Little Oaks Day Nursery

Little Oaks Day Nursery Gloucestershire Royal NHS Trust, Gloucester Royal Hospital, Great Western Road, GLOUCESTER, GL1 3NN

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29/10/2014 15/04/2009

p.1

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

p.1

This provision requires improvement

 Staff provide a wide range of easily accessible and interesting resources so that children can make choices about their play.  Children develop secure attachments with their key person and other staff, which promotes good relationships and helps children settle into the nursery quickly.  Staff promote children's safety because they use appropriate risk assessments to minimise hazards in the premises and learning environment.

p.1

It is not yet good because

 Managers do not implement effective systems to monitor and supervise staff's individual performance to ensure consistent high quality practice that benefits children.  Staff do not consistently and accurately assess children's progress or identify individual next steps in learning. As a result, some activities do not enhance children's learning and build on what they already know.  Managers do not effectively monitor assessments or track the progress of groups of children. This means that they do not have a clear overview of children's progress, in order to target additional support if required to help close gaps in learning.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children in all areas of the nursery.  The inspector held discussions with the nursery manager, staff and children.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed paperwork including children's records, samples of their work, policies, risk assessments and suitability checks on staff.

p.2

Information about the setting

Little Oaks Day Nursery registered in 1991 and moved to the present premises in 2002. It is based on the site of the Gloucester Royal Hospital. The nursery operates from a single- storey building that was adapted to meet the needs of children. The premises include four base rooms and areas for nappy changing, toileting, laundry and staff facilities. There are separate, enclosed outdoor play areas for babies and older children. The nursery opens each week all-year round from 7am to 6pm, except for some Bank Holidays. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 98 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. The nursery supports children who are learning English as an additional language. Children attend for a variety of sessions as both permanent and flexible places are offered. The nursery is for children of Gloucestershire Health Authority

p.3

Information about the setting

employees. There are 24 childcare members of staff, both full time and part time, working with the children. Of these, 23 hold recognised childcare qualifications and one is working towards a qualification.

p.3

must:

 implement effective systems for the monitoring and supervision of staff practice, to identify weaknesses in staff teaching and behaviour management strategies, and to provide support, coaching and training to promote children's well-being, learning and development

p.3

must:

 develop the observation and assessment systems of individual children to identify what children know and can do; to identify children's next stage in learning in order to plan challenging experiences for each child, and to help them make good progress towards the early learning goals.

p.3

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

 improve systems to monitor the progress of different groups of learners, to identify areas where additional support may be required, to enable children to fulfil their potential.

p.3

who attend

Children make sufficient progress as they enjoy their learning at this bustling nursery. However, the effectiveness of planning and assessment is variable at the nursery. Staff gather information from parents when their child enters the provision, but this focuses on care needs, rather than the parents' views of their child's level of achievement. This means initial assessments do not fully reflect children's capabilities and inform planning of activities for individual needs from the outset. Staff make ongoing observations on children's play, which help staff make some assessments on children's learning and development. Staff carry out the required progress check for two-year-old children. However, assessments are inconsistent and some lack accuracy. This means that staff do not have a good understanding of children's level of achievement to identify and target children's next stage in learning. As a result, some planned activities do not challenge

p.4

who attend

children or extend their learning sufficiently. For example, occasionally, staff plan activities to help children gain skills they already excel in, which limits the progress some children make. Where children have gaps in their learning and development their key person plans extra support, which helps children catch up and make progress. However, the inaccuracies of assessment limit the effectiveness of this support. As a result, gaps in learning for some children who are underachieving are closing slowly.

p.4

who attend

Children enjoy the many activities staff provide for them. Generally, the quality of the teaching is satisfactory. Some staff interact with children using suitable questioning techniques and encourage children to think about what they are trying to achieve. For example, staff encouraged younger children to concentrate and finish tasks they started, such as building towers or completing jigsaw puzzles. Staff talked to older children about the shapes they were making with play dough and asked children how they can change the shapes. Staff use number rhymes and introduce number games to teach children early mathematics. Consequently, some children recognise numerals and count at every opportunity. However, at times, staff miss opportunities to extend children's mathematical learning further. For example, staff did not encourage children to think about size, volume or capacity as children engaged in water play filling and pouring into different containers.

p.4

who attend

Younger children spend much of their time during the session playing freely, exploring and making choices about their play while following their own interests. Staff plan small-group activities for older children. This helps children learn the sounds of letters so they can read and write their names. Children demonstrate that they know how to take turns as they listen and build on each other's ideas.

