Kids Planet Whetstone

The Hunny Bear Grovebrook House, Brook Street, LEICESTER, LE8 6LA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/07/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

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

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This provision is good

 The nursery is led and managed very effectively. The manager strives for continuous improvement of the provision to effectively support children's learning and development. She monitors the educational programmes well and ensures that practitioners are supported in their training and professional development.  Practitioners provide an inviting and stimulating range of resources and activities to engage children. Consequently, through their exploration and the practitioners' effective teaching, children make good progress.  Children are effectively safeguarded. All practitioners are well informed about child protection issues and children's safety is promoted through effective risk assessments and safety procedures.  The nursery has strong partnerships with parents because it uses a number of successful strategies to engage all parents. Consequently, parents feel well informed about their child's learning and know how to support their learning at home.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 On some occasions, practitioners do not always ask open-ended questions to support children's very good thinking skills and to promote their progress towards excellence.  There is scope to enhance children's already good literacy skills by displaying words and labels in the outdoor environment.

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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 during activities indoors and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with practitioners and the manager at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability of practitioners working with the children, the provider's self-evaluation and improvement plans.

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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

The Hunny Bear Day Nursery was registered in 2014 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a refurbished building in the Whetstone area of Leicestershire and is privately managed. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from two floors and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications; five at level 3, one at level 2, one with Early Years Professional status and the manager has Qualified Teacher Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round; from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 44 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:

 enhance practitioners' skills so they all ask more open-ended questions to support children's thinking and promote their very good learning even further

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

 enhance opportunities for children to further develop their already good literacy skills, for example, by providing an environment rich in print outdoors.

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who attend

Children are well supported in their learning and development because teaching is rooted in good knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Practitioners have a good awareness of the ways in which children learn best and provide them with many opportunities to explore, investigate and learn through first-hand experiences. Consequently, children thoroughly enjoy attending the nursery and display the characteristics of effective learners. For example, babies delight in exploring the textures and sounds of cereals in their play. Older children enjoy investigating the direction their bubbles will travel outside. Practitioners skilfully support children to extend their learning through the use of resources and sensory experiences. The vast majority of teaching is very good because practitioners ask effective questions to promote thinking skills. However, on occasions, not all practitioners are as confident in asking open-ended

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who attend

questions. Consequently, this does not consistently support children to develop their problem-solving and extend their already good thinking skills. Practitioners use observations of children's progress to identify their next steps in learning and have effective planning systems in place to ensure children's individual needs are provided for. Children's individual learning journey records are maintained well and contain information from parents on their starting points, regular assessment by the key person and tracking documents to support future plans for each child. This ensures practitioners have a good knowledge of children's development in all seven areas of learning. Consequently, practitioners provide children with a broad range of stimulating activities, ensuring they make good progress towards the early learning goals. As a result, children are obtaining the skills, attitudes and dispositions they need to be ready for school or the next stage of

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who attend

Babies and children are given many opportunities to make marks and develop their pre- writing skills. Practitioners imaginatively attach pens to cars to encourage babies to make marks to promote this physical and sensory experience. Older children are supported by practitioners to form letters and handwriting patterns using 'magic' drawing boards. They show great fascination when their letters disappear and are then motivated to try again. Good partnerships with the local schools ensure children are taught to form letters in accordance with the school's handwriting policy. Children's early reading skills are generally well supported because practitioners have created cosy areas where children enjoy selecting their favourite stories. Practitioners effectively support children's understanding of stories because they ask them questions that extend their understanding of the story. In addition, they leave gaps when reading stories so that children can join in

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who attend

with the repetitive nature of the story. This supports children to understand how the story is structured and supports their emerging pre-reading skills. However, there is scope to enhance children's already good literacy skills by displaying words and labels in the outdoor environment. Children's understanding of how things work and use of technology is encouraged through access to torches, tablet computers and pressing buttons to make toys move. Practitioners have created challenge baskets to promote children's perseverance and problem-solving skills. Baskets include sorting and matching padlocks and keys. Children benefit greatly from the practitioners' effective teaching of communication and language. Practitioners get down to children's eye level so the children can see how words are said while encouraging eye contact. They also repeat words back to children so they are learning how to pronounce them correctly. They listen intently to

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who attend

what children say and do, ensuring children feel valued and boosting their self-esteem and confidence. Lots of photographs, visual timetables and the use of Makaton sign language support all children's language development. Children's creativity is promoted well as they enjoy making pictures of members of their family. Practitioners support these activities and children have the freedom to manage their own skills and follow their own ideas.

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who attend

The nursery values the role of parents and has very effective partnerships in place. This ensures children benefit from a consistent approach to their care and learning. Parents are able to be fully involved in their child's learning and development through daily communication and discussions with their key person. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported, as practitioners work closely with parents and outside agencies to identify and meet their needs. Parents are pleased with the learning and care their children receive and speak highly of the nursery, commenting 'staff are fantastic and supportive. My son has come on in leaps and bounds'.

