Clowns Early Years Centre

Clowns Early Years Centre N E Derbyshire Sure Start, Alices View, North Wingfield, Derbyshire, S42 5XA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11 September 2015 11 July 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

 Leaders and managers are ambitious. There is a thorough and effective evaluation process in place that includes the views of parents and informs a precise action plan.  The manager ensures that all children's progress is carefully monitored. Individual children who are not working at the expected levels for their ages are quickly identified. Interventions to support children are effective in reducing any gaps in achievement.  Staff make regular observations of children's learning and involve parents in their assessments. Staff effectively use their knowledge to plan challenging activities that help children make good progress.  Children form secure attachments to staff that support their overall well-being and promote learning. They are taught to understand risks and to be tolerant of each other.  The nursery makes the most of all opportunities for children to make connections outside of their immediate community. Children are developing an understanding of the

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This provision is good

wider world and learning to celebrate differences.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The evaluation of teaching is not always rigorous enough to clearly identify specific strengths and areas for improvement for individual staff. Professional development is not always successful in improving the quality of teaching.  Staff do not always use the best teaching methods to extend children's thinking skills, in order to help them to build connections in their learning.

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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

 enhance opportunities for children to develop critical-thinking skills and build on their existing knowledge and ideas during activities  strengthen the evaluation of staff's teaching so that specific areas of improvement can be identified as part of their targeted professional development.

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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 manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager. She looked at relevant documentation, such as 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 manager has a good understanding of the strengths of the nursery. Her action plan contains clear objectives that are understood and implemented by all staff. The manager takes action in response to comments from parents. She now ensures they are receiving detailed information about their children's progress. Close partnerships with the local children's centre and careful monitoring of progress quickly identifies children who may need additional support. Interventions are planned as a team and staff in the nursery are particularly skilled in supporting children's communication and language development. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are well trained in recognising signs of abuse and clearly understand how concerns are dealt with. They use their links to the children's centre to help build their understanding of the families and community they support. The nursery continually assess any risks to children and adapts the environment

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

to take account of individual circumstances.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Since the last inspection, the manager and staff have worked hard to make effective use of their observations of children's learning. There is a strong link between what staff know about children's learning and the activities they provide. For example, staff use children's love of messy play to encourage them to take part in activities. Comments from parents help to inform assessments of what children can do and provide staff with information about children's interests. Overall, teaching is strong. Most staff are well qualified and demonstrate a good understanding of how children learn. They provide an interesting range of experiences and their interactions engage children. Children's interests and ongoing themes are carefully integrated into activities. However, staff do not always have high enough expectations of children's abilities, in order to extend their learning further. For example, sometimes children are not effectively supported to lead their own

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

explorations and test out their own ideas. The manager's evaluation of staff's teaching is not always detailed enough to identify and develop this aspect of teaching.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff build strong relationships with children and their parents. These relationships help to develop children's physical and emotional well-being. Staff provide opportunities for children to learn to share and become confident in small groups. Children learn how to keep themselves safe. Staff explain why they must wash their hands and sit carefully on chairs. Children get some experiences beyond the nursery and their local community. They visit other nurseries and learn about each other's differences. Staff encourage families to help children to learn about their own community and the wider world.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress in their learning and are well prepared for school. Staff ensure that two-year-old children who receive funded education also make good progress. They carefully assess children's development when they start, in order to identify any initial concerns.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY283267 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 861137 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 70 Name of provider Clowns Early Years Centres Ltd Date of previous inspection 11 July 2011 Telephone number 01246 854841

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Setting details

Clowns Early Years Centre was registered in 2004. The nursery employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. 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

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

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