The Ducklings Day Nursery

The Ducklings Day Nursery 45 Higher Road, LIVERPOOL, L25 0QG

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14 June 2016 7 August 2012

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

p.1

This provision is outstanding

 Children are very keen and eager to learn. Staff interact with children extremely well to skilfully promote their learning. They have comprehensive knowledge of each child and successfully use children's interests to provide fascinating learning opportunities.  Excellent deployment of highly qualified staff, along with detailed and precise care planning, helps to provide every child with the specific support they need. This includes children who have English as an additional language and children with special educational needs or disability.  Staff provide a highly stimulating environment that delights children and helps them to develop high levels of curiosity and concentration. Outdoors children are extremely confident and self-assured as they experiment with water, use their imaginations in a tent and practise their early writing skills in the imaginative area.  Children form exceedingly close and trusting relationships with the committed and

p.1

This provision is outstanding

dedicated staff who in turn, respond to their every need. This helps children to be exceptionally happy and settled and gives them a strong base to explore.  There is a very strong partnership with parents. The excellent flow of information about children's starting points, achievements and progress keeps parents informed at every level. Staff share ideas for activities that parents can do at home and parents complete their own observations. This contributes to children's all-round development.  The manager provides an insightful programme of performance management that contributes significantly to the exceptionally strong quality of practice. Staff are dedicated in their ongoing pursuit of purposeful training and the benefits this brings to children's learning.

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

 continue to implement planned actions to strengthen the already excellent planning and observation of children's learning and development.

p.2

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 and provider. 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 and carers during the inspection and took account of their views.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. Staff continuously refresh their knowledge through in-house training and through safeguarding questions on the agenda at staff meetings. This helps to ensure that they have an excellent knowledge of the procedures to follow to protect a child's welfare. The manager and owners use highly rigorous self-evaluation systems to monitor and further improve the excellent provision for children. Robust checking of the provision is securely embedded and includes the views of staff. Staff are highly enthusiastic in their work and feel empowered to suggest and implement changes. For example, they have devised changes to how they plan and observe individual children and staff are currently implementing these new methods.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff have an excellent knowledge of children. Assessments are precise and checked closely by management. This includes assessments for different groups of children, such as girls and boys. This has helped to identify where learning in mathematics was not as strong as other areas and helped staff to ensure that mathematics is now very strong. Staff promote children's communication and thinking skills exceptionally well. For example, they make excellent use of skilful questioning to help children form opinions, describe their experiences and express themselves. Pre-school children join in with songs and rhymes that incorporate a bear and bags of resources. These help to ignite children's interest in letters and sounds. Babies explore their playroom with great interest. They play in the sand tray while staff support non-walkers to stand. Colourful lights gain their interest and children have great fun in the ball pool.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children are supported to attend to their own personal needs and they learn very good independence skills. At lunchtime they help to set the table, making sure they have the correct number of places. Discussion about the different foods helps children to learn about what is good for them. Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff are highly skilled and sensitive in helping them to understand how to manage their own behaviour. Children quickly understand how to manage their own safety, reminding visitors to be careful on the slippery floor. Excellent support from key persons during times of transition helps children to move from one room to another very smoothly. Staff work extremely closely with teachers in schools to ensure that transitions are smooth. Uniforms are provided for children to use in imaginative play and photos of teachers and the school are made into books. Children look at them and discuss what it will be like when they move.

p.3

Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children make outstanding progress. Younger children are assured in all aspects of their play and learning. They are keen to take a leading role and tackle new challenges with confidence and skill. Older children develop excellent communication skills. They learn to share, take turns and value others, quickly adopting a culture of tolerance and respect. This helps to prepare children very well for their next stages in learning, including school.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY443238 Local authority Knowsley Inspection number 1042042 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 61 Number of children on roll 95 Name of registered person Ducklings Day Nurseries Limited

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 7 August 2012 Telephone number 01514862144

p.4

reference number

The Ducklings Day Nursery was registered in 2012. The nursery employs 20 members of childcare staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above. One member of staff has early years professional status and the owner has early years professional Status and qualified teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children who have special educational needs or disability and children who speak English as an additional language.

p.4

reference number

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. 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

p.4

reference number

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.6

reference number

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.6

reference number

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

p.6

reference number

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

p.6