Little Ducklings Day Nursery

Little Ducklings Day Nursery Campbell Road, Woodley, READING, RG5 3NA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/08/2014 31/08/2011

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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

 Staff have good, consistent skills in supporting children's communication, so children are confident talkers and express themselves well.  Staff effectively support and extend children's self-directed play related to their next steps in learning and development. As a result, children make good progress.  Partnerships with parents are valued and opportunities to share information about their child's progress are good.  Leadership and management are proactive to make changes in the setting and there are effective ongoing systems to self-evaluate practice.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities to support and reinforce children's counting skills and awareness of written numbers is not always promoted in their outdoor play activities.

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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 teaching, learning, and care practices in the main playrooms and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector and manager undertook a joint observation of teaching practice and discussed this.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection and held a meeting with the manager to discuss leadership and management in the setting.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed samples of documentation including policies, staff qualifications, staff suitability checks, and children's learning records.  The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views.

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Information about the setting

Little Ducklings Day Nursery registered in 1995 and was taken over by the present owners in 2006. The owners re-registered in 2011, when they became a limited company. The nursery operates from its own premises that are adjacent to Southlake Infant and Primary School in Woodley, Berkshire. There is a secure enclosed garden for children's outside play. Children come from local surrounding areas and attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery is open five days a week from 8am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 89 children on roll in the early years age group. The nursery employs fourteen staff, of whom 7 hold relevant childcare qualifications at level 3 and above. The manager is currently working towards the Early Years Professional Status.

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

 enhance opportunities for children to continue to use numbers in the outdoor area.

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who attend

Staff have good knowledge of children's development and track children's progress well. Staff make good use of their observations and assessments of children's achievements to identify their next steps in learning and development. They use this information effectively to plan an exciting range of challenging, purposeful and focused activities based on children's interests. As a result, children are keen to participate and make good progress from their starting points. Staff balance child-led play with planned activities, such as group dicussion time, to support daily routines and to prepare children for their move to school. Staff are alert to children's interests. For example, when children show an interest in pirates, staff encourage them to imagine a pirate's boat, using the outdoor wooden bridge and climbing apparatus. Children enjoy climbing aboard and pretending they are sailing across the sea to Australia. Staff adapt learning for children by making a treasure

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who attend

map with an X to mark the spot where treasure is buried and they encourage children to dig up the treasure using their spades. As a result, staff effectively use children's interests to support their imagination, creativity, and physical skills. Children enjoy pretend experiences such as shopping. Staff extend these opportunities for children to write shopping lists, and some children draw pictures of their grocery lists. As a result, children develop a positive attitude towards learning. Children have good opportunities to practise their physical skills as they run, balance and climb outdoors. They also have weekly 'Stretch and grow' classes to help their coordination and balance. In addition, older children help younger children learn how to use a scooter. The older children demonstrate a pushing action with their feet for younger children to copy; this actively supports their motivation to learn and children show their delight when they succeed. Although the

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who attend

outdoor area promotes the seven areas of learning, there are few written numbers outside. This reduces opportunities to promote children's understanding of mathematics in their play outdoors.

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who attend

Staff emphasise shapes and colours with the two- and three-year old children as they enjoy painting activities. They reinforce children's learning of different colours, for example by asking children to identify a yellow circle. Staff extend children's learning through mixing paints to create new colours. Staff positively comment on, and praise, children's individual work, which develops their self-confidence. As a result, children cheerfully take pride in their artwork. Staff engage the younger children's interest in stories and songs effectively. Staff use clear expression and sound out letters of words when reading a story about a fish. This effectively helps children develop their early reading abilities. Staff repeat and reinforce the sounds and words that younger children make to encourage early communication and language skills. Staff adapt language with older children through consistent conversations about what they are doing. Staff utilise a good range of teaching

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who attend

methods. For example, they use open-ended questions, which helps children think critically and express their ideas independently. Consequently, staff support the communication and language development of all children from a young age.

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who attend

Staff allow children to develop their natural curiosity within their play. For example, children show great interest in filling up different size cups with water and exploring the ideas of volume and size. There are opportunities for older children to engage with technology through appropriate mathematics software and games on computers. This helps children prepare for future learning, for example, when they go to school.

