Rock Cottage Day Nursery

Rock Cottage Day Nursery Breach Road, Brown Edge, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST6 8TR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16 February 2017 2 December 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

 The manager and staff have continued to maintain good standards since the last inspection. They have strengthened the systems for monitoring staff practice and have improved initial assessments of children's development.  The nursery is located in a rural setting and children enjoy nature walks and visits to the on-site nursing home. This broadens their understanding of the world around them.  Staff work well in partnership with parents and other professionals, such as teachers and key persons from other settings children attend. This promotes a consistent approach to supporting children and meeting their needs.  Staff promote positive values and teach children to behave well. They recognise children's efforts, for instance, by providing certificates for star of the week.  Parents report that they are impressed with all the activities and opportunities on offer and comment that, 'Communication with the staff is fantastic'.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The organisation of mealtimes, particularly in the pre-school building, is not consistently well organised to meet children's needs and promote their independence.  Children do not have enough opportunities to use a wide range of natural, open-ended resources to support their imaginative 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

 strengthen the organisation of mealtimes and give children more responsibility for doing tasks for themselves, to help support their readiness for school  increase opportunities for children to use a wide range of natural, open-ended resources that can be used for different purposes to help broaden their imaginations.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities 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 a number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager is highly qualified and she makes sure the nursery is organised and managed efficiently. Staff and students are well supported by the manager. Supervision sessions, observations and ongoing feedback are some of the ways she monitors staff performance. Almost all staff are well qualified and everyone completes standard training, including first aid, food hygiene and safeguarding. This has a positive impact on children's welfare. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Robust recruitment and induction procedures help to ensure that children are well cared for by suitable adults. Staff are secure in their knowledge of child protection procedures. Good systems are in place to monitor children's development and to review and evaluate practice. Clear action plans are used to help drive ongoing improvement.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff teach children well and children benefit from their enthusiastic and supportive interactions. Key persons show a good understanding of children's abilities and interests. They accurately assess children's skills and provide a good variety of activities to help support their next steps in learning. Staff provide children with some sensory play experiences, for example, using flour, water and cereals. They change activities to keep children stimulated and play lively rumba music, which prompts children to help tidy up. Relationships with parents are strong and staff use effective measures to engage parents in children's learning. For example, they provide contribution forms to encourage parents to share children's achievements at home. Staff have created a comforter pack for new parents. This contains some reassuring words and soothing items to help reduce their concerns about leaving children for the first time.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are emotionally well supported by the caring and attentive staff. This helps to foster strong attachments. Many of the team have worked in the nursery for several years, which offers stability for parents and children. Parents speak highly about the personalised care and support that children receive. Staff encourage all children, including babies, to make their own choices, such as, what fruit they would like to eat and what toys they would like to play with. They consistently follow good hygiene routines to safeguard children's health. Children enjoy physical play indoors and outside, for instance, as they climb through tunnels, chase bubbles and ride wheeled toys. They also benefit from weekly music and dance sessions delivered by an external company.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children enjoy their time at the nursery and make good progress from their individual starting points. They develop some key skills to support their future learning. Babies receive lots of gentle encouragement, for instance, when they practise their walking skills and join in with action songs. Toddlers develop early mathematical skills as they paint with different shapes and have a go at threading activities. Pre-school children listen well to stories and eagerly participate in creative activities that teach them to recognise similarities and differences in others.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 218478 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 1063703 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 - 5 Total number of places 67 Number of children on roll 101 Name of registered person Anthony Julian Green

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 2 December 2013 Telephone number 01782 504877

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reference number

Rock Cottage Day Nursery was registered in 1997. The nursery employs 23 members of childcare staff. Of these, 22 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including two at level 6. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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

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