Pollywiggle Day Nursery

Pollywiggle Day Nursery Mexborough Childrens Centre, Wath Road, MEXBOROUGH, S64 9ED

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/06/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Staff build strong and trusting relationships with parents so that they can work in partnership with them and other professionals, to ensure that individual children's well- being is effectively promoted.  Aspects of safeguarding, such as the provider's knowledge and understanding of child protection issues is good and keeps children safe. This is because managers implement comprehensive policies including a robust safer recruitment procedure.  Managers and staff use effective systems to monitor children's progress and ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are quickly identified and additional support is planned for them.

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It is not yet good because

 Staff are too easily distracted by the supervision of activities, such as picking up equipment and ensuring children use resources safely, rather than modelling good learning. Consequently, children are not always engaged in purposeful play and learning and soon lose interest.  Staff do not always maximise their interactions with children by using high quality teaching strategies. Therefore, children's learning is not always fully promoted.  Staff do not always implement all the necessary actions identified on risk assessments to minimise the risks associated with equipment. As a result, there are occasions when children are put at risk and staff are required to intervene.

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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 children's activities in the playroom and outside area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to the nominated person, manager, staff, key persons and children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager and nominated person.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at various documents, including a sample of policies and procedures, children's records, planning and assessment and evidence of staff suitability.  The inspector took account of parents and carers views.

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Information about the setting

Pollywiggle Day Nursery was registered in 2014 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from the ground floor facilities within Mexborough Children's Centre and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications: one with level 5, three at level 3 and two at level 2. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, term-time only. Sessions are from 9.15am until 12.15pm and 1pm until 4pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 35 children attending, who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, 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

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must:

 ensure that all equipment is risk assessed and that staff implement the actions identified to minimise the risks and keep children safe at all times

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must:

 review how resources and equipment are used so that staff are not distracted by supervising children and can use activities to effectively engage children in purposeful play.

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

 develop staff's teaching strategies so that they are maximising all opportunities to support children's learning, by skilfully questioning children during activities.

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who attend

The nursery has a large range of interesting resources and equipment to offer children. However, children are not always engaged in purposeful play because some children require support from staff to effectively access activities. For example, younger children need staff to model how to paint, use scissors safely and what to use glue for. Staff are unable to help all children at these activities because of the wide range of resources on offer at any one time. For example, they cannot provide effective support for children learning how to cut and stick because they are also trying to teach children to paint on paper. Consequently, children use equipment inappropriately, for example, tipping over the water table or running around with scissors. This creates incidents that must be dealt with by staff and further distracts them from quality interactions with children. The resources provided by staff are planned to create opportunities for children to explore and

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who attend

investigate. For example, when children are supported, they develop their motor skills as they practise scooping, stirring and tipping in the mud using everyday pots and pans. The use of real life objects allows children to play with what they know and they talk to staff about the cakes they are making. However, staff are not always able to concentrate on these interactions because they are also attempting to support the investigations and learning of children that are playing with the wind chime.

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who attend

A number of staff demonstrate their understanding of how to support children's learning and development because, when they have the opportunity, they are able to use effective questioning strategies to extend children's thinking. For example, children playing with tyres are asked by staff what they think will happen if they push it. Staff use children's imaginations about sharks living in the tyres to reinforce counting skills because they ask how many there are and help children count on their fingers. Staff have an understanding of the skills and knowledge children will need as they transfer into nursery at school. They teach children about numbers, shapes and colours as they build towers and houses with bricks. Staff do not always maximise learning opportunities because they are distracted by incidents with other children. As a result, they are not able to support children's play for a sustained periods of time and therefore engage in skilful questioning to extend children's

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who attend

thinking. For example, staff playing with the resources in the mud start asking questions that make children think about how the mud and water feel but then move on to help children on the bikes.

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who attend

Staff use a comprehensive system to observe and plan for children. They make regular short observations and more detailed notes so that they are able to identify children's interests and learning needs. Staff use this information to plan activities for each child across the different areas of learning. These are used to inform the weekly plans for the whole group. As a result, over time, children receive a broad educational programme that reflects their interests. Staff also use their observations to make assessments of children's progress, which they track from the baseline assessments they make when children first start. Parents are able to contribute to children's learning because they provide staff with information about what their children are doing at home. They also receive regular updates about the progress of their children through informal discussions, progress reviews and meetings with their child's key person.

