Rascal's Day Nursery

Rascal's Day Nursery Stuart Close, Gorleston, GREAT YARMOUTH, Norfolk, NR31 7BU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22/12/2014 08/01/2014

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children are happy, supported and make good progress given their starting points as the quality of the teaching is good. Staff demonstrate an insightful knowledge of each child's interests and learning needs. Consequently, they provide a varied and imaginative programme of activities that promote all children's learning well.  Babies and children feel safe and secure in their relationships with staff, which supports their emotional well-being. Staff fully understand their responsibilities to safeguard children and effectively minimise potential hazards in the setting, keeping children safe.  Staff work in close partnership with parents and professionals associated with children, to ensure there is a joined up approach to promoting children's learning and development. As a result, there is good continuity in care and children receive the support they need to develop and learn.  Management are committed to continuous improvement. Good systems are in place to

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This provision is good

monitor the quality of the provision for children and their families and staff are enthusiastic and motivated.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Peer observations are not yet used as part of staff performance management in order to enhance the quality of teaching through the sharing of good practice.  Staff do not always ensure that some routine activities are well organised, to maximise the younger children's learning.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities throughout the nursery and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the nursery owner, who is also the manager and the deputy manager of the provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, viewed the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection and written testimonials.

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Information about the setting

Rascal's Day Nursery was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register. It is privately owned and operates from a converted health centre in Gorleston, Norfolk. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. All nine staff hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least level 3. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 5.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 65 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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

 improve teaching thereby raising children's achievements even more by; refining the systems in place for performance management of staff, for example, by carrying out peer observations, in order to identify and share the very best teaching practice amongst the staff team

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

 build on the already good teaching to accelerate all children's progress by; ensuring that routine activities, such as group story time and lunchtime are consistently well organised and planned, to ensure that the very youngest children's learning is maximised.

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who attend

Children throughout the nursery are happy and motivated. Staff have a secure understanding of what children need to learn and how to support their learning through play and first-hand experiences. Consequently, they provide an educational programme, which has depth and breadth across all areas of learning, so that all babies and children make good progress from their individual starting points. Staff liaise closely with parents to find out about each child's background and gather detailed information when children and babies first start at the nursery. This, alongside early observations made by the key person, means that children's starting points are assessed, which helps staff support children's ongoing learning needs effectively. Each child has a detailed learning journal containing comments about their achievements, illustrated by photographs showing children of all ages take part in a wide range of activities, which build on their early

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who attend

learning skills. Staff use information gathered through their observations to successfully plan for children's next steps in learning, ensuring they set out a wide variety of interesting and challenging activities each day, so children actively learn through their play. Summative assessments are regularly completed, which clearly demonstrate children's progress over time or quickly identify any gaps in learning. This means that, when necessary, staff are able to take swift intervention and seek support for them, through strong partnerships with parents and other professionals. Staff highly value the input of parents and fully involve them in their children's learning and experiences in the nursery. Parents frequently discuss their children's progress with staff and share their aims for children's learning. Parents view their children's learning files and contribute to the tracked progression for children. Staff use different ways of providing ideas for further

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who attend

activities at home, for example, by discussing what children have been doing and why, and suggesting more ideas to continue learning at home. These extremely effective links with parents and carers optimise children's learning in the nursery and at home.

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who attend

Children are supported well to become enthusiastic learners and to be ready for the next stage in their learning, such as moving on to school. Since the last inspection, staff have focused more sharply on promoting a rich spoken language environment. They model clear language during activities and support older children to join in conversations. Babies and young children are encouraged to vocalise without discouraging their efforts as children copy and repeat new sounds or words. This enables all children to use their growing skills and become confident communicators. Older children show an interest in print and staff support this, such as suggesting to children that they put their name on their artwork so that they know it is theirs. Children also self-register, learning to recognise their name card from an early age as younger children's cards include their photograph. Signs and visual prompts, such as how to wash their hands, are evident

