Darwen Children's Centre

Darwen Children's Centre (Lord St Site) Lord Street, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 0HD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 September 2015 28 November 2011

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 The nursery is well led and managed. Staff work effectively as a team and are ambitious for the children's success. Relationships with parents are very good, which makes a strong contribution to all children's achievement, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children enjoy playing together and learning in the attractive and well-organised indoor and outdoor areas. Staff make good use of their knowledge of children's skills and interests to plan the next steps in their learning.  Children of all abilities make good progress in their personal development. They are well cared for and feel secure and happy. Children learn to share, take turns and work together. They behave well and are kept safe in the calm and supportive environment.  Children progress well from their starting points in all aspects of their learning. Good

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This provision is good

partnerships with health and educational support staff contribute well to children's achievements.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always make the most of all opportunities to encourage children to improve their speaking skills.  Children's knowledge and experience of modern technology are not fully promoted.

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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

 engage children in conversation that builds on their developing speaking skills  extend the opportunities for children to explore and experience modern technology.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the nursery teacher.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager and provider.  The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including the nursery's self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to a small selection of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The provider has a good understanding of statutory requirements. The manager has a clear vision for the nursery's continued improvement which is shared with staff and parents. There are robust procedures to monitor and develop the best practice to continually improve the quality of teaching and learning. Staff are well qualified and participate regularly in training which contributes to children making good progress. Self- evaluation is accurate. Staff are well aware of strengths and the areas for further development. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. There are good procedures in place to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. They have a good understanding of child protection and know what to do if they have a concern about a child's welfare.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Key persons make particularly good use of their partnership with parents to accurately assess children's skills and achievements when they start. They track children's progress closely and plan carefully for children's learning. Children enjoy handling and reading books together in the outdoor and role-play areas. The nursery makes good use of experiences in the sensory room, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to develop their physical and personal development. Staff develop children's language skills well and extend their vocabulary and sentence structure. However, they sometimes miss opportunities to engage children in conversation and build on their good speaking skills. Children are motivated by attractive and well-organised resources and staff provide exciting activities. However, children do not always have enough opportunities to explore technology and find out how things work.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are happy, confident and safe. They establish good relationships with each other and staff. They play confidently together, sharing equipment and taking turns. Children are proud of their achievements and work increasingly independently as they make models with dough or make marks. Staff keep detailed records of children's individual needs. They work closely with parents to ensure these needs are met. Behaviour is good. Staff are very consistent in the calm and caring way they conduct themselves. As a result, children new to the nursery settle in very quickly and mix confidently with older children.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children of all abilities make good progress from their starting points, including those who receive funded education. Staff track the progress of different groups of children to ensure that all of them achieve well and any gaps in learning are swiftly closed. Children are well prepared for starting school and parents comment on how successfully they settle in to new situations. Children are inquisitive and enjoy investigating as they find out about keeping safe in a road safety topic. They gain awareness of other cultures as they learn about different festivals.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY246291 Local authority Blackburn Inspection number 848343 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 56 Number of children on roll 59 Name of provider Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Date of previous inspection 28 November 2011 Telephone number 01254 778900

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Setting details

Darwen Children's Centre (Lord St Site) was registered in 2003. The nursery employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 2 and 10 at level 3, including one with Qualified Teacher Status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday term time only. Sessions are 9am until 12 noon and 12.30pm until 3.30pm. 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

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Setting details

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