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

Babies' and children's welfare and well-being are promoted well, as they develop secure emotional attachments with their friendly and caring key persons. This ensures their move from home to the nursery is successful. Attachments are strong because practitioners listen closely to parents and children. Routines are flexible and meet the needs of the children and babies. For example, through good communication with parents, babies sleep to suit their own routine and are given a choice of bedding depending on the type they may use at home. This ensures there is continuity in the child's care. This is an inclusive nursery where practitioners make sure every child is valued and treated equally. Children who speak English as an additional language receive good support. Practitioners work closely with parents to gain key words in each child's home language to support them during their time at the nursery. In addition, practitioners use lots of visual prompts to aid

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

communication for all children. The nursery is thoughtfully organised, providing a wide range of resources and activities that children can freely access, promoting their free choice and developing their independence.

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

Children's behaviour is good and they are learning how to behave and know what is expected of them. This is because practitioners are good role models and use age- appropriate strategies to support this, for example, supporting children to share resources. Practitioners consistently offer praise and encouragement, which helps to promote children's self-esteem and confidence. Children are given clear boundaries and practitioners explain to children why their behaviour is unacceptable and the impact it could have on others. Complying with these expectations means children enjoy their nursery experience and have some emerging skills to underpin their eventual move to school. Good partnerships with the local schools ensure the move to school is effectively managed. Teachers visit children in the nursery to get to know their individual needs and children make visits to their new school to become familiar with their new surroundings.

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

Valuable information is shared to ensure the new school is aware of children's starting points. This enables children's learning to be continually promoted when they move to their new school. Children's work and photographs are displayed throughout the nursery, making them feel valued and acknowledged. The entrance area contains information and displays for parents, which helps all children and their families to have a sense of belonging.

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

The nursery promotes a healthy lifestyle because children have regular access to exercise and outdoor play along with healthy snacks and meals. Children learn about the importance of physical exercise and the effects that exercise has on their bodies because they take part in the daily, 'Hunny Shake'. In addition, practitioners discuss with children the effect of the exercise on their body, and children comment, 'I can feel my heart beating fast'. Meals are freshly prepared on site, healthy and nutritious. Older children self-serve their own snacks. The vast majority of the babies and all children feed themselves, and practitioners support this effectively. Consequently, children are learning self-help and independence skills. Children are learning good hygiene routines and know they must wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating. Practitioners use imaginative ways to support this important hygiene message. For example, by reading

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

stories, singing songs and displaying characters from the story in the bathroom area to remind the children to wash their hands independently. Children learn about keeping safe as they take part in regular fire drills.

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provision

The manager and her team have a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. Recruitment procedures ensure practitioners are safe and suitable to work with the children, as Disclosure and Barring Service checks are in place and references are obtained prior to all practitioners commencing work. Procedures for safeguarding children are good as practitioners have all completed safeguarding training. They understand their responsibilities and are aware of the procedure to follow should they have a concern. There is an appropriate safeguarding policy in place; this is shared with parents to ensure that they are aware of the expectations of the nursery and the relevant procedures to promote children's safety. Relevant records are kept and are well maintained, such as accident and medication records. Practitioners are vigilant about the security of the premises and check all visitors before entry. They supervise children appropriately and

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provision

carry out daily safety checks to ensure areas the children use are safe. Practitioners are deployed well to ensure children receive a good level of attention and support.

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provision

The manager demonstrates high aspirations for developing practice and striving for improvement. There is a strong commitment to support practitioners' professional development to continue to raise the quality of the provision. This is identified during practitioners' supervision, internal monitoring and manager observations with the outcomes being discussed with practitioners. In addition, external observations are undertaken with managers from nurseries within the chain to ensure good practice is shared throughout the sister nurseries. Practitioners are then supported to attend relevant courses and further their qualifications, in order to improve their knowledge and skills to further enhance their children's learning. The manager and her team demonstrate an enthusiasm for their work with a commitment to improving achievement for the children. As a result, morale is high and practitioners clearly enjoy working in the nursery. Children

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provision

make good progress because practitioners demonstrate a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They plan stimulating and challenging experiences for all the children, taking into account their individual interests and needs. The manager monitors the progress of the children and the educational programmes. This is completed with the use of regular team meetings, observations, next steps for learning and tracking the children's achievements. Consequently, the teaching is good and children's learning is strong. Effective arrangements to ensure the ongoing evaluation of the provision are in place and action plans are implemented. This clearly identifies strengths and weaknesses and what action is planned as a result.

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provision

The nursery has high levels of engagement with all parents because they seek parents' views and involvement in a variety of ways. This helps to ensure they have a firm understanding of the children's and families' needs. Parents are provided with detailed information through regular emails and are kept well informed through noticeboards, daily communication, parents' evenings and events. For example, open days are organised for parents to join in with their children's play and practitioners explain how children are learning through play. In addition, the nursery has organised information sessions about phonics teaching so parents can feel informed about this area of learning. Consequently, parents feel confident in being able to support their children's learning at home. The nursery has also established a parents' committee to aid communication and gain their views about the provision. Practitioners have good relationships with a range of other

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provision

professionals and this ensures that children's specific needs are assessed and that appropriate support is given over time.

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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 EY473466 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 952018 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 90 Number of children on roll 44 Name of provider The Hunnypot Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 0116 284 8434

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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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