Park Families Warren Park Nursery

The Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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The Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY305543 Inspection date 21 April 2006 Inspector Lisa, Marie Ellis

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The Nursery

Setting Address The Sure Start Centre, Sandleford Road, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 4LR Telephone number 02392 424980

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E-mail

Registered person Park Families LTD Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care, Crèche

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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 opened in 2003 and has been operating under its current registration since 2005 when a crèche facility was added. The provision is situated in Sure Start buildings within the grounds of Warren Park Primary School in Havant, Hampshire. It is run by Park Families Limited and is a registered charity. The nursery facility currently provides care for 124 children aged 0-5 years, of these, 48 children are in receipt of government funding for nursery education. The crèche

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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 facility has provided care for 53 children to date. The nursery is open each weekday from 08:00-18:00 and is able to offer sessional and full day care. The crèche operates during term time from 09:00-14:30 on Mondays and Tuesdays and from 09:00-13:00 on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The provision has systems in place to support children with English as an additional language and works with other agencies to support a number of children with special educational needs. The provision employs 23 staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications and 4 of them are working towards further qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. The health of the children is fostered to a high standard across the whole of the provision. Cross contamination is minimised throughout, for example, staff wear gloves and thoroughly clean mats when changing nappies; babies are provided with their own bedding which is regularly laundered and sleep mats are sprayed with anti-bacterial cleaner after each child's use. Children are learning very good hygiene procedures such as washing hands before eating and after toileting. While they do this they talk about washing germs away, demonstrating a good understanding of the importance of personal hygiene. An exceptional regard is given to the cleanliness of the provision, with staff being vigilant at cleaning tables between activities and regularly checking the bathrooms to ensure hygiene standards are not compromised. Children are provided with regular meals and drinks throughout the day to ensure

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Helping children to be healthy

they are sufficiently fed and kept well hydrated. Cooked meals are provided at lunch time although some of the children who access the crèche choose to bring a packed lunch. The menus are varied and nutritious to ensure children have a balanced diet. Children are also provided with breakfast, mid morning and afternoon snacks and tea. They are learning about healthy eating as they are offered a selection of nourishing foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables and breadsticks. Children's individual dietary needs are met following discussions with parents. Children are protected from the spread of infection as the provision has a policy to exclude those that are sick. Children's best interests are put first when they become unwell during the day, for example, unwell children are cuddled, softly spoken to and taken to a quiet area to help them to feel comfortable and relaxed until they are collected. The health of the children is promoted as the accident and medication

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Helping children to be healthy

records are well maintained with all required aspects correctly filled out and signed by parents. Children can be dealt with promptly after accidents as there are well stocked first aid kits in each room and all staff hold first aid certificates. Children are encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyles by having regular physical activity indoors and outside. Older children are noticing changes in their bodies, such as getting tired and needing to sit down after exerting themselves and needing a drink to

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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 relieve thirst.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a purpose built environment that is bright, airy and spacious which allows them to move round freely and safely. They are split into age groups to ensure they are well cared for and have access to appropriate facilities and equipment to meet their developmental needs. Security of the premises is good with parents and visitors being shown in by staff. Children are unable to leave the secure premises unnoticed and closed circuit television is in operation to monitor the main entry door. Children are protected from unvetted people as they are never left unattended with them. Children are well supervised indoors and in the garden and there are effective systems in place to monitor sleeping babies. Daily risk assessments are conducted by staff to ensure the risk of accidents is minimised. The outings policy is good with risk assessments being conducted, ratios increased and wrist bands used on children