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who attend

Management and staff have a commitment to monitor children's progress and ongoing development. For example, staff frequently check children's learning records when developing weekly plans and individual focused activities. This actively helps them identify children's achievements and any gaps in their learning to see where further support may be needed. As a result, staff foster a continuous approach to children's care and learning needs. Parents are encouraged to share their child's routines and achievements at home. The management team are currently piloting an interactive learning journal to provide further opportunities for parents to participate in their child's learning and development.

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

Children are happy and settled at the nursery and have formed good relationships with staff and children. They are able to direct their own play activities, which often include group activities, and they become readily absorbed in learning. Staff praise children often for their achievements. This actively supports children's self-esteem and sense of worth. Staff use clear communication to relay behavioural expectations and are good role models to children. As a result, children are well behaved and aware of set boundaries for behaviour. There is an established key person system which enables ongoing communication between parents and staff regarding children's care and learning. Parents comment that they feel valued and at ease as children make secure bonds with their key person. The use of a daily diary for younger children supports the partnership between the key person and parents. As a result, as children's daily care and learning progress is shared

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

effectively. Children feel comfortable to approach their key person for reassurance and younger children share cuddles to help them feel settled. Staff interact in a warm and friendly way with children; they actively listen and respond to children's communication.

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

Staff make good use of the outdoor area to ensure that children are getting fresh air and regular exercise, which benefits their health and well-being. Children demonstrate that they are learning about healthy lifestyles. For example, they make imaginary shopping trips, where they identify and discuss a variety of healthy foods. Mealtimes are social events for children to develop conversation skills as staff sit with the children. Children have meals freshly cooked on the premises by a qualified chef, which promotes healthy eating and a balanced diet. Children's dietary requirements are taken into account to promote individual care. Younger children learn hygiene routines as staff talk to them about washing their hands before they eat. Staff encourage older children to be independent. For example, they wash their own hands before and after meals and serve their own snacks. This helps children to be ready for school and helps them to develop

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

Settling-in sessions and moves to different rooms are tailored to meet individual children's requirements. As a result, staff ensure children's needs and well-being are a priority. Staff have meetings to discuss children who may be ready for the next stage of learning and they plan gradual visits to their new room. Children who are ready to go to school are supported in acquiring independence and self-care skills. Staff have good knowledge of individual children, which enables them to personalise support.

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

Care practices are good. Nappy changing is discreet and hygienic and staff ensure that children remain comfortable and happy. Staff teach children to keep themselves safe as they practise regular fire drills so children are aware of evacuation procedures. There is a range of policies and procedures in place to carry out regular risk assessments. These include daily safety checks as well risk assessments of the indoor area, garden, play activities and any visits or outings. As a result, hazards to children are minimised. Staff are clear about their role in keeping a safe and secure environment and children are well supervised.

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provision

Management and staff have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage safeguarding and welfare requirements. Staff are familiar with the safeguarding policies and there is ongoing training to help them identify any concerns swiftly. The safeguarding policy outlines procedures and contact details for staff to follow. Robust recruitment systems ensure all staff are suitable to work with children. Management continues to assess the suitability of staff through a detailed induction process. This effectively helps staff understand their roles and responsibilities in caring for children. Policies and procedures are shared with parents and all the required documentation is in place and well maintained, to ensure that children are safe and secure.

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provision

The manager of the nursery continuously monitors staff performance and the educational programmes. Effective ongoing supervision and appraisal systems allow the manager and staff to discuss opportunities for their professional development and training. The manager also supports staff in monitoring children's progress, through team meetings and clear systems for observations, assessment and planning. This means that children are well supported to make good progress. The manager is proactive in implementing changes. For example, the manager is strengthening the observation system to support staff further in sharing good practice and beneficial ideas.

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provision

The manager and staff demonstrate a drive for improvement. There is a culture of self- evaluation as staff, parents and children all share their views. This enables the team to reflect on what is going well and what they want to develop further. The nursery has completed detailed self-evaluation and created a development plan that includes clear targets. For example, the manager aims to further strengthen partnership with parents through providing online learning journals so that parents can participate in their children's learning and development.

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provision

Good partnerships with parents help to promote continuity of care for children. Parents spoken with at the inspection praise the staff and comment their children are very happy at the nursery and making good progress. They say that they feel valued and included because there is good communication with the manager and staff. Staff have good links with the local schools and organise visits to prepare the older children for their move to school.

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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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 EY426979 Local authority Wokingham Inspection number 845389 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 48 Number of children on roll 89 Name of provider Little Ducklings Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 31/08/2011 Telephone number 01189272822

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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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