Towcester Tots Day Nursery Ltd

Towcester Tots Day Nursery 2 Watling Street East, TOWCESTER, Northamptonshire, NN12 6AF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/02/2014 28/11/2013

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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

 Staff observe, assess and plan for individual learning effectively to ensure that children are consistently challenged to reach the next stage in their development.  Children's social and emotional needs are well-met by staff. Relationships are very good and this fosters a sense of belonging and ensures that children are confident learners.  The partnerships with parents and other early years providers are strong with regard to sharing information that aids staff in meeting children's care and learning needs effectively.  Children learn through play in a safe environment. They are safeguarded because staff are aware of their responsibilities to children from abuse and neglect.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The development of children's speaking skills is not fully maximised at all times. This is because when open-ended questions are asked, children are not always given time to think and then respond.  Independence is not promote consistently for all children with regard to opportunities for them to choose and select resources for themselves.

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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 compulsory part 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 playrooms and in the outdoor learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager of the provision and spoke to staff and children.  The inspector conducted joint observations with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's assessment records and planning, evidence of suitability of staff working within the setting, the provider's self- evaluation and a range of other documentation.  The inspector checked evidence of staff members' suitability and qualifications.  The inspector took account of the views of parents.

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Information about the setting

Towcester Tots Day Nursery was registered in 2006. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The nursery operates from a two-storey building on Watling Street in Towcester, Northamptonshire. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. It is privately owned and managed.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 53 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early years education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.45am until 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, one staff member is qualified at level 5, one is qualified at level 4, five at level 3 and one staff member is qualified at level 2. In addition, the provider holds an early years qualification at level 6 and Early Years Professional Status. There are three of these staff members working towards a higher level early years qualification, and two staff are working towards a qualification.

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

 enhance older children's language development by making sure that when they are asked open-ended questions, they are always given time to think and put their thought into words

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

 extend opportunities for younger children to choose and select resources for themselves, and make sure that babies can more frequently explore the good variety of natural resources available.

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who attend

Children make good progress. Staff ensure that they support children effectively to acquire the skills and capacity to learn and develop in order to reach the next steps in their learning. Key persons knowledge and understanding of how children develop and learn is good and planning for learning is tailored to individual needs. Communication with parents is effective with regard to obtaining information during induction about what their child already knows and can do. Parents views are highly valued and they are encouraged to share observations on learning at home so that staff can use this information when planning for next steps in learning for children. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well so that they make as much progress as they can. Staff support children well so that they develop skills in readiness for nursery class and school. They are aware of the requirement to provide parents with a progress check at

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who attend

age two and complete these where necessary.

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who attend

Children are happy, settled and secure. Older children speak confidently and staff promote all children's communication and language development well. Babies express themselves through their body language, expression and the different sounds that they make, and staff interpret their wants and needs well. Staff promote language development by repeating babies sounds and words. 'Baby signing' is used effectively for babies and young children, and these signs are also used effectively with children who have special educational needs. Pre-school children express themselves confidently, using full sentences when speaking to staff and to each other. In group situations staff ensure that all children have the opportunity to speak and speaking skills are promoted well because staff ask children open-ended questions. However, there are occasions when learning is not fully maximised. Staff do not always give children time to respond to open questions

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who attend

because they answer these questions themselves before children have the opportunity to do so.

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who attend

Small group times are used effectively by staff to promote learning across different learning areas. Pre-school children are invited to join a staff member 'on safari', using a role play area that they have created. Children talk about what they need to take with them and items include a phone and binoculars. They move around the playroom showing good control of their bodies as they follow the leader and pretend that they are walking over stones and running up hills. On arrival at the safari tent they use their binoculars while looking at pictures of animals and playing with toy animals. They use mathematical language as they talk about the animals being big or small. Writing skills are practised because children are provided with sheets of paper showing pictures of animals, and they are asked to make a mark inside a small circle next to the animal if they can find the corresponding toy. Children are then encouraged to draw a picture of their favourite

