Little Clovers Day Nursery

Little Clovers Day Nursery Wildmoor Avenue, OLDHAM, Lancashire, OL4 5PU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/06/2014 24/03/2009

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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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children are happy motivated and eager to learn. They show high levels of independence and confidently explore a stimulating, well-resourced learning environment, which successfully promotes independent learning both indoors and outdoors.  Practitioners are sensitive and attentive to children's individual needs and know them exceptionally well. Therefore, children's emotional well-being is effectively promoted and children feel safe, secure and are confident and happy.  Practitioners establish good partnerships with parents, which support a consistent approach to children's learning, both at the nursery and at home.  The manager is highly committed to developing a high quality provision for all and self- evaluation is robust. As a result, effective systems are implemented to inform priorities for improvement and are used to set challenging targets for the future.  Children are well protected because clear policies and procedures for safeguarding are

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This provision is good

in place, which are regularly reviewed and understood by all practitioners.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The new assessment system has not yet been fully evaluated to ensure that it is working effectively to monitor children's progress.  There is scope to provide more opportunities to support children's growing exploration and investigation of technology and how things work.

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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 children during adult-led and child-initiated activities presented in the main playroom and outdoor play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation of a teaching and learning activity with the manager in the main playroom.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation and discussed these with practitioners.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager of the nursery and checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with the children, risk assessment procedures, safeguarding procedures and discussed the self-evaluation and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers through information in children's learning journals and the nursery comments book.

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Information about the setting

Little Clovers Day Nursery was registered in 2001 on the Early Years Register. It is managed by a private individual. It operates from self-contained premises attached to Alexandra Children's Centre, in the Holts village area of Oldham. The nursery serves the immediate locality and is accessible to all children. It operates from one large room. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 8am until 6pm, for 49 weeks of the year, with the exception of bank holidays, one week closure in August and two weeks closure at Christmas. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 54 children on roll. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs five childcare practitioners including the manager, all of

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Information about the setting

whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and 3. The deputy holds an early years qualification at level 6. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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

 consolidate systems to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of the new assessment process to extend the first rate practice already achieved so that it is sustained and constantly improved upon

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

 enhance the already good provision by maximising opportunities for children to use simple technology resources in their play, such as, torches, cameras and remote control toys to support children's growing exploratory and investigative skills.

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who attend

Children are welcomed into a vibrant and stimulating environment both indoors and outdoors, which effectively supports them in making good progress in their learning and development. Children arrive at the nursery, happy, confident and full of enthusiasm. They have space to move around in safety and are able to easily reach a wide range of good quality, developmentally appropriate resources that promote their curiosity and interest. There is a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities which successfully supports children in their future learning. Practitioners fully understand that sharing information with parents has a positive impact on children's learning and development. They use information about what children are doing and are interested in at home, in order to provide meaningful experiences. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their children's learning and development from the outset. Practitioners provide a broad range

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who attend

of opportunities for parents to share what they know about their children. For example, through daily discussions and parents are encouraged to share their children's achievements and experiences at home. This information is used effectively to inform the planning of activities in the nursery and when talking to children. Practitioners keep parents informed about children's achievements and progress through daily discussions and regular meetings, which provide opportunities for parents to discuss their child's next steps in learning. This means that practitioners ensure they have a clear picture of each child's interests and abilities, so they can effectively meet individual needs and build on their learning. Practitioners consistently provide children with sensitive support which enables children to acquire the skills, attitudes and dispositions they need in preparation for their progression onto school. For example, pre-school children are provided with

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who attend

opportunities to meet their new teachers, who are encouraged to visit the nursery to observe children in their familiar environment. In addition, practitioners engage children in discussions and role-play activities, enabling them to feel more confident in the move to school.