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

Staff have strong relationships with parents that are built on trust and allow them to work in partnership. The individual needs of children and families are understood by staff, who offer the support and encouragement necessary for children to attend regularly. Partnerships with parents provide continuity of care for children and supports the building of relationships with children. As a result, children form secure attachments to the warm and welcoming staff. Children's self-esteem is developing because staff praise them when they contribute to conversations and answer questions. Staff are teaching children to share and take turns with the resources in the sand pit and mud. Children are learning about appropriate behaviour because staff explain they must not throw stones or push other children. A range of positive images, included throughout the nursery, promote diversity, so that children are learning to accept the differences between people and

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

cultures. Overall, children are beginning to develop the personal, social and emotional skills they will need as they transfer into nursery at school.

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

Staff are teaching children how to manage their own risks and keep themselves safe. Children building with tyres and planks are support by staff to risk assess the structure because staff ask them if they think it is safe to walk on. Staff explain to children they must be careful not to get sand in their eyes and to sit down when using scissors. However, staff do not always fully implement the nursery's risk assessments for equipment. Therefore, they are not able to make the best use of the resources and spaces available to them. For example, a tepee made from long wooden poles is not secured and individual sticks come loose. As a result, staff must supervise children closely, removing sticks from children who are not using them safely; therefore, staff are not able to use the structure effectively to engage children.

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

Children are developing independence because staff support them at snack time to pour their own drinks and cut their own slices of fruit loaf. Children relish this challenge, which develops children's motor skills and their confidence in their own abilities. The nursery is supporting children's understanding of healthy eating because staff always offer fruit at snack time and they share with parents the importance of drinking water and using the right cup for children's ages. Children are able to manage their own personal needs according to their age and are learning hygiene routines because staff remind them to wash their hands before snack time. The nursery has a large outdoor space that children have free access to at all times. This supports children's overall well-being because they have fresh air and exercise as well as opportunities to develop their large motor skills on bikes and explore the plants and animals in the wooded area.

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provision

Staff and managers have, in general, a good understanding of their responsibilities to safeguard children from harm. Managers adhere to robust safer recruitment procedures that include taking a number of references, assessing staff's ability to work with children and obtaining suitability checks. There is a comprehensive safeguarding policy that covers all aspects of the procedures staff would follow if they had concerns about children's welfare or safety. All staff receive basic safeguarding training during their induction and attend local authority training to ensure they have detailed and up-to-date knowledge. Staff are confident to deal with issues as they arise and are supported by the use of clear procedures, to ensure that information about children is shared effectively with other relevant professionals. Although risk assessments are completed and understood by staff, the actions identified on the assessments to make equipment safe are not adhered to. For

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provision

example, the risk assessment for the water butt, which is provided to allow children independent access to water, states that it must be secured to the wall to stop it falling on children. This is not always the case and children are able to push it off the stand. As a result, it must be closely supervised by staff, reducing the independence for children and the quality of the interactions between staff and children. This is also a breach of the requirements for the Childcare Register.

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provision

Managers have good systems in place to monitor children's progress. Children's individual assessments are collated regularly by the manager and careful analysis of the data allows them to quickly identify children who are not working at the expected level for their age, as well as those who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff then respond with additional plans to support these children, targeting specific areas for support. For example, children experiencing a delay in their communication skills are supported by staff to develop their speech because they repeat children's words and phrases to reinforce learning. Staff are involved in a comprehensive appraisal and supervision process that enables staff to raise concerns and managers to support staff's continued professional development. Evaluation of practice is collaborative with staff who complete peer observations of each other. This encourages a culture of reflection and

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provision

sharing of good practice both within the nursery and across the other settings within the group of nurseries. Parents are involved in the evaluation and improvement of the nursery because managers act on their responses to questionnaires. For example, not all parents were clear which member of staff was their child's key person so staff produced information sheets, for each parent, detailing all staff and their roles within the nursery. The nursery has received support from the local authority that identifies areas of improvement, for example to support staff, so that they are all providing high quality interactions with children.

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provision

The nursery is based within the local children's centre and staff work closely with a range of other agencies and professionals to provide the right support for children and their families. For example, the speech and language therapist, who runs support groups at the centre, shares strategies with staff about how to develop children's speech and language skills. Staff have established procedures to share information with other agencies that are supporting families, so that they are able to work in partnership to provide the additional services they need to meet the individual needs of children. Children who speak English as an additional language are well-supported because staff use information from parents about key words and use both languages on labels in the playroom. The nursery are developing links with the local schools to support children as they transfer into school. For example, they complete documents to share information about children's development

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provision

with teachers and plan visits to the school with children.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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 EY474035 Local authority Doncaster Inspection number 950027 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 35 Name of provider Pollywiggle Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07801 841770

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Setting details

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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