Happy Stars Day Nursery

Happy Stars 104 West Common Lane, SCUNTHORPE, South Humberside, DN17 1DU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/08/2014 03/12/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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

 Children are safeguarded and fully protected from harm. This is because all staff have been checked and are suitable to work with children. They fully understand their role and responsibility in protecting children.  Partnerships with parents are good. The manager and her staff are committed to strengthening the opportunities for parents to be involved in their child's learning. This results in a coordinated approach to children's positive development.  Children make good progress in their learning and development as they engage in a broad range of activities inside and outside, which are planned around their interests and developmental needs.  Children are happy, confident and secure within the nursery because staff have developed close relationships with them. They are encouraged to be independent which promotes their confidence, self-esteem and helps them develop good self-care skills.  The manager has a clear vision for further improvements. She sets high standards,

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This provision is good

monitors effectiveness and encourages staff professional development through training, which demonstrates a drive for quality improvement.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not make full use of all opportunities to enhance children's growing interest in technology.

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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 and held discussions with the manager and owner.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed adult-led and free-play activities taking place in the playrooms and outside area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and discussed the nursery's self-evaluation and improvement plan with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Happy Stars nursery was registered in 2004 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, and is privately owned and managed. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from a house and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, three at level 5, and one at level 6, including one with Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 91 children attending, 64 of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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

 maximise opportunities for children to enhance their growing interest in technology and how things work, for example, by providing even more resources for children to explore, such as torches and calculators.

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who attend

Staff have a clear understanding of the children's learning and development needs. They effectively support and promote their interests and plan activities to extend children's learning. For example, children in the pre-school room have shown an interest in digging for treasure. Therefore, staff provide an activity for children to develop their own treasure chest and bury it in the mud area. As a result, children are given opportunities to create new experiences based on their interests, while developing their imagination. Long term plans show learning opportunities in each area of the room and how the role of the adult can support a child in each area. Resources and the layout of rooms within the nursery are similar and are enhanced depending on children's interests. This helps support children when moving from room to room. Children take part in group activities that enable them to take turns in conversation. For example, staff talk to the children about the weather

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who attend

and children raise their hand and take turns to speak to the member of staff about their findings. This supports their communication and language skills well and provides a good foundation for children's social skills and understanding of the world, when they go to school.

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who attend

The nursery is well-resourced and organised effectively inside and outside to include low level storage containers to support children's independence in selecting and putting away toys. This enables children to access resources of their choice and use them in imaginative ways, for instance, children collect gold glitter, pipe cleaners and sequins to use as treasure to support their enjoyment of being pirates. However, there are fewer opportunities for children to enhance their growing interest in technology and how things work.

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who attend

Parent's involvement in children's learning is good. Parents contribute to the initial assessments of children's starting points on entry and they are kept well-informed about their progress through learning and development summaries. They also have regular conversations with their child's key person and borrow learning bags to use with their child at home. Photographs of children engaged in activities are displayed in order to keep parents informed of what their children are currently learning and help them gain ideas of activities they can try at home with their children. This enables staff to work with parents to further enhance children's progress. The progress check carried out for children between the ages of two-and-three years include comments from parents and is used to inform them about their child's development in the three prime areas of learning. It is used well to identify any gaps in learning at an early stage so that swift action can be

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

Children show they are forming good relationships with the staff and other children attending. This is because staff are friendly and have an inclusive approach, welcoming all children. For instance, a member of staff arrives at the nursery and greets children at their level and by name. Children greet her fondly and throw their arms around her. Each child's key person is responsible for the planning of each individual child, updating their key children's 'look at me' books and by liaising closely with parents. This ensures there is a consistent approach to children's care and early education. Parents are invited to settling-in sessions with their children when they first start to attend, so that children quickly get used to their new surroundings and people. This helps children to settle into new routines and separate confidently from their parents. Some children move up from the nursery's sister's company and children are brought by their key-person to the nursery

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

for settling-in visits. This system works very well and parents comment that they appreciate the close working partnership of both nurseries. The walls contain examples of children's creative work and this gives them a sense of belonging and shows them that their opinions and creations are valued by staff.