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who attend

throughout the nursery and support early literacy. Books and stories are used to support children's language development. Children independently select a book to sit quietly with their chosen member of staff and listen while they read. Group story times form part of the everyday routine for older children. However, these are sometimes less well managed, so younger children become distracted. Similarly, lunch times are occasionally less well organised. While older children benefit as they develop their self-care skills through serving themselves, younger children become restless while their meals are served. As a result, younger children's learning during these few occasions is not always maximised. Despite this, young children are becoming independent. They freely select toys they would like to play with, pour their own drinks when thirsty and decide when they would like to play outside. Children are very imaginative and adapt resources well to suit their needs.

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who attend

For example, older children share their ideas and work together to make a snowman outdoors using the tyres. Staff ask questions that prompt children to think and express their ideas, such as what they might use for a nose. Consequently, children are learning to become creative and critical thinkers.

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who attend

Babies explore their environment, secure in the knowledge that a familiar adult is nearby. Their interest is captured by the many sensory resources easily available. For example, they investigate how pressing buttons causes toys to light up or play music. They delight in feeling the texture of different materials such as sand, water, shaving foam or leaves. Babies have space to move and practise their physical skills in safety. They crawl confidently and pull themselves to standing on sturdy furniture, learning to balance and toddle. Outdoors, there is space and resources for children to challenge their physical skills. They climb, slide and balance, throw and kick balls, run about or ride small wheeled toys with increasing coordination and spatial awareness. Staff use the outdoor environment well to promote all areas of children's learning. For example, children explore and dig in the mud kitchen, take part in planting and growing activities, and make their

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who attend

own dens. Consequently, children are learning about the natural world and learning to play cooperatively.

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

The effective key-person system helps staff to fully understand and meet the individual needs of all children. Parents value that settling-in arrangements are unique to their child and they are able to attend with their child until they are reassured that the child is settled. Focused observations are made by staff during the settling-in period and shared with parents, to enable the nursery to support children from the start. Staff get to know children well and show a comprehensive understanding of each child's unique needs. This helps children to feel comfortable and form good attachments, promoting their emotional well-being and independence. Staff are kind, affectionate and responsive to children's individual needs. Babies demonstrate their strong attachments to their key person as they explore resources from a secure base. This supports children to grow in confidence. Staff frequently use praise and encouragement to raise children's self-esteem and encourage

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

positive behaviour. Consistent boundaries are in place to help children know what is expected of them. Children mostly share and take turns with popular resources and are supported in developing their awareness of the needs and feelings of others.

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

Children are cared for in group rooms according to their age and abilities. Each room is welcoming and age-appropriately resourced. Play resources are of good quality and easily accessible to the children, so they learn to be independent. Children's artwork is thoughtfully displayed throughout the nursery. Babies see themselves in low mirrors and there are photographs in each group room of the children enjoying activities. In addition, staff have made small cardboard figures that represent people in the children's families, so that children can play with these during their imaginative play. Consequently, children feel secure in the nursery and experience a strong sense of belonging. They are well prepared for the next stage in their learning because transitions within the nursery are good. Children are fully supported by their key person to progress from one room to the next as they get older. Their transition to school is also supported well. For example, teachers

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

from the local school are encouraged to visit and get to know the children while they are in the familiar surroundings of the nursery. In addition, there are books in the nursery showing photographs of the school, which staff use to discuss school with children as part of their preparation.

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

Children are developing a good awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Fresh drinking water is always available and children enjoy freshly prepared, nutritious meals and snacks. The cook and staff are aware of children's dietary needs and preferences, so these are well catered for and no child's well-being is put at risk. Staff sit and eat with children, encouraging good social skills. They discuss the food children eat and the benefits to the children. This supports children's understanding of a healthy diet. Staff are very aware of younger children's self-care skills, providing appropriate chairs and cups for mealtimes to support children's emerging skills. Staff encourage children to be independent and manage their own personal care, relative to their ages and stages of development. For example, older children serve themselves at mealtimes and learn to dress themselves appropriately for outdoor play. Children know they need to wash their

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

hands before snacks and meals, learning useful personal-hygiene practices through everyday routines. The care needs of babies and toddlers are meticulously met. For example, they sleep or rest according to their individual needs and routines. Regular checks ensure that babies are comfortable and settled at all times. The outdoor area provides plentiful space for physical, active play and staff complement this with a good range of other activities, such as opportunities for mark making, and exploratory and imaginary play. This encourages children to spend time outside and particularly supports those children who learn best outdoors.

