Day Care Nurseries Ltd

Day Care Nurseries Ltd Ashwood, 3-4 Ashwood Terrace, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST3 1DU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/10/2014 23/03/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Children are effectively safeguarded in the nursery. This is because all staff have a sound knowledge and understanding of how to promote children's safety and welfare. For example, they are astute in obtaining visitor identification and restrict the inappropriate use of mobile phones and cameras.  Partnerships with parents and local schools are well established and positively promote children's future learning, such as their move to school.  The nursery is welcoming and staff provide children with a suitable range of stimulating and interesting activities to adequately support their learning.

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It is not yet good because

 The systems in place to monitor, observe and assess children's learning are not fully embedded. Some children's next steps in learning are not always clearly identified, which means activities are not always planned to reflect children's learning needs so that they make best progress.  Teaching is varied because some staff do not always fully promote all children's communication and language development during planned activities.  The key-person system does not always promote children's emotional well-being. This is because some staff are not fully aware of children's individual needs.

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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 during play, mealtimes and learning activities. She spoke to staff and children in the indoor and outside environments.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager and looked at and discussed a range of policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and from their written comments.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's assessment files and progress tracking information and spoke to their key persons.

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Information about the setting

Day Care Nurseries Ltd was registered in 1980 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is privately owned and operates from four rooms on the ground floor of a converted house in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent. It serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round, from 7am to 5.30pm, except for Christmas week. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Children have access to an enclosed, outdoor play area. There are currently 92 children on roll, of these 78 are in the early years age range. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. There are currently 13 staff working directly with the children. Of these, one

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Information about the setting

has Qualified Teacher Status and 12 hold early years qualifications at level 3. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 establish good quality teaching by accurately assessing each child's level of development and use the information effectively to precisely inform the planning of children's next steps in learning and development, so that they are best supported to make at least good progress

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must:

 monitor staff practice to ensure they are fully promoting all children's communication and language development, for example, by carrying out more frequent peer observations, in order to review and assess the effectiveness of staff's interaction with children

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must:

 ensure that key persons tailor each child's care and learning to meet their individual needs so that they make good progress and their emotional well-being is consistently supported.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is varied throughout the nursery. Staff have an appropriate knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and plan interesting activities that suitably stimulate and challenge children. Children's personal, social and emotional development and communication skills are promoted during circle time as children are encouraged to take turns and discuss aspects of the weather. This means that children develop the basic skills and attributes to prepare them for their future learning, such as moving to school. Staff are keen to develop children's mathematical development. They encourage children to discuss capacity as they empty and fill up containers. However, some staff do not fully promote all children's communication and language development during planned activities. In particular, children who speak English as an additional language are not always encouraged to become involved in group discussions.

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who attend

Some staff focus on more able children, who can hold conversations with them, and do not consider the individual needs of other children. This means that, on the whole, most children make satisfactory progress in their learning and development.

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who attend

The systems in place to observe and assess children's development require improvement. Staff carry out regular observations and assessments of children and link these to the seven areas of learning. However, they do not always link these to the expectations for different ages of children and do not always accurately identify children's next steps in learning. The progress check for children aged between the ages of two and three years is completed and shared with parents. However, it focuses on what children have already achieved and does not always identify gaps in their development. This means that children's next steps in their learning are not always clearly identified and targeted so that they make best progress. Staff seek help from wider professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. Overall, children are generally working within the typical range of development

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who attend

expected for their age and taking into account their individual learning requirements.

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who attend

Parents are welcomed into the nursery and are encouraged to provide detailed information on an All about me form. This is used to help determine children's initial starting points in their learning. There is a wide range of information displayed in the nursery for parents to read. For example, there are displays to show parents the different areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff are aware of the importance of liaising with parents about their children's daily activities and engage in daily conversations to discuss this. Younger children's details are recorded in daily diaries and parents are encouraged to provide feedback to staff in these. This effective form of communication ensures that children's needs are met, as they are provided with continuity of care. As a result, parents are kept well informed of their children's learning and development.

