Mucky Pups Nursery

Mucky Pups Nursery 250 Lyndon Road, SOLIHULL, West Midlands, B92 7QW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/10/2014 04/01/2010

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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

 The quality of teaching is consistently good, with some outstanding aspects. All staff use effective teaching methods and accurate assessments to fully support children to make good progress.  Children build strong relationships with staff because there is an effective key-person approach and all staff are committed to getting to know children well. As a result, children's individual needs are fully met.  All staff attend safeguarding training and are clear about their responsibilities and the procedures to follow should they have any concerns. As a result, children's safety and well-being are fully supported.  The manager is extremely passionate about the nursery. She accurately identifies priorities for improvement and effectively involves all staff to continually improve practice.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always consistently use age-appropriate questions to develop younger children's critical thinking skills.  Some staff lack confidence in their own abilities and do not yet have the highest expectations of themselves, to help raise children's attainment to the highest level.

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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 nursery with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching and learning activities in the indoor and outdoor learning environment.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, and the nursery's self-evaluation form.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of children, staff and parents spoken to on the day of inspection.

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Information about the setting

Mucky Pups Nursery was registered in 2000 on the Early Year Register and the compulsory and the voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a small row of shops in the Olton area of Solihull and is managed by a private provider. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from converted premises and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level three. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round and sessions are from 7.30am until 5.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 32 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or

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

 enhance staff's knowledge of how they can best support two-year-old children, for example, by cascading recent training to support their already good practice, in order to develop young children's critical thinking skills, particularly in mathematics

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

 continue to support staff to develop confidence in their own abilities, in order to more sharply focus teaching and enhance children's skills, so children are always offered the highest level of opportunities to become highly effective learners and make rapid progress.

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who attend

All staff have a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The quality of teaching is consistently good and at times outstanding, and staff have a good understanding of how children learn and develop. Staff use children's starting points and accurate assessments to inform planning and as a result, children are effectively supported in making good progress in all areas of learning. When a child starts at the nursery, staff encourage parents to fill out forms detailing children's interests and capabilities. They complete initial observations, which are then evaluated and all information collected from parents and key persons contribute to children's starting points. Staff also complete ongoing assessments, tracking children's progress regularly. Therefore, they have a good awareness of their key children's abilities and provide interesting and challenging experiences that meet the needs of all children. Although, staff

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who attend

use effective teaching methods to support and facilitate children's learning, at times some staff's questioning is too ambitious for the younger children. For example, during a mathematics activity, although adapted according to children's abilities, the staff member does not simplify their language to support the younger children to think critically about what they are doing. As a result, some of the younger children do not consistently have opportunities to practise their critical thinking skills as they complete activities. Staff tune into babies' needs sensitively because they know the babies well. As a result, babies are supported well in their learning. They are confident in their surroundings and they make choices with support from familiar adults. Babies enjoy exploring cornflower play, making marks with crayons and playing with vinyl animals in the water. Younger babies show their excitement through smiling and giggling and older babies use babbling to vocalise their

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who attend

enjoyment. Staff use effective language skills to foster their language, for example, they model language and repeat words during their play to extend their learning further. Staff understand the importance of focusing on the three prime areas of learning in order to prepare babies and young children for their future learning.

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who attend

There is a wide range of resources, including a variety of open-ended materials, covering the seven areas of learning. Children can access resources independently allowing them to make choices and lead their own learning. A variety of activities is set up through following children's interests and staff allow them freedom to try new things and offer support when needed. As a result, children are able to explore their own ideas and creativity. For example, children have access to writing equipment and a post box and children decide they are, 'writing letters to their mummies and daddies'. Staff skilfully question children and encourage them to think about the process of posting letters. Children excitedly lead discussions about what they are writing. They confidently give meaning to the marks they are making and some children are beginning to form some recognisable letters. Children's learning potential is maximised well in both the indoor and

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who attend

outdoor environment. Their literacy skills are promoted effectively throughout the nursery. There is a wide variety of signs displayed and staff encourage children to look at them, showing them that print carries meaning. Staff sing a hello song during group time and encourage children to recognise their name by hearing the first initial sound. Children are encouraged to find their name for self-registration and staff support them by reinforcing the sounds of initial letters in their names. During group time, staff ask many open-ended questions to extend children's learning. Older children model language to the younger children and staff use lots of repetition to foster all children's language. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. Books are readily available and encouraged by staff throughout the day. There are many opportunities for children to be creative through using the

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who attend

musical instruments. They develop their curiosity and investigation skills as they dig and look for mini-beasts outside and their imagination is sparked as they play in the role-play builders yard and the baker's shop. Staff promote children's mathematics skills throughout many activities. Numbers are displayed, both indoors and outdoors and staff regularly reinforce numbers to support children's recognition. Children take part in number songs and continually count throughout the day. Staff encourage children to count on their fingers and they are beginning to introduce the concept of adding and taking away for older and more able children. Children are continually supported in all areas of learning and they are happy, engaged and eager to learn. As a result, children are acquiring the attitudes and dispositions needed for their next stage in their learning and school. Staff complete the progress checks for children between the ages of two and three years

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who attend

and evaluate children's progress in the three prime areas of learning. Parents are consulted and their views and comments are taken into account. This enables staff to identify any areas of concern or areas a child may be excelling in, in order to plan accordingly to ensure individual children's needs are met. Parental involvement in their child's learning is good. Parents spoken to feel very well informed about their child's progress through a variety of ways. For example, termly progress reports go home and children's next steps in learning are shared, so that parents can support children's learning at home. Regular parents meetings provide a more formal opportunity for parents to speak to their child's key person about their progress. Staff send home activities and books to promote the Every child a talker programme. They encourage parents to make comments and feedback on how the activities go and staff use this information to evaluate

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who attend

and provide next steps to further support children in their learning. Parents' contributions are highly valued and play an important part in helping staff to gain the most accurate picture of children's all round development.

