Clever Clogs Day Nursery Durham

Clever Clogs Day Nursery (Durham) Ltd Clever Clogs Nursery, Durham Road, Bowburn South Industrial Estate, Durham, DH6 5AT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22/05/2014 25/07/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Staff make highly effective use of sensory materials to encourage children, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to develop their physical skills.  Successful strategies are in place to engage all parents in their child's learning in the nursery and at home. As a result, parents and staff work together to plan and meet children's individual and specific needs.  Children are provided with excellent opportunities to develop their independence skills at meal and snacktimes.  Children are safeguarded as external doors of the nursery are locked securely at all times and effective procedures are in place for monitoring all adults who enter the building.  The manager maintains a highly comprehensive overview of progress tracking documentation. This ensures children's needs are quickly identified and very well met through strong partnerships between the nursery, parents and external agencies.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There are slight variations in practice that are not always picked up and addressed quickly enough to ensure the highest level of quality of teaching and learning is achieved.

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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 nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, and the self-evaluation form.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching and learning activities in all nursery rooms, including the outdoor environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a meeting with the manager and registered provider of the nursery, and discussed a range of policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

Clever Clogs Day Nursery (Durham) Ltd was registered in 2011 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is one of three settings owned and run by Clever Clogs Day Nurseries Limited. The nursery is located in Bowburn and serves the local and surrounding areas. There are enclosed areas available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, 15 are qualified to level 3 or above which includes Early Years Professional Status and Qualified Teacher Status, and the further member of staff holds a relevant level 2 qualification. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 108 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

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Information about the setting

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:

 improve the accuracy and effectiveness of monitoring procedures so that they are more precise in identifying variances in practice that are affecting the nursery's ability to achieve the highest possible standards.

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who attend

Staff support children very well in this bright, spacious and well-resourced nursery. Children are provided with a good range of toys and equipment, including natural, open- ended materials. This enables children to explore, build and use resources to suit the purposes of their play. Staff have a high level of knowledge about each child's level of development. They complete comprehensive assessments, in consultation with parents, on entry to the nursery and use this information well to plan activities and experiences to extend learning. For example, staff complete 'Flying from the Start' documents with parents to form a baseline of children's achievements. Staff support children very well as they play and explore their environment, both indoors and outdoors. They have enhanced their knowledge and skills in the development of early language acquisition through the 'Every Child A Talker' programme. This is embedded within nursery practice and the

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who attend

manager and her room leaders have been proactive in ensuring all staff implement strategies to support children's communication and language skills. Consequently, children make very good progress in this area of learning, based on their starting points.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is consistently good and, as a result, children make good progress in their learning and development. Staff make good use of everyday play situations to develop children's mathematical skills. For example, they encourage children to use the language of size when they make worm shapes out of play dough. Staff talk about what the dough looks like and use descriptive words like 'big' and 'little'. Children show great interest in shape when they use pieces of potato to print onto paper. They become fascinated by this and progress to placing their own hands into paint and make handprints to extend their interests further. Very good opportunities are provided for children to enhance their physical skills. Highly effective use is made of sensory materials to encourage younger children to crawl towards covered areas and explore rope lighting and other equipment. Staff dim the overhead lights to make this more effective and allow

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who attend

children time to explore resources using both hands. This particularly benefits children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, supporting them very well to make progress, based on their individual starting points. Older children enjoy a large outdoor play area where they can ride their bikes freely. They move around the space and negotiate spaces confidently with their friends. Staff provide very good opportunities for pre-school children to develop the skills required in readiness for school. They play large group games, such as 'Who's got the keys?' where children concentrate, sit quietly and listen when trying to identify the child who makes a noise and is holding the keys.

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who attend

Staff demonstrate a high level of awareness in supporting children whose home language is not English and encourage parents to share key words from home. In addition, parents are invited into nursery to take part in small language groups. This means children are provided with good opportunities to develop and use their home language in play and learning, which supports their language development at home. Successful strategies are in place to engage all parents in their child's learning in the nursery and at home. For example, parents receive a summary of their child's learning which contains ways in which they can further support their child's achievements. As a result, parents and staff work together to plan and meet children's individual needs.

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

Children and their parents receive a warm welcome at this friendly nursery. Staff develop good relationships with families. This creates a positive atmosphere where secure and trusting relationships are fostered. An effective key-person system is in place which enables all children to form appropriate bonds and make secure attachments. As a result, children are happy and enjoy the time they spend in nursery. Children are supported very well emotionally when they first begin attending nursery. Staff work closely with parents to gather good quality information, such as feeding routines, sleep patterns, medical needs and allergies. This provides continuity in children's emotional and physical well- being and ensures they are well supported when they move from care in the home into nursery. Parents echo this view and make comments, such as 'the manager and her staff team ensure they have the best quality information to enable them to support my children

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

well.' Children are equally well supported when they move rooms within the nursery. They make a number of visits with their key person, based on their individual needs. This enables them to become familiar with their new rooms and routines. Staff prepare pre- school children well when they leave and go to school, when the time comes. Good links are established with local headteachers who come and visit the children before inviting them to meet their new school teachers and classrooms with their parents.

