The following OFSTED report exists on the following web site www.ofsted.gov.uk/childcare 

COMBINED INSPECTION REPORT

URN EY275009
DfES Number: 511836

INSPECTION DETAILS
Inspection Date 17/11/2004
Inspector Name Kathleen Snowdon

SETTING DETAILS
Day Care Type Full Day Care
Setting Name Little Learners Day Nursery
Setting Address
 49 Ettrick Grove
Sunderland
Tyne and Wear
SR3 4AW

REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS
Name Mrs Beverley Smith

ABOUT THE INSPECTION
The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality and standard of day care in accordance with the National Standards for Under Eights Day Care and Childminding; and that the nursery education for funded three and four year old children is of an acceptable quality. Inspection of nursery education also identifies strengths and weaknesses so that providers can improve the quality of educational provision and help children to achieve the early learning goals (elgs) by the end of the Foundation Stage. This inspection report must be made available to all parents.

If the setting has been inspected previously, an action plan will have been drawn up to tackle issues identified. This inspection, therefore, must also assess what progress has been made in the implementation of this plan.
 

Information about the setting
Little Learners Day Nursery was registered 2003, and is privately owned by Beverley Smith. It operates from six playrooms in converted shop premises in the High Barnes area of Sunderland. All children share access to fully enclosed outdoor play areas. The nursery serves the local and surrounding communities, and is open each weekday, throughout the year, from 08.00 to 18.00. A maximum of 71 children may attend the nursery at any one time.

There are currently 43 children aged from birth to under five years on roll. Of these, seven receive funding for nursery education. The nursery supports one child with special educational needs, and one child who speaks English as an additional language. The nursery employs 12 staff, 11 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The High Scope approach to education has been implemented, and the nursery receives advice and support from Local Authority early years advisors.

How good is the Day Care?
Little Learners Day Nursery provides a good standard of care to young children. The staff are enthusiastic, skilled and well qualified, and keep abreast of current trends in childcare by attending relevant training covering a range of issues. The nursery environment has bright and interesting wall displays, and well defined play areas containing a good selection of equipment that children have easy access to. The outdoor play areas are well maintained and offer the children interesting outdoor experiences, such as helping to look after, and observing, the nursery's pet rabbit.

The well balanced daily routine helps the children to develop a sense of time, and includes a range of stimulating activities for the children to take part in, and times when they can be quiet or more active. The children behave very well. Their good behaviour is valued and encouraged by the staff, who form good relationships with them, know them well, acknowledge their individual needs, and strive hard to meet them. The excellent partnership with parents, who have very positive views of the service provided, and of the staff themselves, helps to make this possible.

Staff have a conscientious approach to health and safety matters, and take appropriate steps, such as holding regular fire drills, and providing healthy and nutritious meals, to contribute to the children's welfare during the time they spend at the nursery. This is complemented by all essential records being in place, but could be further improved by reviewing recording methods, and implementing measures to ensure that the children remain safe in all areas.

What has improved since the last inspection?
Since the last inspection, the nursery has put in place an outings procedure, and now ensures that parental signatures are obtained after giving children medication, to help to ensure that the children remain safe while in the care of nursery staff.

There are now several, good quality items in the nursery environment, readily available to the children, which reflect positive images of gender, disability, ethnicity and culture, to help the children to understand the diverse nature of the world in which they live.

What is being done well?
The excellent partnership that the nursery has with parents, which helps to ensure that the children's needs are fully met.
The good relationships that the staff form with the children, whose behaviour they manage well, using sensitive and appropriate methods.
The conscientious approach the staff take towards health and safety matters.
The good range of stimulating equipment which provide challenge and promotes learning in all areas, including those which relect diversity.
 

What needs to be improved?
safety, to ensure children remain safe when individuals enter playrooms
documentation, to ensure that methods of recording are sound and secure.
 

Previous Complaints (This section applies only to inspections carried out from September 2004. The complaint record relates to complaints from the last inspection or 1st April 2004 whichever is later.)
There are no complaints to report
 

Outcome of the inspection
Good
 

CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION
All registered persons must comply with all conditions of registration included on his/her certificate of registration.

As a result of this inspection conditions of registration have been imposed / varied / removed and a new certificate of registration will be issued.
 

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE NEXT?

The Registered Person should have regard to the following recommendations by the time of the next inspection
Std Recommendation
4 Ensure that doors without vision panels do not pose a risk to children when entering the playrooms.
14 Review methods of recording.

INSPECTION OF THE NURSERY EDUCATION PROVISION FOR FUNDED THREE AND FOUR YEAR OLDS.

How effective is the nursery education?
Little Learners Day Nursery provides a welcoming atmosphere in which children make very good progress in all six areas of learning.

The quality of teaching is very good. Staff plan effectively to cover all areas of learning, and design fun and stimulating activities within the context of a well balanced daily routine, though there are too few opportunities for children to construct using a range of large items. They adapt activities to ensure that all children are included, and to ensure that more able children are sufficiently challenged.However, activities are not consistently evaluated to assess their impact on children's learning, and there is too little use of assessment to inform planning. Staff form very good relationships with children and have high expectations of them. They value and praise the children's behaviour, which is excellent, and ask them questions that make them think and to help them to extend their chosen activity. Play areas are well defined to help children to be self-sufficient, and they contain a good selection of equipment.

Leadership and management is very good. Staff work extremely hard and are committed and enthusiastic. They are very clear about their roles and responsibilities, and regularly attend training courses to remain abreast of current trends in childcare. They evaluate the service they provide by holding regular staff meetings during which they enthusiastically make plans for the future to ensure that the setting continues to evolve and progress.

