Little Buttons Day Nursery

Little Buttons Day Nursery Cockernhoe Farm Barn, Brick Kiln Lane, NR Luton, Hertfordshire, LU2 8PX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28 July 2015 7 September 2011

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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 Good 2

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3

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 current arrangements for inducting new staff are not rigorously followed when the member of staff has previously worked at the nursery as a student.  The quality of observation and assessment is variable. This means that, sometimes, babies experience less challenge in their learning because staff do not know precisely what their next steps in learning are.  The arrangements for supervising staff do not always cover every aspect of their work, such as reviewing the quality of their assessments of children's progress.  Staff do not frequently encourage parents to contribute to children's learning by sharing their observations of children's progress at home.

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It has the following strengths

 The staff encourage children to use technology and develop their ideas. They use equipment with confidence as they learn about how things work. Staff help children to acquire suitable skills to support their future learning and eventual readiness for starting school.  Staff are particularly skilled in helping children to learn about the natural world. Children benefit from the rural location of the nursery and the unique resources it offers. For example, they learn to look after the chickens they have raised from eggs.  Staff build close relationships with the children they care for. As a result, children settle well. Furthermore, staff prepare children well for starting school by working closely with local teachers.  Staff know about child protection issues and how to report any such concerns to relevant professionals.

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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

 implement more rigorous induction procedures for all staff, including those who have worked previously as students, to make sure that they fully understand their role and responsibilities  improve the quality of ongoing assessments of children's learning, particularly in the baby room, to ensure that next steps are clear and activities provide children with a good level of challenge  extend the arrangements for reviewing staff performance to include more robust ways of monitoring their work.

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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

 increase the frequency of opportunities for parents to contribute towards children's learning and development.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had discussions with parents, children and staff at suitable times during the inspection.  The inspector discussed self-evaluation and staff supervision with the manager. A joint observation was also held with the manager.  The inspector observed children's activities in all the rooms and the garden.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation including children's development records, staff files and evidence of the suitability of staff.

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who attend. This requires improvement

Staff know what interests children and plan activities that they enjoy. They support children's learning through asking them questions, encouraging them to test their ideas and listening to what they say. However, the quality of the observations and assessments staff make varies from room to room. In the baby room, staff do not always identify what children need to learn next to help them to move forward in their development. This results in some children not experiencing a good level of challenge in their play. Staff invite parents to consultations about their children's progress. However, staff do not actively encourage parents to frequently share their observations of children's learning at home to inform their planning. Nevertheless, children make steady progress. They experience a range of activities that promotes their development in all required areas of learning.

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good

Staff promote children's well-being through suitable activities. Mealtimes are sociable occasions where staff teach children about how different food affects their bodies. Staff encourage children to be active and capable. Children learn about being independent. They carry out small tasks, such as serving their own meals and putting flannels into the laundry basket after use. Staff help children to understand about how their behaviour affects others and offer encouragement and gentle guidance. As a result, children are ready to learn and are content and confident. Staff monitor children closely when they play. They teach them to reduce risks, such as being aware of where others are as they jump, to avoid accidents as they play energetically.

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provision requires improvement

All staff at the nursery undergo checks to confirm that they are suitable to work with children. There is an induction process for new staff to make them aware of their responsibilities. However, this is not always fully implemented when the staff have worked at the nursery as a student. As a result, some staff do not receive the best possible induction to ensure they are able to implement nursery policies as quickly as possible. However, there is a high number of well-qualified staff to children and newer staff work under their direction. Therefore, there is little impact upon children's well-being. All staff have regular supervision sessions with the highly qualified manager. The manager recognises when some improvements are needed and introduces new ways of working as a result of attending training. She has suitably addressed the recommendations from the last inspection. However, she does not extend her reviews of quality to include the

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provision requires improvement

assessments that staff make of children's progress. As a result, some children's records do not fully demonstrate their current stage of learning and specific next steps in development to maximise their progress.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY375493 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 858305 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 48 Number of children on roll 64 Name of provider Little Buttons Ltd Date of previous inspection 7 September 2011 Telephone number 01582 722337

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Setting details

Little Buttons Day Nursery was registered in 2008. The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, all but one hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The manager holds Early Years Professional status. 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 two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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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