Tops Day Nurseries - Mini Mariners

Tops Day Nurseries/Mini Mariners The Hydrographic Department, Bridgewater Road, Taunton, TA1 2DU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26 January 2015 18 May 2010

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is good

 The strong management team has a clear vision and accurate self-evaluation to enhance the already good quality provision for children further.  Staff commitment to training and personal development impacts significantly on children's learning and care. They now look at how best to set up the environment to meet children's needs and support their independence.  Staff throughout the nursery promote children's communication and language skills effectively. They respond well to babies' facial and vocal communication and introduce new vocabulary to challenge older children.  The well-developed key person system ensures children are emotionally secure. Babies respond positively to warm interaction from their special person who takes care of all their personal needs.  Staff implement good procedures to safeguard children and protect their health. They help children to gain an appropriate awareness of a safe and healthy lifestyle.

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This provision is good

 The management team has effective partnerships with parents, outside agencies and other early years providers. This enables staff to understand children's needs and provide consistent care and learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff sometimes miss opportunities to pose challenging questions to help children think of ways to solve problems as they play.  Staff do not plan as effectively to include literacy in the outdoor activities to enhance children's learning further.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 improve staff knowledge so they pose challenging questions and encourage children to solve problems during activities and play  review the outdoor environment to enhance children's literacy development.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and the quality of teaching and learning, indoors and outdoors.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector met with the area manager, manager and special educational needs coordinator.  The inspector took account of the provider's self-evaluation and spoke with staff, children and parents present on the day of the inspection.  The inspector checked safeguarding information and sampled documentation, including policies and procedures, children's development records and planning.

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who attend. This is good

Children make good progress in their learning and development, which prepares them well for their next stage of learning and school. This is because staff observe and plan weekly for each child's development. Staff engage all children in learning through first-hand experiences. This has a positive impact on children's behaviour and motivation. Children are eager to take part in adult-led activities and enjoy exploring and investigating. For example, they use a range of tools and their imagination as they make cakes in the mud kitchen. Parents comment positively on how rapidly staff help their children develop, especially in their language and social skills. Staff provide good role models joining-in with children's games and asking good open-ended questions. However, they occasionally tell children how to solve problems, such as what to do about a hole in their bucket, rather than using it as a learning opportunity.

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good

Staff enable children to be as independent as possible, giving them age appropriate responsibilities. Children clear the table after eating and pour their own drinks. Children know where to find their own belongings, such as their comforter, which helps to promote their well-being. Overall, staff plan a well-resourced environment, which enables children to make choices and initiate their learning both indoors and outdoors. For example, children enjoy books and select from the wide range of writing equipment. Although staff plan less effectively for literacy in the outdoor area. Staff protect babies' health by having a no shoes policy in their room and hygienic nappy changing procedures. Staff provide cosy areas where babies feel secure and older children gain confidence in communicating. All children have daily opportunities to be outdoors. They gain a positive awareness of exercise, dressing for the weather and drinking water to keep healthy.

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provision is good

The provider has a good understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The management team maintain the required documentation and implement procedures to protect children's welfare. Staff have attended training in safeguarding children. This means that they know how to protect children from risk of harm. Staff carry out good risk assessments and deploy themselves well to promote children's safety. Staff receive regular supervision from the manager and discuss effective teaching strategies. The new assessment system enables the manager to overview children's development. In addition, parents can contribute their observations and support their children's learning at home. Senior staff, such as the special educational needs coordinator, have a good understanding of their specific roles. As a result, children receive any additional help that the need to reach their full potential.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY343441 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 987818 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 35 Number of children on roll 82 Name of provider Tops Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 18 May 2010 Telephone number 01823 323 513

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Setting details

Tops Day Nurseries/Mini Mariners registered in 2006 and is owned by Tops Day Nurseries in Bournemouth, which is a national chain. This nursery operates from within The Hydrographic Office site of the UK Ministry of Defence, Taunton, Somerset. The nursery cares for children of staff of the Hydrographic Office as well as the general public. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 8am until 6 pm, all year round. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and four years. There are 15 members of staff. Of these, one holds an early years qualification at level 4 and seven staff hold a qualification at level 3. There are five members of staff with an early years qualification at level 2 and one member of staff with a qualification at level 1. The head office, an administrator and an area manager support them.

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Setting details

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

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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, safeguarding and child protection.

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Setting details

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Setting details

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

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