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who attend

Teaching techniques are consistently strong across the nursery and on occasions outstanding. As a result, children are effectively supported to acquire the skills and capacity to learn and develop effectively. Practitioners successfully engage and focus children in good quality conversation to promote their language skills. They are sensitive to individual needs by using familiar phrases of home languages. The use of early phonics and gestures enable children to become confident in practising their communication skills as they play. In addition, language and story sacks are used for focused group activities further promoting children's interest and communication. Children plan and think critically about what they want to do, showing the characteristics of effective learning. They eagerly build and construct bridges using a variety of large construction materials, drapes and boxes. Therefore, their mathematical skills of recognising shape, space and measure

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who attend

are promoted. Older children count confidently. They demonstrate their awareness of number recognition as they identify numbers on plant pots correctly, which they knock over with balls. Younger children that require additional support are encouraged to count small bears. They participate in simple counting songs, developing their early numeracy skills. Practitioners make every effort to ensure all areas of learning are available to children. For example, children confidently play with the computer. They discover when they click the mouse in a certain position they are able to complete simple tasks. This helps to develop their understanding of how technology is used for a particular purpose. However, access to a variety of information and communication technology, such as digital cameras, torches and magnets are not fully maximised for children to develop their investigation skills for the future.

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who attend

Children are provided with continual opportunities to play outdoors. They learn about the natural environment as they collect fresh leaves for their stick insect habitat. They discover that some plants have tiny thorns which are sharp and squeal with delight as they find spider webs hidden among the foliage. They eagerly observe droplets of rain on the webs and enthusiastically collect snails which they study with interest. They catch rain drops with containers and jump in puddles creating big and small splashes. They develop their hand and eye coordination as they throw balls to knock off small plant pots from cones. They engage in making a variety of marks as they help themselves to a wide range of mark making tools, such as, pencils, chalks, crayons and brushes. These help children to develop their hand and eye coordination skills necessary for early writing. All children discover that print has meaning as they happily engage in story sessions. Practitioners

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who attend

combine story telling with puppets and aids which capture children's interests and sustain their attention. Children enthusiastically make up their own songs using puppets, developing their language skills and pronunciation of words. Practitioners provide many sensory experiences for children through a variety of play experiences. Children enjoy and delight in exploring malleable materials, such as play dough and sand. They are provided with uninterrupted time to express themselves creatively as they form patterns using a selection of fresh vegetables. They use their imagination in role play and small world areas as they instigate their own play. For example, children use a combination of props, such as string which they weave around objects. They carefully position a selection of small dinosaur figures among the string and proudly exclaim they have created a 'dinosaur nest'. The combination of well-considered activities and areas of play ensure children

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who attend

develop skills, which help them to be prepared effectively for the next stage in their learning. Support for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, or speak English as an additional language, is highly effective. As a result, children are supported to ensure identified gaps in their development are planned for and addressed, in order for them to make the best possible progress.

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

Children's emotional well-being is extremely well supported as a result of a highly successful key-person system and the effective deployment of practitioners. This enables children of all ages to form secure emotional attachments and successfully promotes their developing independence and exploration. Practitioners gather high quality information from parents when their children first start attending to ensure they are fully aware of children's care needs, interests, likes and dislikes. Practitioners are loving, patient and approachable which effectively supports children in adapting to changes from home to nursery routines. New children settle very quickly, demonstrating elevated levels of contentment and confidence. Together this results in building children's confidence in approaching new experiences. Children demonstrate high levels of self-control during activities and display confidence in social situations. Children are extremely well behaved

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

because they are purposefully occupied. Clear boundaries and rules are supported by calm, simple, age-appropriate explanations from practitioners. Practitioners act as positive role models and have high expectations of children's behaviour. They provide a variety of resources and one-to-one attention, so children learn to play alongside each other contentedly. Older children share and negotiate throughout many aspects of their play. For example, during a dough making activity, children take turns, share ideas and resources and work together in pairs and small groups. This prepares children very well for their future learning and eventual move to school.

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

Practitioners teach children how to develop healthy lifestyles very well. They plan regular time outdoors where children spend time in the fresh air being physically active. Practitioners regularly support children to carry out everyday routines, such as hand washing and preparing and serving snacks. Children learn about healthy eating through discussions and activities. For example, they learn about food cycles as they participate in gardening activities, where they grow a variety of fruit and vegetables, which they prepare and eat. Practitioners ensure there are refreshments throughout the day as drinking water is located within easy reach. They sensitively recognise when children are tired or upset and are on hand to provide support, reassurance and interaction. As a result, children demonstrate excellent levels of self-esteem. Children are sensitively supported to explore their feelings and express themselves through the use of soft toys, visual images and

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

stories and actively treat each other with kindness and respect. Their achievements are jointly celebrated through visual displays that exhibit their artwork and certificates they have achieved. Children's views are valued as they are displayed and discussed both individually and as part of circle time. Practitioners are dedicated and committed to include all children and treat them with equal concern. They provide meaningful activities based on children's interest which ensures they are happily occupied. Children learn to appreciate different cultures and religions through participating in the celebration of a variety of festivals; such as Chinese New Year, where they use chinese utensils. They access toys that reflect diversity, enabling them to respect each other's differences.