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

to identify them should they get lost. Children have access to man-made and natural resources all of which are clean, well maintained and stimulating. The provision of toys and equipment is excellent throughout the building, providing children with equipment that promotes development in all areas of learning. Within each room, equipment is age appropriate and provides sufficient challenge. Children are learning how to keep themselves safe by participating in regular fire drills. Children are protected from harm when in the provision as staff have all received child protection training as part of their induction. There are clear polices and procedures in place to safeguard staff and children. The nursery manager works closely with social services to promote the welfare and meet the individual needs of children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children and babies are cared for by a team of qualified staff who have a good understanding of their individual needs and are able to plan relevant activities to help them progress in their learning. Staff have a good understanding of the Birth to three matters framework and use it well to plan developmentally appropriate activities to challenge and stimulate the children. Each day there are planned activities for art, messy play, garden activities and a focused activity relating to the framework. Staff use observations to complete children's record books and pass these on to the next room so staff can plan children's next stage of learning. Staff are responsive to the children's moods; they join in with laughter when a toddler finds something funny and quickly pick up and cuddle babies to comfort them and

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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 offer reassurance. Activities are changed regularly to maintain children's interest and to provide them with a wide range of experiences; these range from playing with lentils and corn flour to looking at books and partaking in physical activities. Babies and young children benefit from the enthusiasm of staff and show pride and enjoyment in their achievements, for example they cheer and clap themselves at singing time when joining in with actions. Children that are unable to do the actions are aided by staff to help them get involved with group activities. Children are becoming competent learners and are keen to do things independently, such as feeding themselves and selecting resources. Staff encourage this by providing age appropriate aids such as different sized and shaped cutlery. A calm

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and relaxed atmosphere is apparent at lunch times, staff sit with children as they eat their meals offering assistance where required. Nursery education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are making good progress as staff plan a wide range of worthwhile activities that are enjoyable and effective in helping them to develop. Staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage and use the guidance well to cover all areas of learning. All staff have an input in the planning and ensure learning objectives for the focused activities are clearly linked to the stepping stones. They have realistic expectations of children's abilities as they know the children in their key worker groups well. Staff recognise when activities are too hard or too easy for the children and adapt them to suit their individual understanding. Evaluations of activities are used to inform future planning to help children to continue to make progress.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff allow children to work independently but join in where necessary to aid them in their learning; such as when children need help with an activity or where a learning opportunity arises from incidental play. Staff work well as a team and are calm but firm throughout the session which greatly contributes to the exemplary behaviour of the children. Praise is given to value children and their work but opportunities to display their creations are not always maximised. Children are confident with the routines of the provision and are enthusiastic about the range of activities offered to them. They are happy and relaxed during sessions, often breaking into song while they are playing. Children are able to demonstrate care for their environment. They independently fetch equipment such as paper towels and dustpans to tidy up after themselves. Children enjoy being chosen as the 'special helper' which gives them a sense of importance when they help staff prepare the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

snack for their peers. Children show exceptionally high levels of independence at meals times as they take turns to serve themselves and scrape and stack plates when they have finished. Children demonstrate good listening skills in both small and large group activities and are able to follow instructions well. They are confident to speak to staff alone or in groups with many of them chatting about what they are doing as they play. Children enjoy looking at books, being read to and attempting to make up their own stories after looking at the pictures. Most of them can identify their written names and many

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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 are beginning to recognise letters on labels throughout the provision. Children use mathematical and positional language well in their play. They are beginning to gain an understanding of size and shape and participate in activities and songs to practise basic calculation, such as 'five currant buns'. Children are confident to talk about their home lives and are recognising that not all families are the same. They show an interest in artefacts from around the world and are beginning to learn about different races. Children are able to make use of the computer suite within the adjacent school to practise basic skills such as clicking and dragging. They enjoy looking at photographs and are happy to recall what they were doing, demonstrating an understanding of past events. Children are keen to use their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

senses and talk about smelling beautiful and touching soft and scratchy materials. They are curious and enthusiastic when trying new techniques and are keen to see the results of their efforts, for example when participating in marbling effect painting. Children demonstrate good hand eye co-ordination and fine motor skills when using hammers and nails to make patterns with coloured shapes. They demonstrate excellent spatial awareness both indoors and outside. They are able to steer and stop ride-on toys after travelling at speed and can weave their way confidently around the garden. Children are competent at climbing and balancing on outdoor equipment. Children are able to artistically express themselves, choosing their own colours of paint and using their hands or brushes to make pictures of their choice. They show good imaginations when role-playing, with staff enabling them to act out situations realistically by providing them with real items, for example they have water, bubbles

