Amber's Attic Ltd

Amber's Attic Ltd 109-123 Stand Lane, Radcliffe, MANCHESTER, Lancashire, M26 1JR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/09/2014 26/03/2014

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 4 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 demonstrate a very good knowledge of how to manage any safeguarding concerns they may have about children. Children and babies are confident and happy because staff know their needs well, in order to support their well-being.  Staff and managers have a very good understanding of how to support individual children's learning. They use children's interests and information from parents to provide educational activities that motivate children to learn and help them to make good progress.  Effective partnership working is effectively established with parents, schools and other professionals in order to support all children's continuity of progress, irrespective of their needs and starting points.  The owners and manager drive improvement well. They strive to build and maintain a highly-qualified, experienced and enthusiastic staff team. Staff are deployed effectively and provide a good standard of care and education for all children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children to talk to their fullest potential about what is taking place in activities are not always maximised by all staff.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the premises.

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Inspection activities

 Documents regarding staff suitability and their qualifications were checked during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out observations of childcare staff and their interactions with children throughout the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the owner and the manager, and spoke with staff, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection.  A joint observation was completed by the inspector and the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The systems used to evaluate the effectiveness of the nursery in order to bring about continuous improvement were discussed by the inspector, the owner and the manager.

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Information about the setting

Amber's Attic Ltd initially registered in 2004 and has been operated by the current owners since 2013. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is situated in converted premises in the Radcliffe area of Bury and serves the local area. It is accessible to all children. The nursery operates from four playrooms on two levels, the lower of which is accessed by stairs. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 12 members of childcare staff, including the manager. Of these, one member of staff holds a level 6 qualification and nine hold a qualification at level 3. The nursery also employs a part-time qualified teacher. One of the owners is qualified to level 6 in a relevant subject and holds the National Professional Qualification in Integrated Centre Leadership. A cook and a housekeeper are also employed. The nursery opens Mondays to Fridays, for 51 weeks of

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Information about the setting

the year, from 7.30am until 6.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 68 children on roll, of whom 47 are in the early years age range. The nursery also offers before and after school and holiday care for children aged from five to 11 years. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and a small number of children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery receives support and advice from the local authority.

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

 maximise the opportunities for children to develop their communication and language skills by enhancing the use of challenging activities to enable children to do more of the talking.

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who attend

Children make good progress in their learning, as key persons have a thorough knowledge of how they individually learn, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. Staff make plans for inclusive activities based on their observations of what individual children can do and use any purposeful information gathered about their interests to help motivate them in their learning. Educational programmes are well matched to children's ages, stages and individual needs. Consequently, children engage in meaningful activities that challenge them effectively to make consistently good progress. Observations are frequently made on children's learning and these are compared with expected developmental milestones for their ages. Comprehensive assessments are made of children's learning, by tracking their progress in detail. This includes initial assessments of children's development when they

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who attend

begin to attend and the progress check for children between the ages of two and three. As a result, staff can see if progress is at the expected level, or above, or below for children's ages and stages. This means that staff are able to address any gaps in learning that may emerge, so that early intervention can be made to help prevent future difficulties. Staff ensure that they involve parents in their child's learning. For example, they are encouraged to provide regular information about their children's learning and experiences away from the nursery in order for staff to incorporate this in to their planning. This helps to support continuity of learning and broadens the educational programmes for children. Parents have ongoing access to the plans for their children's learning as these are displayed in rooms, and key staff are available to talk to parents throughout the day. Parents are frequently reminded that they can discuss their children's

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who attend

progress with key persons and view their child's learning records at any time, to enable them to be well informed about their children's progress. The owner has also introduced ways for parents to be directly involved with their children's learning, such as by borrowing books and other resources, including recordings of songs and rhymes to sing with children. Consequently, partnership working with parents to support children's learning is emerging as a strength of the nursery.

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who attend

Children have good opportunities to develop their manipulative skills as staff provide a range of resources indoor and outside to support this. This includes sand, water, malleable dough and tools or containers to use with these. They become absorbed in their play of pouring and filling containers with water and foam. Staff promote good opportunities to develop children's language skills during this activity, using the materials to help increase their knowledge of describing words. They ask children questions, which challenge them to think critically and then reply using sentences or phrases. For example, they ask children which of two objects is the bigger, which means that they have to compare sizes, consider and consult. This activity supports children's early mathematical learning about volume and measure and size. Staff demonstrate good skills when supporting children's role play. They ask questions that require children to think of longer replies. For example,

