Little Raccoons Day Nursery Ltd

Little Raccoons Day Nursery Ltd 105a Sandringham Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire, WD24 7FQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 7 April 2015 21 May 2012

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3

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Requires improvement The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Requires improvement The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Requires improvement The setting does not meet legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 The provider has failed to notify Ofsted of the serious illness of a child while in the nursery's care and the subsequent hospital admittance by the parent.  The quality of teaching is variable. Staff do not always plan group activities effectively to ensure that the learning experience is purposeful or meets the individual needs of all children.  The monitoring systems that are in place are not fully effective because the weaknesses in practice have not been identified by the management team.  On occasions, staff provide older children with answers rather than encouraging them to think for themselves.  Staff do not always fully promote children's social skills, particularly during mealtimes, when there is a lack of meaningful conversation.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff promote children's mathematical knowledge. They use opportunities during play to help children to practise their counting skills and recognise a range of simple shapes.  Staff knowledge of child protection is secure. They can recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse and know who they must report their concerns to. This protects children's safety and welfare.  Staff work well in partnership with parents, keeping them informed of matters affecting their children's welfare. Staff also regularly discuss with parents how they can work together to support children in learning new skills. This promotes continuity of learning.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 ensure that learning experiences are planned to be interesting and challenging, and that staff effectively support children's individual needs, taking account of their varying ages and capabilities at all times.

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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

 strengthen the monitoring and evaluation systems that are in place, so that any weaknesses are quickly identified and addressed  extend children's learning further, particularly those who are more able, by encouraging them to think for themselves and find the answer to their own questions, for example, by asking them probing questions and giving them time to consider their responses  enhance children's social and conversational skills, particularly during mealtimes, for example, by engaging them in discussions about their day at nursery or what they have done at the weekend with their families.

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Inspection activities

 We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about this provider.  The inspector observed children taking part in a range of activities and spoke with the staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager and held a meeting with her.  The inspector checked evidence of Disclosure and Barring Service checks and suitability, qualifications and training of staff.  The inspector looked at a range of policies, procedures, risk assessments and the nursery's self-evaluation form.  The inspector spoke to a small sample of parents and has taken account of their views.

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who attend. This requires improvement

The quality of teaching is variable. Staff plan several circle times throughout the day for all children in the nursery, without taking into account their varying abilities and interests. Taking part in circle time sometimes has a negative impact on children's enjoyment because their own initiated play is interrupted. Therefore, children's progress towards the early learning goals is not as swift as it could be. Nevertheless, during free play, staff respond to children's ideas and curiosities. For example, some children find a spider in the garden and staff provide them with magnifying glasses to search for other mini-beasts. They discuss the characteristics of the bugs, such as the number of legs they have, and encourage children to compare this to themselves and other animals. This helps to develop children's understanding of the world and prepare them for future learning in school. There are times, however, where staff give the more able children the answers to

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who attend. This requires improvement

their questions instead of nurturing their thinking skills. For example, while painting, children ask how to make the colour pink and staff are too quick to tell them what to do.

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requires improvement

Staff are caring and take an interest in what children have to say. They praise children for their successes, which boosts their self-esteem. Children develop close bonds with their key person and this promotes their emotional well-being. Children behave well because staff model the expectations of the setting. Staff remind children to have good manners and engage children in turn-taking games, so that they learn to play cooperatively with others. Children have opportunities to play and exercise outside in the fresh air, and staff provide a range of resources to support them to strengthen their larger muscles. This helps to promote children's good health. Staff sit with children and encourage them to try new foods and have regular drinks. However, staff do not use mealtimes to extend children's social skills further. This is because conversations are mainly based around directing, reminding children to eat nicely and to use their cutlery.

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provision requires improvement

The provider failed to inform Ofsted, within the required timescale, that a young child was admitted to hospital after being taken ill in the nursery. However, staff do respond to children's illnesses appropriately and take immediate action to promote their good health. Over half of the staff hold a current first-aid qualification. The manager identifies some aspects of the nursery that can be improved, such as enhancing the resources available for children to play with in the garden. However, arrangements for self-evaluation are not consistently successful because the weaknesses in teaching have not been identified and addressed. The manager holds supervision meetings with the staff and they are able to request training to develop their knowledge further. Recently, some staff have completed training regarding how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They use the knowledge that they have gained to identify children's repeated

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provision requires improvement

behaviours and consider how they can promote their learning further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY432662 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 1010294 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 23 Number of children on roll 34 Name of provider Little Raccoons Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 21 May 2012 Telephone number 01923 800 711

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Setting details

Little Raccoons Day Nursery Ltd was registered in 2011. The nursery employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four- year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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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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