Little Palms

Little Palms 32 Market Street, Torquay, TQ1 3AQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 October 2017 Not applicable

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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 managers and staff provide particularly strong support for children who have special educational needs and developmental delay. They work closely with parents and outside agencies to meet the children's needs and ensure consistency in their care and learning. Staff offer good emotional support and advice to children's families.  The managers and staff plan a wide range of activities and learning experiences for children to broaden their interests and help them make consistently good progress. Staff are calm and enthusiastic, and they eagerly participate in children's play.  Children are confident and independent. For example, older children concentrate hard as they try to fasten the zip on their coat and when using a fork to eat noodles. Younger children skilfully pour themselves drinks from jugs without spillage.  The managers provide good support and coaching to staff to ensure their continued

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This provision is good

professional development. They observe staff's practice and evaluate it alongside each staff member to celebrate their individual strengths and target areas for development. For example, staff comment that they have recognised the need to slow their speech when talking to children.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 At times, staff do not encourage the younger and less confident children to join in with discussions during group activities, to extend their communication and language skills.  Staff do not use all opportunities to develop children's interest in books and technology, to help support their imaginative play and early reading skills further and teach them about cause and effect.

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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 the organisation of group activities to provide more support for the youngest and less confident children to speak and share their ideas  make better and more frequent use of books to help develop children's interests and imagination and support their early reading skills  provide more opportunities for children to explore and learn about technology during their self-chosen play.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children during group activities and in self-chosen play, and observed staff's interactions with them.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with a senior member of staff to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning.  The inspector spoke with children, their parents and the staff at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector held a meeting with the managers to discuss their knowledge of the requirements and how they fulfil these.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including self-evaluation, children's learning records and staff's suitability checks.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Managers and staff are clear on the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child's welfare. Managers collate detailed information about any accidents that occur, to identify any changes they could make to the environment. Staff are keen to strengthen their skills and develop their practice. They proactively seek training opportunities. Managers have gained and implemented new ideas to help staff provide more individual and effective support for children's emotional development. Managers and staff monitor children's assessment accurately to identify any gaps in learning and take action to minimise these. This has led staff to focus more on mathematics to extend children's knowledge of shapes and measurement. Managers evaluate the provision well and target areas for improvement promptly.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Children have fun practising their early writing skills in a variety of ways, such as following staff's suggestion that they create shopping lists for their role play. Staff routinely initiate mathematical discussion, such as counting and talking about shapes. Older children correctly work out how many boys and girls are present at each session. Staff know the children well, which enables them to provide good individual support. For instance, when younger children become scared as they climb the steep slope in the garden, staff reassure them and show them how to climb up even higher. By the end of the session, toddlers are confidently able to climb the hill without help. Partnerships with parents are effective. Parents receive ongoing, detailed information about children's experiences and help to build on their developing skills at home.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children feel welcome and arrive eagerly at the start of the session, quickly engaging in an activity with friends or staff. They show great pride in their achievements, frequently asking staff to watch them do something in particular, knowing that staff will give them their full attention. Staff are respectful and teach children good social skills to help them make friends. All children are content and secure. For instance, toddlers loudly shout their goodbyes to all their friends when they leave. Staff are positive role models and use effective strategies to remind children of their expectations. For example, staff ask, 'What are the rules for using the slide?', and older children remember that they need to wait for their friend to get off before taking their turn. Children behave well.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children demonstrate a good attitude to learning and gain good skills for starting school. They listen well to staff and follow instructions. They play well with and alongside friends. Children make independent choices in their play and concentrate well at their chosen tasks. For example, they repeatedly walk along the balance beams, showing determination and high self-esteem when they immediately try again after they fall off.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY490781 Local authority Torbay Inspection number 1023283 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 2 - 4 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 46 Name of registered person Pre-School Learning Alliance

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01803 290471

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reference number

Little Palms nursery registered in 2015. It operates in the town of Torquay, in Torbay. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5pm for 51 weeks of the year. There are six members of staff employed to work directly with children, all of whom hold appropriate qualifications to at least level 2. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and four years.

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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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