Hill Row Day Nursery

Hillrow Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Hillrow Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number 221590 Inspection date 23 May 2006 Inspector Emma Bright

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Hillrow Day Nursery

Setting Address 35 Hill Row, Haddenham, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 3TQ

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E-mail

Registered person Hill Row Day Nursery 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 satisfactory. 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Hillrow Day Nursery opened in 1996. It is privately owned and operates from a large bungalow set back from the road in Haddenham. A maximum of 38 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open five days a week from 08:00 to 18:00 all year round. All children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 86 children aged from six months to 10 years on roll. Of these, 24 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery offers out of school care

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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 for children attending the local primary school. Children come from the local area and further afield and can attend a variety of sessions. The nursery employs 14 staff, of whom seven including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications and two staff are currently working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health and well-being is promoted and they are protected from the risks of cross-infection by good hygiene procedures. For example, staff use gloves when changing nappies and they ensure good hygiene standards are maintained during the day so that children stay healthy. Children competently wash their hands during the daily routine and know that they do this "to wash the germs away”. In addition, each child brushes their teeth after lunch which helps them to understand the importance of oral hygiene because "it makes my teeth clean". Thorough procedures and documents are in place to ensure children's individual medical needs are met. For example, all medical consents are obtained from parents, which means that appropriate medical care is given if children are unwell whilst they are in the care of the nursery. All children enjoy sufficient quantities of food and drink; they enthusiastically tuck in

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Helping children to be healthy

to the varied and plentiful meals and snacks provided. Meals are freshly prepared and cooked on the premises each day and the menu is planned in advance offering a choice at each mealtime. Parents can select options for their child in advance so that they can be clear about the food their child is offered and ensure their child's nutritional needs are met. Children's individual dietary needs are noted and provided for, to take into account any special dietary requirements. This ensures that children are well nourished and content. Children and babies rest and sleep according to their needs; good routines are in place which ensures that all children are well rested. For example, babies listen to music to help them settle and relax as they fall asleep. Babies practise their growing physical skills and they have plenty of space to crawl and pull themselves to standing on suitable furniture. Children enjoy physical activities in the garden, such as

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Helping children to be healthy

practising their skills on the large apparatus and parachute games indoors, which ensures that they benefit from physical activity to promote their good health.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. All children are cared for in a welcoming and well maintained environment; they move around safely in the space provided under the constant supervision of the staff. Children's safety is enhanced by good security procedures used to restrict unauthorised access to the nursery and safety measures, such as socket covers mean that risks are minimised to keep children safe. In addition, babies and children

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 are closely monitored and supervised whilst sleeping. Children and adults practise the fire drill regularly so they know what to do in an emergency. Children are beginning to learn about keeping themselves safe as staff explain the dangers to them to ensure they learn how to avoid accidental injury. Accidents and incidents that affect children's safety are recorded appropriately and shared with parents. Children play with a good range of equipment and resources that is appropriate for their age and stage of development, all of which are checked regularly by the staff to ensure they are in good condition and are safe for children to use. Children are protected and kept safe from harm as the staff have a good understanding of the nursery's child protection procedures and they have the

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

necessary skills to identify signs and symptoms to promote children's welfare. However, staff have not attended recent child protection training so that their knowledge is in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures, ensuring that the welfare of children is fully safeguarded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy their time at the nursery; they enjoy warm and affectionate relationships with staff in all areas of the nursery, which develops their confidence and self-esteem. The homely atmosphere means that children separate happily from their parents and carers and settle into their activities quickly on arrival. They play happily together and are beginning to develop positive relationships with one another and this contributes to their sense of belonging. Children show interest in the suitable range of activities and resources on offer. They enjoy free play, selecting equipment to draw pictures to take home 'for Daddy'. However, resources and activities are not consistently used imaginatively or creatively. Restricted choice and an over-reliance on adult direction impinges on children's ability to further develop their independence, follow their own interests and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

direct their own play. Staff working with children under three plan activities in line with the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework. Key workers observe children daily and assess their development. Equipment and materials are accessible so babies explore and experiment independently, therefore developing their individual skills and interests. Babies form good relationships with staff who are sensitive to their needs. For example, babies' early communication skills are developed through warm interaction with the staff, who respond positively to their talk. Babies' well-being is enhanced by the level of communication between staff and parents, which ensures their individual needs are met. Nursery Education. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff working with funded children lack experience and knowledge of the Foundation Stage. They do not fully

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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 understand how the activities they provide contribute to children’s progress towards the early learning goals and some activities, such as the use of work sheets are inappropriate. Key workers carry out regular observations of children and use them to evaluate children’s progress and assessment records show that children are making satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals. However, staff do not use these records to inform their planning so that activities offer appropriate challenge for all children and build on what they already know and can do. This impacts upon children’s learning. Children's independence is developing and they tend to their personal needs, such as pouring drinks for themselves. They are enthusiastic and interested in what they do in activities that excite them. However, children are not able to independently

