Holbrook Infants' School

Once Upon A Time Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Once Upon A Time Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number 116178 Inspection date 20 March 2006 Inspector Jean Williams / Hazel Farrant

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Once Upon A Time Day Nursery

Setting Address Blair Atholl, Ashfield Avenue, Feltham, Middlesex, TW13 5BB

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E-mail

Registered person Lorna Hackland-Crowther Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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E-mail

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery has been registered since 1989. The owner also has four nurseries in the Hillingdon area. The setting operates from a house in Feltham, five spacious rooms are used by the children, the accommodation also includes a kitchen and laundry as well as office space. There is a large fully enclosed garden at the rear of the premises where the children play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 The nursery is registered to receive 51 children between the ages of 5 months to 5 years. There are 61 children currently on roll, aged 3 months to 5 years. This includes 14 funded 3 year olds and 5 funded 4 year olds. The setting supports children who have special educational needs and those who speak English as a second language. The nursery opens five days a week and operates from 07.45 - 18.00 all year round. The setting follows the High Scope ethos. The nursery meets staffing qualifications and maintains appropriate staffing ratios. One member of the staff team is a National Vocational Qualification Assessor, and the manager and owner are trained in the High Scope Curriculum. The nursery is accredited to the Pre School Learning Alliance and holds the Investors in People

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Award. The setting receives support from the Local Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health is promoted due to the staff's relevant first aid training and accurate recording of accidents and incidents. The administration of medication is recorded effectively, as required. Staff are aware of their responsibilities to the children and their parents. They deal with emergencies in a calm and professional manner. Standards of cleanliness throughout the setting are of a high standard. There are policies in place to limit the spread of cross infection to children, they are not however, always consistently followed throughout the nursery. For example, children do not always wash their hands before snack time. Children are beginning to recognise the importance of eating a balanced diet, through shared discussions with the staff about the merits of eating a variety of foods which include meat, fish, fresh fruit and vegetables. Staff are knowledgeable about the children's dietary needs and individual preferences.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are offered a varied diet. Meals are prepared by the cook on a daily basis who uses fresh ingredients. The kitchens are well appointed and maintained to a high standard. Children participate at meal times, they serve themselves food and drinks this encourages the development of their independence and enables them to make choices. Drinking water is readily available to the children throughout the nursery.

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Children are developing an awareness of space, they move with control and confidence, especially when negotiating the furniture and one another. They are adequately developing spatial awareness through the planned activities offered by the staff. Children have regular opportunities to participate in activities developing their co-ordination and skills by playing in the garden on the large equipment. Through the use of the wheeled toys they learn to steer and pedal. When using resources such as glue spreaders, paint brushes and scissors, children are developing their fine motor skills. They are developing their dexterity skills through the use of malleable materials such as play dough and when making and rolling out pastry during cooking activities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The staff provide a warm welcome to the children and parents who bring their children into the nursery and settle them in their appointed rooms. The setting is clean, well maintained and attractively decorated with displays of children's work. The children are confident and comfortable within the nursery environment and are well supported by the staff. The nursery is well equipped with appropriate furniture and resources which are safe, clean and well maintained. The nursery rooms have designated areas for messy play, table toys and relaxing. Some of the mats provided in the areas for relaxing could present a trip hazard to both adults and children by their curling edges. The chairs provided for the babies, are not fitted with restraints, this means that very young children are not always properly secured in their seats. The setting has a wide variety of good quality toys and play equipment in all rooms

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

and in the garden, they are attractively stored and easily accessible to the children, enabling them to make free choices and have independence over their learning. The staff encourage the children to negotiate the furniture and one another with care, as a result they move safely around the nursery and when going in and out to the garden. Children practise fire drills regularly, they evacuate the building in a calm controlled manner and are very well supported by the staff, this helps them to gain an awareness of fire safety issues. Records of fire drills are well maintained as required. Staff have a good understanding of safety issues, they ensure that children are released to authorised adults and are signed in and out the building by their parents. Staff have a clear knowledge of child protection issues, they know how to implement the policies to make sure children are kept safe from harm. Children's safety is also

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

maintained due to the effective procedures in place to confirm the suitability of the staff working in the nursery and the records kept of visitors to the setting.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 The provision is good. Children are happy and enjoy their time in the nursery where they acquire new knowledge and skills in a stimulating, supportive atmosphere. Staff effectively use the Birth to three matters framework and the Foundation Stage curriculum guidance, as appropriate, to plan a wide, relevant range of activities for children to develop in all skill areas. Children show an interest in their environment and actively engage in fun, well-resourced activities. They play with the building blocks, enjoy messy play, paint, thread various shape beads to make necklaces and develop their physical skills and body co-ordination using a range of equipment both indoors and outside. Children contribute to nursery routines and help tidy toys away. They separate happily from their parents and carers and have close relationships with staff who

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

understand their individual needs. Staff provide good levels of support, know the children well and work closely with parents to ensure that their individual routines are followed within the nursery. Children feel secure and grow in confidence because of the continual interest and warmth shown to them by the staff. The nursery follows the High Scope ethos. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children concentrate well and absorb themselves in activities. They play amicably together sharing resources happily and show care and concern for each other. For example, one child tells another to take care when building the blocks up high. They use their initiative to solve problems and independently reinforce new skills by repeated practise. Children are confident, articulate speakers who readily engage in conversation with others. They enjoy listening to stories and some are able to write their names with clear and legible

