Little Hands Nursery, Epsom Common

Little Hands Nursery Christ Church Scout HQ, Christ Church Road, Epsom, Surrey, KT19 8NE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/11/2014 05/11/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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

 Children benefit from a welcoming, inclusive provision. They choose from a good range of play materials and resources that are organised to encourage their independence.  Staff plan and provide an interesting variety of activities and experiences for children to support their good progress in their learning and development.  Staff work closely with parents and keep them well informed about their child.  The staff team works hard to make changes and improvements where needed and is committed to continually developing the provision.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always plan group activities to fully take into account the needs of all children.  Strategies for including the views of parents in the monitoring and evaluation of the nursery are not fully established.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children taking part in indoor and outdoor activities.  The inspector had discussions with the manager and staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled records including children's files, planning, improvement plans and staff suitability records.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views.

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Information about the setting

Little Hands Nursery registered under the current provider in 2010. It is one of two privately owned nurseries. It operates from Christchurch Scout Headquarters, situated near to Epsom Common, in Surrey. Children have use of one main hall. The adjacent woods and church grounds are used for outdoor play. The nursery is open each weekday during term-time from 8.50am to 2.50pm. Children can attend for a morning or afternoon session or stay all day. The nursery offers a Forest School session each Tuesday afternoon. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 45 children on roll, whose ages range from two to four years. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language. There are six staff who work with the children.

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Information about the setting

The manager has a level 4 childcare qualification and all other staff have relevant qualifications at level 3.

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

 review the planning and organisation of some group sessions to fully take into account the needs of all children so that they are all interested and engaged throughout.

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

 extend systems further for gathering the views of parents as part of the process for monitoring and evaluating the provision.

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who attend

Staff provide a wide variety of activities to support children's learning and ensure they enjoy their time at the nursery. They welcome all children and gather detailed information about each child's background, starting points and needs. They talk to parents during settling in visits and ask them to fill in comprehensive registration forms. This helps staff to get to know children well so that they can provide the support they need. Staff have reviewed and improved their systems for assessing children's progress. They make regular observations of children's achievements and plan activities based on children's interests and next steps. As a result, children make good progress in their learning. Staff talk to parents every day and invite them to regular meetings to discuss their child's progress and development. They encourage parents to share information from home and give them suggestions for activities they can continue outside of the nursery. This approach ensures

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who attend

parents are involved in their child's learning.

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who attend

Staff teach children a range of useful skills that prepare them well for the next stage of learning and for school. They support children's communication and language skills well. They talk to children as they play, ask questions that encourage them to think and plan small group sessions for children would benefit from extra support in this area. They support children who are learning English as an additional language appropriately by finding out key words from home to use in the nursery. Staff promote children's interest in books effectively by providing a comfortable area where they can relax and share stories.

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who attend

Staff provide children with meaningful opportunities to develop their problem solving skills. During the inspection they encouraged children to work out how to position the large wooden blocks to create a pirate ship, giving them time and space to develop their ideas. Children enjoyed playing imaginatively as they changed the blocks into a stage, a bus and a den at different times during the session. Staff plan interesting experiences such as walks and activities in the natural environment, including Forest School sessions. These experiences stimulate children's curiosity and promote their understanding of the world as well as their physical skills. Staff plan the daily routine effectively so that children enjoy a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Children take part in planned key group activities alongside free choice play, which offers some children good opportunities to develop their skills. However, at inspection some group sessions were too large and

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who attend

staff did not make use of strategies such as visual aids or props to fully engage children and hold their interest. As a result, some children became bored. This affects how much children learn from, and enjoy, these activities.

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

Children make good relationships with staff and each other. The effective key person system means that staff get to know children through home visits before they start. Staff are caring and attentive to children's individual needs. If children are upset or tearful staff offer them cuddles and comfort until they are ready to join their friends. This helps children settle quickly and supports their emotional and physical well-being effectively. Staff have improved the strategies they use for managing children's behaviour since the last inspection. They provide consistent support and guidance and regularly remind children of their expectations. They intervene promptly to help children resolve any conflicts and talk to children about how they feel. This helps children learn to manage their own behaviour. Children become familiar with the daily routines quickly. They line up to go outside and sit quietly on the carpet at circle time.

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

Staff set up the nursery each day to create a welcoming environment. They organise resources in low level drawers and units and children grow in confidence and independence as they select from the good range of easily accessible play materials. Staff conduct regular risk assessments and make daily checks of the nursery and outdoor play space to make sure all areas are safe and free from hazards. They make appropriate changes as needed to promote children's safety. For instance, they made a section of the outdoor area out of bounds because they discovered the remains of a bonfire there. Staff are vigilant in supervising children at all times and make sure enough staff are indoors and outside. Children learn about risks and how to keep themselves safe when staff remind them why they should not run inside or talk to them about using equipment safely. Children take part in regular fire drills so that everyone knows what to do in an

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

Children's good health is promoted well. All staff have current first aid certificates to ensure that children are well cared for if they have an accident or are unwell. Children learn to manage their own personal needs when they wash their hands before they eat or after using the toilet. Children benefit from a variety of healthy snacks and bring in a packed lunch from home when they stay all day. Staff encourage children's independence at snack and meal times. Children gain useful self-care skills and confidently served their own cereal and milk and poured their own drinks. Children play outside every day and make regular use of the adjacent woodland. They enjoy practising their physical skills as they run around, play games and ride bikes, benefitting from the fresh air and exercise.

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provision

Effective arrangements are in place to safeguard children's welfare. Robust recruitment procedures ensure that all staff are appropriately vetted and are suitable to work with children. Staff receive child protection training and are familiar with the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child's wellbeing. All required documentation is in place to support the smooth day-to-day running of the nursery. The manager has introduced new systems to monitor staff performance. Staff have regular supervision sessions, attend staff meetings and have begun to make peer observations as part of their professional development. The manager supports staff to attend local courses and further their qualifications. For instance, a staff member is currently completing training to become a Forest School leader. This has had a positive impact on outdoor learning experiences for children at the nursery.

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provision

Since the last inspection the manager and staff team have developed their knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements. They monitor children's progress closely and this helps them quickly identify any gaps in children's learning or areas for additional support. They adapt activities to ensure that all children can take part. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good, and in some cases rapid, progress due to staff's individual approach. Staff work closely with other professionals and agencies and this means children experience a consistent approach that meets their needs.

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provision

The manager and staff team show a strong commitment to the continual development of the nursery. They evaluate their practice and have implemented a range of improvements that have raised the quality of the provision. All staff are involved in action plans that are vigilantly followed up and reviewed. They make well-targeted changes that lead to improved outcomes for children. Alterations to the layout of the nursery mean that children now benefit from well-defined areas for different activities and good opportunities for self-selection. The manager now allocates all staff an area of responsibility for the day. As a result, they are clearer about their role and better able to support children's learning effectively. Staff welcome parents' ideas and suggestions. However, staff do not gather feedback from parents as a routine part of their monitoring and review of the nursery, to ensure that parents' views are taken into account thoroughly.

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provision

Staff welcome parents into the nursery. They keep them well informed through daily conversations and the notice boards and they have access to a wide range of policies and procedures. Parents comment that they particularly value the individual approach of staff and the detailed daily verbal communication. They say that their children are very happy at the nursery and they are pleased with their progress. They believe that their children are safe and well cared for. Staff also work closely with other early years settings that children attend, such as childminders, and share information as appropriate to promote continuity and consistency in children's learning.

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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 EY409891 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 977611 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 45 Name of provider Hyacinth's Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 05/11/2013 Telephone number 07768 907822

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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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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