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

Children are happy and enjoy their time at the nursery. Staff liaise closely with parents to help settle children into the nursery routine. Parents, spoken to during the inspections, comment that staff are friendly and approachable and that they are happy about the care provided. On the whole, staff work hard to ensure that children are settled and content. For example, children in the baby room benefit from close interactions and go to staff for cuddles and sit on their laps as stories are read to them. This promotes children's emotional well-being. However, the key-person system is not firmly embedded to fully promote the needs of all children. This is because recent changes in staff mean that key persons have changed in most of the groups and this has led to some staff not being fully aware of children's individual needs. This can sometimes lead to some children being unsettled and staff not being aware of children's next stages in their learning.

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

Children are polite and courteous to each other and play cooperatively together. Staff manage children's behaviour well and use gentle reminders so that children understand what acceptable behaviour is. This is reinforced with displays of different emotions, which staff refer to when explaining how certain behaviour makes others feel sad. Children independently access a wide range of resources that are stored in transparent boxes, which are clearly labelled. The indoor and outdoor environments are welcoming and provide children with developmentally appropriate resources. Children learn to handle small tools and equipment safely, such as scissors and craft tools. They are developing a sense of personal safety within the nursery, as staff encourage them to assess their own risk as they closely supervise children.

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

Staff encourage children to be independent and manage their own personal needs. For example, children are encouraged to pour their own drinks and serve themselves meals. Children learn about being healthy and adopting healthy practices, such as washing their hands before eating and after going to the toilet. The nursery cooks provides children with a well-balanced diet. Staff support children's understanding of healthy choices, as they explain about fish containing lots of protein so that they will grow big and strong. All children benefit from regular outdoor play in their individual groups. This allows children regular access to fresh air and physical exercise as they explore the outdoor environment. As a result, children learn about being healthy.

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provision

All staff have a secure understanding of how to effectively safeguard children in their care. They are aware of the different types and symptoms of abuse and know what action to take if they have a concern about a child's welfare. The inappropriate use of mobile phones and cameras is suitably restricted in the nursery. Detailed procedures and practices are in place to promote this, which staff are fully aware of. There are posters displayed in different languages to inform all parents and visitors of the need to follow this practice, so that children's safety is paramount in the nursery. Visitor identification is sought and details recorded, so that there is an accurate record of all adults visiting the nursery. All staff are aware of the action to take if an allegation is made against a member of staff and receive regular in-house training to build upon their knowledge of safeguarding. Consequently, children's safety and welfare are promoted appropriately.

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provision

There are satisfactory systems in place to evaluate the nursery provision. Parents and staff all contribute to the continuing development of the nursery by offering their views on how practice could be improved. The manager compiles detailed action plans to target areas for improvement. She carries out regular peer observations and discusses these with staff, to identify areas that require improvement. Training courses are organised to raise the quality of teaching in the nursery. For example, treasure baskets have been introduced, due to a staff member attending a course on enhancing interactions with babies. This shows that staff are committed to raising the quality of experiences for children in the nursery. The monitoring of staffs' practice is generally good but there are occasions where inconsistent practice has not been identified by the manager. For example, some staff do not accurately identify children's next steps in their learning or ensure that these are

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provision

targeted so that any gaps are closing as quickly as possible. Management have successfully addressed the previous recommendations from the last inspection and have improved the physical environment in the baby room by purchasing new tables and inserting an extractor fan in the children's bathroom.

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provision

Partnerships with parents, other providers and wider professionals are generally good. Staff have worked hard to establish sound relationships with local schools so that children's future learning is well supported. Parents are provided with an appropriate range of information, regarding their children's learning and development, and are encouraged to elicit their views about this. Staff are aware of how to access additional support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. This means that children are adequately supported in their learning, so they make adequate progress.

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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 511398 Local authority Stoke on Trent Inspection number 872358

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 57 Number of children on roll 92 Name of provider Daycare Nurseries Ltd. Date of previous inspection 23/03/2009 Telephone number 01782 331043

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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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