Childrens Ark Day Nursery

Childrens Ark Day Nursery The Old Coach House, Papworth Hall, Ermine Street South, Papworth Everard, Cambridge, CB23 3RD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31 January 2017 9 July 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 benefit from being in mixed age groups for part of the day. They build secure relationships with each other and with all staff. Children work together to carry out age- appropriate tasks and help each other with their outer clothing in preparation for playing outdoors.  The well-qualified team of staff receives regular supervision and has good training opportunities to consistently update their skills. Staff share the new knowledge they gain with each other. This helps children to positively benefit from newly introduced methods of practice.  Children enjoy a good range of interesting activities to stimulate their curiosity. For example, older children make predictions as they mix different coloured paint together in shaving foam to create new colours. Babies explore the sensation of mushy peas and dry cereals with their hands.  Staff develop strong relationships with parents. There is an effective two-way flow of

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This provision is good

information to aid children's care and learning. Parents describe the staff team as patient and very friendly. They appreciate the ideas that staff provide to support their children's learning at home.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not make the best possible use of the initial information they gather from parents to fully support children's precise learning needs from a very early stage.  On occasions, older children are not challenged sufficiently to solve simple mathematical problems that arise during their play.

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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

 use the initial information obtained from parents in order to plan more precisely for children's continued progress from a very early stage  offer further challenge to extend older children's mathematical skills as they encounter simple problems in their play and learn to calculate and assess space and quantity.

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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 spoke with staff and children during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are aware of the procedures for identifying and responding to any concerns about a child's welfare. They implement a strict password system in the event of parents not being able to collect their own children. Robust recruitment procedures ensure that staff are suitable for their roles. The manager's ongoing monitoring of staff's suitability ensures that they remain appropriate for their roles. The dedicated staff team and manager actively seek the views of parents and children to help reflect on the service they provide. They thoroughly monitor children's progress, including specific groups of children, taking swift action to address any emerging gaps in children's learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

All children are motivated learners, they engage in challenging activities with enthusiasm in this welcoming nursery. For example, older children persevere at completing complex puzzles. They use the internet, under the close supervision of staff, to help them research information about different cultures. Babies thoroughly enjoy tapping and banging instruments together in rhythm to the nursery rhymes that staff sing to them. Staff consistently describe what they are doing. This helps babies to link words to actions. Staff introduce new words to younger children and encourage older children to use complex sentences. Children thoroughly enjoy listening to their favourite stories that staff expressively read to them. Staff seek key words from parents, which is one of the ways they support children who speak English as an additional language. Children also learn basic sign language to help express their needs. Staff plan a wide range of activities to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

help all children develop a good understanding of the wider world. Some of the ways they do this is to take children on visits within the community and teach children to respect living things as they carefully handle newly born chicks.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children demonstrate that they are happy and show high levels of self-confidence. They enjoy close relationships with their key person. This helps them to feel settled and secure from an early stage. For example, babies wake happily from their sleep, ready to resume play. Younger children cannot wait to sit on their key person's lap during small-group time. Children behave well. Older children are able to negotiate and solve problems calmly when younger children wish to play with the same toy. Staff make the most of the extensive outdoor space surrounding the nursery, in addition to the dedicated outdoor area, to help children develop good physical skills. For example, children run confidently at speed as they play a game of chase with staff, and older children learn how to pedal tricycles.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are making good progress in relation to their starting points, including those who speak English as an additional language. Older children independently manage their own personal needs. They are beginning to link letters to sounds and practise writing their own name and some numbers. These are just some of the skills that help to prepare children for their move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY308246 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 1064741 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 39 Number of children on roll 52 Name of registered person Childrens Ark Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 9 July 2013 Telephone number 01480 831200

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reference number

Childrens Ark Day Nursery was registered in 2000. It employs 12 members of childcare staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above, including the manager who holds a qualification at level 5. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.15am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children and supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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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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