Little Wishes

Wishing Well Nursery 76 Droitwich Road, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR3 7HT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/12/2014 18/02/2014

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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

 Babies and children are fully safeguarded by the manager and staff who understand and follow robust child protection procedures. They also create a welcoming, secure environment where all children grow in confidence and their good health and safety are consistently promoted.  The manager and staff have embedded robust assessment procedures throughout the nursery, including seeking parents' views about their children's abilities at an early stage. As a result, they have a good understanding of how well children are progressing and which aspects of their learning to focus on next.  The manager and staff successfully promote babies' and children's skills as effective learners. Children are keen to join in activities, often concentrate well and increasingly become expressive, articulate speakers.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 At times, staff miss opportunities to extend older babies' and toddlers' involvement in their freely chosen activities and to further develop their investigations, vocabulary and practical problem solving as they experiment, explore and construct with different materials and small world toys.  Staff working with younger children have not fully developed a more consistent approach to involving all parents in agreeing their children's next steps for learning and in planning how these can be followed up at nursery and at home.

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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 five play rooms, the outdoor play area and carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the provider and the other director who is the manager and spoke to children and staff throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at and discussed children's assessment records, staff's planning documentation and a sample of records and policies relating to children's welfare, health and safety.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed the provider's improvement plan and took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Wishing Well Nursery was registered in 2001 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is one of seven nursery and out of school club settings run by Wishing Well Nurseries Ltd. It operates from a two- storey building situated in Worcester city. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery is accessible to all children. The nursery employs 22 members of childcare staff. Of these, 21 have appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery also employs a cook. It opens each weekday all the year round, except for bank holidays and a week between Christmas and New Year. Sessions are from 7.45am until 5.45pm. There are currently 71 children attending who are in the early years age group and five school-age children attend in the morning before school. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a

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Information about the setting

number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Every week children in the pre-school go swimming and take part in other local visits.

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

 strengthen the already good teaching by making better use of questioning and resources to further develop older babies' and toddlers' concentration, vocabulary and practical problem solving while they explore, experiment and construct with different materials and use small world toys

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

 embed a more consistent approach to involving all parents in agreeing their children's next steps for learning and in planning how these can be followed up at nursery and at home.

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who attend

Babies and children enjoy learning and make good progress in relation to their starting points. They are supported by enthusiastic and confident staff who help them to develop the skills needed to be effective learners in readiness for their moves within the nursery and for starting school. Since the last inspection the provider, manager and staff working with younger children have reviewed the way they observe and assess babies' and toddlers' progress and how they plan for each child's needs. They now have consistent and effective systems in place so key persons promptly assess children's starting points and know how well they are continuing to progress. They fully understand younger children's interests and developmental next steps and are, in the main, successfully planning for these. Staff working with children aged three and four continue to plan and organise rewarding and often quite challenging activities and experiences. They ensure

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who attend

pre-school children are confident, resourceful and increasingly articulate. Effective tracking and monitoring of all babies' and children's progress ensure that the manager and staff quickly identify any potential developmental delay. They work sensitively with parents and carers and with other agencies to precisely assess and plan for these children's needs. They confidently adapt activities, resources and their support to cater for children with speech and language delay or who find it difficult to relate to others, or those children who need other sources of support and specific strategies in order to learn effectively.

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who attend

The manager and the staff encourage children to be motivated and attentive from an early age. For example, they provide varied, interesting experiences and resources which capture babies' and toddlers' interest and encourage their often imaginative and sustained exploration and discovery. Staff working with two-year-olds build on the children's enthusiasm for joining in, by encouraging their listening, attention, and turn taking in speaking when learning together, for instance, during song and story times. Staff working with these younger children generally interact well with them, encouraging their enthusiastic responses during activities and routines and successfully consolidating and developing their emerging speech and language. As a result, younger children are eager and often purposeful learners who confidently express themselves through gestures, sounds and then words. Staff are usually very aware of those children who need additional

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who attend

help to remain involved. However, occasionally they miss opportunities to build on the skills and challenge the thinking of mobile babies and toddlers. The provider, manager and staff have recognised this is an area for improvement. They are currently reorganising the groupings of younger children into reduced age bands to further support staff in focussing their planning and teaching on babies' and toddlers' often widely differing needs and abilities. They are also in the process of moving younger children to different base rooms, for example, to ensure mobile toddlers and younger two-year-olds have plenty of space in which to be active, to construct and to explore.

