Puddleducks Day Nursery

Puddleducks 30a High Street, Croughton, Brackley, Northamptonshire, NN13 5LT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 06/11/2014 04/02/2009

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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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Staff demonstrate good teaching skills because they use strategies, such as demonstration, explaining and support for children, to explore and carry out their own ideas. This results in all children making good progress in their learning and development.  Children form strong attachments to the staff because they spend time playing with them and they are very positive and reassuring in their approach to their care.  Partnerships with parents are well established and effective, as a result, children's individual needs are met and their receive consistency in their care and learning.  The staff team demonstrate a clear awareness of how to safeguard children. They keep them under close supervision at all times and they understand the procedures to follow in the event of any child protection concerns.

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It is not yet good because

 The provider did not notify Ofsted of a change to the address of part of the nursery provision.  There is scope to enrich the range of resources that can be used in different ways.

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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 activities in the four playrooms and the outside learning environment.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the pre-school manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the owner and manager of the provision and with three members of staff.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers, who were spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Puddleducks was registered in 2002 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in Croughton, near Brackley, in Northamptonshire and it is managed privately. The nursery serves the local and surrounding areas and it is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 11 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 2, 3 and 5. The nursery opens Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 46 children attending, who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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must:

 ensure that knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are improved, with particular regard to the changes that must be notified to Ofsted.

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

 enrich the range of resources that can be used in different ways, so that all children have even more opportunities to explore and experiment.

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who attend

Children benefit from the involvement of the knowledgeable and committed staff team, who work with them. Staff have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how to implement this for each child attending. They seek information from parents when children start attending and ongoing about their achievements and interests at home. This information is used to identify children's starting points and to inform the planning of activities for them individually. Staff make regular observations of children during their play, which contribute to the planning of entirely appropriate next steps in learning. Parents are kept fully involved in their child's learning and progress because of the clear value the staff put on the information, which they provide from home. Staff give daily feedback to parents, both written and verbal, so they know about the activities their child has enjoyed during the day as well as their individual care routines. They make good

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who attend

use of the progress check that is completed for children aged between two and three years to plan for their ongoing learning. Parents of each child attending also receive a regular summary of their child's progress and these build into a clear record of the rapid progress in learning and development that their child is making.

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who attend

The strong support provided for each child by staff means that children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Also, children are developing the necessary skills and positive attitudes required to be ready for school. All children are enthusiastic to take part in their activities and staff make great efforts to be consistent in helping them to be confident, share, to work together and consider others during their play. For example, they talk with children about sharing and use sand timers, encouraging them to check the timer to see if it is their turn. They give lots of praise to children throughout their activities, which develops their self-esteem. Babies thoroughly enjoy the positive facial expressions and language used by staff during their play, which helps them to feel secure and confident to explore. Toddlers listen to staff as they successfully engage them in clear explanations about why they need to be careful when running around in the garden. This

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who attend

strong commitment to communicating with children and developing their language is underpinned by the staff's successful implementation of skills, which they learn during training courses. All children are able to be independent. For example, they can choose their own resources from the good range that is available. The play materials and resources cover all the areas of learning for the ages of the children attending. Staff regularly rotate and change the toys. They are always looking at innovative ways of presenting the resources to children, both inside and outside. For example, there are opportunities for babies to further extend babies' access to colour-themed and metallic items, in order to enhance their experience and curiosity. However, the children have fewer opportunities to explore and experiment with natural materials that can be used in different ways. Children's awareness of numbers and text is increasing because staff use

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who attend

numbers during the daily routine and there are lots of examples of text displayed throughout the nursery. Children in each group room benefit from the free access to books because staff use opportunities to read to them throughout the day.

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who attend

The staff team all have very effective skills in teaching. They are always willing to get fully involved in the children's play if that is what they want and they know when to stand back and encourage them to lead their own play. This results in them facilitating children's curiosity and interest most effectively. For example, pre-school children, who explore a range of boxes, are supported to think about how they could make holes to insert some sticks. The member of staff reassures them that they can use tools, such as scissors, so they can follow this interest. Later, she continues to foster their interest in a different way when they consider how to make holes in the mud by poking their sticks into it. Children are learning because they talk enthusiastically about what they did and how the member of staff helps them. Children, who show an interest in colour mixing, are encouraged to be curious by the member of staff. Her narrative and involvement in the activity enables

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who attend

children to learn about how the paint changes when they mix the colours together. Toddlers are learning about the natural world. For example, they are curious during outside play about an interest table that displays conkers, pumpkins and pine cones. This has been set up as part of a topic about autumn. Children's learning is evident because they know which items are which and they use the correct names for them. The member of staff extends children's interest by using language, such as 'heavy', 'light', 'big' and 'small', to help them to identify the different sizes and weight of the items. Babies enjoy the relaxed and calm atmosphere that the staff promote in their room. They are able to play and explore because staff spend time with them on their level. For example, they lie down with them when the babies spend time on their tummies. They provide a natural narrative of the day with the babies, talking to them about what they are doing and what

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who attend

is coming next. Babies clearly benefit from the staff's sensitive involvement with them because they laugh and become excited when playing.

