Little Gems

Little Gems Brickfield Industrial Estate, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 4LT

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 3 April 2018 Not applicable

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 Good 2

p.1

This provision is good

 Staff actively help children feel welcomed and valued in the nursery. Children respond positively to their caring and friendly approach and develop good emotional well-being.  Children behave well and start to share toys and be kind to others from a young age.  Staff form positive relationships with parents and work closely with them and any other professionals involved, to promote consistency for children's specific individual learning needs and care routines.  Children happily explore the inviting play areas. Staff use their observations of children's play well to plan activities based on their interests and help them make good progress.  The management team and staff continue to evaluate practice and have made positive improvements. For example, they have moved the role-play area to encourage the involvement and interest of boys and girls, and develop their imaginations further.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 Although the management team and staff track children's individual achievements, they do not monitor the progress of different groups of children as well as possible to help identify any emerging gaps in their learning more precisely.  At times, staff do not provide sufficient activities or organise circle times effectively to fully engage the involvement of the younger children and support their learning further.  Although staff supervise children well, they sometimes miss opportunities to raise children's awareness of assessing risk in their play and keeping safe. For example, to help children understand how to consistently use the indoor climbing frame safely.

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

 improve the systems for monitoring children's achievements to identify how different groups of children learn and progress best, to close gaps in their learning more effectively  improve the range of activities available and the organisation of group times, to fully engage the younger children's involvement and support their learning further  provide more opportunities for children to identify possible risks and learn how to keep themselves and others safe from harm.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspection took place following Ofsted's risk assessment process. The inspector observed children's interactions in play indoors and outdoors, and viewed planning systems and children's online assessment journals.  The inspector viewed operational policies, procedures and required records, including staff qualifications and first-aid certificates.  The inspector undertook a joint observation of children's play with the manager and discussed children's learning and development.  The inspector took into account the spoken views of parents.  The inspector had discussions with the owner and manager about operational procedures, including safeguarding, staff recruitment and training, evaluation systems, and how they make continual improvements.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The management team supports staff well to understand their responsibilities to protect children's welfare. Staff are clear on the safeguarding policies and procedures they need to follow for any concern arising. The management team maintains correct staff-to-child ratios and actively encourages staff to develop their professional knowledge. For example, staff have attended training that helped them understand more about the causes of children's unwanted behaviour and ways to help them manage their emotions more effectively. Staff complete daily risk assessments and keep required records, such as accident forms, in order, to support children's welfare.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff get to know the children well and understand their individual learning styles. Staff support children's understanding of their world effectively. For example, children like to visit the local train station with staff. They meet the ticket master, give him their tickets and sometimes see a 'steam train' go by. Children explore exciting 'seaside' resources, such as seaweed, cuttlefish or driftwood. Children hold shells to their ears and say 'they can hear the beach'. Staff promote children's early writing skills and enjoyment of sensory textures well. For instance, older children have fun making marks on the outdoor blackboard using the large, chunky chalks. They begin to form recognisable letters and shapes, such as those from their names. Younger children enjoy standing in paint to create colourful footprint pictures, and make tracks in sand with the toy trains and cars.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff actively encourage children's awareness of keeping fit and healthy. For example, children choose from healthy snacks of fruit and enjoy nutritious meals. Children enjoy active games, such as dancing with colourful scarves that they wave around them. Younger children gain confidence walking across the outdoor arch-shaped wooden bridge. Staff help children to take responsibility and become independent. For instance, children worked together to make a display board for their artwork and voted on which colour paper to use. They help to chop up fruit to make a smoothie drink. They take turns to operate the smoothie maker and 'whizz up' their fruit. Older children make good attempts to cut up their food at lunchtime, and all children help to tidy up their toys.

p.3

Outcomes for children are good

Children gain good socialisation and communication skills to help them with their move to school. For example, older children quickly find their named placemats at the lunch table and help to serve food to their younger friends. Older children use language well to describe their ideas and tell visitors that they have made an aeroplane transformer. Children develop their imagination and start to act out experiences they have seen. For instance, younger children tuck their dolls up in cots and use play food to make pretend meals. Older children are motivated to count and do so often. They know numbers of personal significance. For example, they hear staff count to four and say, 'I'm four'.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY547022 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 1133550 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 42 Number of children on roll 38 Name of registered person Gemma Tobin

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07917416327

p.4

reference number

Little Gems registered in 2017. This privately owned nursery is situated in Gillingham, Dorset. The setting opens Monday to Friday from 8am until 5.30pm all year round. The nursery receives funding to provide free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. There are seven staff employed. The owner, manager and one member of staff hold childcare degrees, one member of staff holds a qualification at level 4 and two staff hold childcare qualifications at level 3.

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