Hill Top Tots Day Nursery Limited

Hill Top Tots Day Nursery Ltd Hill Top Tots Day Nursery, 51 Highfields Road, DRONFIELD, Derbyshire, S18 1UW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/08/2014 28/10/2009

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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 effectively support children's learning. Therefore, children make at least good progress from their starting point.  Staff have high expectations of the children. Consequently children's behaviour is impeccable.  Safeguarding children is given a high priority. Staff have good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding. This means that children are kept safe and secure.  There are strong partnerships with parents and other professionals. As a result children's individual learning and care needs are met well.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Occasionally, staff overly direct activities, which sometimes restricts children's independent creativity.  Resources are organised in a way that, at times, reduces opportunities for children to combine them together in order to extend their expressive designs.  The monitoring of staff teaching practice is not carried out in a highly targeted way, to ensure that the quality of teaching by all staff is consistently exemplary.

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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 observed play and learning activities in all rooms and the outdoor environment.  The inspector spoke with the manager, staff and children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a meeting with the manager and looked at a range of documents, including observations, planning and tracking of children's progress.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and read some of the written comments in cards.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Hill Top Tots Day Nursery was registered in 1995 on the Early Years Register. It is situated in a residential area of Dronfield, on the outskirts of Sheffield and Chesterfield and is privately owned and managed. The nursery serves the local and surrounding areas and is accessible to all children. There are four playrooms, one of which is upstairs, and an enclosed area for outdoor play. The nursery employs 16 members of staff, all of whom hold early years qualifications at level 3. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 8am until 6pm, all year round and offers a variety of flexible sessions. There are currently 120 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded education for three- and four-year-old children. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported in the nursery.

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

 review the creative activities that are adult-led, so that children are never over directed and always have the opportunity to be independently creative

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

 review the way that resources are organised, so that children are more encouraged to use them in an open-ended manner and combine them together to extend their expressive designs, particularly within arts and craft

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

 enhance the monitoring of teaching practice to include, for example, sharply focused observations of staff practice that are used to implement a highly targeted programme of development for all staff.

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who attend

Staff have a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how children learn. As a result, all children are making good progress in their learning and development and some are making very good progress. Staff carry out regular observations that are precise, accurate and are used to effectively plan the next steps in children's learning. A broad range of activities and opportunities help children to make progress across all areas of learning. Therefore, children are supported to develop the skills they need for the next stage in their learning, such as starting school. Children enjoy playing with and manipulating large quantities of dough in a tray. Staff model the different ways to effect change in the dough by pulling it, stretching it and using tools to make shapes. Children are fully involved and concentrate well as they manipulate the dough. Communication and language development is given high priority and as a result, many children have

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who attend

exceptional language skills. The 'Every Child a Talker' programme is used within nursery, to further enhance and assess children's communication skills. Staff encourage children to talk about the activities that they have been involved in at home and share this during group times. This develops their ability to recall past events in their own words. Literacy is fostered very well and many children who are moving on to school can form letters and write their name. This is good preparation for their future learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are extremely well supported. Staff are swift in their identification of need and plan appropriate interventions to support children's learning. Strategies are shared between staff to ensure that support for children is consistent. An example of this is the use of gentle touch on the shoulder to gain the attention of children.

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who attend

Staff extend children's learning and provide further ideas to enrich children's play. For example, children pretending to be fire fighters are encouraged by staff to act out sliding down the pole from the walking bridge. Children are provided with a wide range of resources and activities. However, due to the organisation of some activities, children are not always encouraged to combine resources and extend their expressive and creative designs, particularly in art. The quality of teaching is good, although, there are occasions when staff are overly directional. For example, during an adult-led, colour mixing activity, the adult chooses the colours and paint the children's hands, rather than letting children independently explore how to make different colours. Staff are interested and actively engaged in children's play. They extend children's learning by asking open-ended questions. For example, staff effectively support children to problem solve by asking how

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who attend

they can collect the water as it flows down the drainpipe to prevent it from running across the ground. Staff extend children's use and understanding of mathematical concepts well. Consequently, children are skilled in the use of number, shape, sorting and ordering during planned and spontaneous play. For example, children build different sized towers with wooden bricks, order them from the tallest to the smallest and count to 15. Babies show their persistence when they are learning to walk and show delight when pulling themselves up on furniture to achieve what they set out to do. Staff support babies well by giving lots of praise and encouragement as they attempt to take those first tentative steps. As a result, babies' physical skills are developing in line with typical expectations.

