Shining Stars Nursery

Shining Stars Magdalen Co School, Magdalen Road, Wainfleet, SKEGNESS, Lincolnshire, PE24 4DD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/04/2014 07/12/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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 management team and room leaders are very good role models to staff in demonstrating effective teaching skills.  Children's safeguarding receives a high priority. They are cared for by suitably qualified and experienced staff, who ensure that the environment is safe and secure. In addition, systems are in place to ensure that all concerns are dealt with promptly and appropriately.  Children choose freely from a wide range of activities and resources both inside and outdoors. This supports their growing independence.  Partnerships with external agencies and other professionals make a strong contribution to meeting children's needs. This results in an integrated approach to children's care, learning and development.  Leadership of the nursery is strong; this increases the quality of the overall experience for children and their families.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities to extend children's already very good independence skills are not always fully promoted at snack time.

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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 activities in the two main playrooms.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager, the deputy, staff and children throughout the inspection.  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 staff working with children, the nursery's self-evaluation and a selection of policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Shining Stars opened in 2011. It operates from purpose built premises within a children's centre in Wainfleet, Skegness and is run by a registered charity. The nursery serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. The nursery opens five days a week, from 8am until 6pm, all year round except for bank holidays and for a week at Christmas. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Children are cared for within two main rooms and both have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 76 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. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children for whom English is an additional language. There is currently 13 staff working directly with children. Of these, two have a degree in early years, one who has achieved Early Years Professional status. Three have a

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Information about the setting

level 4 early years qualification, six have a level 3 early years qualification and one has a level 2 early years qualification. The nursery receives support from the local authority. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register.

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

 extend opportunities for children to further develop their independence and self- help skills at snack time, for example, by allowing children to be involved in the preparation of snacks.

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who attend

The educational programmes have depth and breadth across the areas of learning. Children are able to move freely between the indoor and outdoor environments, which offer a wide range of stimulating resources and activities for them to choose from. Staff have a good understanding of how children learn and develop. They are knowledgeable about each child's needs and their stage of development. This means staff effectively plan for children's next steps and support them to make good individual progress in their learning. Planning is based around a theme, for example, the theme in the pre-school room this term is based around growing. There are plans for children to visit the local garden centre before turning their role play area into their own garden centre. As a starting point for this theme they have been planting seeds and beans, as well as extending these activities to incorporate counting skills and discussions about healthy

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who attend

eating. As a result, children are gaining a good understanding of growth, decay and change over time, as well as a range of additional skills. For the younger children staff are supporting them to change their role play area into a post office because of their recent interest in playing with the envelopes added to the craft area. To consolidate children's learning a trip to the post office to post their own letters back to the nursery is planned. This type of activity helps children to develop a better knowledge about the wider world around them and learn about different occupations and ways of life. As a result, children are gaining the necessary skills in preparation for the next stage in the learning. Children's independence is promoted well as they are supported to put on their own coats and aprons and are encouraged to find resources for themselves. However, staff do not enable older children to build on their growing independence at snack time as the fruit is

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who attend

prepared for children. This means children are not always encouraged to develop confidence in doing things for themselves.

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who attend

The nursery supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. These children are well supported and make effective progress from their starting points. Important initial information is gathered from parents about children during settling-in sessions. This information helps children's key person to assess their starting points and individual learning needs. Teaching is good because staff demonstrate a strong knowledge of how children learn through play and how positive adult interaction supports learning. For example, after being outside in the rain, one child commented that a staff member's hair was wet. She asked the child why that was and opened the question to the other children listening nearby. She then extended the discussion further as children began to participate and offer their views. As a result, children strengthen their communication and language

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who attend

skills as they develop their critical thinking in readiness for school. Pictures, labels, shapes and numbers arranged around the nursery at children's level raises children's awareness of a range of print. These resources help children develop their early literacy and mathematical skills. Caring for the nursery pet guinea pigs and giant snails encourages children to show care and concern for living things and gives them a sense of responsibility. Parents have also taken an active role as they accompanied staff and children on a train journey to purchase the guinea pigs and transport them back to the nursery.

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who attend

Good relationships are being built with new families and the introduction of home visits has received very positive feedback from parents. Information about the Early Years Foundation Stage learning and development requirements is shared with parents through displays, organised events and children's individual learning journals. Staff encourage parents to share learning experiences from home through the introduction of 'wow apples'. These, once added, contribute to children's learning journals and support the key person to plan and develop learning further using interests and achievements from home. Regular opportunities are provided for parents to review their children's progress. In addition, a progress check at age two is provided to parents. This written summary identifies the child's strengths in their learning and development and any emerging concerns.

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

Children display good levels of confidence and self-esteem. This is because the key persons are skilled in forming firm and appropriate bonds and attachments with children. The effective implementation of a second key person ensures consistency is maintained at all times, providing a solid foundation to develop children's personal, social and emotional well-being in preparation for the next in their learning. Children's behaviour is generally good and this shows they feel safe in the setting. Staff are positive role models and have clear and consistent expectations for behaviour, which has been a successfully implemented target since the last inspection. The nursery is inclusive and children are learning to respect and celebrate each other's differences. For example, children have created a display of their own faces using a range of skin tone coloured paints and craft materials. As a result, children develop a sense of self-awareness and discover similarities

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

and differences between each other. Children show kindness towards each other and share toys and resources independently. For example, when using the computer children take their turn and pass it over to the next child waiting without an adult prompting. This shows children are forming good relationships with their peers.

