Little Gems (Dorset) Limited

Little Gems (Dorset) Limited

Unique reference number (URN): 2748470 Address: Chantry House, Brickfields Industrial Estate, Gillingham, SP8 4LT Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 08/09/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Little Gems (Dorset) Limited

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children achieve well in all areas of the curriculum. Children's knowledge is built on as they move rooms throughout the setting, and links are made back to what they have previously learned. For example, with language, babies look at simple and short books. They make the sounds of the animals in the books that they have previously learned. Older children read longer books, repeating known words and phrases.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children can access all learning fully, and can achieve to their full potential, with the support of the caring staff, who have high expectations for their learning. For example, children who cannot yet walk have activities placed on the floor, where they can reach them. Children who are learning to stand have activities placed on low tables, encouraging them to stand, and to develop new skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children have warm and trusting relationships with practitioners in the setting. Practitioners have high expectations of children's behaviour, taking into account their age and stage of development. They get down to children's level when speaking to them. Practitioners really listen to what children have to say, valuing their contributions and showing them respect. They are consistent in their manner with children, and children know what is expected from them. If altercations do arise, staff support them to resolve the issue in a calm and fair manner. They listen well to practitioners, engaging in learning with adults and their friends.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children feel respected and behave well. They are kind to each other, and share and play together well. The routines around snack time are similar in each room, so children know what to expect as they move through the setting, helping them to feel safe and secure. Parents and carers understand the setting's policies on behaviour and attendance, and know to phone when their children will not be in. When needed, they work with practitioners, to ensure consistency in supporting their children's behaviour at home and at the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Practitioners get to know children and families well when they first arrive, to ensure that everyone feels settled and secure. For example, when children start at the setting, key persons spend time with children and their families.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children show they are comfortable in the setting, moving around calmly, selecting the toys they wish to play with. Practitioners support them to feel a sense of belonging, supporting them to have high levels of wellbeing. Children have their own space for their bags and coats, which they can access throughout the day. Practitioners support children to make healthy choices. They offer healthy snacks, encourage parents to pack healthy lunch boxes, and give children many opportunities to be physically active. Mealtimes are relaxed and enjoyable times. All children, including the youngest babies, wash their hands under running water before eating. Staff sit with children when they are eating, watching for any signs of choking or allergic reactions.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children learn about good oral hygiene. Practitioners encourage all children in the setting to brush their teeth. They make this a fun time, using a song about toothbrushing and props to keep children interested.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a good understanding of how children learn, and what children need to know. They share this effectively with all practitioners through role modelling, regular meetings and training. They use conversations with parents and carers. Practitioners use their observations to assess where children are developmentally at and to decide on children's next steps in learning. They see children as individuals, and plan for them to ensure that they are all learning and progressing. They spend one-to-one time with the children, making them feel special and seen, supporting them to have high wellbeing. Practitioners make sure that all children spend time outside, where they can actively climb, balance and ride tricycles. For example, children play shops and use simple mathematics knowledge to say how much the food is.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children practise their fine motor skills 'pouring' pretend cups of tea. Practitioners support children to learn new words. For example, they talk as babies play, giving words to what they are doing, such as 'stirring' when playing with oats, and they read books with children of all ages. However, at times, the most-able children are not consistently given the opportunity they need to engage in new learning, and remain practising skills they already have. Practitioners spend time teaching children number skills. They build small towers with cubes, counting how many blocks make up their tower. They then use a tape measure to see how tall their tower is, and who has the tallest tower. This follows on from children's interests in using tape measures in an earlier activity.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The setting is inclusive. Practitioners observe and identify if children have needs that require additional support. They put into place changes to their everyday practice, to ensure that all children's needs are met. For example, they make sure that children who need more support are sitting next to an adult at group times. They work with parents and carers and outside professionals to ensure that children make progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The setting has practitioners experienced in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who work closely and sensitively with parents and carers to explore how they can best support children. Practitioners attend training around specific topics, to ensure that they have knowledge on how to support all children. They have high expectations for all, and put interventions in place to ensure that all children can fully access the curriculum and all children are making progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders make sure that any funding they receive, such as early years pupil premium, is used in an effective way to support individual children's learning. For example, they use funding to enhance child-to-staff ratios when needed and to ensure that all children can access extra-curricular activities.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are effective in supporting a safe and happy work environment. They actively encourage staff to engage in further training, to ensure that they stay up to date with current practices in early years. This helps children to get the best possible care and education.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders understand the needs of the families in their community, and ensure that they run a programme of care and education that meets these. They are very reflective, and have a strong vision of what they would like to achieve. Leaders discuss with the staff team, such as in regular meetings, what is going well and what could be improved. They listen to the team, who in turn feel valued and heard. For example, practitioners realised that the current settling-in programme was not working for all children, so spoke to leaders about introducing home visits. Leaders listened, and decided to implement this change. They support staff well but understand they need to ensure that all staff, particularly those who are less experienced, need more opportunities to develop their skills even further.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children are very safe in this warm and welcoming setting. They happily leave their parents and carers, and settle into play with their friends quickly. For example, children see friends playing with the play dough, so happily go over and start creating with it. Children have a sense of worth and belonging and feel safe. They are valued by the dedicated practitioners. For example, when children play with practitioners hammering small nails, they tell practitioners if they want them to bang 'loudly' or 'softly'. Children laugh when practitioners follow their instructions. Children play together well, sharing toys and creating games. They behave well. Practitioners support children quickly where needed, to stop any issues

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Inspector:

Joanne Neenan occurring. For example, when young children want the same toy, practitioners quickly find a duplicate toy, so everyone is happy.

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Inspector:

Practitioners make learning fun, and children are well prepared for their next stages in learning. For example, as they sing songs, they scrunch scarves into balls in their hands ready to 'pop' out at the end of the song, developing their hand muscles. Practitioners work with parents, to support children to reach developmental milestones, such as toilet training. Parents are very happy with how their children are learning and developing in the nursery. Practitioners have regular communications with parents, giving them ideas on how they can further support children's learning at home. They have a library, where parents can borrow books to take home. Practitioners support parents around the importance of reading with their children.

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Inspector:

Practitioners work closely with parents and outside professionals to ensure that all children make progress from their starting points. For example, they ensure that they put measures in place recommended by outside professionals, so all children have access to the curriculum.

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Next steps

Leaders should organise the provision to extend learning of the most-able children further. Leaders should target training more precisely to support less-experienced staff to improve their confidence and skills.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator and parents and carers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection 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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About this inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection.

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Address:

Chantry House Brickfields Industrial Estate Gillingham SP8 4LT

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Little Gems (Dorset) Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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 .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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