Little Firs Day Nursery

Little Firs Day Nursery Conifers Primary School, Radipole Lane, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 0QF

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 February 2016 10 January 2014

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

p.1

This provision is good

 Management and staff work well together and evaluate their practice critically, in the light of views from parents and children. They continually identify specific areas to develop and make ongoing improvements to ensure children make good progress.  Children develop a positive sense of self and start taking responsibility in sharing their ideas. For example, management, staff and children discuss emotions and make decisions about how to behave well, be kind and respect the needs of others.  Staff provide an exciting variety of activities that effectively promote children's physical abilities. Children quickly gain good control and coordination in their movements.  Management actively supports staff to continue their professional development through ongoing training. For example, staff have developed how they promote children's communication, particularly for those children who are learning English as an additional

p.1

This provision is good

language.  Staff plan purposeful activities based on children's interests and next steps of learning. This effectively builds on children's existing skills and they make good progress.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff have not fully established systems to provide an accurate check on children's progress.  Staff miss some opportunities to encourage children to learn about different ways to keep themselves and others safe from harm.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 strengthen systems of monitoring and assessing children's progress, to consistently reflect accurate assessments of their achievements and fully support their ongoing learning  provide more opportunities for children to learn about keeping themselves and others safe from harm.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's interactions in play indoors and outdoors.  The inspector sampled documentation, such as operational policies, procedures and required records, including those relating to staff suitability.  The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken with at the visit.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector discussed self-evaluation with the manager and deputy manager.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Management and staff regularly update their knowledge of child protection issues and demonstrate a clear understanding of their responsibility in promoting children's welfare. Management implements an effective process of recruitment and employment to continually assess staff suitability. Management constantly reviews policies and procedures to ensure effective organisation. This helps to support staff and parents in meeting and protecting children's needs. For example, there are secure procedures followed for the use of photographs of children in play. Children benefit from the positive partnerships between staff and their parents and other settings they attend. Parents actively contribute to their children's initial assessments and regularly share in their achievements and next steps in learning.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff actively encourage children's literacy and mathematical skills. For example, pre- school children like using their clipboards and start to draw recognisable shapes and letters. They count how many different shapes they see in the play areas and mark these onto a tally chart. Staff effectively support children's curiosity in finding out how things work. For example, toddlers show great interest in pressing buttons to activate lights and music on interactive toys and books. Babies explore the feel and sound of different musical instruments and excitedly shake bells or bang on drums. Older children develop their imagination making delicious breakfasts of pancakes and fruits in the role play area.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are valued and welcomed and staff actively promote inclusion. For instance, they adapt activities to enable each child's participation and achievement at their level of ability. Staff promote children's health and well-being effectively. Children develop good spatial awareness, balance and coordination. For example, babies smile with delight as they eagerly clamber up the steps of a low climbing frame. Toddlers enjoy running freely outside and laugh excitedly as they play hide and seek games with staff. Pre-school children have fun dancing with colourful ribbons, using a rope to climb and learning to take safe risks when jumping from equipment. They talk about the effects on their bodies as they move in different ways. All children enjoy freshly cooked, nutritious meals.

p.3

Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress from their starting points. They gain good independence skills from a young age. For example, toddlers start helping to dress themselves and pre- school children competently prepare foods for their snack. Children become self-assured communicators. They eagerly join in with activities and gain confidence in their speech and expressing their views. Children are motivated and become critical thinkers, developing key skills needed for their future learning at school.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 141017 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 1039527 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 7 Total number of places 77 Number of children on roll 138 Name of provider Little Firs Day Nursery Committee Date of previous inspection 10 January 2014 Telephone number 01305 782727

p.4

Setting details

Little Firs Day Nursery, previously known as Westhaven Pre-School, registered under its current name in 2009. This parent committee run group operates from purpose-built premises situated in the grounds of Conifers Primary School, Weymouth. The nursery is open from 7.30am until 6pm on each weekday for 50 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs 27 staff to work with the children. The manager and deputy both have Early Years Professional Status, one staff member holds a qualification at level 5, one staff member holds a qualification at level 4, 17 staff hold qualifications at level 2 or 3 in childcare, there are two cooks and one admin staff and three staff are unqualified or working towards a qualification.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

Setting details

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

Setting details

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

p.5

Setting details

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

p.5