Dolphin Day Nursery

Dolphin Day Nursery 243 Green Lane, MORDEN, Surrey, SM4 6SQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25 February 2016 31 March 2015

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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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 staff develop good partnerships with parents and communicate well with them. They have strong systems in place to ensure that parents are informed of their children's identified next steps in learning.  Management and staff monitor children's progress and assessment frequently. Staff adapt activities and planning to ensure that all children make good progress from their starting points.  The staff implement an effective key-person system, which helps to effectively promote children's emotional well-being. Children form secure relationships with staff.  The management and staff help children to develop an awareness of and respect for similarities and differences. For example, they discuss and celebrate a range of special cultural events. This helps to support children's personal development well.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not consistently make the most of opportunities to fully encourage and build on children's independence skills. For example, the organisation of snack sessions does not always encourage children to help prepare or serve their own food.  Occasionally, some group activities are not organised effectively to take into account young children's concentration skills and capture their interest fully. For example, towards the end of group time some children become distracted, which does not help them all remain engaged to finish the activity.

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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 opportunities to promote older children's independence skills further  review how group activities are organised to maintain younger children's engagement and interest.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spent time observing the children playing and interacting with the staff.  The inspector sampled children's information and development records.  The inspector held discussions with the manager, deputy manager and staff.  The inspector talked to parents to obtain their views of the nursery provision.  The inspector and manager completed a joint observation.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff have a good understanding of their role in protecting children. They have a good understanding of the procedures to follow should they be concerned about a child's welfare. The staff team is well established. The manager follows robust recruitment procedures to help ensure that staff are suitable for their roles. Staff are supported well in their roles. The manager observes and coaches the staff regularly to monitor their practice and identify any training needs, to help improve outcomes for staff and children. The manager evaluates the provision well and has a good awareness of the nursery's strengths and weaknesses. She uses this knowledge to identify goals to drive improvements further. For example, she is working with staff to develop further opportunities for children to have fun and learn in the outside area.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The quality of staff's teaching and planning is good. Children are engaged and active learners. Children's early literacy skills are promoted well. For example, children enjoy sharing books with each other and making meaningful marks during their play. The staff plan for children's interests well and use this knowledge well to provide a variety of activities to extend children's learning further. For example, after children showed an interest in torches and light, staff helped them to make their own torches and encouraged them to use these in a tent. The manager checks planning and assessment records to ensure that all children's needs are met and children are steadily progressing in all areas of learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff share their clear expectations of children's behaviour with them; children behave well. Staff act as good role models and provide a positive atmosphere for children to learn in. They use praise and encouragement to help support children's personal development. Staff teach children healthy routines, for example, they provide healthy snacks and provide daily outdoor physical challenges. The manager and staff tailor settling-in procedures to ensure that children are happy and secure from the beginning. Staff gain children's starting points for learning and interests from parents, and use these well to help them support children's individual care needs.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children build strong and warm relationships with staff and show that they feel secure in their care. Children are motivated and challenged to learn, and they are making good progress from their starting points. Children are encouraged to be active in their learning. For example, staff encourage younger children to choose props from a basket to enhance their involvement in a singing activity.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY477284 Local authority Sutton Inspection number 1011641 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 1 - 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 31 Name of provider Deborah Thurn Date of previous inspection 31 March 2015 Telephone number 02082881945

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Setting details

Dolphin Day Nursery registered in 2014. It operates from church premises in Morden, within the London Borough of Sutton. It is open each weekday, from 8am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery supports disabled children, those who have special educational needs and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs seven members of staff; of these, two hold a foundation degree and four hold relevant childcare qualifications at level 3.

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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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