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

Children are provided with excellent opportunities to develop their independence skills at meal and snack times. They self-serve their own food, pour drinks and wash their plates and cutlery afterwards. Skills are developed further throughout the day when they make independent choices about the resources they require to suit their play, wash their hands and access their own cups, if they wish to have a drink. Children are provided with healthy and nutritious food which is cooked fresh on the premises each day. This supports children's physical well-being. Staff provide good opportunities for children to learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. For example, a gardening club has been set up and children grow their own vegetables, such as cauliflowers and turnips. Physical well-being is promoted further as children have access to the outdoor environment throughout the day. The area is appropriately resourced and allows children to be active and exuberant and

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

promotes their learning well. There are plans to extend opportunities for learning even further by incorporating a 'mud kitchen', providing recycled open-ended objects and logs to make a seating area.

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

Staff are good role models and behaviour expected of children is modelled by them. As a result, behaviour in the nursery is very good and minor disagreements are sensitively managed. Children are well mannered and polite. They use words, such as 'please' and 'thank you' when they play in the outdoor environment. Frequent verbal praise also promotes children's self-esteem and confidence. Throughout the nursery, relationships between both staff and children are good. This promotes a relaxed and happy environment which enables children to feel cherished and secure. Staff place high priority on children's safety. They are deployed effectively and explain safe practices throughout each day. As a result, children demonstrate an awareness of safety as they play. For example, they ensure they look over their shoulder to check no other child is in their way when they ride backwards on their bikes.

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provision

The manager and her staff team fully understand their responsibility in safeguarding children and have effective policies and procedures in place to ensure children are kept safe at all times. The manager conducts regular quality improvement checks. This ensures all learning and development, and welfare requirements are fully met across all aspects of nursery practice and staff knowledge and understanding is thorough and kept up-to-date. For example, all staff know and understand procedures to follow should they have any concerns about a child and know what to do if they witness inappropriate behaviour by other members of staff. Children are supervised very well in nursery rooms and ratios are met at all times. Staff are vigilant and ensure all aspects of the indoor and outdoor environment are free from hazards and frequently assessed for risks. Children are protected further as all doors of the nursery are locked securely at all times and effective

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provision

procedures are in place for monitoring all adults who enter the building. For example, parents use a secure password system for adults, other than themselves, who may need to pick up children on their behalf. The manager implements an effective policy and procedure for managing complaints from parents and/or carers. For example, a written record is maintained of all complaints received, and their outcome. This information is shared with the complainant within specified timescales.

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provision

The manager leads a well-qualified and experienced staff team. They use their skills and expertise skilfully to support young children's learning and development. Staff feel supported by the manager and are helped to improve their knowledge, understanding and practice. Effective supervision and appraisal systems are in place. This provides support, coaching and training for the staff team, and allows them to discuss any issues concerning individual children's development or well-being. The manager has a very good understanding of her role in monitoring the delivery of the educational programmes and maintains an overview of the continuous provision for children in the indoor and outdoor environments. She is well supported by the provider and her room leaders to maintain an overview of the quality of teaching and learning provided. However, occasionally, the monitoring of some teaching and learning activities is not as effective as it could be. There

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provision

are slight variations in practice that are not always picked up and addressed quickly enough to ensure the highest level of quality of teaching and learning is achieved. For example, opportunities for older children to extend their thinking skills are not always maximised. Observation, assessment and planning documentation is monitored to make sure it is consistent, precise, and displays an accurate understanding of all children's skills, abilities and progress. The manager maintains a highly comprehensive overview of progress tracking documentation. This ensures children's needs are quickly identified and very well met through strong partnerships between the nursery, parents and external agencies.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are well-established and make a strong contribution to meeting children's needs. Parents speak highly of the service provided and make comments, such as 'children are well supervised at all times, I have no concerns about staff practice'. Partnerships with external agencies are equally well-established. The manager demonstrates a proactive attitude in contacting services prior to children joining the nursery, if this is necessary. She agrees this with parents and contacts agencies involved to develop a full picture of a child's needs. This helps to improve communication and coordination between professionals, staff and families. The views of parents, staff and children are carefully considered when developing self-evaluation. This helps to target improvement and address any concerns identified. There are future plans to develop the outdoor environment in the nursery, with a view to further enhancing children's all-round

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provision

development and widen their experience of handling recycled open-ended materials. The manager and her staff team give high priority to promoting opportunities to engage children in decision-making and gathering their views on the nursery. For example, children make drawing of their ideas for developing the outdoor area and complete 'exit' questionnaires when they leave nursery. This ensures children's views are welcomed, valued and respected and gives them as much influence as possible in securing improvement for their nursery.

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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 EY425224 Local authority Durham Inspection number 972425

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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 108 Name of provider Clever Clogs Day Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 25/07/2013 Telephone number 0191 377 9192

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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

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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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