The Links Day Care Centre Ltd

The Links Day Care Centre Ltd Nathaniel Newton First School, Victoria Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV10 0LS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/12/2014 30/04/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff are highly knowledgeable and their teaching is inspirational. As a result, children make excellent progress in their learning, supported by effective planning to meet their individual needs, interests and next steps.  Children form excellent bonds with their key person. Staff are very sensitive in their responses to children's needs and this enables children to feel safe and develop a true sense of well-being and belonging. Consequently, they are happy and engaged in their learning.  The management of nursery is exceptional. Priority is given to achieving excellence through rigorous monitoring and evaluation procedures. This ensures that children effectively learn in a safe and stimulating environment.  Highly effective partnerships between the nursery, parents and external agencies mean that children's needs are quickly identified and exceptionally well met.

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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 playrooms and the outside play area.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager of the provision and spoke to staff and children throughout the inspection as appropriate.  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 staff working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

The Links Day Care Centre was registered in 1991 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in the Hartshill area of Nuneaton and is privately managed. The nursery serves the local and surrounding areas. It operates Monday to Friday, 50 weeks of the year from 7.45am to 6pm. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, apart from two who have level 2 qualifications. There are also two members of staff who have honours degrees and some staff members have foundation degrees. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 77 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language

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Information about the setting

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:

 extend the already excellent learning for children by enriching opportunities for them to gain a wider understanding of the wider world, for example, through exploring and investigating which country different fruits come from.

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who attend

The quality of teaching at the nursery is excellent. As a result, children are motivated to join in with activities to learn. Staff demonstrate an exceptional understanding of the needs of the children in their care, including an awareness of the wider needs of each child's family. Staff use highly focused planning to meet the needs of individual children through identifying each child's next steps in learning and, as a result, they make excellent progress. Assessments are carried out on entry when children first start to identify children's starting points. Further assessments are carried out each term so that any gaps in children's learning are identified and swiftly addressed through support. For example, staff work closely with professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to support children who have difficulty with their speech. The progress check for children aged between two and three years is carried out and shared with parents at progress meetings.

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who attend

The management team regularly monitor staff's assessments of children to ensure that they are accurate and precise. Consequently, there is clear evidence that children in the nursery make consistent and rapid development. In addition to daily discussions with parents, staff produce regular progress summaries. Learning journals are shared regularly with parents and they are encouraged to add to these, such as sharing the activities they do with their children at home. As a result, parents are highly involved in their child's learning and development, which significantly contributes to the outstanding progress their children make. Parents speak highly of the staff, saying they offer exceptional care and education, and that staff are professionals who have a passion for working with their children.

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who attend

Children show high levels of engagement in their play. They enjoy exploring technological resources, such as computers, independently. They access educational programmes, such as those which encourage number recognition. This promotes high levels of early mathematical development and an understanding of the world, through understanding technology. Young children enjoy playing with toy animals. Staff sit with the children and ask questions about what noises the animals make. This encourages children's early language and thinking skills. Children use their highly imaginative skills in the role play area. Staff have high expectations of the children and engage at their level and model play. For example, children use real pots and pans with spoons and staff pretend to cook with the children in the kitchen area. This highly motivates children and encourages their confidence to learn through play. Children learn about self-care through role play. They

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who attend

enjoy playing with a doll, dressing and changing its nappy. Staff encourage children as they pretend to wash and dress the doll. This shows that children have high levels of independence, which prepares them for their next steps in learning, including the move to school. Children enjoy creating lists as they make marks using a clip board in the role play area. This encourages children's early writing skills.

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who attend

Messy play is adopted well at the nursery. Children enjoy this and are engrossed in exploring sand and water, building sand castles. Staff encourage language skills through effective questioning. As a result children's thinking and problem solving skills are fully encouraged. Staff promote children's explorative skills. Children show high levels of engagement whilst accessing paint independently. Other children use real flour and mix water to make dough. Staff support them to roll the dough and then make shapes using cutters. Children's imagination is ignited as they pretend that they are baking using real ingredients. Children enjoy listening to staff reading stories to them. Staff share the books with the children whilst reading and ask open-ended questions. This encourages children to recall the story as well as building their imaginative and thinking skills. Children handle books with care and are able to turn pages effectively. Children access a wide range of

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who attend

resources and toys independently and staff encourage children to make choices. There is a balance between adult and child-led experiences. For example, children choose which toys they want to take out and play with. Adults also carry out cutting and sticking activities where children are able to choose when they want to do this. Staff value diversity and promote children's home language within the nursery. Key words are used and displayed so that children feel respected, secure and at home. As a result, they gain confidence and learn to speak English, which prepares them for school.

