Little Chums Nursery

Little Chums Nursery Beehive Lane CP School, Beehive Lane, CHELMSFORD, Essex, CM2 9SR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/11/2014 13/12/2010

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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

 Teaching is effective because staff know children well and plan activities that interest and motivate them to learn. Consequently, children are making good progress in their learning and development.  Staff create a warm, friendly and welcoming environment, which helps children to form secure attachments and develop positive relationships. This promotes children's emotional well-being as they show confidence in their surroundings.  Children are well-behaved because staff are good role models. They use consistently applied strategies and provide clear guidance for children about what is acceptable behaviour.  Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. Detailed policies and procedures are successfully implemented to ensure a safe and secure environment for children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always maximise the opportunities for gathering information from parents about children's skills and abilities, to promptly assess starting points and inform planning of activities and experiences from the outset.  The arrangements for monitoring staff performance do not fully include peer observations, to enable staff to learn from each other through honest and critical reflection.

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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 indoor and outdoor learning environments.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with one of the managers.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the managers, staff and children, and also an early years teacher from the host school.  The inspector viewed a sample of the children's learning journals.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector saw evidence of suitability and qualifications of the staff, self- evaluation, risk assessment and policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and from references obtained by the nursery.

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Information about the setting

Little Chums Nursery was registered in 2005 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is situated in a classroom in the grounds of Beehive Lane County Primary School in Chelmsford, Essex. It is run and managed by Chums Childcare Limited. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from one playroom and there are enclosed areas available for outdoor play. The nursery employs four members of childcare staff. All of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, during school term times. Sessions are from 9am to 1pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 24 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery receives funding for the provision of early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as

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Information about the setting

an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 increase information gathered from parents about their children's skills and abilities, and use this to determine sharply focused starting points to enhance planning of activities and experiences for children from the outset

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

 build on the existing good systems for monitoring staff performance so children continue to receive the best teaching possible, for example, by fully establishing the use of peer observations for staff.

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who attend

Staff are secure and confident in their knowledge of how children learn. They place a high priority on providing stimulating activities where children gain knowledge and acquire skills through active exploration and play, both indoors and outside. The activities are carefully planned to cover all areas of learning, with a successful mix of adult-led and child-initiated experiences. As a result, children thoroughly enjoy the time they spend in nursery. They enthusiastically initiate their own play and are confident in requesting and seeking resources from staff to support their learning. For example, children experiment with different ways to melt the ice in the outdoor area, on frosty winter mornings. This leads to staff planning experiences with resources linked to the theme of a very popular children's film. The quality of teaching is good as staff follow and extend children's interests and effectively develop their communication and language skills. Staff listen attentively to

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who attend

children and model effective use of language for thinking and questioning. They speak clearly and respectfully and ask children carefully framed questions to check their understanding. As a result, children start to become confident communicators.

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who attend

Overall, staff have high expectations of the children and every child's progress is regularly assessed. Each child's learning journal includes positive observations, illustrated by photographs and examples of children's artwork. When children join the nursery, key persons ask parents for basic information about care routines and the activities their children enjoy at home. However, the key persons gather less information about children's skills and abilities, so that they can start building on what children already know and can do, to accelerate learning from the outset. The mandatory progress check for children between the ages of two and three years is completed in a timely way. Information is promptly shared with parents to let them know if development is less than expected. This also means that any necessary early intervention from outside professionals is sought and secured without delay. Guidance from professionals involved with children who have

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who attend

special educational needs and/or disabilities is efficiently used by key persons to inform their individual planning. This helps staff ensure that children make progress in the areas where they need extra support. Children who speak English as an additional language receive effective support because staff value their linguistic diversity and work closely with parents to gather useful words in a child's home language. Staff also use high quality interactions to make certain that children swiftly learn to understand and speak a good standard of English. Comprehensive progress checks are shared with parents. Staff clearly identify the learning priorities they need to plan for, and share this information with parents. As a result, all children make at least good progress in their learning and development.

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who attend

Children effectively acquire the attitudes, dispositions and skills they need to be ready for the next stage of their learning, and in readiness for starting school. They concentrate, persist at chosen tasks, use their imagination and produce original ideas, for example, when recalling or acting out stories. Books are well loved and children understand that they can be used to retrieve information and often choose to look at books for pleasure with staff or their peers. Children are competent in number, shape and colour recognition, which is thoughtfully extended through activities and routines. Children practise mark making and early writing skills within role-play or creative activities, both inside or outdoors. Parents are involved in their child's learning and development when they contribute items linked to topics and themes. They also join their children in the activities suggested by staff, which supports them to continue their learning at home.

