Giggles Nursery

Giggles Nursery Springbank Community Resource Centre, Springbank Way, Spring Field Park, Cheltenham, GL51 0LG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/09/2014 17/12/2008

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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

 Key persons speak to children constantly and clearly, offering them kind words and cuddles, making children feel listened to and valued.  Staff help children develop good personal, social and emotional skills through good role modelling. They encourage children to be kind to each other and remind them about sharing and taking turns. Consequently, children's behaviour is good.  Staff support children in leading healthy lifestyles by talking about healthy diets and providing fresh drinking water that children can access independently.  Staff develop strong partnerships with parents, other providers and outside agencies, which helps meet all children's individual needs and promote their well-being.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 At times, some staff do not always manage group activity times effectively to support children's listening skills and turn taking during conversations.  Occasionally, some staff miss opportunities to extend older children's mathematical learning during spontaneous play.

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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 children's play, activities and staff interaction with children in three playrooms and the outside area.  The inspector spoke to the manager, staff, children and parents.  The inspector held discussions with the owners of the nursery.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked the evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.

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Information about the setting

Giggles Nursery is one of two nurseries owned by Desirable Childcare Ltd. It registered in September 2008 and operates from a purpose-built building based within the Springbank Community Resource Centre in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. The areas available to the children include three playrooms, a sleep room, kitchen and associated facilities. The children share an enclosed, outdoor area with grass and patio areas. There is disabled access to the building. A maximum of 38 children may attend the setting at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 50 weeks of the year. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 72 children on roll in the early years age group. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two-, three- and four-years-old. Children come from the town,

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Information about the setting

including the surrounding area. The nursery currently supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and supports children who are learning English as an additional language. The nursery employs 11 members of staff to work with the children. The manager holds Early Years Professional Status. Seven staff hold appropriate early years qualifications of whom two staff hold early years qualifications at level 4. The joint owners are present in the nursery on a day-to-day basis. The providers have gained a quality assurance scheme .

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

 develop high quality teaching skills to ask consistently skilled questions as often as possible, particularly during planned group activities, to support children's listening and turn taking during conversation

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

 maximise opportunities during children's spontaneous play for all staff to extend consistently older children's mathematical thinking and understanding.

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who attend

Staff ensure all children are making good progress in their learning and development and overall the quality of teaching is good. Staff have a secure knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They have detailed discussions with parents on entry and make regular observations of children in their play. This information ensures staff plan suitable activities for individual children. Staff are able to identify any areas of development that may need additional support. They take good steps to address these concerns about children's learning needs, such as discussing these with parents, and working with other professionals to promote a consistent approach to supporting children. The required progress check for two-year-old children is completed and shared with parents. This helps all children acquire the skills they need for the next stage in their development.

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who attend

Staff know their children well as individuals and plan next steps in learning using their own interests and ideas. This means children stay focused, concentrate and are engrossed in their activities becoming active and curious learners. Staff involve themselves well in children's play activities. For example, they introduced new ideas as children took part in activities, such as hiding coloured frogs in the sandpit and adding binoculars to a bug hunt. This extends children's learning and widens their vocabulary as staff introduce new words. Staff name items as they point to them so that young children begin to repeat them and build their vocabulary. Staff use some actions alongside words to support communication with children as they speak to them, which consolidates language and supports less verbal children well. As a result, children's communication and language skills are developing well, including those children who are learning English as an

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who attend

Children have many opportunities to engage in mathematical activities and experiences because staff plan purposeful activities to support this area of learning. For example, staff support all ages of children to learn about shape and space encouraging them to count at every opportunity in play, daily routines, rhymes and songs. However, on occasion, some staff do not challenge and extend older children's mathematical thinking during planned or spontaneous play. For example, staff did not talk about lengths and measures when older children played with spaghetti.

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who attend

Staff encourage every opportunity for mark-making. They provide easy access to a wide variety of writing materials, such as pencils, crayons and chalks for children to promote early writing skills both inside and outdoors. For example, toddlers enjoyed using felt-tip pens to decorate a box as a farm. Older children were fascinated with the effects cooked spaghetti made with paint and the marks it created. Staff provide lovely displays of children's drawings and paintings ensuring children feel their work is valued. Staff follow children's interests and support them in exploration and investigations, such as when chlidren found a caterpillar outside in the garden. As a result, children learn about living things. For example, a child said, 'We have to be careful because he is only little.'

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who attend

Staff develop and extend children's physical skills both indoors and outside. All children spend time outdoors on a regular basis. Babies have their own outdoor time to enjoy the challenge of equipment helping them learn to negotiate steps and different surfaces. Older children and toddlers sing high-energy action songs inside and have free-flow access to the outdoor garden. Staff provide a variety of equipment and resources to promote physical development, for example, wheeled toys to encourage children to learn to push, pedal and manoeuvre. Inside staff complement children's learning by providing them with a good variety of resources and activities, which promote skills development across all areas of learning. For example, children are able to develop their creativity as they explore inviting craft resources. Children develop their imagination using role-play resources and small-world figures.