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who attend

All parents are included in their children's learning and development and are very aware of the importance of supporting children's learning both in the nursery and at home. For instance, the nursery has developed diary books where parents share what children have done at home and the nursery records significant activities that the children have been involved in at nursery. This promotes good communication between the nursery and the parents and impacts positively on children's learning.

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

Staff are very warm and caring and provide a welcoming environment for children and families. They know all children extremely well and provide individualised care. During the settling-in process, staff discuss with parents their child's likes, dislikes and the important aspects of care, such as how babies like to be comforted. Each child is assigned a key person who ensures their individual care needs are met and strong bonds develop between staff and children. Consequently, children explore and learn with confidence. When children are at the stage to move between rooms in the nursery, sensitive and supportive arrangements are put in place. Staff and parents plan and work together to support children with their transitions to the next room. The key person accompanies children during visits to their new room, which offers children a sense of security. The transition period is personalised to meet each child's individual needs. The garden is

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

accessed throughout the day and this offers further opportunities for older and younger children to play together, which also prepares children for their transitions between rooms.

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

Children display impeccable behaviour and show great respect for staff, other children and their environment. This is supported by staff who have high expectations of children. Children are confident to speak to visitors and are extremely polite as they say 'excuse me please, may I get past' when they want to pass behind the chair that the inspector is sitting on. This shows that they are safe and secure with high levels of confidence and excellent self-esteem. Staff promote children's social skills particularly well. They encourage children to share experiences in small groups about significant events, such as a holiday to Disneyland. Children listen with interest in a sustained way. Consequently, children play well together, make friends and enjoy their time at nursery. The outdoor area has recently been developed significantly to allow more space for children to explore the natural world and to climb. This offers children more opportunities to exert energy and

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

develop their health and well-being. Children are supported to manage their own risk outdoors when climbing on the equipment provided and developing their adventurous side. Staff ensure that the environment is safe and secure and they undertake daily risk assessments.

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

Individual dietary requirements are well known by all staff and closely observed. Children choose from a wide selection of healthy snacks, which include lots of fresh fruit and yogurts. During snack time, children learn about foods that are good for them. Menus are balanced and consist of nutritious meals that are freshly prepared each day by the cook. Fresh water is available throughout the day, which older children access independently from their personalised water bottles. Children learn about the importance of washing their hands prior to eating and manage their personal hygiene needs independently. They understand and can explain the importance of washing their hands when they have played outside and before eating their snack. As a result, children are developing healthy lifestyles.

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provision

Management and staff have a good understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, they are meeting all the legal requirements. Safeguarding is given a high priority in the nursery. Staff have a good understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse. They know who to contact, both in the nursery and in external agencies, if they have any concerns about a child's welfare. This means that any concerns are dealt with promptly. All staff have attended safeguarding training and know the procedures to follow, including how to address any concerns about other members of staff. Policies, procedures and records are in place to further protect children from harm. There are effective recruitment and vetting procedures in place to ensure the suitability of staff who work with children and include staff being checked through the Disclosure and Barring Service. Safeguarding is included within the programme of induction of staff. Risk

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provision

assessments are completed, which helps staff to minimise any risks to children. Furthermore, the premises are kept safe and secure and entry systems are robust. All staff have attended paediatric first-aid training. This ensures that there is always a member of staff qualified in paediatric first aid on duty to keep children healthy and safe.

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provision

The nursery is organised well and practitioners work effectively together and with external agencies. This ensures that the environment is inclusive and supports all children's learning and development. There is good quality and up-to-date learning journeys, which track children's progress across the seven areas of learning. The manager monitors children's development and has an overview of the progress of each child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There is a systematic approach to monitoring the quality of the nursery provision. However, the monitoring is not sharply focused and therefore, there are occasions when teaching is overly directional and this slightly reduces children's independent creativity.

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provision

The management team are enthusiastic about to continuously developing the nursery. The management and staff use their knowledge of how children learn to action plan areas for improvement. For example, they are currently focusing on developing the outdoor provision to provide greater opportunities to challenge children's learning and development. There is a planned programme of professional development and staff undertake a range of courses, although training is not always highly targeted. Staff work effectively with a range of professionals outside the nursery to support children's individual needs. These include health visitor's and speech and language therapists. Planned programmes set by professionals are used to support children's language development, so that they make the best possible progress. Partnerships with parents are very strong. Parents speak highly of the nursery and are confident that their children are making good

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provision

progress. They comment that key persons and other staff know and support their children very well. This has a very positive effect on the care and well-being of children and the progress they make in their learning.

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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 206261 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 865409

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 56 Number of children on roll 120 Name of provider Hill Top Tots Ltd Date of previous inspection 28/10/2009 Telephone number 01246 290063

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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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