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

Children have extremely strong relationships and secure emotional attachments with staff. As a result children are very calm and have high respect for the staff. Staff equally respect the children and interact with great sensitivity. Key persons work exceptionally well with parents and, as a result, children quickly settle and feel secure in the environment. The nursery have a settling-in period for all new children and those that are transitioning to the other rooms. This routine is flexible and changes to meet the needs of each child. Children show high levels of self-control during activities and behave exceptionally well. For example, some children in the sand play area negotiate between themselves about who is going to have the next turn. Staff give children praise and encourage positive behaviour through reinforcements, such as stickers. Staff closely monitor children and as soon as they see that children are getting bored, they intervene swiftly and promote a

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

different activity. For example, when children show that they are no longer interested in a story, staff ask them if they want to play with something else and immediately responded to this. As a result children feel valued and their needs are met at all times.

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

Children develop healthy lifestyles through daily physical activities and benefit from healthy and nutritious meals. Children enjoy fruit, milk and water for snacks. Most children bring healthy packed lunches from home. Staff encourage children to get their own lunch boxes independently. Children take their sandwiches out from their boxes and place them on the plates, which they give out to each other. Most children pour their own drink into cups and staff assist those who need support. This supports children to gain independence and confidence. Staff use mealtimes to reflect with the children. Discussions about the morning take place, which encourages their thinking and language skills. Children count objects on their place mats, which are personalised, and recognise names of healthy foods, such as those of fruit and vegetables. There is scope to use these discussions to further promote children's understanding of the wider world by exploring with children

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

where the fruits originate from. Staff allow children to self-serve healthy snacks and they count pieces onto their plates. Other children are given small responsibilities, such as giving out cups and plates. This further encourages children's independent skills and ensures that even routine times are a rich opportunity for learning. Children learn the importance of looking after their bodies by washing hands before and after each meal and this helps to develop their self-care skills. Children who need to blow their noses are supported by staff to do it themselves and are reminded to put tissues in the bin and wash their hands. Staff talk with children about germs and the need to wash them away. In the secure outdoor area, staff provide rich learning opportunities for children by providing a highly stimulating environment. Children independently choose which activities they find interesting, because staff make these readily accessible.

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

Children are kept safe as staff are very vigilant, ensuring that resources are always fit for purpose and that any broken items are swiftly removed. Children are reminded to play in ways that are safe and to consider the impact of their actions on each other. In this way, they begin to take personal responsibility for contributing to a safe and positive environment for their own and other's enjoyment. Transitions are fostered superbly. The nursery has good partnerships with the onsite school and other schools in the area. They work closely to organise visits to the schools as well as the school teachers coming into the nursery to observe the children and meet them in their comfort zone. Activities, such as listening to stories, school visits and even activities with children from the school, prepares children for the move to the next stage in their education.

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provision

The management team have an excellent understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements, which are implemented to a high standard. Vigorous recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that all staff are suitable for their roles. Robust policies and procedures are in place for safeguarding and protecting children. These are clear and displayed in the rooms. Parents are also given safeguarding information, including a mobile phone policy, which they adhere to. All staff have a very strong knowledge base and an excellent understanding of how to safeguard and protect children. They know what to do if they are concerned about children and who to contact. This also includes if they are concerned about a member of staff or the manager. Safeguarding and children's welfare is central to everything the staff do and they regularly go above what is expected. For example, parents speak about staff giving their children and family high levels of

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provision

support during difficult times. All staff attend relevant safeguarding training. Consequently, children are protected and safeguarded from harm. The management is extremely aware of their responsibility to ensure the safety of the premises. Robust visual checks and risk assessments are undertaken on a daily basis for each area. This thoroughness ensures that the premises are suitable and safe prior to children entering the nursery and throughout the day.

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provision

The management team have an exceptional understanding of their role and responsibilities to support staff and ensure the smooth running of the nursery. As a result, staff are highly dedicated and enthusiastic throughout the nursery. Staff consistently strive for excellence through evaluating and enhancing their systems of practice. For example, the nursery has a journal that shows development of their practice, such as the mud kitchen in the outdoor area. Staff demonstrate a commitment to ongoing professional development and training, in order to further their qualifications and enhance the quality of their teaching. Staff receive expert support and encouragement from the management through ongoing supervision and guidance where relevant. Furthermore, staff actively seek additional support and guidance from specialists for children with special educational needs. As a result, expert care is provided for all children. The overall qualifications of the

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provision

staff team have a positive effect on their quality of teaching, which is consistently of high quality. This quality underpins the quick progress children make.

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provision

Staff have established strong partnerships with parents. Parents are extremely complimentary of the staff and speak highly of the nursery. They comment on the excellent progress their children have made and the caring and supportive environment created by the staff. Professional support from outside agencies is used and parents are often signposted to they support they need externally. The nursery has a close working relationship with the onsite and local schools that children move to. Information sharing about children's needs is exceptional and support is put into place swiftly, ensuring children continue to make rapid 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 200809 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 854275

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 77 Name of provider The Links Daycare Centre Ltd Date of previous inspection 30/04/2010 Telephone number 02476 394782

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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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