Little Rays Day Nursery

Little Rays Day Nursery The Ray Allen Centre, Stanhope Road, Ashford, Kent, TN23 5RN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25 August 2016 25 September 2012

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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

 All children, including babies, have good opportunities to explore sounds. For example, they eagerly participate in music therapy sessions.  Management and staff regularly evaluate and review their practice to plan positive changes that support children's learning. For instance, they observe each other during activities and give constructive feedback.  Children gain skills that encourage their future learning well. For example, they develop their early reading and writing skills as they recognise and write the letters of the alphabet. Children are well prepared for school.  Children develop a good understanding of people's similarities and differences. For example, they engage in cooking cakes from other countries, such as Portugal.  There is an effective key-person system that helps children and babies settle happily. Children have a good level of emotional well-being and self-esteem.  Managers ensure that staff are suitable for their role. For example, new staff have a

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This provision is good

member of staff as a mentor to support them. This helps to ensure that children remain safe and have a good level of teaching.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Management misses some opportunities to ensure that all staff develop highly confident knowledge and teaching skills.  Staff do not always deploy themselves well during some group activities, to fully engage children in the learning opportunities.

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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

 improve professional development opportunities for staff to ensure they gain highly confident knowledge and teaching skills that support children's outcomes even more  review the deployment of staff during some group activities to engage each child fully into all learning experiences.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff interactions with children.  The inspector viewed the indoor and outdoor environments.  The inspector looked at the written documentation, including a sample of policies and procedures, risk assessments and staff training records.  The inspector spoke to children, parents and staff, and took their views into consideration.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Overall, managers monitor the quality of teaching well. They hold support meetings with staff and identify their strengths and weaknesses to address, such as with training. Staff engage parents well in children's learning. They visit parents at home to strengthen partnership working. Parents contribute to the assessment process and share children's achievements regularly with staff. This provides children with a positive level of consistency in their care and learning. Staff communicate effectively with other early years professionals, such as sharing ideas and resources. This helps to keep children interested and motivated to learn. Management and staff monitor children's individual and group progress on a regular basis. They promptly highlight any gaps in learning and provide support to close them quickly. Staff have a detailed knowledge of the safeguarding procedures to follow and who to contact if they have concerns about children's welfare.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff build upon children's spontaneous play well. For example, children showed interest in a jungle story and then created a jungle scene with animals and natural objects, such as wood to create trees. Children have interesting activities to develop their creativity. For example, older children made coloured porridge oats to create rainbow elephants, and babies made edible paint to explore mark making safely. Children of all ages develop good communication and speaking skills. Staff use signing to reinforce words that they use. Staff prepare children well for the move to school. For example, they invite teachers into the nursery and share children's achievements with them.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff are positive role models and children behave well. Children show kindness and empathy toward others. For example, they visit care homes to sing songs to the elderly. Children develop good physical well-being. They have good opportunities to rest and meet their own needs. They develop a good understanding about healthy eating and enjoy nutritionally balanced meals. Children, including babies, gain skilful physical abilities. Older children negotiate space well when they play running games. Younger children learn to balance and confidently use the rocking toys.

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Outcomes for children are good

Each child makes good progress in their development and they learn skills that support their future learning. They show mathematical understanding as they play. For example, they count accurately and compare each other's heights. Children develop good social skills to help them build meaningful friendships. They are patient, share and take turns in a mature manner.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY429422 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1059018 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 49 Number of children on roll 65 Name of registered person 4Children

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 25 September 2012 Telephone number 01233 622307

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reference number

Little Rays Day Nursery registered in 2011. The nursery operates on the same site as a children's centre in Ashford, Kent. It is one of over 50 settings owned by 4Children Limited. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm, all year round. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 15 staff, nine of whom hold a recognised level 3 early years qualification and one member of staff holds a relevant level 5 qualification.

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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.

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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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

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