Lowen Harts Day Nursery

Lowen Harts Day Nursery LOWEN DAY PRE SCHOOL, School Lane, Redruth, TR15 2ER

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/06/2014 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

 Staff get to know children well and establish warm and caring relationships with them, so children quickly settle in the provision.  All staff have a clear understanding of each child's next steps and the learning intentions and aims for activities.  Staff's skilful interactions with children encourage children's conversations as they develop and extend their imaginative play.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Some learning activities are interrupted by staff carrying out care routines such as nappy changes.  Limited print, such as labelling of resources, around the play areas reduces opportunities for children to recognise words and staff labelling children's work does not encourage children to practise their writing skills.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.  The inspector carried out a joint observation alongside one of the co-managers.  The inspector observed activities in the playrooms and the outdoor play areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked documents relating to the suitability and qualifications of staff.  The inspector sampled documentation regarding planning and children's progress.

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Information about the setting

Lowen Harts Day Nursery Limited originally registered in 2010 and re-registered in 2014 due to a change in company status. The nursery operates from the Redruth Children Centre on the site of the old Gweal-an-Top School, in Redruth, Cornwall. The premises are fully accessible. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 50 weeks of the year. Children have access to a secure, enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The nursery receives funding for free early education for children aged from two years old. There are currently 73 children in the early years age range on roll. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and with English as an additional language. There are nine members of childcare staff and all hold relevant early years qualifications. These include one with an early years degree; six staff with qualifications at

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Information about the setting

level 3 and the remaining two staff with qualifications at level 2. Support staff include the cook and an administrator. The setting receives support from advisory staff of family services.

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

 review the organisation of care routines to minimise disruption to learning activities

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

 create an environment rich in print and increase children's opportunities to attempt to write in meaningful situations.

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who attend

Staff plan and provide an effective educational programme. The staff seek information from parents and, on occasion, from previous settings about children's preferences, development levels and interests. They use this information along with their own observations to establish children's starting points. Key persons use a development framework to identify children's individual next steps in their learning and plan interesting activities to promote them. Staff show understanding of the aims and learning intentions of activities as they gently guide children's play and ask open questions. Staff record information about children's progress on a secure internet site, which parents are able to access and read. However, parents are not able to add their own observations about children's achievements and home and staff do not add parent's verbal comments to this system. The use of the Every child a talker programme by staff enables them to accurately identify

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who attend

and provide focused support for children in need of additional help with their language and communication skills. Using children's progress records, staff are able to identify any areas of learning where children are either exceeding or need additional help to meet their next steps. Where necessary, they produce individual education plans, in liaison with other agencies. The staff's careful monitoring of children's achievements ensure and show that children make very good progress and start to catch up with their friends. In addition to daily discussions, key persons produce regular progress summaries, including progress summaries for two-year-olds, which they share with parents at progress meetings. As these are also available online, parents working or living away are able to keep track of their children's progress. Parents of children with English as an additional language share information with staff about their home language. This enables staff to understand what

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who attend

children are trying to say and support them in communicating in both their home language and learning English. Consequently, these children quickly learn to speak English as ably as their friends.

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who attend

The staff's skilful comments and open questioning, as children select and play with baby dolls, encourages children's conversations and helps children develop and extend their imaginative play. This enables children to share their thoughts, develop shared scenarios and play cooperative with their friends. Outdoors, children thoroughly enjoy mark making with chalks as they attempt to copy pictures and shapes drawn by staff. This gives children the initial skills that they need for writing in the future. Some children practise copying their names. However, children do not attempt to mark or label their artwork as this already done by the staff. This does not encourage children to use their emerging writing skills for a purpose. The storage of toys and resources in open containers and on shelving enables children to select activities independently. However, there is a lack of labelling and limited print, on display for children, around the playrooms. This restricts

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who attend

children's awareness of the importance of print and opportunities to recognise words in context.