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

The effective key-person approach means staff build positive relationships with both parents and children quickly. Settling-in sessions are very much tailored to the individual child and staff recognise the importance of involving parents in this process to help children settle quickly. This is because staff understand the importance of children feeling safe and secure in their surroundings to give them the confidence to learn and progress. Children display a positive sense of self-esteem and a strong sense of belonging within the nursery because all staff are committed to getting to know them well. Children eagerly talk about their families and what they do at home and staff listen perceptively and engage children in the conversations to extend their learning further. As a result, babies and children thrive in the nursery and are well supported in the move from home to the nursery.

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

Children are learning about good hygiene and healthy practices because staff remind children of the importance of washing their hands after going to the toilet, taking part in messy activities or playing outside. Children's intimate care needs are sensitively met and all children are effectively supported to develop their self-help skills. Children enjoy a variety of snacks and meals, which are bought into the nursery, including fresh fruit, salad and vegetables and staff talk to children about the importance of being healthy. As a result, children are developing an understanding of healthy eating. Children's social interactions are promoted at mealtimes because children sit together with staff to enjoy their meals and engage in conversations. Babies enjoy their mealtimes as staff use calm voices to encourage them to eat. As babies develop their physical skills, staff promote their independence by encouraging them to sit at the table and feed themselves with an

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

age appropriate knife and folk. This effectively prepares children for their move to the next room. Children's physical skills are promoted as children have daily opportunities for fresh air and exercise. The outdoor environment is small, but it is stimulating, friendly, organised and well resourced. Children enjoy negotiating space, as they ride their bikes and cars and they are able to climb on the climbing frame and use the slide and tunnels to further develop their large muscle skills. Children visit and gain awareness of different parts of the local community and at the same time learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they walk to school, the shops and the local park. Children wear high visibility jackets and staff teach children about road safety.

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

The environment is stimulating and friendly with a wide variety of resources. All staff are good role models and they consistently provide clear guidance about what is acceptable behaviour. Staff display nursery rules at children's level, using pictures and words and all children are familiar with these and enjoy talking about them at circle time. All staff consistently use positive language to promote good behaviour and praise children for their achievements. This supports and encourages children to feel confident and secure, with the motivation to learn. Staff encourage all children to share and take turns, and to value and respect one another. As a result, children understand boundaries and their behaviour is good. Children move around the nursery with confidence, both indoors and outdoors, and staff regularly remind them of ways to keep themselves safe. Children routinely take part in regular fire drills and learn to use tools and equipment, such as scissors and

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

cutlery, safely. Children are well prepared for their move on to school because staff take children on visits to their new school and discuss their feelings. This supports children's emotional well-being as they adapt to changes.

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provision

All staff have a secure knowledge of safeguarding and they demonstrate their understanding of their responsibilities in protecting children from harm. Staff complete safeguarding training as part of their induction and the manager ensures all staff are regularly kept up to date with any changes. She regularly displays information around the nursery and robust procedures are in place. Effective recruitment and selection procedures are followed to ensure all staff are suitable to work with children. Induction procedures are used to support staff to settle quickly into their roles and understand their responsibilities and the expectations of the nursery. The manager has taken on board previous recommendations and has developed practice further. For example, robust risk assessments are completed both indoors and outdoors to ensure all areas are safe and suitable for all children. All relevant documentation is in place and is effective to ensure all

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provision

children are cared for in a safe and suitable environment.

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provision

The manager is extremely passionate about the nursery and has a clear vision for the future. She offers daily support to all staff by modelling best practice and is beginning to share her expertise to develop their practice further. The manager completes regular supervisions to support staff's professional development and identifies training needs. She uses information gained from observing staff to encourage staff to recognise their strengths and weaknesses and to agree together targets that will improve their performance. However, some staff at times lack confidence in their own abilities and, unlike the manager, do not yet have high expectations of themselves to ensure consistently outstanding practice across the nursery. As a result, children are not always offered the highest level of opportunities to become highly effective learners and make rapid progress. The manager regularly monitors the education programmes to identify if

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provision

there are any gaps in children's learning. She uses information gained from children's trackers to evaluate and analyse staff's assessments of children's learning. This ensures that gaps in individuals or groups of children's learning are flagged up straight away. This allows staff to act quickly and enhance provision accordingly to close the gaps, so that all children continue to make good to rapid progress.

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provision

The manager uses self-evaluation to continually enhance and develop the nursery. She accurately identifies priorities for improvement and is continually making changes and improvements to ensure the best outcomes for children. The manager involves staff in self-evaluation through staff meetings. She regularly encourages them to put forward their ideas so they can move forward together as a team. Partnership working is a particular strength of the nursery because the manager understands the importance of collaborative working to ensure all children are fully supported to reach their full potential. The manager involves parents in the self-evaluation through daily feedback, encouraging them to leave suggestions and comments and through completing questionnaires. She takes on board feedback and uses the information to enhance the nursery further. The manager has strong links with the local school and regularly takes children on visits to aid

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provision

transitions. She liaises well with teachers through using home-school link books to ensure children's learning is complemented when they attend both the nursery and the school. There are effective strategies in place to liaise with other professionals for children who need additional support in the nursery to fully meet their individual needs. The manager has high aspirations for the nursery and is continually looking at ways to develop. She works together with the provider and links with other settings to share best practice and gain further ideas. As a result, children are offered a high quality learning experience that enables them to make very good progress and prepares them for future 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 250093 Local authority Solihull Inspection number 866431

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 29 Number of children on roll 32 Name of provider Mucky Pups Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 04/01/2010 Telephone number 0121 248 0038

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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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