Small Wonders Nursery

Small Wonders P D N Limited Small Wonders Nursery, Connaughton House, Mount Road, MANCHESTER, M19 3BH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/01/2015 02/02/2011

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early years provision

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

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This provision is good

 The quality of teaching is good and sometimes outstanding, as staff effectively plan a wide variety of interesting and challenging activities. As a result, children are engaged and motivated to learn and make good progress.  Children clearly benefit from the remarkably warm and nurturing environment. Children form secure attachments with their key persons and they develop strong levels of confidence and self-esteem.  Children develop an excellent understanding of healthy lifestyles, because of the highly effective teaching from staff about how to keep themselves safe and healthy.  Staff fully understand their responsibilities to protect children. They provide a safe and secure environment and know to whom they should refer any concerns about a child's welfare. As a result, children are kept free from harm.  Partnerships with parents, schools and other agencies are effective. As a result, children's individual needs are quickly identified and well met.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There are fewer resources and features in the outside area to enhance children's exploration of the natural world.  Sometimes staff become distracted and miss opportunities to support children's good literacy skills even further, for example, when children make requests to write their names.

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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 children's activities and staff interaction in the four playrooms and in the arena.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the deputy manager. Discussions were held with children, staff, the manager, the deputy manager, two directors and a parent.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and, qualifications of the staff, a selection of children's records, safeguarding policies, and discussed self-evaluation with the manager and deputy manager.  The inspector took into account the views of one parent spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Small Wonders Private Day Nursery was registered in 1999 and is on the Early Years Register. It is situated in self-contained accommodation in the Levenshulme area of Manchester, and is managed by Small Wonders P D N Limited. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from four rooms and an arena within the accommodation and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 26 members of childcare staff, including the management team. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 6, 19 at level 3. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday for 49 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 106 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of

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Information about the setting

children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 develop the potential of the outdoor area to support children's understanding of the natural world; for example, by providing different features, such as grass and mounds or providing resources like chimes and streamers so children can investigate the effects of wind

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

 extend children's existing good literacy skills even further by supporting and scaffolding individual children's writing as opportunities arise and give them time to pursue their learning without interruption.

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who attend

Staff work closely with parents when children first start and throughout a child's experience in the nursery. They gather information of what children can already do, and find out about their interests, to plan activities that motivate them. Staff have a secure knowledge and understanding about the learning requirements and the different ways children learn. They understand the importance of allowing children to have time to play and explore so they can work out things for themselves. Staff assess children's progress regularly and identify and plan for their individual next steps. This means that all children make good progress from their initial starting points. Staff check children's progress frequently, to enable staff to offer any additional support to individual learning in a timely manner. Progress checks for children between the ages of two and three years, and summary reports every 12 weeks are completed and shared with parents. This effectively

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who attend

gives parents information about children's progress across the seven areas of learning. Staff keep files for individual children which contain photographs, written observations and assessments. Parents are invited to record observations from home and staff link these effectively to their planning. This enables effective continuity of care.

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who attend

Teaching is strong across the nursery, and sometimes outstanding. Consequently, children make good progress in their learning. Babies are given challenges to extend their physical skills. For example, staff place objects just out of reach so babies can push themselves forwards. This successfully encourages them to progress from sitting upright to crawling. Children develop effective communication skills from an early age, because staff engage in conversations and take an interest in what children say. They successfully guide and support children to express their thoughts and are sensitive to the needs of children who are not as confident as others. They support children with English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. For example, they use familiar phrases in children's home languages and speak in short phrases so children can understand more easily. Staff work very closely with parents and outside

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who attend

agencies to support children's learning. They have a secure understanding of the importance of building on children's self-esteem and encouraging them to join in with their peers. They do this effectively and sensitively by taking small steps at a time. For example, they work on building a trusting and close relationship on a one-to-one basis. They then build up children's confidence in sitting in a small group. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress given their starting points. Pre-school children are encouraged to talk about their experiences at home and toddlers talk about matters of interest. Pre-school children learn about letters and the sounds they make through a wide range of activities. For example, they think about the letters that make up their names and have a go at describing objects that begin with a certain letter. Planned activities to support children's writing skills are organised to help

