Spinning Top Childcare Ltd

Spinning Top Childcare Ltd 2 Melbourne Grove, BRADFORD, West Yorkshire, BD3 8JT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/06/2014 20/05/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 4 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 are confident in their teaching and provide children with a good range of activities that support their learning well. Consequently, children are eager to take part and make good progress in their development.  Staff are sensitive to children's individual needs and manage their transitions into the nursery very well. As a result, children settle quickly and develop strong bonds with their key persons.  High priority is given to safeguarding children. This means they are kept safe in their environment and protected from harm.  Strong leadership and management results in a staff team who are reflective and strive for improvement. As a result, the outcomes for children's care and learning are continually enhanced.  The strong ethos of working in partnership with parent's means children's care and learning in the nursery is supported very well.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to enhance the outdoor environment in order to build on very young children's sensory development.  Reference aids are not always readily available in the outdoor play area, to fully support older children's growing interest in nature.

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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 had a tour of the premises and observed children in the two playrooms being used and the outdoor area.  The inspector met with the owners and the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and discussed the provider's improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's records, planning documents and policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager of an activity that involved a small group of children making play dough.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Spinning Top Childcare Ltd was registered in 2004 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in detached premises in the Thornbury area of Bradford and is managed by a company. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. Children are cared for in four rooms over two floors and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The first floor is used for the care of school age children and is accessed by stairs. The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, one at level 2, two at level 6 and one has Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, except for the week between Christmas and New Year. The nursery is open from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 69 children attending, of whom 59 are in the early years age

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Information about the setting

group. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 enhance and build on very young children's sensory play outdoors, for example, by providing open-ended resources they can explore and opportunities to observe the effect of wind on items, such as windmills and streamers

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

 build on older children's interest in nature even further, for example, by making reference books readily available in the outdoor area, so they can use them to correctly identify the insects they find.

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who attend

The quality of teaching in the nursery is good. Staff support children's learning well through active participation and provide a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities, which enable children to learn successfully in different ways. This means children can follow their own interests and also experience small and whole group activities. Consequently, they make good progress in their learning and are well prepared to move onto school when the time comes. For example, children show sustained concentration as they pour water into the inside wall of a tyre. They watch as the water flows round and one excitedly exclaims, 'The water has joined together'. This shows the children are independently learning about cause and effect through self-initiated exploration and experimentation. Younger children make play dough in a small group, supported by a member of staff. The member of staff encourages children to feel the

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who attend

texture of the flour, to smell the flavourings and talk about the colourings as they add these. She emphasises words, such as 'sticky' when water is added to the mixture, and encourages children to use their hands to form the mixture into useable dough. This support and guidance successfully encourages children to learn about processes, changes and producing an end product. Good support is provided for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, such as focused activities for children with language delay. This means all children continue to be involved in interesting activities and play opportunities and that they receive the necessary support or challenge, in order to reach their full potential.

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who attend

Staff provide a bright and stimulating environment for children to play and learn. Labelling is used throughout to show children print has meaning and toys are set out at children's level, which makes them easily accessible and promotes choice. Items that make up 'interest tables' fully arouse children's curiosity. For example, older children delight in picking up boxes and trying to identify the contents through their sense of smell. As a result, children make comments, such as 'Mmm coffee is in that one', which successfully encourages them to use language to describe. Very young children show curiosity as they explore bottles indoors, which contain items, such as pasta. They show sustained concentration as they pick up a bottle and turn this round in their hands. They show surprise at the noise that results as they shake the bottle and are keen to repeat the action. This shows the children are making connections between their movements and the

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who attend

sound. However, opportunities for sensory play for younger children are not fully extended to the outdoor area. For example, there is not a rich range of resources for children to explore in open-ended ways or opportunities for them to observe the effect the wind blowing has on objects, to further help them make sense of their world. Staff actively involve parents in their children's learning and development. For example, they provide them with a summary of their child's development each term, so they are fully informed of their progress in the nursery. Activities are provided for parents to complete at home with their child to share in their learning. Parents are actively encouraged to share information about their children's achievements at home with their key person. This means staff have a holistic view of children's development and can plan precisely for the next steps in their learning.

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who attend

Children's development in communication and language is significantly enhanced because staff provide them with purposeful experiences to support and extend these skills. For example, staff enthusiastically lead group activities that focus on singing and nursery rhymes, so very young children learn through repetition and word patterns. Staff make good use of props at this time, such as a decorated glove, to gain children's attention, give them a focus and maintain their interest. As a result, children join in with songs with gusto. Staff read stories with lots of expression and encourage children to join in with familiar refrains and to predict what might happen next. This means children develop good listening skills. Staff encourage older children to talk about previous activities, which encourages them to think and consolidate their learning. For example, they ask children to recall what colours make up the African flag. As they do so they remind children to put up

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who attend

their hand if they want to answer, which supports them very effectively to take turns and listen to and respect the views of others in the group. Staff make good use of open-ended questions as they engage with children. This encourages children to respond with more than one word answers. For example, as she reads a story a member of staff asks, 'Tell me who took the guava?' She gives children time to think, as a result, several children respond with, 'The ostrich took the guava'.