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

Children have a good awareness of healthy practices and they demonstrate this as they know to wash their hands before sitting down to snack and after using the toilet. The nursery successfully promotes good self-care skills as children regularly visit the bathroom during toilet training. They receive lots of verbal praise for their achievements and therefore, quickly succeed in this area. Parents comment on the day of inspection that the nursery staff have been a huge support and effective mentors during toilet training for their children. Children have daily opportunities for fresh air and exercise as they access the garden freely during session times. They also participate in regular outings away from the nursery, for example, the post office, pet store, police station and grocers. This means children are developing a good awareness of their wider community. Cosy areas in each room provide children with a comfortable space to rest or be peaceful. There is also a

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

separate sleep area for the babies to sleep safely and undisturbed. Children are kept safe and are beginning to develop a good awareness of how to keep themselves safe through effective discussions. They are effectively supported to take safe risks as they test their capabilities and develop their physical skills. For example, children love to climb the large grass mound in the outdoor area where they confidently climb to the top and leap off into the soft grass below. As a result, children develop their confidence as they learn to negotiate the space around them and experiment with different ways of moving. Children are kept safe and secure at all times because staff have a very good awareness of their individual roles and responsibilities in the event of an emergency. For example, when the fire alarm sounds, children quickly line up at the door and are immediately led to the fire assembly point. The procedure was carried out promptly and safely. The older children

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

were aware of what was happening and what they had to do as they responded to their instructions. This shows that staff have a very good knowledge and understanding of procedures and as a result, children's safety is prioritised.

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

Effective partnerships with the on-site children's centre and local school support children's smooth transitions to their next stage of learning. Reception teachers are invited into the nursery to meet and get to know children prior to their transition. Schools receive a final assessment of what children know, understand and can do, which supports continuity of care. This highlights good partnership working and supports the teachers to gain a good understanding of each child's age and stage of development and ability prior to starting. Children moving on to the local school also have regular opportunities to visit the classrooms when not in use. This allows them to gain familiarity with the environment prior to attending. Staff further support transitions as they provide school uniforms for children to dress-up with, share stories and encourage conversations. As a result, children are confident as they prepare for their move to school.

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provision

The manager is well-qualified and has a strong understanding of her role in monitoring and delivering all aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children's progress and assessment is vigorously monitored to ensure they are consistent and precise. This confirms that children are making effective progress in relation to their starting points. Children's learning journals are monitored on a regular basis to ensure there is a good balance of learning taking place and that the observations are being used to inform challenging next steps. As a result, children are provided with opportunities to continually progress in all areas of their learning and development. Parents are encouraged to take their child's learning journal home on a regular basis and are invited to attend scheduled parent evenings. This means parents are kept fully informed about their child's learning and development. The manager is committed to providing good quality provision for all

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provision

children. The management team alongside room leaders model very effective teaching across the nursery. As a result, staff are developing effective teaching skills to support children to make good progress.

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provision

The manager and staff work well together and are committed to ensure that children in their care are kept safe and secure at all times. Security of the nursery is good and rooms can only be accessed using an electronic key fob. The outdoor area is enclosed and the gates are kept locked at all times. Rigorous systems are in place to assess risk and these are completed on a daily basis within the nursery premises and when children go on outings. Clear policies and procedures are in place, shared with parents and effectively implemented to promote the well-being of children. Children's records are completed with the required information to ensure individual needs are met and details of specific medical conditions and allergies are known to ensure every child and family is supported with their specific needs. Robust recruitment procedures are in place and suitability checks of all staff have been carried out. Effective induction systems ensure that all staff are clear

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provision

about their roles and responsibilities with a strong emphasis on safeguarding. As a result, staff show a good awareness and understanding of the possible signs of abuse or neglect and have access to a good amount of information and support to guide them.

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provision

Regular staff appraisals and supervision meetings are carried out to identify staff training needs to support their continued professional development. Staff access a wide range of training opportunities, which are shared during monthly staff meetings and their learning is effectively implemented into practice. For example, the deputy manager recently attended a 'Mathematics Champion programme'. This training was then cascaded to up- skill staff's ability and test their knowledge to allow them to teach children well. Strong relationships have been established with a wealth of professionals, who all contribute to children's learning and welfare. The manager and special educational needs coordinator work in partnership with these professionals to ensure all children are supported and any required intervention is quickly and efficiently implemented. The manager is developing a strong relationship with the on-site children's centre. They share a vision of collaborative

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provision

working and support for the joint families that attend. The manager and staff team work closely to implement improvements to the nursery. They reflect their thoughts in the thorough and accurate self-evaluation document, which takes into account the views of parents and children. Strengths are celebrated and identified areas of improvement show a clear vision and motivation to provide better outcomes for children. These include developing different areas within both rooms and extending the range of opportunities they provide to children. The nursery demonstrates good parent partnerships and the manager continues to develop these further by encouraging parents to become more involved. For example, parent volunteers have been recruited and a new parent forum is being set up to allow parents to be involved in reviewing policies, procedures and events within the nursery. Parents spoken to at the time of the inspection commented that their

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provision

children are making good progress and enjoy their time at nursery. Effective partnership with parents make a strong contribution to meeting the needs of children.

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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 EY430406 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 870385

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 45 Number of children on roll 76 Name of provider Children's Links Date of previous inspection 07/12/2011 Telephone number 01754 881606

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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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