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who attend

animal. In the outdoor area, pre-school children and toddlers dig in the raised flower bed and play in a mud kitchen. They select plant pots, fill them with soil and skilfully carry water to fill the pots before planting daffodil bulbs. While they are digging, children find worms and staff encourage their exploratory play well because they encourage children to handle the worms and talk about how they feel and move. A small group of babies enjoy playing in a large tray filled with water that staff have made easily accessible to them on the floor. They enjoy splashing the water with their hands and they are encouraged to see the marks that the water makes on a towel and on the floor when they splash. Babies sensory development is promoted well by staff. They explore a range of media, for example, paint mixed with cereal, paint mixed with pasta and jelly. However, a good variety of natural 'treasure basket' resources are not made accessible for babies to explore

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who attend

on a day to day basis. Consequently, their sensory experiences are not consistently maximised.

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

Children's personal, social and emotional development is given a high priority by staff. Their emotional security is initially addressed well because a settling-in period is agreed with parents in accordance with children's different needs. Children are happy and confident as they develop a secure attachment with their key person and other staff. They are well prepared for their transition into other early years settings and reception class in school. This is because transition within the nursery is well organised and because links with the local school are good. A clear behaviour management policy is implemented effectively by staff. Children behave well. Strategies for managing behaviour include explanation and consistency, and staff use positive reinforcement in order to address children's confidence and self-esteem. Children's independence is promoted generally well. For example, they confidently make decisions about whether to play in playrooms or the

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

outdoor area, and they develop an ability to attend to their self-care needs. However, opportunities for children to easily choose and select resources for themselves are not consistent throughout the nursery. Resources are safe and meet children's learning and development needs well.

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

The nursery environment is safe, warm and welcoming. Admission information obtained from parents enables staff to address children's individual care needs effectively, and care routines are addressed well. Information on practice with regard to safety, illness and accidents is shared with parents. Children's good health is protected well because staff encourage them to be physically active. They gain confidence and physical skills with use a variety of large physical play equipment. Staff are aware of their responsibilities to protect children's health through the implementation of good general hygiene and food hygiene practices. Meals and snacks provided for children are healthy and nutritious. Children's welfare is addressed effectively because staff ensure that the environment is safe. Children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they practise the fire drill regularly and they learn about 'stranger danger'. Their learning is enhanced because

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

police and fire officers visit the nursery to talk with the children.

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provision

Staff ensure that children's health and safety is protected well. They are fully aware of their responsibilities with regard to supervising the children in their care and ensure that children are never left unsupervised with a person who has not been vetted. Security of the premises is addressed well. Staff assess and minimise risks successfully and strong systems are in place to protect children from abuse. Procedures for recruitment, selection and induction are good and vetting procedures for staff are thorough. Parents are made aware of the safeguarding policy, and the Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Board procedures are displayed on the notice board. The provider and manager ensure that their own and staff members safeguarding knowledge is kept up to date. Health and hygiene routines are good and the nursery has been awarded a maximum five star outcome following an environmental health inspection.

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provision

The staff team work well together to review and improve the provision for children and parents. The educational programmes are successfully monitored in order to ensure that children make good progress. In response to a recommendation made at the time of the last inspection, so that best use is made of staff members past experience and skills, there have been changes made to the age group of children that staff work with. A current priority for improvement is to continually seek to find training courses that inspire experienced qualified staff. A course that several staff are interested in accessing is 'Let them be 2'. Processes for staff supervision, performance management, training and ongoing professional development are good. The provider welcomes advice and support offered by local authority development workers. The choice of resources is good and books and toys meet children's needs at their different stages of development well.

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provision

The partnership with parents is strong because communication, both written and verbal, between staff and parents is good. This ensures that they work well together to meet children's different needs effectively. Links with other early years providers are strong and this ensures a cohesive approach to each early years child's care and learning. Policies and procedures support the safe and efficient management of the provision and parents are made aware of them. Parents share very positive views about the service provided. Required documentation is kept up to date and in good order, which supports the safe and efficient management of the nursery.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY414844 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 952130

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 57 Number of children on roll 53 Name of provider Towcester Tots Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 28/11/2013 Telephone number 01327354007

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

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

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