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

letters. They grow sunflowers and plant bulbs to learn about the natural world and confidently impart their knowledge to others as they tell one another that seeds need “dirt”, water and sunshine to make them grow. Nature walks help develop children's knowledge of their local environment. All children enjoy physical activity and have good opportunities to reinforce and develop skills using a range of equipment. They climb, jump, manoeuvre wheeled toys and show good hand-eye control as they throw and catch beanbags. Children have some opportunities to develop their information and communication technology skills through using electronic interactive resources such as Vtech Books. Children use their imagination well as they pretend to be diners in a cafe. They happily support each other with role-play and use their creative skills to paint pictures and make mother’s day cards. Children enjoy singing and using musical instruments,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

which enables them to learn about rhythm and the sounds of the instruments. They have a wide repertoire of songs that include themes about the days of the week and the seasons which reinforces their awareness of time. They also enjoy singing topical popular songs such as Bob the Builder. Staff have a good knowledge of the curriculum guidelines and stepping-stones. They plan well, they include learning objectives and evaluate the completed activities, they do not however always state the next stages required to promote children’s individual

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 developmental progress. Therefore, children's learning needs are not always fully met. There are some missed opportunities in the presentation of activities to provide challenges for the older children such as when providing pre cut petals for making flowers. Staff use a range of teaching strategies effectively to develop children's knowledge and understanding. For example, they use questions skilfully to challenge thinking. Staff develop children’s language and literacy skills through their promotion of interesting conversations and use of ‘Jolly Phonics’ to consolidate their learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children benefit from being cared for in an emotionally warm, child friendly environment where staff are kept well informed of their individual needs. Children's confidence develops through having the opportunities to make choices and through the respect and care shown to them by staff who treat them fairly and with equal concern. The staff give the children clear, consistent boundaries, they praise them and celebrate their achievements which helps to build their self esteem. Children's artwork is displayed throughout the setting including the garden which helps to build their sense of ownership and belonging in the nursery. Children learn about the wider world we live in through planned projects, and by using the range of resources that reflect positive images of diversity. The nursery supports children with special needs. The staff work closely with the parents and any therapists who may be involved in

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Helping children make a positive contribution

their care. The setting fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Children's behaviour is very good. They play amicably together, and are encouraged to take turns and be polite to one another. Children are learning to respect the toys and equipment by staff teaching them to tidy up at the end of the activities. Staff provide good role models to the children they are polite in their requests, kind and caring and help the children to behave positively. Partnership with parents and carers is good. Staff welcome parents into the setting, they make themselves available to exchange information and learn about the children and their routines. Children benefit from the partnership because it ensures their needs are known to their carers. The nursery has good systems in place to ensure that parents are kept well informed about the developmental progress of their children and the day to day activities that take place within the nursery. Regular

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Helping children make a positive contribution

newsletters are published, parents evenings are held and link books are kept. The nursery also holds social events for parents, children and staff which promotes good working relationships. Parents spoke very positively about their relationships with the staff and the service that they and their children receive from the setting.

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Leadership and management is good. The manager of the nursery has sound leadership qualities, she ensures that staff receive support. They receive regular supervision and their developmental needs are met through the opportunities offered to attend relevant training courses. The manager has a vision for the nursery and can identify the areas that she would like to develop further. The nursery is well organised. The policies and procedures are all in place as required, which means that the health and welfare of the children attending the nursery is fully promoted. Overall the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection, the nursery has made improvements of the care and education children receive. Children enjoy a wide variety of outdoor activities and use mathematical language through everyday routines. Phonics are used regularly in a variety of fun activities so that children's language and literacy development is consolidated. Staff use good questioning skills so that children have opportunities to make connections with ideas to predict what might come next. Children are learning about personal independence and self care as they put on their coats and shoes and serve themselves at meal times. Children are appropriately grouped in the two pre-school rooms and are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Parents are kept regularly informed about their children's developmental progress through reports and parent evenings. Safety in the garden has been addressed; children are able to play in a safe, secure

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since April 2004 Ofsted has received three complaints. The first complaint related to National Standard 2, Organisation, National Standard 3, Care, Learning and Play, National Standard 7, Health and Hygiene, National Standard 8, Food and Drink and National Standard 12, Partnership with Parents and Carers. Concerns were raised regarding staffing ratios, freshness of food and the provider's complaints procedure. The registered person provided Ofsted with details of all concerns. No evidence was found that National Standards had been breached. The provider remains qualified for registration. The second complaint related to National Standard 3, Care Learning and Play, National Standard 6, Safety, National Standard 11, Behaviour and National Standard 12, Partnership with Parents and Carers. Concerns were raised regarding behaviour

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Complaints since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 management and safety issues. An Ofsted inspector visited and the nursery completed an internal investigation. No evidence was found that National Standards had been breached. The provider remains qualified for registration. The third complaint related to National Standard 2, Organisation and National Standard 6, Safety. Concerns were raised regarding deployment of staff, safety of the premises and supervision of children. Ofsted made an unannounced visit and two actions were raised. Ofsted received information showing that these actions had been addressed and are satisfied that the National Standards are being met. The provider remains qualified for registration. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that hygiene practices are consistent throughout the nursery • ensure that young children are suitably restrained when in high or low chairs and all potential trip hazards are made safe.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that children are sufficiently challenged and extended through the activities provided and that their individual developmental needs are addressed through the planning processes.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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