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provision

The owner/manager and all the staff have a secure understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. High regard is given to safeguarding and, as a result, children are kept safe. All practitioners attend safeguarding training and review their knowledge during supervision and team meetings. There are clearly mapped procedures for monitoring any safeguard concern. All practitioners demonstrate a sound understanding of their responsibility, with regard to referral to the appropriate authorities, when necessary. The nursery works closely with the local children's centre to support families and signpost them to additional services where appropriate. As part of the safeguarding procedures, thorough recruitment practices and suitability checks are carried out. These are followed by a methodical induction and close supervision programme, to ensure that new staff are aware of their duties and responsibilities. Staff are proactive in

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provision

ensuring that children's safety is maintained and children are carefully supervised, both indoors and outside. Rigorous systems are in place to assess risk and to ensure that the premises are safe and secure, in order to fully protect children. As a result, staff ensure children are fully protected. The owner/manager maintains effective ratios of staff, to ensure children's safety and consistent carers in each room. Required records and documentation are well maintained and confidentiality of information assured.

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provision

Since the last inspection, the management team have worked hard to implement systems that effectively support the staff and monitor their practice. Staff receive ongoing support from managers through purposeful one-to-one supervisions. This helps management to identify concerns early on and offer appropriate support where needed. The owner/manager supports staff to access ongoing training as an important part of developing the nursery and some staff are working towards achieving a higher level qualification. Staff cascade information from training and early years events, to extend team knowledge and skills. However, the professional development systems have not yet extended to peer observations, where staff watch each other teach, in order to share good practice further amongst the staff team and coach those less confident members of the team. Management have also introduced effective measures to monitor the effectiveness

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provision

of the educational programme. They regularly review children's assessment records with the key person and discuss how planning supports individual children's development. In addition, the manager reviews activity planning daily in each of the group rooms and outside, and regularly works alongside staff within the nursery, so she can observe daily practice. These measures have led to significant improvements in the quality of the teaching and outcomes for children. The whole staff team meet regularly to discuss policies, planning and evaluation of the nursery. Management also use this as an opportunity for training, for example, around safeguarding. With the support of the local authority, management have swiftly addressed the actions raised during the last inspection, which has helped them to strengthen their practice overall. Managers use self- evaluation well to reflect on provision and recognise priorities for improvement and have

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provision

an ongoing action plan in place to enhance the provision further. For example, there are plans to cover an area outdoors so this can be used throughout the year.

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provision

A key strength of the nursery is the strong relationship between staff and parents. The staff place an extremely strong emphasis on building relationships with children and their families from the outset, so that they know precisely how to meet children's individual needs. Successful implementation of the key-person system helps to ensure that children feel safe and secure in the nursery. All parents spoken to on the day of the inspection stated that they are very pleased with the nursery and in particular, comment on how their children arrive and settle happily each day. They also feel very involved in the nursery and their children's learning; they know what activities are planned and can contribute resources. For example, parents are collecting plastic milk bottles so staff and children can build a play igloo outside. These imaginative ideas are shared with parents and some comment that they have used the ideas at home. In addition, the manager and

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provision

staff team understand the importance of developing good partnerships with external agencies. This ensures that all children receive appropriate interventions and support as required.

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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 EY447168 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 962542

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 35 Number of children on roll 65 Name of provider Rascal's Norfolk Ltd Date of previous inspection 08/01/2014 Telephone number 07983506599

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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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