Chipmunks Day Nursery

Chipmunks Day Nursery 6 Herringston Road, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 2BS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26 October 2016 30 April 2013

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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

 Children are happy, confident and independent learners. Staff join in with the children's play, extend their learning and encourage them in their language skills. All children make good progress from their individual starting points.  Children have high self-esteem. They form strong emotional attachments to staff and feel safe and secure in their care.  Effective partnerships with parents, other settings and external agencies contribute effectively to meeting children's needs and ensure positive outcomes. Parents receive important information about their children's achievements at nursery and staff give them ideas for activities to support their children's learning at home.  Management and staff use self-evaluation effectively to identify areas for development, improve the quality of teaching and children's learning experiences.  Staff are good role models. They give the children plenty of praise and encouragement,

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This provision is good

which boosts their self-esteem and confidence. Children behave well.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff occasionally miss opportunities for children to practise their early writing skills, particularly for those children who are nearly three years of age.  The organisation of transition times in the baby room is not always as effective as they could be. Children sometimes have to wait for long periods and become unsettled.  .

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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

 make the most of all opportunities for children to practise their early writing skills  review the organisation of some routines in the baby room to reduce the time that children have to wait between activities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and spoke to staff, children and parents.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including children's learning records and safeguarding procedures.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a good understanding about their role and responsibility to keep children safe. They are clear about the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child's welfare. There are thorough recruitment and vetting procedures in place. Ongoing supervisions and appraisals ensure staff continue to be suitable to work with children. Through in-house training and discussion, staff develop their knowledge and skills, which has a positive impact on children developing their imaginations in small world play. Management and staff work effectively with other professionals. For example, after recent support, management and staff have improved the way in which they plan, monitor and track the progress of groups of children. Staff quickly identify any gaps in children's learning and plan activities to close them rapidly.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff know the children well. Children thoroughly enjoy role play. For example, they call out each other's names as they pretend to complete the attendance register. Staff effectively engage children's interest in books. For example, they enthusiastically read favourite stories, encouraging children to join in with familiar phrases and actions. Children use their imaginations well. For example, they mix colours to paint large boxes and squeal with delight as they throw shredded paper into the air and pretend it is snowing. Staff develop children's language skills effectively as they talk to them during play; for example, as they thread pasta onto string to make necklaces.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children share warm, close relationships with staff and with one another. They learn to share, take turns, are polite and well mannered. Children have good opportunities to develop their physical skills and benefit from outdoor play. For example, they help to create an obstacle course to practise balancing and moving in different ways. Staff support children's good health as they talk about healthy eating and the importance of washing germs away.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children make good progress from their individual starting points. They develop many important skills in preparation for their next steps in learning and the move to school. For example, they count during routines and activities, are beginning to recognise numerals and make simple calculations. Children are kind to one another, make friendships and develop good social skills. For example, they take it in turns to complete an obstacle course and help one another to carry equipment to make a bridge. Older children develop good independence skills. For example, they dress themselves for outside play and use the bathroom independently.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY454946 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 1063116 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 - 8 Total number of places 153 Number of children on roll 190 Name of registered person Chipmunks Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 30 April 2013 Telephone number 01305 260002

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reference number

Chipmunks Day Nursery and Edgefield Out of School Club registered in 2012. It operates from a former preparatory school site in Dorchester, Dorset. The nursery operates each weekday from 7.45am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs 29 members of staff, of whom 22 are qualified to level 3. One member of staff is qualified to level 4, one member of staff is qualified to level 5 and one member of staff is qualified to level 2.

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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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