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

An extensive range of high quality resources are within easy reach enabling children to make choices as they engage in a variety of play activities. Children demonstrate an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe as they are effectively supported in trying new experiences. For example, as children balance on logs and climb low level trees, practitioners step back to allow them to accomplish achievements on their own. Children are encouraged to make sensible and informed decisions about how to deal with unfamiliar and unpredictable situations. They are provided with opportunities to explore and develop skills using a variety of tools to build shelters and dens. Their awareness of safety is further enhanced through regular discussions. Children demonstrate how they hold scissors safely as they go outside to gather leaves from bushes. They participate in visits to the local community, where they are encouraged to identify risks. For example,

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

children are aware to wash their hands after handling farm animals and develop their awareness of road safety as they practise the Green cross code.

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provision

The manager fully understands her responsibility in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All practitioners display a solid and confident approach to child protection. They are fully aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse and of the action they must take to protect children. All supporting policies are in place and practitioners know who to contact and have available to them, the necessary information and telephone details. The manager effectively implements robust systems to monitor practitioners' knowledge and ensure that they are kept fully informed of current procedures to follow in event of any child protection concerns arising. Robust recruitment and induction procedures are implemented. All practitioners working directly with the children hold appropriate early years qualifications and have appropriate suitability checks carried out, which helps to ensure children are safeguarded and that practitioners are

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provision

suitable to fulfil the requirements of their role. The manager and practitioners are proactive in ensuring that the premises are checked on a daily basis, to identify any potential hazards and ensure they are removed. Risk assessment records are updated regularly. In addition, systems are implemented to ensure that practitioners are well deployed throughout the day. As a result, children are supervised and monitored effectively to promote their safety and well-being.

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provision

The manager displays an awareness of the responsibility in meeting the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All practitioners access ongoing supervision, appraisals and attend regular meetings where information is cascaded. This ensures that they are kept informed of any changes in practice, policies or procedures. The manager conducts regular observations in the nursery to monitor the quality of teaching and learning. There are robust procedures in place for identifying clear strengths and weaknesses. Planned actions are implemented effectively to overcome any areas of weakness. For example, the manager has liaised closely with the early years team and children's centre teacher to support practitioners in improving the planning system. As a result, practitioners are more confident in planning for children's current interests and ensuring that the learning experiences for children are meaningful, and challenging. This

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provision

ensures any identified gaps in learning are addressed and targeted plans for intervention are successfully implemented. Observation formats have recently been enhanced to ensure that assessments are precise and sharply focused. As a result, practitioners use the information gathered from observations more effectively when planning for children's next steps. This also enables practitioners to reflect on their teaching styles to achieve better learning outcomes for children. However, monitoring systems to ensure that the revised observation format is consistently sustained are yet to be fully consolidated. All recommendations from the last inspection have been completed successfully and have had a positive impact on children's learning experiences and welfare. For example, all practitioners have attended training in how to manage children's behaviour more effectively. Agreed behaviour management strategies are consistently applied and

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provision

sensitively implemented, taking into account children's individual needs. Consequently children are exceptionally well-behaved and demonstrate a clear understanding of routines and boundaries.

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provision

A strong commitment to partnership working with parents and external agencies is evident and well-established and contributes to meeting children's needs. Practitioners work closely with a range of professionals, such as speech and language therapists and oral health workers. They use available support and advice and are keen to implement suggestions to enhance their practice. For example, by providing visual time tables to help children with limited language to express their interests and implementing activities about healthy eating and dental hygiene. Close liaison with local schools and sensitive support provided by practitioners ensures that children are prepared for their move on to school. Children benefit from the close working relationships between practitioners and parents. Parents' views are sought through discussions, written comments and questionnaires. Photographs are also readily available to illustrate the breadth of activities that children

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provision

are actively involved in throughout their time at the setting.

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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 301009 Local authority Oldham Inspection number 876648

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 54 Name of provider Jacqueline Roper Date of previous inspection 24/03/2009 Telephone number 0161 652 1003

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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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