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who attend

where they are going in their imaginative play and what they will to need to take with them. This also sustains children's interest in their play and provides good support for their development of communication and language skills. Some staff demonstrate excellent skills in supporting children's thinking and communication skills, although this is not always as strong throughout the nursery. This is because, on occasions, some staff do not always focus on encouraging children to do the majority of talking to maximise their language for speaking. Children are able to freely select from a range of resources for making marks in all rooms, from the baby room to pre-school. Babies are encouraged to make marks in shaving foam with their fingers or to brush water on surfaces. Older children can choose from paint, pencils and crayons in order to explore their creativity. They also have access to a wide selection of materials with different textures, colours and

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who attend

origins for making collages or simply for exploring these. This supports children's experience of creative play and helps them to develop the manipulative skills needed in order for later learning about writing. Age-appropriate books are attractively displayed in all rooms to encourage children to choose from these, supporting their future enjoyment of reading.

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who attend

Children have opportunities to use age-appropriate information technology, for example, cause and effect toys, which delight them when their actions produce lights and sounds. Older children use desktop computers and this enables them to learn how to use a computer mouse and keyboard proficiently. Children play games in small groups supported by staff, which helps them to learn about taking turns. Games that require children to look for specific picture cards enable staff to find out how well they can follow instructions because of the words they understand. Staff also make very good use of the activity to model speech for children and this enables them to become confident with leading the game. Because of these interactive activities, children develop good social skills and high levels of self-esteem. Staff make good use of activities chosen by children indoors and outside to reinforce their knowledge of number and mathematics. They count objects, ask

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who attend

children questions about colours and draw their attention to different shapes to enhance learning in early mathematics. Due to the varied activities and good quality teaching, children acquire the necessary skills they need for their future learning and for school.

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

The nursery operates a key-person system, which supports children's emotional welfare extremely well. Key persons show a consistently good knowledge of children, their routines and their interests. They, therefore, provide effectively for children's emotional well-being, which supports their learning because they are secure. In addition, each child has a secondary key person, in order to provide greater continuity for children's well-being and progress. As a result, children and babies in all rooms demonstrate high levels of confidence by exploring the space and resources thoroughly, due to the effective support for their emotional well-being. Comprehensive information is gathered from parents to support children's good health and well-being when children join the nursery, such as dietary requirements and individual routines. Parents are regularly reminded to update information held by the nursery to enable staff to provide continuity. Settling-in visits are

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

offered so that children and parents feel supported through the separation process. In all areas of the nursery, children develop a sense of responsibility and self-help is a priority. For example, at mealtimes, children in the pre-school room serve themselves food and drinks. At other times, children learn to manage their own needs for drinks and healthy snacks because drinking water and fruit are freely available. Staff also provide good opportunities for children to learn the satisfaction gained from helping others, by rewarding their successes with small responsibilities, such as setting out plates at mealtimes, which children really enjoy. Staff in the baby room build babies' confidence by providing plenty of one-to-one attention. They take care to talk to children and babies during care routines, such as nappy changes, in order to make use of these opportunities to develop children's communication and language. Staff also encourage older babies to

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

help in these routines, such as by holding their own packet of wet wipes. This helps to develop their early self-help skills, motivate children and enhances their self-esteem. When children leave the nursery to move on to other settings or school, they are therefore equipped with the emotional and independence skills to support their future learning.

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

Staff ensure that the nursery and resources are safe for children, for example, they complete daily safety checks both indoors and outside, based on the nursery's risk assessments. They support children well with learning how to keep themselves safe, use resources safely and show regard for the safety of others. For example, staff provide detailed instructions for pre-school children about how and why scissors should be held correctly to prevent accidents. Staff have clear expectations for children's behaviour and provide children with good support and guidance to promote their understanding. Staff make good use of strategies, such as distraction, in order to help young children and babies learn to manage their feelings and behaviour. Children's behaviour is good throughout the nursery as a result. Children use a wide range of resources and toys, which cover all areas of learning and are organised to be highly accessible indoors and

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

outside. As a result, children develop good independence, because they can make decisions about what to play with. The nursery provides frequent outdoor play times, which give children opportunities to take reasonable risk in their play, under careful supervision. For example, children can balance on bales of straw or pedal on wheeled toys. Pre-school age children are also taken to local playgrounds to further extend their opportunities to take risk in their play by using the larger equipment situated there. This offers additional challenge for their development of whole body coordination. As a result, children enjoy exercise outdoors and learn about the benefits of this as part of a healthy lifestyle. Babies are provided with resources to help them practise pulling up to standing or to support their early walking in order to help them develop balance and coordination. Children's good health is promoted further through the provision of nutritious, well-

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

balanced meals. Food is cooked on the premises and children can learn to make appropriate choices from the healthy options available. Children show a good level of self- care and learn to manage a variety of aspects of personal hygiene appropriate to their age and stage, such as washing their hands before eating and learning how to dress themselves. All areas of the nursery are clean and well maintained to help prevent accidents and the spread of any germs. Children's emotional health and well-being is promoted well, which facilitates their learning.