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who attend

Staff working with older toddlers and pre-school age children fully understand each child's stage of development as a result of their interactions with them and comprehensive observations and assessments. They adeptly plan and organise activities which help them to build on each child's identified next steps for learning and their interests. The enthusiastic staff make learning fun and also challenging. They consistently promote children's independence, critical thinking and imagination. Children are usually keen and focussed, relishing the often lively discussions when they are encouraged to describe what they are making, recall events, ask and answer questions and to express themselves imaginatively. The staff effectively support those children with communication difficulties or who speak English as an additional language to develop their understanding and communication skills. They follow strategies recommended by speech and language

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who attend

therapists and encourage parents to tell them key words in their child's home language. They use these alongside visual aids and prompts to support children in being understood as well as successfully promoting their understanding and use of English.

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who attend

Parents and carers are encouraged to contribute their views about their children's learning and development. For example, the information they provide about their children's backgrounds, interests and abilities help key persons to get to know children who are new and to effectively plan for their needs. There are well-established arrangements for discussing the progress and next steps of children in the pre-school, for example, at parents' evenings held each term. All parents and carers appreciate the staffs' practical advice and guidance regarding managing aspects of their babies' and children's behaviour, routines, independent self-care and speech and language. Staff working with younger children ensure parents and carers are well-informed about their child's daily activities and achievements. They actively involve parents and carers in the completion of required progress checks for children aged between two and three years. However, staff have not

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who attend

yet embedded a consistent approach to discussing younger children's learning priorities with parents and carers at other times, to enable parents to have a more active role in planning how these are to be followed up at home and at nursery.

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

Babies and children are nurtured and thrive. They are looked after by the kind, attentive manager and staff in safe, secure, clean and increasingly inviting surroundings. Babies' and children's good health is promoted because their individual dietary, medical and care needs are understood and carefully met by all the staff. They also feel valued, settle quickly and soon develop a sense of belonging because the manager and staff are receptive to their needs and interests. For example, when children start at nursery their key person asks their parents about their child's differing interests, likes and backgrounds and ensures these are reflected in the range of activities and toys offered. Babies and children grow in confidence, responding to the manager's and staffs' gentle encouragement and they feel secure in the comfortable, child-friendly surroundings. They also benefit from the ongoing improvements to indoor and outside areas. For example,

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

since the outdoor area has been refurbished children can play outside in all weathers. The new facilities and equipment have, in particular, enhanced their exploration, imagination and confidence in moving, climbing and balancing.

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

The manager and staff adeptly build on children's emotional and social skills so they are confident and self-assured in readiness for moves within the nursery and for starting school. For example, staff consistently promote their good behaviour and positive relationships. They make sure children know what is happening next and what is expected of them. As a result, babies and children respond to staffs' requests and relate well to other children. They learn to take turns and share and show consideration and kindness towards others. Staff create many opportunities for children to play together and to enjoy each other's company, for instance, during relaxed, social meal times. Children in the pre- school have many opportunities to extend these and other skills through their regular outings and visits within the community. This includes learning more about the needs of others through visits to a nearby residential care home and through fundraising.

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

Babies' and children's good health are encouraged. They relish being outdoors and enjoy a range of physical activities which build on and extend their confidence, control and coordination. This includes children in pre-school going swimming. Babies and children are very well-nourished, enjoying freshly prepared healthy snacks and meals. The cook and other staff always find an alternative if children do not like what is initially offered. Children are sensitively helped to become increasingly independent and reliable in managing different aspects of their self-care, such as washing their hands properly and using the toilet unaided. Children become adept at managing getting dressed as they get ready for going outside or to take part in physical exercise or swimming.