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

Staff provide a warm and welcoming environment and children thrive in the nurturing setting. Key persons use comprehensive documents and discussions with parents to gather detailed information about their children's care needs, likes and interests during the settling-in period. Staff realise the importance of strong parent relationships and know families well. Staff gain effective information about individual children's needs, such as home routines and comforters. Staff support children's emotional well-being with lots of kind words, reassurance and hugs. Staff are pro-active in adapting their procedures to suit individual children's needs. For example, when a child woke from sleep, and was not ready to sit at the table for lunch, staff took them outside for a walk and quietly read a story until they was ready to eat.

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

Children play in a clean, well-organised environment, which is welcoming and inviting. There is an abundant range of high quality toys and resources, which staff label, and are easily accessible to children. Staff rotate resources to maintain children's interests. As a result, children are able to make their own independent play choices. In addition, this supports older children to develop their early reading skills as they make connections between the print and pictures on the boxes at tidy-up times. Children are familiar with routines and are confident in their environment. For example, children are aware that they need to wear aprons if they are going to use the creative resources and access these independently.

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

Staff plan an exciting range of activities so that children enjoy their learning, are motivated and persevere with new skills, such as using scissors to cut. However, staff do not always motivate and extend children's learning further by using skilled questioning techniques. This does not support children's listening skills and turn taking during conversations particularly during some group activities with older children.

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

Staff promote children's independent skills well in readiness for their move to school. For example, children put their shoes on and fasten them on their own. Children are aware of their own personal needs and go to the toilet independently. Older children learn to share resources and allow others to take turns, for example, pouring their own water and using the binoculars. Children willingly helped to tidy up when they had finished playing and clearly understood the importance of being considerate and polite towards each other at snack and meal times.

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

Generally, children behave well. Staff are good role models and speak to the children and each other politely, using gentle reminders such as, 'No thank you', to children who are learning good behaviour and about sharing. Staff use consistent strategies, and encourage older children to resolve disagreements independently.

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

Children benefit greatly from sociable snack and mealtimes. Staff sit with the children modelling healthy eating and talking to the children about their experiences at home therefore, developing their communication skills further. For example, staff talked about how the children got to the nursery that morning. Children show good understanding of hygiene practices, such as washing their hands before they prepare the fruit. Staff teach children to use forks and knives safely. Children make healthy choices and pour their own drinks and babies learn to point to their cup for a drink when they are thirsty. Staff maintain good hygiene practices, such as when changing younger children's nappies. They wear disposable gloves and aprons and ensure that the mat is sterilised after use.

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

There are good opportunities for children to learn about the importance of healthy lifestyles. Children choose to be active outdoors in the fresh air and staff encourage them to do so. This gives staff good opportunities to talk about children's own safety when they use the garden and equipment or visit the local parks. This equips children well with the skills they need to be safe and independent when they move on to school.

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provision

The owners, management and staff work well as a team. They fulfil their responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All staff share a responsibility to create an environment that is welcoming, safe and stimulating. Staff ensure they implement policies and procedures consistently and parents have a good knowledge of the nursery's security procedures and know to ask staff to let them out of the building. The nursery effectively maintains all the required documentation, including records of staff suitability. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures are in place ensuring all staff are suitable to work with children. Regular staff appraisal and supervision systems effectively support staff development and management have a clear drive to offer high quality teaching to all children.

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provision

The committed owners have an in-depth understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage learning and development requirements and work closely with senior management and staff to evaluate every aspect of the setting. They conscientiously reflect on their practice in good, focused detail and since the last inspection, they have achieved a quality assurance award to improve provision for children. They actively seek advice and ideas for good practice, for example from early years consultants, parents' questionnaires and audits for safety and the environment. The team use this information to help them evaluate what they offer to children and their families, creating, and implementing on- going action plans. These include development of the outdoor area and the continued improvement of teaching skills.

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provision

There is a positive partnership with parents. They receive daily information about their children's day. For example, staff provide daily care diaries for younger children. Parents have access to good information about the nursery prior to joining and there are notice boards displaying information about policies and procedures and information about how young children learn. In addition, all parents receive a regular newsletter to keep them informed about the nursery. Outside each room is a white board showing daily activities and ideas of activities to try at home, which helps to promote continuity of learning. Staff develop positive relationship with parents and both informal and formal feedback is provided to parents about their child's progress. For example, there are parents' evenings to discuss children's progress in more detail and parents are encouraged to take their child's learning record home whenever they wish. Parents and carers have many positive

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provision

comments to make about the nursery and in particular, about the caring staff. They appreciate the good progress the children make in readiness for the next stage in their education, such as 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 EY376436 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 829475 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 72 Name of provider Desirable Childcare Limited Date of previous inspection 17/12/2008 Telephone number 01242 574511

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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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