Business Development - Why tracking progress pays

Children 1st at Grantham recently maintained its 'outstanding' ranking from 2011, winning particular praise for its management methods, 'outstanding partnerships with parents' and the tracking of children's development.

Manager Tracey Needham said, 'The inspector saw that some children come in with really low scores and by the time they have been through our toddler room many are then where they should be.

'We also talk with the parents and find out what they are doing at home and what we need to work on at nursery. For the younger ones: are they saying any initial sounds for words? For the older ones it can be: how many words are they saying, or are they reading yet? Then we pick up if we need to do speech and language training.

'It is important to work on developmental areas straightaway, getting them to take turns, play games, choosing options at snacktime.'

To chart progress, the nursery has devised a tracker. The tick-box grid is used to assess the prime areas of development - for example, Communication and Language of all children on arrival, relative to their age. Children are then reassessed each term.

The nursery is housed in a one-storey purpose-built setting with eight rooms that each have their own outdoor play area and a central, shared decked area. There is also a parents' room, used as a private area where parents can see a health visitor or family support worker.

Ms Needham says, 'We are warm and welcoming from the moment parents walk in the door. Parents spend time with the key person so we can find out about the children. And because we know parents so well, they then feel they can tell us things.' The nursery also regularly uses feedback slips at its events. 'Parents know we listen to their wishes and act on them,' Ms Needham says. 'If we can change something, we will.'

In terms of partnership working, the Swingbridge Children's Centre next door provides a low-key way for parents to access vital services.

Ms Needham says, 'Some of the parents wouldn't feel they want to go there (in the first instance), but they will come and talk to us and then the children's centre will come to us.'

The Ofsted report singled out 'swift and robust' systems used to deal with underperformance, which includes six-month reviews and peer-to-peer observation where issues are noted and checked the next time a situation arises.

'Each week somebody is observed,' says Ms Needham. 'Staff know it is not personal - it is about improving themselves. We also talk to staff in meetings and find out how they are feeling. We go on continuing professional development training about once a month with other nurseries in our group and staff feed back to each other. We create environment where people can say "I am not sure how to do it".

'The thing that makes us successful is the passion and inspiration of Margaret (Mason, owner), which then filters down. We are all very passionate about what we do and want the best for the children.'