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

Good arrangements are in place to support children's transitions into the nursery. For example, settling-in visits are tailored to children's individual needs, which means they become familiar with their new surroundings at their own pace. Key persons gather important information about children's individual needs and how these can be met from parents. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported well. For example, staff learn, display and use key words and phrases in their first language, to aid communication. This shows staff value the uniqueness of each child. Children are allocated a 'significant second' who takes responsibility for overseeing their care and learning in the absence of their key person. This provides good continuity of care. As a result, children settle well and feel safe and secure in the nursery and are at ease in their relationships with staff and each other. Positive links that staff have fostered with feeder schools

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

promotes good partnership working, to support children. For example, teachers are invited to meet children in the nursery to get to know them before they move into their care. This means children are emotionally well prepared for their transition to school, which makes the experience a pleasant one for them.

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

Good attention is paid to promoting children's good health. They are provided with nutritious meals and given as much opportunity as possible to move freely between indoors and outdoors, so they benefit fully from fresh air and exercise. The outdoor area is well resourced overall and includes covered areas, where children can enjoy a range of experiences, including painting and looking at books. This means they can take part in quiet activities while still enjoying being outside. Children have space to run around and good opportunities to use a variety of equipment to challenge their physical skills and develop coordination in their movements. For example, several children delight in crawling in and out of a large cardboard box, while others are keen to engage in making sandcastles and using their mathematical knowledge as they see whose is the tallest. Babies delight in climbing up and sliding down a small slide and older children show good

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

coordination as they manoeuvre wheeled toys. Children independently use magnifiers to look at insects, such as spiders, and staff help them to turn over large logs to see what is underneath. As a result, children show great interest in the creatures they observe. This actively encourages children to take an interest in nature. However, resources, such as reference books, are not readily available in the outdoor area to help staff and children correctly identify the insects they find. This means this area of children's learning is not supported as well as it could be.

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

Staff effectively support children to take responsibility for keeping themselves and others safe. For example, they provide a designated area for children to use wheeled toys in, so this activity does not impinge on the safety of others. Children have good opportunities to develop their independence, which means they become self-reliant. For example, they serve their own food at lunch time. Children remain motivated because staff carefully plan activities to meet their individual learning needs. For example, they know some children are confident in using lower case letters to form their name and other simple words, so they provide upper case letter shapes for them to use in the sand tray, to print their name and challenge their learning further. This brings a new dimension to children's learning and means they are constantly challenged. Consequently, children do not become bored or disengaged in their learning. Staff make good use of praise to acknowledge children's

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

efforts and achievements and older children can have time to reflect on any incidents of inappropriate behaviour with a member of staff at the 'thinking spot' in their room. This gives children good opportunities to work out how they can resolve any issues and learn to deal with their emotions. Consequently, children learn to behave well and develop good levels of confidence and self-esteem.

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provision

All staff have a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. For example, they make sure the premises are kept safe and secure and that the ratio requirements are maintained at all times, so children are well supervised. All staff attend regular safeguarding training and possible child protection scenarios are posed at team meetings for them to analyse and respond to. This enables the manager to further test and assess staff's depth of knowledge of protecting children from abuse or neglect. The manager is the designated safeguarding officer for the nursery and has a good understanding of the referral procedure to follow, should a member of staff come to her with a concern about a child or the practice of a colleague. This ensures that there are clear lines of accountability in place. The arrangements for recruitment, vetting and induction of new staff are robust, which means informed decisions about their

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provision

suitability are made and that they understand fully how the nursery operates.

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provision

The nursery is led and managed effectively. The manager acts competently as a leader, mentor and motivator for the staff team and is fully supported by the owners in her role. The manager has a secure understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements. She is confident in her ability to identify strengths and areas for development when observing staff's individual practice. The manager effectively monitors the quality of all aspects of the service. For example, she spends time within the setting observing practice and regularly reviews staff's planning, observations and assessments of children's learning. Key persons maintain an individual tracker sheet for each child and these are analysed by the manager each term, to identify and help staff to close any gaps in children's learning.

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provision

Staff are well qualified and their knowledge and understanding of good practice is enhanced through ongoing professional development. Their training needs are identified at regular supervision meetings with the manager and they all attend further courses. This means staff are up to date on current best practice. Self-evaluation takes into account the views of staff, parents and children and the manager is always prepared to listen and take on board their suggestions and ideas for improvement. For example, the 'you say we did' board shows that new uniforms were purchased when staff felt these were beginning to look 'tired'. The board also shows that a keyboard was purchased for the pre-school room when a pre-school child expressed a desire to play the piano. All actions and recommendations for improvement have been addressed successfully since the last inspection and following the monitoring visit undertaken in November 2013. Partnerships

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provision

with external agencies, such as the local children's centre, are securely established and the manager seeks support from the local authority as and when necessary. A clear development plan is in place. This shows how the nursery will be taken forward and demonstrates management's and staff's commitment to further enhancing the outcomes for children's care and learning. Partnerships with parents are very strong. They are kept well informed about all aspects of the service and are fully involved in the life of the nursery. This means information is constantly shared, which benefits children's ongoing care and learning. Parents and carers spoken to during the inspection were keen to express their opinions of the nursery. For example, they are pleased with the progress their children are making, they find staff very approachable and would recommend the provision to others. Good partnerships are established with other settings children attend,

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provision

which means there is ongoing sharing of information about children's learning and development. Consequently, children's moves between settings are supported well.

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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 EY281446 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 946665

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 94 Number of children on roll 69 Name of provider Spinning Top Childcare Ltd Date of previous inspection 20/05/2013 Telephone number 01274 665652

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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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