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who attend

them be prepared for school. However, sometimes staff do not always act upon children's requests to write, because they can be distracted by other children who are working at the same table. For example, when children show interest in writing and want support with this, staff say 'Wait a minute.' Children lose interest because they are kept waiting and the opportunity to maximise and support children's interest in writing is not maximised. Children have many opportunities to explore different materials so they develop a good understanding of the properties of different materials. Babies, for example, delight in using their hands and paintbrushes to paint black and white pictures. Toddlers scoop up handfuls of cooked pasta with their fingers and talk about how it feels.

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who attend

Staff support children well to develop their self-confidence. They do this effectively through positive interaction in fun activities, such as painting. They listen attentively to what children say and ask questions which enable children to think things through rather than giving one word responses. For example, they say, 'What do you think he might be doing next?' Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of how to engage and capture children's interests. For example, toddlers demonstrate high levels of curiosity when they see a baby doll in the home corner. Staff encourage children to think about role-play situations and say, 'I think this baby is really cold now. What shall we do?' and toddlers go to find a blanket and continue to wrap the baby doll up to keep warm. This supports children to engage in imaginative play and play out scenarios. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning. For example, pre-school children delight in playing

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who attend

games on the computer and know how to operate basic programs independently. Staff encourage children to learn the names of shapes and colours in planned activities. They eagerly engage in interactive games, such as, collecting different-coloured balls and putting them into groups according to colours. They spot shapes in their environment and confidently name two-dimensional shapes without support.

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

Children are valued and are well cared for by welcoming and friendly staff. They treat all children as unique individuals and give good quality care and attention to meeting their care and learning needs. Children arrive with great enthusiasm and are happy to leave their parents and carers, showing that they settle quickly. Staff work closely with parents from the beginning to gather information about children's learning and care needs, so they have an accurate picture of the children's abilities. Staff also speak to parents to ascertain children's interests and home routines so they can be mirrored in the nursery. There are well planned systems to ensure new children settle from the beginning, when they move in to new rooms and start school. For example, key persons regularly speak to one another and share information relating to their key children. Parents and children are well prepared and visits from local schools are arranged in the nursery so teachers get to know

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

the needs of the children. Transition review meetings for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are also well organised. As a result, parents, staff and outside agencies provide effective consistency of care and children adjust very well to their new environment in school.

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

The learning environments in the rooms are highly stimulating. For example, they show children's photographs including family members so children feel safe and secure. Babies point to pictures of their parents on the wall and smile. A wide range of good quality resources are provided inside the nursery, which further promotes children's curiosity and interest. Resources are well organised and easily accessible for children. Consequently, children are able to self-select and make choices in their own learning. Children are provided with daily opportunities to play in the outdoor environment and a large arena which is undercover. These areas provide children with a good variety of climbing equipment, slides, balls and tricycles to support their physical skills. Staff plan exciting and challenging activities to engage children in the outdoor area across most of the seven areas of learning. However, the outdoor area is not particularly inspiring for children

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

because it consists mainly of concrete. It does not provide children with different features, or different surfaces and there are fewer resources to support children's knowledge and understanding of the natural world and different weather. Staff are aware of this issue and are working towards developing their resources and the environment.