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

Staff support children effectively when it is time to change rooms. These moves are smoothly managed through discussion with parents to support children during this. There are effective methods in place for current and new key persons to exchange information during these times and adjust the time needed for moving based on children's observed needs. The owner and manager are pro-active about making links with local schools in order to support continuity of children's learning and well-being when they transfer to full- time education. For example, teachers from children's next settings are welcomed into the nursery in order to observe children whilst they are confident in a familiar environment.

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provision

Staff have a good understanding of their duty to safeguard children. They complete safeguarding training and are knowledgeable about the indicator signs of abuse. The nursery has an effective range of policies and procedures in place, which staff translate effectively into practice. For example, they complete records correctly regarding any medicines administered to children. Policies are shared with parents to ensure they are well informed about how the nursery is organised to keep children safe. Effective risk assessments are completed for all areas of the nursery that children have access to and for all outings. These are reviewed regularly to ensure that all hazards are identified and minimised through effective safety measures. Recruitment procedures are robust and ensure that children are cared for by suitable, well-qualified staff. For example, references have been taken up for all staff, whether new or already established in the nursery to

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provision

check their suitability for their role. The owners, managers, staff and any students are checked and vetted for their continued suitability to work with children. Staff are asked to make ongoing declarations regarding their suitability, in order to safeguard children effectively. The owners and manager have re-built an effective staff team because of their thorough approach to recruitment. All documentation related to statutory requirements is completed to support the safe and effective running of the nursery, including a policy for the safe use of devices with cameras on the premises, such as mobile telephones. Staff's understanding of policies and procedures is checked regularly to ensure that they are able to implement these effectively. Responsibilities of staff and managers are clearly defined to ensure that they have a good understanding of how to carry out their roles to a high standard. In addition, prompt cards are displayed around the nursery to remind staff and

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provision

students of the effective practice expected of them when supporting children's care and learning.

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provision

The leadership and management of the nursery is good and ensures teaching and learning is of a high standard. All actions and recommendations that were raised at the last inspection have been successfully addressed and have raised the outcomes for children. There are highly comprehensive systems in place, which are regularly used to monitor the quality and consistency of observations, planning and assessment of children's learning. This has led to a new system being introduced for monitoring cohorts of children to identify where enhancement or interventions are needed. This demonstrates that good practice to support children's learning is maintained and further developed throughout the nursery. Activities planned by staff offer good and sometimes better levels of challenge for children's ages and stages of development, so that children's progress is well supported. Only occasionally are there missed opportunities to promote children's spoken language to

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provision

the maximum potential. The staff's quality of teaching is monitored through daily ongoing observations by managers, as well as by a recently introduced peer observation programme. This enables any perceived underperformance to be rapidly identified, so that staff are clear about the high standards expected from them, when working to support children's development. Staff are also able to share effective practice between themselves, in order to reinforce their good support for children's learning. Staff's training needs are identified through regular meetings and their frequent supervision meetings, as well as through means, such as questionnaires about their knowledge. This helps them to provide an enhanced level of care and learning for children by reinforcing and extending their skills and knowledge. For example, three staff have begun to study for foundation degrees in a relevant subject. The owner has an excellent awareness of how to manage the training

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provision

and professional development needs of a recently formed staff team who have a range of qualifications. As a result, staff already work as a cohesive team and support children's learning and well-being effectively, as well as each other's practice. Effective use is made of the expertise of the part-time qualified teacher. This is because she provides focused support for staff to enhance their individual practice, as well as helping them to evaluate the learning environments they create in order to make continuous improvements. The nursery has established good partnerships with parents, who praise the staff for being approachable and motivated. Partnership working with other agencies and professionals is effective, in order to obtain support for the range of needs of children attending the nursery. Parents have ongoing opportunities to contribute to the nursery's development both through verbal and written means in order to support the drive for continuous

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provision

improvement. Staff have frequent opportunities to contribute their views and information for the evaluation process with the owner and manager at the regular meetings. The owner and manager's approach to bring about continual development of practice is highly purposeful and has led to rapid improvements since the last inspection and subsequent monitoring visit. This is because the owner uses her wealth of expertise from managing children's centres in the drive to enhance the provision for children's care and learning.

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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 EY271791 Local authority Bury Inspection number 985684

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 111 Number of children on roll 68 Name of provider Amber's Attic Ltd Date of previous inspection 26/03/2014 Telephone number 0161 723 1555

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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

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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