer. Staff support children as they enjoy the outdoors even when it is raining. They provide children with umbrellas, which they practise putting up and down and develops their understanding of how things work. A raised bank provides further challenge for children as they climb up this to reach

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who attend

the playhouse. Here, they negotiate their play ideas with other children, developing their imaginary ideas. This helps them begin to tell each other stories as they describe to one another what they are doing. The nursery has introduced a range of technological toys into the nursery, which enhances children's understanding of how things work. Parents are encouraged to continue with their child's education as staff discuss their progress with them when they collect their child from nursery. They have regular access to their child's documented learning journal and planning of their activities. This keeps parents well informed about their child's activities at nursery and what their child enjoys most. As a result, this supports parents effectively as they continue with their child's learning at home.

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

Children settle effectively into the nursery as staff spend time listening to their parents and understanding how their child's individual needs are to be met. Gradual settling-in sessions enable children to become accustomed to their new environment and their key person. Children feel secure as staff are warm and caring and fully attentive to children's immediate needs throughout the day. Children behave well and are considerate of the needs of others. They enjoy including each other in their play activities and older children help to keep the playrooms tidy as they clear away toys after activities. Staff encourage children to play safely by observing their activities and updating the risk assessments when they have new equipment or there is a new activity. The nursery, however, has failed to inform parents on the same day or as soon as reasonably practicable of two accidents, which is a breach of requirements. This compromises children's welfare as their

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

parents have were not updated of an accident their child has sustained at nursery. However, as the nursery has now put in place suitable documentation, this does not have significant impact on children's safety and well-being.

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

Children are encouraged to say 'please' and 'thank you' particularly at mealtimes when their food is served. They enjoy nutritious food that is cooked in nursery and meets their individual needs. Staff, however, do not actively encourage children through discussion to understand which foods contribute towards a healthy lifestyle at mealtimes and why they need to eat a variety of food. Children are familiar with the everyday routines, such as washing their hands before meals, which helps them understand how to protect themselves against infection. They go on outings that help them understand the world around them and the people that help us. Outings to local woods, hedgerows and shops further enhance the activities provided at nursery. The nursery has two outdoor play areas, one used by the older children and another used by babies and younger children. This provides children with extended learning opportunities as they descend a slide

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

confidently and use wheeled toys contributing well towards their physical development.

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

The premises are well resourced with a wide range of interesting toys and equipment. Children are encouraged to be adventurous and manage straightforward risks in their play environment. This is supported by regular risk assessments that consider the needs of the children and all activities. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported as staff are skilled at working with external agencies. With the permission of parents, physiotherapists visit the nursery and work closely with staff supporting individual children. Staff then include any direction and guidance from these professionals ensuring that children access additional support.

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provision

The inspection was brought forward as the result of a complaint. A child had sustained two minor accidents at the nursery within two weeks of each other. On both occasions, the parent was not informed on the same day or soon as it was reasonable practicable. The nursery complaints procedure was followed when this was raised and the nursery has since improved their procedures, so that parents are now informed of accidents in a timely manner. Although, this is breach of the statutory requirements, this does not have a significant impact on children's safety and well-being. Action plans include opinions from parents and staff and children, which encourage staff to reflect on what they do well and what they need to do to improve. Even though all staff are aware of the incident and about implementing the new procedures, the incident has not been reflected upon during the nursery self-evaluation to ensure continual implementation, which places limitations on

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provision

the effectiveness of long term improvement. Children are well safeguarded, if there are any concerns regarding their care and well-being. Managers and staff have completed safeguarding training and are fully aware of what would concern them regarding a child's care. Staff recruitment is effective with many staff having been employed by the nursery for several years. They are encouraged to pursue additional qualifications with the support of nursery managers. Regular staff supervision sessions and staff appraisals ensure that they are clear about the learning and development requirements and can discuss their performance with a senior member of staff. Room meetings and managers meetings use quality audits effectively to support and adapt activities and the educational programme.

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provision

Managers and staff have commenced sharing positive practice with other nurseries and have found the experience deeply inspiring and a positive drive towards further positive practice. Peer observations of staff practice have commenced and managers and staff find this very useful. The educational programme is closely monitored and specific support is put in place for individual staff. Regular training for staff is secured through the local authority or brought into the nursery, so the staff group can benefit from training sessions alongside one another. Staff are effectively deployed to ensure there is a generous ratio of staff to children.

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provision

The nursery has in place strong relationships with the host school and other local schools where children will eventually move onto. Teachers from the school are regular visitors to the nursery and children use the school hall for some activities and join in with story time in the main school building. These activities are all designed to encourage children to make a smooth transfer when they move into full-time school. Staff work closely with outside agencies to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the support that they need to make progress in their learning. Staff share information effectively with other professionals and early years setting where care is provided for children. There are positive partnerships in place with parents who are included at all times in their child's learning, so that children benefit from consistent care and learning.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 253801 Local authority Dudley Inspection number 953952

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 48 Number of children on roll 92 Name of provider Julie Elcock Date of previous inspection 16/08/2013 Telephone number 01902 881021

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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

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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