Smartys Toddler Nursery

Smartys Toddler Nursery 2 and 4 Taverners Drive, Little Stoke, Stone, Staffordshire, ST15 8QF

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23 November 2016 26 November 2013

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 Outstanding 1

p.1

This provision is good

 The management team is ambitious and passionate about providing high-quality childcare. Monitoring of staff performance and children's learning have improved further. Staff practice is at least good and sometimes outstanding.  Arrangements for when children start attending or move on to the pre-school nursery are excellent. The provider moves key persons with children from the baby nursery to the pre-school nursery. This helps children to settle very quickly and build secure and trusting relationships with new key persons.  The nursery and garden are exciting and highly stimulating. Staff use them skilfully to promote all areas of children's development and give opportunities for children to learn inside and outdoors. Children thoroughly enjoy recreating stories throughout the nursery, helping to develop their imaginations and their interest in books.  Staff have a sharp focus on helping children to learn in different ways. Children are

p.1

This provision is good

motivated, engaged and think for themselves. They act out roles from stories and show high levels of energy, such as when moving their bodies to music.  Children have exceptionally high levels of confidence and are secure in new social situations. They are keen to meet visitors and they think of their own ideas to enhance their play. Staff nurture children sensitively to encourage them to speak in a group.  Professional development is effective. The most experienced and qualified staff mentor and coach other staff. As a result, some practice is inspirational.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not involve parents sufficiently in assessing the starting points for children's learning. They do not gather detailed information from them about what children already know and can already do.

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

 support parents to share what they know about their child's achievements when children first join the nursery, in order to help inform the assessments of the starting points for children's learning.

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. He looked at children's learning records and the monitoring of the progress of groups of children.  The inspector held a meeting with the provider, general manager and human resources manager. He spoke with the nursery manager during the inspection. The inspector looked at relevant documentation, such as policies and procedures and evidence of the suitability of all those working on the premises. He discussed self-evaluation.  The inspector was shown around the nursery and garden by the general manager. He also checked the provider's procedures for assessing risks in the environment.  The inspector took account of parents' views. He also spoke with children throughout the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the general manager and reviewed

p.2

Inspection activities

practice and documentation with her throughout the day.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Managers routinely research changes to safeguarding legislation and share this information with all staff. As a result, staff have an excellent knowledge of how to protect children from possible abuse or neglect. Managers are able to identify gaps in children's learning. This includes identifying where staff teaching can be improved to help children develop even stronger foundations in their learning. Managers seek feedback from parents, staff and children in order to identify how to improve. For example, after consulting with parents, the nursery now provides more detailed feedback to help them understand the early years curriculum.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The nursery supports all children effectively. Staff identify children's next steps in learning and provide help and support to all parents to enable them to continue their children's learning at home. They work exceptionally well together as a team to create high energy and inviting activities. For example, they recreate a snow storm from a story they have read, with shredded paper. All children actively join in and imitate staff's movement as they move through the falling shredded paper. This helps to promote children's engagement, imagination and physical development.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children's personal and social skills are outstanding. Staff are excellent role models to children. Children mirror staff behaviour. They are very well mannered, play harmoniously together and show great respect for others and their environment. For example, very young children know to say please and thank you. They respect the needs of other children. They are tolerant of them, even when their play is interrupted by others. Children help to tidy up, they work with staff to pick up paper, helping them to learn how to care for their environment. Staff expertly help children at an early age to recognise and express their own feelings. They use visual prompts to identify feelings and use simple language to describe them. As a result, children are able to indicate to staff their own feelings and what will make them even happier. Staff give children freedom to move between the exceptional range of activities available. They make children aware of what is

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

available to them. This helps children to become skilled in leading their own learning and making independent choices. Healthy lifestyles are superbly promoted by staff. Children develop an excellent range of physical skills, such as moving in different ways. For example, children stomp, tiptoe and pretend to stumble through a forest, recreating scenes from a story. They also develop their grasp to hold writing tools at an early age.

p.3

Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those who receive funding, make at least good progress. Some children make outstanding progress in their physical and social development. Children move on to the pre-school nursery being able to feed themselves independently. Children are highly sociable and impeccably well behaved. They take turns, share resources and play together in large groups. Children enjoy learning because staff provide imaginative activities, such as bear hunts which children are thrilled by.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 218486 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 1063705 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 1 - 3 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 34 Name of registered person Smarty's Day Nursery (Stone) Limited

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 26 November 2013 Telephone number 01785 817974

p.4

reference number

Smartys Toddler Nursery was registered in 2001 and is one of five settings run by Smarty's Day Nursery (Stone) Limited. It operates alongside two other nurseries that are in close proximity, offering care from birth to pre-school. The nursery employs seven members of childcare staff and a general manager. All hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including one with early years teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round, except for bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-year-old children.

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.5

reference number

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

p.5

reference number

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

p.5