Little Leaders Childcare Melton

Melton Day Nursery Melton Day Nursery, Yarmouth Road, Melton, WOODBRIDGE, Suffolk, IP12 1QQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/06/2014 03/10/2008

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The management team has an outstanding level of knowledge with regards to the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result of their wealth of knowledge, there is a highly successful and well-documented programme of self- evaluation, which details how children's needs have been exceptionally well met in partnership with parents.  Children's emotional well-being is supported exceptionally well. This is because they have formed meaningful attachments to adults caring for them. As a result of these secure attachments, children are developing in confidence and independence.  The quality of teaching is excellent and staff ensure that the educational programmes are delivered through rich, varied and imaginative experiences for children of all ages. Consequently, children are making very rapid progress.  Children are exceptionally well-protected because the nursery's safeguarding procedures are meticulous and highly effective. The nursery has exemplary recruitment

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This provision is outstanding

procedures, which includes inductions and ongoing supervisions and appraisals. These robust systems make a positive contribution to the already outstanding skills and practice of the staff.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all of the rooms and the outside learning environment.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held meetings with the management team of the provision.  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 provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

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

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Information about the setting

Melton Day Nursery was registered in 2008 and operates from a converted maternity hospital in Melton, Suffolk. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The whole of the ground floor is used for the nursery and there is one room upstairs that is used as an office. The registered provider, who is also the manager, lives above the nursery with her family. There is a large car park at the entrance and a secure garden area around the back of the nursery, which is divided with picket fences so that all children have access to the outdoors. There is also an outside classroom, which is available to children, who will be moving on to school. The nursery employs 27 members of staff. Of these, one holds Early Years Teacher Status, one holds a teaching qualification and five staff members hold a relevant degree in early years. The nursery has 15 staff, who hold a qualification at level

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Information about the setting

3, one who holds a qualification at level 2, three apprentices and a chef. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm, all year round and children attend a variety of sessions. The nursery currently has 100 children on roll in the early years age range. It provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery works in line with the Reggio Emilia philosophy and they have become an accredited centre for sign language.

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

 enhance the already excellent routines during snack and lunch times, so that children continue to show high levels of independence throughout the nursery, appropriate for the age and stage of development.

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who attend

Children consistently display the characteristics of effective learning because of the outstanding teaching, which is consistent throughout the nursery. Staff have very high expectations of themselves and children and provide rich and varied learning experiences for all of children. Children engage in physical development outside in the cabin classroom, where they find a tree stump, which becomes a very exciting game as they work out who can jump the furthest. Staff support children to manage their own risks and are on hand to appropriately extend children's learning with mathematical language. Pre-school children are completely engaged during a story telling activity because staff role-model how to be imaginative, supporting children to join in by using effective teaching techniques. Staff listen to children and encourage them to join in by being sensitive to their individual needs. The session is led with the help of a professional person, who is

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who attend

part of an organisation delivering imaginative play through stories. Children respond well and enjoy the opportunities they have to be part of the wider community. During the story time, children pretend to cook food over the camp fire, being careful not to burn their mouths. The story winds down with children gazing up to the stars talking about the busy trip that they have been on. Children are so absorbed by this fantastic imaginative experience that they freely talk about aspects of their home lives, which relate to the story. One child recalls her own camping experiences and confidently talks about this with members of staff. This demonstrates how exceptionally confident children are in making contributions to their learning, furthermore they have developed exceptional communication skills.

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who attend

Children throughout the whole nursery are exceptionally well-prepared for their next stage in learning and are acquiring the skills and dispositions they will need in readiness for school. In the toddler room, staff engage children in a circle time, which encourages development in all three prime areas of learning. Children choose nursery rhymes and then join in using sign language that they have learned in nursery. As a result children are naturally developing a range of communication and language skills. Staff are enthusiastic, which encourages children to have a go and develop in confidence. They act as excellent role models and praise children regularly, which builds their self-esteem. Staff acknowledge children's feelings and ideas and when one child decides to listen to the whole circle time snuggled up on the sofa area with a blanket, they offer appropriate support to allow the child to do so. This demonstrates staff's excellent knowledge in

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who attend

supporting personal, social and emotional development. Planning is completed electronically, so each room has a tablet device and uses a commercial system to record their observations of children and monitor their progress. Staff have an excellent knowledge of their individual key children, which is shared as a whole team during weekly staff meetings. The information from the electronic system is transferred onto written plans within the room, which ensures each child's learning needs is carefully considered. The room leader monitors the planning and staff work in partnership so all children have the opportunity to learn through a variety of planned activities. The nursery uses the Reggio Emilia Approach and an imaginative enquiry approach to guide planning in the rooms. Staff have an excellent knowledge of this approach and have evidenced its success in supporting children's development exceedingly well. As a result of the sharp and

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who attend

focused planning across the whole nursery, children are making very rapid progress.

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who attend

The nursery's assessment procedures are rigorous and the management team have ensured that the partnerships with professionals and other agencies are robust. There is a named special educational needs coordinator and many staff have attended training, relevant to their key children, to continually develop the outstanding practice. For example, staff have attended, and the nursery has been a pilot setting for, 'Every child a talker' training. This has been hugely successful in supporting children across all ages and stages of development in improving their communication and language. Their progress is well documented and shows progression for all children in the nursery, given their different starting points. The nursery team has a vast amount of experience in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and the management team are highly motivated in ensuring training has a positive impact on the teaching and learning

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who attend

that they provide. This astute training programme has been highly successful and demonstrates that staff have high expectations of themselves and children. The staff team understands the importance of early intervention and a shared approach to learning with parents and other professionals. The nursery team completes a progress check for children between the ages of two and three years and shares this, alongside the ongoing summative assessment, with parents and carers. The nursery team supports all children to make rapid progress because of their comprehensive knowledge of children and their families.