Partnership with parents is very good. Parents are well informed about their children's progress through daily discussions with staff, regular newsletters and information on the noticeboard. They receive very good information about the setting throughout the time their child spends there. Parents feel positive about the service they receive. They feel confident about expressing an opinion and making a suggestion, and think that staff are friendly and approachable.

What is being done well?
Staff form excellent relationships with the children, whose behaviour is very good. They are interested in what the children do and say, and ask them questions to make them think. They encourage the children to become independent learners by ensuring that they can initiate activities of their choice, such as painting and reading, and can choose from a good range of play equipment.
The committed and enthusiastic approach the staff take towards their work, and the very positive views that parents have about the staff and the service they provide
 

What needs to be improved?
the use of resources, to provide the children with sufficient opportunities to construct with larger items
planning, to ensure that it is guided by regular assessments of the children's acheivements and difficulties, and to include evaluation of the impact of activities on the children's learning.
 

What has improved since the last inspection?
not applicable
 

SUMMARY OF JUDGEMENTS

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Judgement: Very Good
Children show an interest in others, and enter willingly in to the setting, settling quickly to tasks which they select independently, and sustain with high levels of concentration. They show increasing independence when carrying out self-help skills, such as dressing, and talk freely about their home and community. They show a sense of belonging, demonstrated in the comments they make to those who come to collect them from the setting, and are proud of their acheivements.

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY
Judgement: Very Good
Children listen intently to stories, enjoy an increasing range of books, which they handle carefully and appropriately, and are beginning to associate text with meaning, such as when they correctly identify their names. They speak clearly and competently, using speech to help them interact successfully with others, and they respond appropriately to simple questions and requests. They engage in activities such as painting, drawing and tracing, and use associated tools with increasing skill.

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT
Judgement: Very Good
Children are beginning to represent numbers, such as when they hold up three fingers to demonstrate the corresponding numeral, and confidently count up to 10 with support. They successfully identify shapes, including those in the nursery environment, such as the tables at which they sit, and are beginning to develop interest in size, weight and measure, through the spontaneous use of readily available resources, such as scales and rulers.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD
Judgement: Very Good
Children show curiousity, and talk about what is happening around them, demonstrating their growing ability to differentiate past and present. They show an interest in the lives of people familiar to them, the nursery staff for instance, and express feelings about significant personal events in their own lives. Their awareness of the wider world and the local community is growing, through finding out about other cultures for example, and regular outings to the local park and library.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Judgement: Very Good
Children move safely and spontaneously within the nursery setting. They use a variety of movements, such as hopping and climbing, to explore a range of equipment, and show respect for other people's personal space, when they form orderly queues to move from one area to another, and during "carpet time" for instance. They manipulate a range of malleable materials, such as playdough, and construct with small blocks, but have fewer opportunities to do so using larger items.

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
Judgement: Very Good
Children successfully differentiate colours, and paint and draw spontaneously throughout the day. They describe the texture of things that they encounter during activities, such as flour, or chocolate, during cake-making sessions, for example, and use their sensory ability to discover further properties, such as how they smell. They role play enthusiastically, both alone and alongside others engaged in the same theme, and use a range of props to support them in this.
Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered appropriately.

OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION
The provision is acceptable and is of high quality. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT
There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following:
There are no significant weaknesses to report, but consideration should be given to improve the following:
increase the opportunities for children to construct with larger items
use assessments to inform planning, and evaluate activities to judge their impact on children's learning.
 
The provider must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues detailed above will be addressed. The action plan must be made available to all parents and to the Local Authority if required. An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next inspection of funded nursery education.

SUMMARY OF NATIONAL STANDARDS

STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON
Adults providing day care, looking after children or having unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so.
 

STANDARD 2 - ORGANISATION
The registered person meets required adult: child ratios, ensures that training and qualifications requirements are met and organises space and resources to meet the children's needs effectively.
 

STANDARD 3 - CARE, LEARNING AND PLAY
The registered person meets children's individual needs and promotes their welfare. They plan and provide activities and play opportunities to develop children's emotional, physical, social and intellectual capabilities.
 

STANDARD 4 - PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
The premises are safe, secure and suitable for their purpose. They provide adequate space in an appropriate location, are welcoming to children and offer access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which promote their development.
 

STANDARD 5 - EQUIPMENT
Furniture, equipment and toys are provided which are appropriate for their purpose and help to create an accessible and stimulating environment. They are of suitable design and condition, well maintained and conform to safety standards.
 

STANDARD 6 - SAFETY
The registered person takes positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings and ensures proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents.
 

STANDARD 7 - HEALTH
The registered person promotes the good health of children and takes positive steps to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures when they are ill.
 

STANDARD 8 - FOOD AND DRINK
Children are provided with regular drinks and food in adequate quantities for their needs. Food and drink is properly prepared, nutritious and complies with dietary and religious requirements.
 

STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
The registered person and staff actively promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children.
 

STANDARD 10 - SPECIAL NEEDS (INCLUDING SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)
The registered person is aware that some children may have special needs and is proactive in ensuring that appropriate action can be taken when such a child is identified or admitted to the provision. Steps are taken to promote the welfare and development of the child within the setting in partnership with the parents and other relevant parties.
 

STANDARD 11 - BEHAVIOUR
Adults caring for children in the provision are able to manage a wide range of children's behaviour in a way which promotes their welfare and development.
 

STANDARD 12 - WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND CARERS
The registered person and staff work in partnership with parents and to meet the needs of the children, both individually and as a group. Information is shared.
 

STANDARD 13 - CHILD PROTECTION
The registered person complies with local child protection procedures approved by the Area Child Protection Committee and ensures that all adults working and looking after children in the provision are able to put the procedures into practice.
 

STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION
Records, policies and procedures which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision, or to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are maintained. Records about individual children are shared with the child's parent.