Little Ted's Day Nursery

Little Ted's Day Nursery Chewells Lane, Haddenham, ELY, Cambridgeshire, CB6 3SS

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/12/2014 14/01/2009

p.1

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

p.1

This provision is good

 Staff provide a wide range of interesting and challenging experiences for all children. Consequently, children are active and inquisitive learners who are making good progress in all areas of their development.  Children feel secure and at ease when at nursery. This is because staff know children well and form warm and trusting attachments with each other.  Children are safeguarded in the nursery because staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities for identifying and reporting concerns about children in their care.  Managers have good procedures in place to monitor staff practice and ensure their performance is continually improving. In this way children benefit from a skilled and knowledgeable team who support them in their early years.  Staff are especially skilled at supporting younger children's communication and physical development. Their enthusiasm and praise for children's efforts as they learn to walk

p.1

This provision is good

and talk boosts children's self-esteem effectively and encourages them to practise their new found skills even more.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 There is room to further develop ways to encourage parents to be fully engaged with their children's learning at home and in the setting.

p.1

Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

p.2

Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.2

Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in both the inside and outside learning environments.  The inspector held meetings with the manager and the owner of the nursery.  The inspector and manager took part in a joint observation.  The inspector took the views of parents into account.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journals, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of practitioners working within the setting, the provider's self-evaluation form and a range of other documentation.

p.2

Information about the setting

Little Ted's Day Nursery was registered in 2007 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is privately owned and operates from a mobile building in Haddenham, near Ely. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. The nursery employs 12 members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and five are qualified at level 2. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round, except for bank holidays and the period between Christmas and the New Year. Sessions are from 7.45am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 64 children attending, 56 of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children with special educational needs and/or

p.3

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

 extend the already strong partnerships with parents and explore innovative ways to support them further to engage with children's learning at home.

p.3

who attend

Children are welcomed into a warm and stimulating environment where they find plenty of activities and toys to promote their learning. Staff have a good understanding of how children develop and because of this, they successfully provide a wealth of interesting and playful experiences that capture children's attention. For example, children delight in playing in Santa's sleigh. They use their imaginations as they dress up in various costumes and discuss the delivery of the different parcels and letters made available to them. Staff support well as they talk about the shapes of the packages and question whether they are too big to fit through the post box opening. Experiences such as these give children the chance to learn about size and shape and begin to use their skills and knowledge to think critically and predict outcomes.

p.3

who attend

Younger children are especially well supported in the nursery. They happily demonstrate their newly found physical skills as they practise toddling around and exploring toys that interest them. Staff skilfully encourage children's communication development by repeating words and responding to every utterance and attempts to talk. As a result, young children are learning new words almost daily and are learning how to express their needs effectively. Staff observe children as they play and carefully assess their development. Parents contribute their ideas about children's skills when they first start the nursery and continue to be fully informed about their progress during discussions at the end of the day and at annual parents' evenings. However, at times these strategies do not always help parents to be engaged with children's learning or maximise opportunities to share and extend learning at home. That being said, staff have plans to implement stay

p.3

who attend

and play sessions for parents to promote a coordinated approach to children's learning and development. Children's next steps in learning are carefully planned including for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, all children make good progress towards the early learning goals.

p.4

who attend

Staff know how important it is for children to be prepared for their next stages in learning. Through playful experiences, they gradually introduce skills and routines that will help children progress well and develop the attributes needed for school. Examples of this include children learning to concentrate and listen carefully during impromptu music sessions and learning number recognition as they jump around a large clock face painted on the playground. The environment is also rich in meaningful text and this too helps children to appreciate and learn about the written word. Overall, the nursery provides plenty of stimulating learning opportunities that help children become active and inquisitive learners and this supports them well for their future learning.

p.4

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

Children are happy and secure at nursery. Staff know children well and have good partnerships with parents, meaning they are well informed of children's care needs and preferences. Children show their independence by moving around freely, returning to staff for reassurance or a cuddle from time to time. This sense of well-being supports children effectively and means they make the best progress possible while at the nursery. Behaviour is good because staff offer consistent and appropriate messages about what is and what is not expected of them. For example, staff gently remind children about sharing toys or offering alternative activities as a distraction. Children benefit from free-flow to the outside area where staff support children's learning across all seven areas. Children especially enjoy the opportunity to develop their physical skills as they learn to ride bikes and scooters, play with balls or even practise newly found walking skills in a large open

p.4

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

space. Play of this sort helps children to develop an understanding of risk and learn how to protect themselves from harm. Staff are vigilant to children's safety at these times and have good routines in place to ensure the security of the entrance gate and to monitor the presence of visitors to the surrounding premises and car park. Consequently, children are able to safely play.

p.4

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

Resources are good and stored appropriately to enable children to independently access their own playthings. At times, older children are also encouraged to carefully plan their learning by choosing activities from photograph albums. In this way children are learning to make decisions and thinking independently about what they want to do and what help they may need to achieve their goals. Independence is also encouraged by staff with regard to children's self-care routines, such as toileting and hand washing. Children enjoy nutritious meals and snacks which they are learning to serve and feed themselves with according to their ages and stages of development. Staff promote learning during these times by talking about the vegetables for example, helping children to understand why they are healthy options and the origins of their food.

p.4

provision

Leadership of the nursery is strong. The management team understands their responsibilities under the Early Years Foundation Stage and have effective procedures in place to monitor both educational programmes and individual children's progress. As a result, children requiring further support are quickly identified and plans are targeted effectively to ensure that interventions have a positive effect on their learning, development and well-being. Self-evaluation is embedded in practice and the views of parents, staff and children are sort in order that action plans clearly improve outcomes for children over time. Recruitment procedures are thorough and include background checks and induction to the procedures and working practices of the nursery. A particular strength of the nursery is the effective professional management system. Supervisions are held regularly with staff and their practice observed by managers in order that they are

p.5

provision

fully supported to continually better their skills and knowledge. Any underperformance is dealt with swiftly and in this way children benefit from staff that are best suited for their roles.

p.5

provision

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and have attended training. They are able to identify and report any concerns they may have which means children are able to play and learn without fear of harm. Staff are supported by a range of policies and procedures, which further enhances children's safety. Staff attend training whenever possible and use their skill to improve experiences for children. For example, staff have recently attended training to enhance children's communication skills. Consequently, they have introduced a new way of tracking children's progress in this aspect of their learning and are now able to better identify where children may not be making the appropriate progress for their age. Partnerships with parents are good. Parents offer positive feedback about the staff at the nursery and especially appreciate the individual attention that is possible due to the number of staff available. They talk about how much their children

p.5

provision

enjoy coming to nursery and how well they have progressed. Partnerships with other providers are equally good, along with outside professionals and others concerned with children's well-being. This means that children's needs are met in a coordinated way and they remain well supported in their early years.

p.5

The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

p.5

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or

p.7

Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

p.7

Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number EY362723 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 857675

p.8

Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 64 Name of provider Little Ted's Day Nursery Partnership Date of previous inspection 14/01/2009 Telephone number 01353 741765

p.8

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.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

Type of provision

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

p.8

Type of provision

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

p.8

Type of provision

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

p.9

Type of provision

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

p.9

Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.10

Type of provision

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

p.10