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

Children are able to settle-in rapidly when they start attending because staff work closely with their parents to arrange individual visits. Staff seek detailed information from parents about their child's routines and needs, which helps them to provide support for them during this settling-in period. Parents report that staff are very keen to work with them, in order to match their home routines as closely as possible. They work together to decide on any changes that are required to ensure that this works for the child. Children show that they have developed an attachment to staff, who care for them. Babies are comforted by staff, who cradle them when they become upset. They enjoy their positive interaction with them during their play, responding with broad smiles when staff talk to them. Toddlers look to familiar staff when they need reassurance and put their arms up for cuddles. Staff warmly respond to this request from children and this results in them

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

quickly being able to return to their play. Pre-school children are confident to ask for items, which they want and they initiate conversations with staff. Younger children and babies settle to sleep readily at rest times and they wake happily, smiling at the staff when they see them. Children are familiar with the daily routines and they know what comes next. For example, toddlers help to tidy away before lunch and go to the bathroom in small groups to wash their hands. After lunch, they return to the bathroom and enjoy cleaning their teeth, watching the sand timer before giving their toothbrush back to the member of staff. This demonstrates that children feel safe in the nursery.

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

Children are learning to be independent. They are able to make their own choices from the play materials that staff set out for them as well as choosing from the low-level boxes and units that contain books and play materials. When they get ready to play outside, children are encouraged by staff to try to put their own coats and shoes on. At lunch time, toddlers are supported to feed themselves using a spoon and fork and to take the lids off their yoghurt. Children are provided with a good range of freshly prepared meals and snacks. Their individual dietary needs and stages of weaning are thoroughly discussed with their parents to ensure they are met. Each day, staff provide a list to the nursery cook of each child's food requirements. This results in children being provided with suitable meals that are pureed or mashed according to their needs. Staff make up bottle feeds for babies as they are required and all parents are provided with daily feedback

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

Children benefit from the daily opportunities to play outside in the fresh air. The pre- school children are able to choose when they play outside and they move in and out freely during the session. They have space to run around in the school playground and regularly take part in activities in woodland areas. The younger children visit the school to take part in activities in the school hall and on the playground. The nursery garden is small but well equipped with a range of activities and resources that promote children's interest and physical skills. The nursery is situated in the countryside and staff use the rural location for outings with children. For example, they take walks to the ford and to see the sheep that are in the field adjacent to the school playground. Children behave very well. They are learning about the expectations and boundaries for behaviour through good support from staff. They follow a consistent and positive approach with the children. For example,

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

they give clear instructions and explanations, so children know what is expected. Staff spend time with children during their play and provide fun activities that are linked to their interests. This minimises any behaviour issues because children enjoy what they are doing.

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provision

The nursery owner recently expanded the provision for the pre-school children when they moved to new premises within the grounds of the local school that is close to the current nursery premises. The impact on the children of this change is minimal because they were well prepared through discussion with staff and the owner has taken out appropriate insurance for the new provision. Children were already familiar with the new premises because they have a long standing close partnership with the school and regularly use a number of their facilities. However, the owner failed to notify Ofsted of this change of address. This is a breach of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The owner of the nursery has appropriate procedures in place for the recruitment of suitable new members of staff and makes regular checks of their ongoing suitability during supervision meetings. The staff team show a clear understanding of how

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provision

to safeguard children. For example, they have the contact details for the Local Safeguarding Child Board amongst others on the back of their identification badges and they know that any concerns must be passed onto the designated person and confidential records are kept. Staff are kept up to date with the nursery's polices and procedures, including safeguarding and behaviour management because the owner provides in-house training and refresher discussions during team meetings. She identifies a policy each week for the staff to review and discuss. This ensures that staff's knowledge is kept up to date and therefore, children continue to be safeguarded. Risk assessments are in place for all aspects of both sites of the nursery and for the outings the children are involved in. The risk assessments include the new premises and the school's own risk assessments were taken into account before the pre-school children began to use the new building.

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provision

The staff team demonstrate a good understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They successfully plan for each child in their care, following their interests and working with parents to identify their unique next steps in learning. The leaders and managers in the nursery complete tracking of the children's progress. They use this information to identify where they need to focus their training needs or new resources for the children. The owner of the nursery is committed to staff being able to increase their knowledge and understanding through attending training courses and working towards higher level qualifications. The support that is provided for staff during their regular supervision meetings and appraisals as well as the introduction of peer-on-peer observations continues to enhance their strong interaction with children and their skills in teaching.

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provision

The management and staff team are successful in implementing a reflective and evaluative culture within the nursery. All the staff are involved in the self-evaluation process. They share their comments during team meetings about their achievements and plans for the future and these are taken into account when the document is updated. Parents are regularly asked for their feedback about the service that the nursery provides and the manager said she does her best to accommodate their requests. Children's interests and ideas are always included within the planning and they are consulted about what activities they want to take part in. The owner took positive steps to address the recommendations made at the last inspection. The feedback provided by staff and parents informs the well-targeted plans for the ongoing development of the nursery and this demonstrates a capacity for continued improvement.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 inform Ofsted of a change to the address of the premises where childcare is provided (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  inform Ofsted of a change to the address of the premises where childcare is provided (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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 EY218008 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 855725

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 34 Number of children on roll 46 Name of provider Lesley Grant Date of previous inspection 04/02/2009 Telephone number 01869 811222

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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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