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and cloths to wash up proper utensils in the home corner.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are learning about the wider community and other countries as images portraying people from around the world are displayed throughout the provision, some of which have been painted by the children. Equality is reflected in toys and books and all children have access to age appropriate activities. There are currently no children on roll with English as an additional language but there are effective systems in place to met their individual needs, such as discussing requirements with parents and trying to learn key words in the native language to help children to settle in. Staff work with the area co-ordinator to meet the needs of children with special needs. They ensure that they always keep parents informed of progress or concerns raised at nursery and work in partnership with other professionals such as speech and language therapists to enable children to progress. Children have the benefit of consistent behavioural boundaries. Throughout the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

provision there is calmness and respect for children which they are very responsive to. They are quick to respond to instructions from staff and receive constant

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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 encouragement which values them and their contributions to the group. Unwanted behaviour is dealt with highly effectively using time away from play situations. Once unwanted behaviour has been explained, children rejoin the group quickly and settle back into the activities. Staff receive support from a behavioural outreach worker based within the Sure Start Centre who also trains all new staff as part of their induction. This ensures further consistency across the staff team. As a result the social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of children is fostered. The partnership with parents is good. New parents are provided with an informative booklet about the provision detailing nursery goals, the Foundation Stage and how parents can help. There are also signs up outside the door to ask parents if they

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Helping children make a positive contribution

have any skills or interests they want to share with the children. This enables them to have an understanding of what the provision does and how they can be involved in their children's learning. Parents receive newsletters each half term that informs them of the topics and asks them for their help to cover them. They are made aware at registration that an open door policy is in place and that they can come in and play or see their children's records at any time. Parents' evenings are carried out twice during each school year to keep them informed of their children's progress. Parents are asked about routines that they would like staff to follow with their children to ensure consistency of care and help children develop a sense of belonging. Parents of pre-school children are also asked what activities their children like and whether they can play independently. This information is then used by staff to help

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Helping children make a positive contribution

plan activities for individual children. Parents are given daily written feedback on their children to keep them informed of their children's day. This includes details of sleeps, toileting, food, drinks and activities. Home books are used with the younger children enabling two-way feedback contributing to an effective partnership with parents.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides as all staff hold appropriate early years qualifications and show a commitment to ongoing training. New staff are appropriately vetted, with personal references and health checks carried out to ensure their suitability to work with children. There are systems in place to ensure the ongoing suitability of staff which will be formally recorded at annual appraisals. Good ratios are maintained throughout the provision to provide high levels of support to the children. However, the daily registration system is confusing and not always accurate. All of the required documentation is in place. It is stored confidentially in the office and shared with parents as necessary to promote the well-being of the children. Leadership and management is good. There is a comprehensive staff induction system in place which covers the National Standards, the Birth to three matters

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Organisation

framework and the Foundation Stage. Staff are also informed about the Sure Start initiative so they have an understanding of the vision of the centre.

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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 All staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities within the provision and are knowledgeable about the management structure. Their personnel files hold individual job descriptions so they have a good understanding of their place within the provision which allows them to fulfil the requirements of their role and be confident of who to turn to should they need to. The decisions of higher management are influenced by the staff working with the children, this shows a commitment to working together for the best interests of the provision. The provision is able to identify its own strengths and weaknesses. There is a board in the manager's office which shows areas that the provision wants to improve. This includes continued work to gain accreditation status to improve the outcomes for

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Organisation

children. Policies and procedures are used as everyday working tools and are consistently applied to promote positive outcomes. Senior staff read and sign to acknowledge changes in policies; these are then cascaded to staff to ensure they are all aware of any changes that need to be implemented to enhance the care and education programmes for the children.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since 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 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 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):

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 • improve the registration system to ensure the date is clearly reflected and an accurate record of children's attendance is maintained

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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): • maximise the use of available space to display children's work

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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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