p.4

who attend

Children receive appropriate support for their communication and language. Conversation flowed throughout the activities to ensure children remained interested and engaged. Staff ensure they give children time to organise their thoughts into words and respond. For example, staff remind children to wait and listen for their friends to reply. This helps children develop their confidence to speak and develop their language skills. Staff talk to the youngest children about what they are playing with and the noises they are making as they interact with each other. Staff repeat sounds and words back to the children, which helps children to learn the correct way to say the words extending their vocabulary. Children enjoy developing their physical skills. Staff encourage them to use their balancing, catching and throwing and kicking skills outside. Staff support children to explore different textures such as sand, paints and chalks. As a result, children learn to

p.4

who attend

represent their ideas using different materials, and develop their early writing skills on paper and on the floor with chalks. Overall, children are acquiring some skills, attitudes and dispositions they require to help them prepare for school or their next stage of learning.

p.4

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

The well-established key-person system means that staff know the children in their care and their families well. Staff speak confidently and regularly to parents about their children's care needs. This partnership between staff and parents successfully nurtures children's emotional well-being. As a result, children settle quickly when parents leave them at the nursery. Children clearly feel comfortable with staff as they chatter excitedly to them as they play. Children and babies benefit from well-organised routines, which raise children's self-esteem and promote positive behaviour.

p.5

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

Staff attend to babies' personal care needs hygienically and discreetly, and staff support babies well as they learn to feed themselves. Older children develop independence as they learn to wash their own hands before eating, after using the toilet and tidy away their play things. Staff use frequent praise and encouragement, which helps remind children of expected behaviour. Children's growing confidence and security prepares them socially and emotionally for their move into the next stage of their learning.

p.5

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

Staff promote a healthy diet and are aware of children's individual dietary requirements. Generally, most children enjoy snack and meal times, developing their social skills as staff sit with them. However, some staff in the room for two-year-old children do not promote children's well-being at lunchtime by implementing the behaviour management policy appropriately. This is because they do not have realistic expectations of how long children are able to sit for, do not always recognise when they have had enough to eat and are restless from sitting for too long.

p.5

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

Staff provide a warm, welcoming learning environment. The rooms are clean, cheery, bright and well decorated with children's own work. This boosts children's self-esteem and sense of belonging. The good quality resources are stored at child height and are accessible for all children to choose for themselves. As a result, children help themselves to toys and equipment and sustain their play as they follow their interests. Children benefit from frequent opportunities to exercise in the fresh air and staff ensure they are appropriately dressed for the weather. Staff talk to children about healthy lifestyles in their play, which teaches children to make healthy choices. For example, children learn how outdoor play helps them grow strong muscles, as staff provide age-appropriate explanations.

p.5

provision

The staff and management team demonstrates a suitable understanding overall of their responsibilities to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Detailed risk assessments are completed and reviewed regularly to help the staff maintain the safety in the building. Staff demonstrate a suitable understanding of child protection procedures, such as recognising possible signs and symptoms of children at risk. All staff have training in safeguarding and are aware of the appropriate procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child. There are adequate recruitment and vetting processes in place to help ensure everyone in the nursery is suitable to care for children. New staff receive an appropriate induction before they start work so that they are aware of their role and responsibilities. The manager regularly meets with her staff to provide some support. However, the manager does not effectively monitor all aspects of staff

p.5

provision

performance to help improve staff practice in relation to behaviour management, and raise the quality of teaching and learning further. For example, she has not identified inconsistencies in staff practice in the room for two-year-old children or that some staff are not following the nursery systems for assessment and planning to meet children's individual needs.

p.6

provision

Children are making satisfactory progress in their learning and development. However, management has not fully established effective systems to monitor the educational programmes or track children's progress. This means that the manager is not fully aware of the progress groups of learners make. As a result, opportunities and interventions do not always ensure all children make the best progress possible.

p.6

provision

Nevertheless, the management team demonstrates a positive approach to further improvement. The team has targeted action plans in place that focus on improving different areas of practice, such as supporting children learning English as an additional language. Staff encourage parents to share their views routinely. Parents comment positively overall on the nursery provision and state that their children are happy and enjoy attending. They are satisfied with the information they receive from the nursery staff about their children. Policies, procedures and other relevant information, such as how to make a complaint, are easily accessible. The nursery staff have partnerships in place with the local hospital for which it serves, local schools and other early years settings that children attend. Staff strive to communicate with other professionals involved in children's care and with schools to which they transfer to promote continuity in children's learning.

p.6

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

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number EY245240 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 987766 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 45 Number of children on roll 98 Name of provider Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Date of previous inspection 15/04/2009 Telephone number 08454 225095

p.8

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.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

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,

p.9

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’.

p.10

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10