Young Tots Nursery

Young Tots Day Nursery Limekiln Way, Off Greetwell Road, LINCOLN, Lincolnshire, LN2 4US

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/09/2014 22/01/2009

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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

 Effective partnerships are in place between the nursery practitioners, parents, external agencies and other professionals. As a result, children's individual needs are closely monitored and swift, sensitive action is taken to ensure they have the best possible start in their learning.  Children are making good progress in their learning and development. This is because practitioners have a good understanding of how to provide activities and experiences, while building on children's interests.  Leadership and management is effective. The management team are well motivated and passionate about continuous improvement.  Children are happy and settled. Practitioners promote children's well-being by being warm and caring, while developing secure attachments with them.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Occasionally, children's play is interrupted by practitioners to complete daily routines, such as snack time, which means children do not always have the opportunity to play, explore and become deeply involved in activities.  Children's already good language skills are not always maximised because some practitioners use too few open-ended questions.

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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 compulsory part 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 spoke with the owner who is also the manager, deputy manager, practitioners and interacted with children at appropriate times throughout the inspection inside and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents as discussed with them during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the owner/manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of practitioners working in the nursery and a range of other documentation.

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Information about the setting

Young Tots Nursery was registered in 1986 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is privately owned and managed. It operates from purpose-built, ground-floor premises on the outskirts of Lincoln. The nursery has two main rooms, which provide care for differing ages of children. There is a baby room for younger children and a larger room used to provide care for children from two to five years. Further facilities include sleep rooms, a laundry/changing room, a kitchen and an office. There is a secure outside area, which the setting uses for outdoor play. The premises are accessible and parking facilities are available at the front of the setting. The setting opens weekdays, from 8am to 5.30pm, all year round, with the exception of Bank Holidays. There are currently 45 children on roll, all of which are within the early years age group. 21 of these children receive funding for early education. The setting employs 12

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Information about the setting

practitioners, 11 of whom hold appropriate Early Years qualifications. One practitioner holds a Foundation Degree in Childcare and one holds a BA (Honours) Degree in Early Childhood Studies. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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

 review the way snack time is organised to prevent children being interrupted in their play to encourage their interest and sustain their enjoyment

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

 enhance children's already good language skills by practitioners using more open- ended questioning, for example, by encouraging children to describe in more detail the colours and shapes they are using during messy play activities.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good. Practitioners have a good understanding of how to provide activities and experiences while building on children's interests. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are making good progress given their starting points. Practitioners actively contribute to ensuring children are motivated and interested in their play and learning. Play is planned related to individual children, their interests and age and stage of development. As a result, children are enthusiastic and learn quickly. Each child has their own learning journey file, which is shared with parents to help them understand how well their child is progressing. Regular informal and formal meetings are held with parents to share information about their child's learning and development. Identified targets to help children move on more quickly are shared sensitively. Some ideas and suggestions are shared with parents to continue their

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who attend

child's learning at home. Parents also have the opportunity to put Wow moments that their child has achieved at home onto the parents communication tree. Practitioners complete robust observations and assessments, which ensure children are making good progress. They have a good understanding of how children learn through play and implement the Early Years Foundation Stage into their practice effectively. They are familiar with the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years, and complete this when necessary. Practitioners value the input from teachers to help children enhance their skills in readiness for attending school. For example, practitioners incorporate What we do at school resources at circle time provided by the local school.

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who attend

Outside, children explore with enthusiasm. They confidently position the crates and other objects to form a fire engine. Children engage in role play and practitioners support them effectively when required, allowing them to use their imagination in play. Practitioners present activities carefully encouraging children's exploratory skills, for example, garden mirrors placed around the outdoor area entice children to stop and look at themselves. This helps them develop their own self-identity and that of others. Practitioners encourage children to move and climb freely on the outdoor climbing equipment. Children enjoy taking it in turns to climb different sides of the climbing frame then come whizzing down the slide. Practitioners support children in various ways to enhance their all round development. For example, during a counting activity, practitioners encourage children to spin the dial and then match the number to the correct spots on the card. Children

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who attend

participate in the game with interest while enhancing their mathematical skills. However, during some outside play, practitioners organisation of snack time interrupts children. As a result, children are temporarily unable to complete activities or enhance their own learning in which they are deeply engrossed. Children tip and pour flour from various containers. They use water and brushes to paint their playhouse and other children use this opportunity to make marks on the floor. Children show good levels of cooperative play and concentration while having fun. However, children's already good language skills are not always maximised. This is because some practitioners use few open-ended questions, to encourage children to describe colours and shapes during messy play activities.