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who attend

Staff encourage children to compare the different weights, texture and properties of oatmeal and pasta. They skilfully support children in describing the changing properties and textures as they add water to these materials. Children thoroughly enjoy handling the resulting sticky material and begin using it to create shapes and models. This activity supports children's growing vocabulary and communication skills, their curiosity and understanding of the world around them and their creativity. Staff encourage children to communicate both verbally and with sign language, especially at mealtimes. This supports their communication skills and raises their awareness of difference and diversity. Children begin to learn about the benefits of different foods as staff encourage them to prepare and discuss the fruit available for snack. Staff teach children to grow and care for plants including sunflowers and herbs, so children begin to learn where some foods originate.

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who attend

Children enjoy joining in action and counting songs and rhymes, with their friends and staff. They also enjoy listening to staff reading to them. However, staff sometimes remove some children from a story reading to carryout nappy changes and prepare children for meals. This disrupts the story and some children are not able to hear all of it.

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

Children quickly settle in and appear secure and confident in the setting. This is because staff take time to get to know children and develop warm relationships with them. Staff comfort tired children rocking them to sleep, when necessary. When settled, children sleep soundly, with staff nearby supervising them. All the staff are aware of and follow children's individual dietary needs and allergies. Meals are sociable times; at snack time staff talk with children about the variety of foods available and support children's independence as they encourage children to slice their fruit, and pour their own drinks from a choice of milk or water. Even very young children confidently help themselves to drinking water throughout the day. At lunchtime, the staff encourage children to serve the hot meals themselves, which are cooked on site. Staff support children in using cutlery safely and teach children to blow on their food to cool it before eating. Children's participation in

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

frequent fire drills helps them become familiar with them. These activities teach children how to keep themselves safe.

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

Staff teach children the importance of following good hygiene procedures as they ensure that children wash their hands at appropriate times. Staff follow advice from dental professionals by teaching children the appropriate times to brush their teeth after meals. Daily access to outdoor play enables all children to benefit from the fresh air and exercise. Older children grow in independence as they learn to dress themselves appropriately for outdoor play, finding and attempting to fasten their coats. Children behave well because staff praise children for their helpful behaviour, such as sharing toys and clearing their plates away. They also give children very clear explanations of how they expect children to behave.

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

Children's daily use of resources, which include positive images of people of different ethnicities, raise their awareness of differences and diversity. When staff know which schools children are moving on to, they make contact the relevant schools. They offer to meet with them and share information or for teachers to visit children at the nursery. Children's self-confidence, communication and strong independence skills prepare them well for their future move onto school.

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provision

Effective systems are in place to meet safeguarding and welfare requirements well, with helpful policies and procedures in place. All the staff undergo checks regarding their suitability. Safeguarding policies and procedures include current and relevant contact numbers. Staff have attended safeguarding training and managers are booked on further training. The management and staff have a secure understanding and awareness of safeguarding procedures. They work in cooperation with other agencies to support children's wellbeing and are aware of signs that could alert them to possible child abuse. The premises are secure, with outdoor play areas enclosed and staff control and monitor access to the premises. First aid kits are easily visible and accessible. All but one member of staff have current paediatric first-aid training and deal with any accidents and injuries appropriately.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are good. Parents are familiar with their children's key persons, who they describe as approachable and feel well informed about their children. Staff at the setting use a variety of methods to share information with parents about their children's development and well being. The setting works in partnership with a wide range of other agencies, such as occupational and speech and language therapists, to meet children's needs and support their progress. They also encourage parents in seeking advice and support from appropriate sources such as the children's centre.

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provision

The staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements. Staff seek information from other providers about children's progress via learning journals and discussion. The management team monitor practice and use their observations to support staff in making improvements. Staff use a development framework and the Every Child a Talker programme to review and monitor individual children's progress. They use individual and group progress records to ensure the educational programme is well balanced and covers all areas of learning. These also confirm that all children are progressing well. Regular staff meetings, supervision and appraisals enable the management team to identify staff training needs and support their personal development. These systems demonstrate their commitment and capacity to develop their provision and make continuous improvements.

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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 EY477708 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 977574 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 51 Number of children on roll 73 Name of provider Lowen Harts Day Nursery LTD Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01209211757

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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

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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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