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

Children are encouraged to develop their independence through everyday tasks, for example, by selecting and putting on their shoes, washing their hands before snack time and setting the table for lunch. Children are very well nourished because they are provided with a good variety of nutritious, snacks and meals that are prepared in the nursery. For example, children enjoy a hearty lunch of pasta and vegetables and children have toast and fruit for snack. Older children use a toaster to prepare their own snack and use knives to butter their toast. Therefore, children are able manage risks while undertaking tasks independently. Drinking water is readily available in each room. Lunch menus are clearly displayed for parents to ensure they are kept well-informed of their child's healthy eating choices. All staff are clear about children's allergies or food preferences, which ensures children's medical and cultural needs are respected and met.

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

Children from the out of school club join the pre-school children during meal times and they are able to talk with their siblings and socialize. Children can rest or sleep in quieter places after lunch or engage in more physically active play outside. Children enjoy a range of activities outside and enjoy running and rolling on the new artificial grass surface. All staff hold an appropriate first-aid certificate. Therefore, children are cared for appropriately if they have an accident.

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

The staff are consistent in how they deal with any unacceptable behaviour. For example, they give children praise and promote positive behaviour. Consequently, children learn how to behave well. Children in the pre-school room are aware of behaviour strategies and remind staff that they need 'kind hands' when playing. Children have access to a wealth of quality resources, which are thoughtfully stored at child height. Children develop their independence and confidence as they choose their activities and help to tidy up so that they know where the toys belong. Children are supported very well when moving from room to room within the nursery and are supported on visits with their key-person. Regular visits take place prior to the child permanently joining another room. Therefore, children are familiar with their surroundings, which supports their emotional well-being and confidence.

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provision

Leadership and management is good because the manager understands her role and responsibilities to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The manager maintains a clear overview of the educational programmes to ensure that children's individual progress, along with group tracking, is consistently monitored and reviewed. This secures children's learning and development. Recruitment procedures are sound and together with background checks, a thorough induction process, appraisal system and team meetings, mean that staff remain suitable for their role. A full record of all staff Disclosure and Barring Service checks is maintained. A safeguarding policy is accessible to staff and parents with regard to protecting children. All staff have attended safeguarding training and this is regularly updated, and systems are in place to report any concerns. Children are kept very safe through rigorous systems in place, for example,

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provision

thorough risk assessments that help provide a safe environment.

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provision

Staff performance, planning and assessment are monitored and documented effectively by the management team. Regular supervisions are carried out so that staff can evaluate their performance, discuss children's progress and their own well-being or concerns. Targets are set and training is arranged. As a result, children benefit from continually improved learning experiences. At staff meetings there is a focus on training and staff reflect on the courses they have attended, analysing how this impacts on the nursery's practice. For example, staff attended 'Every Child a Talker' training and the impact of this is evident as staff have developed good skills in talking with children and understanding how to encourage thinking and reasoning skills. The management team has a strong focus on developing staff qualifications further, to ensure their workforce is able to provide children with a positive learning experience.

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provision

Positive relationships have formed with parents and they are warmly welcomed into the nursery. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the benefits of working closely together to meet children's needs and have recently introduced new ways in which parents can support their child's changes in family circumstances. For example, a 'new baby' loan bag is borrowed to support children's understanding of new family members. Feedback from parents is very positive. For example, parents describe the nursery as having 'friendly staff' and receiving good communication through the key-person system. Noticeboards around the nursery provide parents with additional information on how to support children's development. For example, parents are provided with leaflets to support children through toileting, moving home and behaviour. The nursery establishes good links with schools and shares children's learning and development. The nursery has developed

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provision

links with other providers, where the care of children is shared, by completing link books to secure a two-way flow of information to support children's learning. Self-evaluation shows clearly the areas for development which include plans to develop further the outside area and enhance the already good practice of involving parents in children's learning. Overall, this is a good friendly nursery where children receive a positive early years experience which lays a solid foundation to support their future learning and development, so they reach their full potential.

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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 EY335593 Local authority North Lincolnshire Inspection number 878146

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 91 Name of provider Happy Stars Limited Date of previous inspection 03/12/2009 Telephone number 01724 876123

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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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