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

Toddlers and pre-school children gain excellent knowledge about healthy lifestyles as staff talk to them about the benefits of exercise. They join in discussions about what they had for breakfast and know it is important to have a hearty and healthy breakfast at the start of the day. Children talk voluntarily about home routines and say they eat a vitamin tablet which helps them to be strong and healthy. Children learn about healthy foods, because they are provided with a balanced diet of healthy meals and snacks. Pre-school children are encouraged to serve themselves, promoting their independence. Staff maintain high standards of hygiene in all areas so children are kept fit and healthy. For example, they follow cleaning rotas and ensure toys are cleaned thoroughly to avoid cross-infection. During nappy-changing times, staff wear aprons and gloves and wipe changing mats down with anti-bacterial spray. This protects children further from germs and infection. Children

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

demonstrate a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe as staff provide opportunities to manage risk in a safe but controlled environment. For example, toddlers and pre-school children learn to use a variety of tools and equipment safely, such as knives and forks when eating. Relationships at all levels are strong, with spontaneous acts of kindness towards others being the norm. For example, pre-school children voluntarily share out water bottles with friends and help one another to tidy toys away. This is because staff are very positive role-models and they consistently praise and boost children's confidence. Staff give children gentle reminders about how to behave. They regularly praise children when they are polite and caring to others or showing good perseverance skills. As a result, children acquire good social skills and gain personal confidence which will help them when they move on to school.

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provision

The highest priority is given to safeguarding children in the nursery. Robust safeguarding policies and procedures are continuously reviewed to ensure the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are effectively met. Staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities as they receive training as part of their induction programme. Managers ensure training is kept up to date so staff are confident about what to do if they have concerns about the welfare of a child. Rigorous recruitment procedures are in place and thorough checks on staff's suitability are carried out to ensure the well-being of children. Comprehensive risk assessments are reviewed regularly and ensure that all the premises are safe. Managers monitor accidents and incidents that occur to children in the nursery so any patterns of behaviour or concerns are dealt with quickly. All the required documentation to meet the welfare requirements are in place which

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provision

Managers have a clear vision and communicate high expectations to staff about securing improvement. They are continually looking at ways to improve the quality of provision and effectively incorporate the views from staff, parents, and children. They have established strong links with other professionals and sought their views, such as, advisors from the local authority and private companies. As a result, staff have up-to-date knowledge about any changes in the Early Years Foundation Stage and outcomes for children are positive. Staff have made good progress since their last inspection and have met previous actions. For example, they have improved systems for tracking children's progress and improved the range of learning experiences in the outside area, so they are more challenging and enjoyable. Hygiene procedures are more stringent now as staff take necessary steps to clean the premises thoroughly to avoid cross infection. Staff have attended a wide range

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provision

of training, both in house and through support from the local authority. Information and training from courses is effectively cascaded to the rest of the staff team in staff meetings. Consequently, the quality of teaching is strong and sometimes outstanding. The manager and deputy manager conduct regular supervision sessions with individual staff, which allow opportunities for coaching. This effectively contributes to annual appraisals, which also identify future training needs. New members of staff are well supported and good quality support and training is provided from the room leader who is their mentor. Managers have a good overview of children's learning. Together with room leaders, they carry out effective quality checks on the observation and assessment records that staff complete to track children's progress. Staff ensure their planning covers the seven areas of learning and managers monitor this to ensure that each area of learning is covered in

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provision

sufficient depth to meet each child's needs. Consequently, assessments are accurate and any gaps in learning are quickly identified and support is put in place swiftly. As a result, all children make good progress given their starting points.

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provision

Partnerships with parents, other early years settings and outside agencies are strong and contribute well to children's learning. Well-established links with local schools effectively ensure that children are well prepared for their move to school. A variety of methods are used to ensure parents are kept informed about their child's learning. For example, the nursery organises parent information evenings about school readiness and the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff ensure parents are consulted at every stage of their child's care and development. They do this through daily discussions and written summaries of the progress their child is making. These allow effective continuity of care. There is a wealth of information displayed for parents and regular newsletters to ensure they are kept informed about events or topics within the nursery. Parents are very complimentary about the staff and progress their children are making. Parents of children with special

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provision

educational needs and/or disabilities also speak of the high quality care and support given to their children and the family.

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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 EY291032 Local authority Manchester Inspection number 861399

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 80 Number of children on roll 106 Name of provider Small Wonders P D N Limited Date of previous inspection 02/02/2011 Telephone number 0161 248 8690

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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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