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

Staff are highly skilled and sensitive in ensuring children form secure emotional attachments; this is particularly evident within the baby room. Babies, who have just started at the nursery, show how secure they already feel because of the very effective key-person system and the outstanding partnerships that staff have established with parents. Staff gather information about individual babies' routines and ensure that they follow these to provide continuity of care for every child. Parents and staff contribute to a daily diary, which is highly effective and records the settling in sessions, which have happened prior to children starting at nursery. There is a sense of calm and tranquillity, as babies rest with soft fairy lights, rather than the bright room lights, during a quiet time in the baby room after lunch. This shows that staff have reviewed the use of space to ensure it provides a warm and calming environment. Older children exude confidence and are

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

highly motivated to self-select from a wide range of activities on offer.

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

Staff provide a superb activity every Friday afternoon, when they organise a shared assembly for all children. Children love to sit with their friends and siblings and discuss their achievements. They show delight when greeting staff, some of whom they have known for a long time because they have moved through the different nursery rooms. This activity is exceedingly well-organised and children demonstrate how confident they are by leading the conversations with adults and talking about their week with other children. Children are encouraged to visit the next room that they will be moving onto over the weeks leading up to starting in their new room. During this time staff share all relevant information, which ensures that children and their new key person form very close attachments. Children are emotionally prepared for their transition within the nursery and on to school because they are developing the self-control, confidence and social skills

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

that they will need for the next stage in their learning.

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

Staff support children to understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle and how to keep themselves safe. Children are always encouraged to wash their hands after using the toilet and before mealtimes and enjoy balanced healthy meals while at nursery. Children pour their own drinks and staff sit with children at mealtimes to promote and support social skills. In some of the rooms children play a very active part in the lunchtime process, which encourages independence and self-control. The manager has identified that this excellent practice can now be transferred across all the rooms as it has worked exceedingly well. Children are encouraged to talk about the natural environment and grow a variety of herbs and vegetables in the outside area. Physical development is promoted through a wide range of resources and experiences, such as a nature garden, which has underground speakers where children can re-enact their favourite stories. Each garden

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

offers experiences based on the needs of children in the room. The gardens offer children and babies the opportunity to free-flow, so they are constantly accessing fresh air and activities outside to promote their well-being. Staff observe children's emotional behaviour when outdoors and understand the importance for children who need to be physically active. As a result, the pre-school children enjoy challenging themselves outside as they use natural resources, such as large tree stumps, to develop their physical skills. In the toddler garden there is access to chickens, with supervision of staff. This is an activity that children enjoy and understand the rules when around the nursery's pets. Consequently, the nursery has little in the way of unwanted behaviour because children are given a sense of control and feel that they are listened to by caring staff.

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provision

The management team has an excellent understanding of their responsibility to safeguard children. Staff are also confident in their role with regards to protecting children and know that there is a safeguarding procedure in the form of a policy. Furthermore, they are able to name the identified lead practitioner for safeguarding. The management team shows their commitment to keeping children safe through the rigorous procedures, such as daily risk assessments, which include a variety of questions to all staff in the morning. This is to ensure that staff's knowledge of the nursery's health and safety procedures is excellent. The nursery uses a panel of professional people, including parent representatives, to conduct interviews with any new staff members to ensure the best person is employed for the position. In addition, there are very comprehensive, safer recruitment processes, before and during employment, which are regularly reviewed and constantly improved.

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provision

The management team effectively oversees the very good educational programme and ensures that that the quality of teaching of all staff is consistently high for all children. There is an excellent supervision and appraisal system, which encompasses a targeted programme of professional development for all staff. As a result, staff are confident and well-trained, which in turn has a positive impact on the achievements of children. The management team's dedication to improve is inspiring. This dedication is carefully documented in the nursery's comprehensive self-evaluation forms, as well as within a very detailed operational plan. Every new piece of training or change within the nursery is reviewed and considered. This is not only outstanding practice of the management team, but of all staff who strive towards excellence and adopt different teaching approaches in order to support all children to make the best possible progress.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are outstanding. Parents overwhelmingly report that they are very happy with the nursery and from feedback, it is clear that the nursery fully encourages parents to have a shared approach to their children's learning. Parents are familiar with an online system that the nursery uses to share information and they report that they are able to access a range of information, which they find very useful. Some parents have used the nursery for all of their children and speak very highly of the shared care routines that the baby room staff follow with very young children; in addition parents comment favourably on the way that very new children are provided with love and attention. There is an informative website which, alongside other robust forms of communication, is used to inform parents. In addition, the nursery has set up a parent group, with the nursery manager acting as a qualified mentor, in order to further engage

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provision

and involve parents in nursery life. The nursery team values and acts on views of parents and as a result of constructive feedback, the car park area has been adapted to provide easier access to the nursery for children and their parents. The nursery has extended the services it offers to children and families by reflecting on the opportunities children have. As a result, there is now a fully equipped swimming pool with changing facilities and regular extra curricular activities, such as French lessons and baby yoga.

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provision

Partnerships with other agencies and professionals are strong and well-embedded in the nursery's practice. Staff within the nursery are used as mentors and offer their expert knowledge of how children learn to other early years providers that are in need of support and guidance. In addition, staff work closely with a variety of professionals to meet the needs of individual children. For example, teachers from local schools are invited to visit the nursery, prior to children moving onto school, in order to share information and identify individual children's needs and provide appropriate support. Overall children's needs are being exceptionally well met because of outstanding practices of the management and the nursery team as a whole.

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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 EY372663 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 858140

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 66 Number of children on roll 100 Name of provider Melton Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 03/10/2008 Telephone number 01394 388995

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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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