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

access the full range of activities and resources that support their learning and enable them to develop their play. Children concentrate and persevere in tasks that stimulate them and they demonstrate pride in their achievements. They are developing good negotiating skills as they learn to share and take turns, which encourages respect for others. Children confidently communicate with adults and each other, and they form good relationships with one another. They initiate conversations, asking questions to seek information. Although some children use their early writing skills to represent their ideas, there are limited accessible resources for all children to practise this skill in a variety of everyday situations. Children demonstrate an understanding of numbers, counting and calculation and know there are 'three cards for three people'. However, this is not consistently supported in a range of practical or everyday activities to help

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children develop and practise this skill. Children begin to develop a sense of time as they discuss the daily routine. They observe the weather and decide that it's windy and 'we might blow into space'. Children competently use the computer and a range of appropriate activities. They explore their environment and observe nature as they help to grow vegetables and flowers in the garden. Children use their imagination in the role play area and enjoy painting and drawing. However, they do not have rich opportunities to use their imagination in design and in creating for enjoyment as art and craft activities are mostly adult-led which impinges on children’s creativity.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children's individual needs are met as good information is gathered from parents to ensure staff know about these needs and this contributes to children's well-being. Children benefit from good settling-in procedures to support them in the transition between home and nursery. Babies and younger children in particular benefit from flexible settling-in procedures that enable them to develop their relationships with staff and this ensures that they feel settled and secure. Systems are in place to welcome children with learning difficulties and disabilities, which ensures they are supported appropriately. Babies benefit from lots of positive interaction from the staff, which help them form

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 relationships with each other. For example, staff encourage babies to play alongside each other and gently engage with them to help them play harmoniously. Children behave well and demonstrate an understanding of the rules for good behaviour; they take turns and negotiate for resources. Staff use effective strategies to manage children's behaviour and they consistently use positive language to help children understand what is expected of them. Children access a suitable range of resources that promote a positive view of the wider world and this helps them to understand about their differences and similarities. Children benefit from the good relationships between the staff and their parents. Parents receive information about the setting so they know about activities and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

events, and they have daily opportunities to discuss their child with staff. This ensures children's individual needs continue to be met. All policies and procedures are in place and shared with parents and carers. The partnership with parents and carers of funded children is satisfactory. Although parents receive information about the nursery education, some of this is out of date and does not fully inform parents of the Foundation Stage, which means that they are not clear about how activities help children learn and make progress towards the early learning goals. Detailed reports and children's assessment records are shared with parents and they have regular discussions with staff about their child's progress. However, parents have fewer opportunities to contribute to their child's record, sharing what they know their child can do at home. This means that children do not benefit from the sharing of information that would enhance their learning and build on

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Helping children make a positive contribution

their existing knowledge and skills. The provision fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children benefit from the system of ensuring staff are vetted, and sound recruitment procedures ensure they have suitable skills to work with them. All required documentation is in place and kept up-to-date, which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being. However, some policies do not always work in practice to fully promote outcomes for children's enjoyment, achievement and their ability to make a positive contribution. Half of the staff team hold appropriate early years qualifications. The leadership and management of funded children is satisfactory. The providers are committed to improving and have begun to identify some of the weak areas in the nursery education provision. However, there is no system in place to monitor and evaluate the provision, which means the impact of the teaching on the children's learning is not effectively assessed. Overall children's needs are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider agreed to improve behaviour management and children's access to books. Staff have developed effective strategies to manage children's behaviour and they consistently use positive language, which helps

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Improvements 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 children understand what is expected of them. Two book corners have been introduced where children comfortably sit to look at books alone or together during the sessions and they can access them independently. They also agreed to ensure that planned activities are meaningful to children. However, this has not been effectively addressed and is reflected in this report. At the last nursery education inspection the provider agreed to develop children's understanding of other cultures and ensure they have access to good quality books. Some activities are planned to help children learn about other cultures and the book corners hold a good range of books for children to enjoy.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since 1 April 2004. 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 made to Ofsted.

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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 satisfactory. 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 satisfactory.

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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): • update staff's knowledge and understanding of child protection issues to comply with the Local Safeguarding Children Board guidelines • improve planning and continue to develop activities so that children can follow their own interests and begin to direct their own play in a range of rich and stimulating experiences (also applies to nursery education).

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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): • develop staff’s knowledge and understanding of the curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage to improve the quality and consistency of teaching 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 children’s learning • continue to develop children’s assessment records so that they are informative and help children to move on to the next stage in their learning • ensure that parents are provided with information on the Foundation Stage so that they know how activities help children learn and make progress towards the early learning goals and provide further opportunities for parents to contribute to their child's assessment records in order to improve staff's knowledge when planning children's next steps • implement systems to monitor and evaluate the provision for nursery education to ensure that children have access to good quality learning experiences.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

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