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

The environment is warm, friendly and welcoming, which effectively promotes children's all-round development and emotional well-being. As a result, children show confidence in their surroundings as they are happy, settled and content. They are very comfortable and familiar with the daily routine as they respond to the register at welcome time and take part in larger group activities during each session. Key persons understand the importance of creating strong bonds with children and their families. They gather information about care routines during the initial settling-in period and liaise with parents, regarding children's individual needs. Key persons talk to parents and learn about children's home lives and backgrounds. This means that during times of change, such as siblings being born, staff understand children's feelings and can sensitively support them. In addition, children are equally well supported and emotionally prepared prior to starting school. Staff

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

contact the host school and other local primary schools to arrange for teachers to visit the nursery so that children become familiar with their new carers. This also helps to improve communication and coordination between professionals, staff and families.

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

Children develop their understanding of personal safety as they practise fire drills or are reminded to look out for risks as they play outdoors. Children's self-esteem is enhanced as they receive purposeful praise for good behaviour, effort and achievement. They make firm friendships and talk about how important it is to have friends to play with. Staff are positive role models and encourage children to discuss boundaries and the simple rules that promote a harmonious atmosphere. As a result, children know the behaviour expected of them and are very eager to help staff by taking on small responsibilities. For example, they ring the bell to alert their friends that the snack table is ready and help to tidy away their play materials.

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

There are good opportunities for children to develop their understanding of a healthy lifestyle and the importance of fresh air and exercise. Children have a good understanding of hygiene issues. The older children are able to access the toilet areas with low levels of supervision, appropriate to their age, while the youngest children are supervised. Staff ensure that nappy changing and toilet training are carried out according to children's individual needs, with all hygiene issues addressed to a good standard. Snacks are healthy and nutritious and staff are knowledgeable about any dietary requirements to ensure that individual children's needs are consistently met. Children relish the opportunity to choose when they wish to eat or have a drink. Snack time is a social experience for children, as they sit in small groups chatting with staff about their activities and events at home. Children pour their own drinks and serve their food independently, which successfully

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

develops aspects of their self-care skills and helps to prepare them for starting school.

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provision

The nursery is led by two committed and dedicated managers, who strive to provide high- quality care and education for children. The managers and staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They have attended relevant training and know the correct procedures to follow if they have any safeguarding concerns about children in their care. Staff are deployed well within the nursery, which ensures children are supervised effectively to maintain their safety. There are robust systems in place for recruitment and all staff have completed the appropriate background checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service. A detailed range of written policies and procedures are successfully implemented to ensure a safe and secure environment for children. Children's well-being is further promoted as there are written risk assessments in place and staff complete daily safety

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provision

checks on the indoor and outdoor environment. This enables them to identify any potential hazards and minimise risk to children. The majority of staff hold current first aid certificates so can efficiently deal with accidents and minor injuries, in an approved way.

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provision

The managers and staff work well together to monitor and evaluate the educational programmes for the children, at the end of every session. This ensures that individual children, and groups of children, receive learning experiences that meet their developmental needs. Careful analysis of children's progress and achievements ensure that there are no gaps in their learning. Both the managers monitor the quality of teaching as they work alongside staff. They use their observations of staff practice and discussions at staff meetings to ensure that staff attend further training, when appropriate. However, the use of regular peer observations by all staff is not fully developed to rigorously ensure that both managers and staff are constantly improving their already effective teaching skills. They do not regularly share their strengths or offer honest and constructive criticism in order to enhance the quality of teaching to a consistently higher standard. Nonetheless,

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provision

staff have implemented positive changes since the last inspection, effectively addressing the recommendations raised. For example, assessment procedures have been improved to ensure that planning is individualised and reflects the identified next steps for each child. Furthermore, the opportunities for children to use information technology in activities has been improved.

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provision

Partnership with parents is good and they have access to a wealth of information through displays, newsletters and the dedicated website. Staff give helpful verbal feedback and share children's journals at regular intervals, which ensures that parents are kept fully informed of their children's progress. Parents say they are delighted with the service provided by the nursery and find the staff very approachable and friendly. Information received from services, such as speech and language therapy is well used, and staff incorporate recommended strategies into their planning. This ensures children get the help and support they need to address their individual needs and circumstances. Staff have well-established and positive links with the local schools and other settings in the area, which children benefit from to support the next stage in their 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 EY297852 Local authority Essex Inspection number 856460

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 24 Name of provider Chums Childcare Limited Date of previous inspection 13/12/2010 Telephone number 07840 285878

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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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