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who attend

Babies thoroughly enjoy singing time. They happily sit with practitioners or stand whilst doing the actions to the songs. Babies clap and smile at the end of the rhymes, showing their sense of achievement and pleasure. They show good levels of confidence when exploring toys, such as looking at hardback books and attempting to turn the pages themselves. Practitioners talk to children sensitively, clearly and effectively. Key words are displayed throughout the setting for practitioners to pronounce these for children who speak English as an additional language. This supports children in their communication and language skills. Slightly older children develop their imaginative skills. They use small world vehicles and make 'brmm' sounds as they move the vehicles backwards and forwards where they have set up their aeroplanes. Other children join in making the sounds with other vehicles and play cooperatively with each other, moving the vehicles in

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

Children are happy and settled. Practitioners promote children's well-being by being warm and caring, while developing secure attachments with them. Children feel secure and safe to explore their environment. This is because the key-person system works well, practitioners deploy themselves effectively and toys and resources are safely presented. Practitioners understand the importance of gathering information about children before they start at the nursery. This is achieved through effective communication and meetings with parents. The key person carefully plans play pertinent to individual children while acknowledging their interest, stage and level of development. Furthermore, practitioners work sensitively and flexibly with parents, while helping their child during their move from home to nursery. Furthermore, key persons work closely with one another while keeping parents up to date and encouraging them to contribute their ideas during moves between

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

rooms and onto school. This enables all children to have a seamless and smooth move during the next stage in their learning.

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

Practitioners enhance children's confidence by praising them and using positive reinforcement, helping them to feel secure to try new and challenging activities. For example, practitioners praise older children when trying to use the scissors, such as 'well done' and 'keep trying'. Children's self-esteem is good and they understand the boundaries and expectations set out consistently by practitioners. Children are treated with equal concern and included in all activities because practitioners plan and organise time and resources effectively, both inside and outdoors. Positive images, toys and resources are presented, enabling all children to enhance their awareness of others' similarities and differences. For example, letters and words in varying languages are displayed around the rooms. This enables practitioners to refer to when speaking in children's home languages and conversing with parents. Furthermore, practitioners support children, who are less

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

able or have special educational needs and/or disabilities, by adapting activities and working closely with agencies to meet the child's unique individual needs.

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

Practitioners use the outdoor area well; ensuring children are offered plenty of fresh air and exercise, which forms a daily part of their routine. There is direct access from each room to a designated outside area. Older children are able to make their own choices as to whether they play inside or outdoors. Younger children have a separate play area and are more closely supervised as they have more structured time to ensure they spend time enjoying the fresh air while exercising. Practitioners are good role models and oversee the daily tasks and routines of ensuring the nursery is well maintained and suitable for children. They promote children's learning about being healthy and keeping safe by involving children during daily experiences. For example, effective mealtime procedures ensure children learn about washing their hands to stop germs from spreading. The nursery uses an external provider for their varied healthy and nutritious meals. They have

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

a nursery cook who oversees the delivery and preparation of these meals, which successfully adhere to children's dietary needs. This is because practitioners keep the cook up to date with children's individual requirements and any changes that may occur.

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provision

Leadership and management is effective. The management team are well motivated and passionate about continuous improvement. They ensure a quality workforce is maintained by robust monitoring of practitioners performance. Furthermore, they pull together the thoughts, ideas and suggestions from practitioners, children and parents, as well as external agency input, such as Birth to Five. This ensures that the methods used for self- reflection and evaluation works well to enhance the all round needs of children given their starting points and the preferences of their family. Educational programmes are closely monitored. This ensures children are provided with a good range of varied and challenging activities and experiences in the indoor and outdoor environment. For example, planning of play has recently been changed by using a new recording and monitoring system to ensure children's interests are further built upon, and that their progress is closely tracked.

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provision

Play plans are sharply focused to individual children's next steps. As a result, children are making good progress from their starting points and baseline assessments. The management team recognises this new system has significantly enhanced previous planning. They robustly track the new system by checking records while referring to the early years outcomes guidance.

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provision

Partnerships with parents and others are effective. Parents speak about how friendly and welcoming practitioners are and how information is exchanged, helping them keep up to date with their child's learning and development. This also affects how parents continue to enhance their child's learning at home. A good range of information is attractively displayed around the nursery, such as, play plans, daily routines, key person details, policies and procedures. The nursery goes to lengths to include families to make them feel a part of the setting. For example, they recently held a Fathers' sports day and other events have included a teddy bears picnic and parents coming in to read to the children. Practitioners work very closely with other agencies, such as the neighbouring schools. For example, teachers are invited into the nursery to meet children and gain a better understanding of them prior to their move to school.

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provision

Practitioners are confident in the procedures they would follow should they have any concerns regarding a child in their care. They are familiar with individual practitioner roles, such as who is the designated person in safeguarding children. They have a good understanding of their role and responsibility in safeguarding children. Robust in-house training ensures that practitioners are up to date with current legal requirements. Risk assessments are carefully undertaken to ensure all areas within the nursery are safe. These are annually reviewed by the management team or as and when required. Adult-to- child ratios are maintained effectively, offering good levels of support to all children. Comprehensive systems are embedded for ensuring all practitioners working with children are suitable to do so. The management team effectively monitor practitioners' performance throughout their time at the nursery. For example, annual appraisals, room

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provision

monitoring and team meetings enable managers to gather information regarding practitioners' knowledge and skills. From this, clearly identified training is planned. This ensures all practitioners have a clear understanding and enhance their already good knowledge and implementation of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Practitioners work well as a team and share best practice, not only within the nursery, but also as part of a transition cluster group, which enables them to link with feeder schools. Overall, children and families benefit from the good quality workforce and the service that they provide.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 253704 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 866781

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 45 Name of provider Young Tots Day Nursery Partnership Date of previous inspection 22/01/2009 Telephone number 01522 568468

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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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