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

Babies and children are kept safe. Staff are attentive and vigilant, successfully promoting babies' and children's emotional well-being and their physical safety. They supervise children well and carefully monitor the safety and security of the premises and outside areas and the cleanliness and condition of toys and equipment. Children are encouraged to behave safely and sensibly as they use equipment, move around the building and take part in walks and outings. Through age-appropriate discussions, activities and visits, they learn about aspects of fire, water and road safety and have opportunities to discuss and explore their feelings.

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provision

After the last inspection, the directors and staff carried out a comprehensive review of the nursery's provision. Parents and carers were given a copy of the action plan and their views have been welcomed and acted on. The directors took effective action to identify and address weaknesses in management, including one of them taking on the role of nursery manager. She has worked closely with the staff looking after younger children in order to rebuild their confidence while they have together successfully embedded effective procedures for monitoring babies' and toddlers' progress. As a result, the staff now have a good understanding of babies' and toddlers' development and learning needs. However, they and the directors recognise the need to further improve planning and teaching to focus more precisely on the needs of older mobile babies and younger two-year-olds. Therefore, as part of their current reorganisation of younger children's base rooms they

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provision

have also reduced the age range of the children within each key group to make planning for their needs more manageable. Effective staff performance and development procedures are in place to ensure all those working with children are given timely well- targeted support to develop their knowledge and practice. They keep up-to-date with required training and are encouraged to attend courses relating to the specific needs of children or their area of expertise. The manager and staff are working well as a team. Babies and children have high levels of attention and encouragement, sessions are fun and rewarding and routines are relaxed and well-managed.

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provision

Children are fully safeguarded. The provider, manager and all staff have a good understanding of possible signs of abuse and how to minimise the risks of harm to children. They have comprehensive nursery safeguarding policies and Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures readily available for staffs' and parents' reference. The manager and staff carefully monitor children's welfare, health and safety and understand what action they must take if they have any concerns that a child may be at risk of harm. This includes liaising effectively with other agencies who are involved with vulnerable families. The provider, staff and the manager, who has lead responsibility for safeguarding, complete regular safeguarding training that is relevant to their roles within the nursery. There are also frequent opportunities for everyone to discuss aspects of safeguarding and children's welfare, health and safety, for example, as part of staff

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provision

meetings or at individual staff supervision meetings. The directors ensure that children are further protected as a result of their robust staff recruitment and performance management procedures. These ensure everyone working with children is suitable and has the required knowledge and skills. There are also clear procedures relating to the safe access to and collection of children and to ensure all required information is obtained about them, their parents and carers.

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provision

Effective relationships with parents and carers and others make an important contribution to the manager and staff understanding and successfully meeting children's needs. Parents and carers are well informed about how the nursery operates and about their children's daily routines, activities and experiences. They are, in the main, encouraged to exchange views with staff about all aspects of their children's care, learning and development at nursery and at home. This includes agreeing how to support children in settling in when they start at nursery or move to a new room. Parents and carers are also encouraged to express their views about the quality of the nursery provision so that, for instance, their suggestions have influenced the ongoing programme of refurbishment and reorganisation of the indoor and outdoor areas. There are also effective arrangements for exchanging information with other providers about children's care, learning and

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provision

development to ensure consistency and continuity for those children who attend another setting. There effective arrangements for informing schools about children's progress and learning and development needs and for preparing children for starting full-time education. Reception teachers are encouraged to visit the nursery and pre-school staff and children visit some schools. Staff and children often discuss aspects of school life, and to help children prepare for new routines the directors have extended the provision of the nursery's cooked lunches to include children in pre-school.

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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 257854 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 971512

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 44 Number of children on roll 76 Name of provider Wishing Well Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 18/02/2014 Telephone number 01905 613401

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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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