Torells School

Fox House Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Fox House Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number 115325 Inspection date 07 September 2006 Inspector Judith Harris

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Fox House Day Nursery

Setting Address Erith Road, Belvedere, Kent, DA17 6HT

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Fox House Day Nursery

Telephone number 01322-441292 E-mail www.abcnurseries.com Registered person Doreen Muraille Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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Fox House Day Nursery

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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Fox House Day Nursery has been registered since 1993. It is part of the privately owned ABC Nursery Group. The nursery operates from operates from a self contained building on the edge of a school playing field. It is situated in Upper Belvedere in the London Borough of Bexley. A maximum of 30 children may attend

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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 at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 for 50 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 25 children aged from 12 months to five years on roll; of these, six children receive funding for early education. There are a number of children who speak English as an additional language attending the nursery. The nursery employs nine members of staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications and two have experience.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. The nursery have suitable hygiene procedures; which are mostly followed by staff although some routines are not consistently used. Staff preparing meals and snacks have food hygiene certificates. Pre-school children and toddlers go to the bathroom as part of the daily routine to wash hands before lunch. Staff clean up after meals and snacks and tables are wiped with anti-bacterial spray. There is a suitable policy for the exclusion of sick children and medication records are kept and shared with parents. Children are provided with balanced, healthy meals and snacks and have drinks available throughout the day. Children's records contain any details of dietary restrictions and alternatives are provided. Children are encouraged to try a range of different foods. Weekly menus are provided which are displayed for parents. Children have a garden for outdoor play where they are able to play with a variety of

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Helping children to be healthy

toys and equipment. Children have opportunities to practise their physical skills they push buggies, ride-on bikes and play running and movement games with staff. Children rest and sleep according to their needs. Babies own individual routines are clearly met and they have their own travel cots to sleep in with individual bedding. The toddlers have mats for sleep with individual bedding. They sleep after lunch and they are allowed to wake in their own time. Children are consistently monitored while they sleep.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The nursery is housed in a self contained building with a main entrance gate which can be bolted. A lower gate gives access to the garden. There is a bell at the main door which is opened by a member of staff who checks ID and asks visitors to sign in. The main door is bolted to prevent any unsupervised access. In the group rooms the children have suitable child sized furniture and clear space for play. The 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 move around safely and children are accompanied to the bathroom. In the baby room there is a safety gate to ensure that even if the room door is open children are secure. Outside the garden has a paved area and an area that has been grassed the children are suitably supervised in the garden. Children have a suitable range of equipment, toys and resources that they have safe access to. In the baby room the age appropriate toys and resources are in boxes on the floor so that children can make choices about what to play with. The staff monitor the children to ensure they play with the toys safely. In the pre-school room resources are in boxes on low shelf units so that children can make independent choices. The toys are safe and suitable the staff check the toys as they are used.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The nursery have a suitable range of safety policies and procedures which are sufficiently well used to support children's safety. Accidents records are appropriate and are clearly shared with parents. Hazardous items and materials are inaccessible to the children. Risks are assessed and steps are taken by the staff team to minimise them. The nursery have a suitable policy and procedure for child protection and the manager has access to the local authority guidelines. New members of staff read the policy but this does not ensure that they are familiar with the procedure.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is inadequate. Children under two years have their own group room and the two to three year olds share the room with the pre-school children. In both rooms the children have age appropriate toys and resources which are freely accessible to them. The daily routine allows children some time for free play and time for snacks, meals and sleep. A range of activities are planned using the Birth to three matters framework but it is not clear how the plans are followed. Whilst the toys and resources available for the children are appropriate for their ages some of the activities offered are unsuitable and too adult directed. The preparation of activities and the fragmented routine means that the levels of interaction the staff have with the children is limited and the direct support children get is insufficient to meet their needs. There are some times during the day when staff have time to sit with children supporting their play but these

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

are very limited. Nursery Education Children behave generally well but they are frustrated by the limits the routine puts on them and the inappropriate level of adult directed activities. Staff use a suitable range of behaviour management strategies with the pre-school children. Children use a sufficient range of spoken language and go independently to the book corner. But the limited interaction with staff means they are not being extended and there is very little provision for children to practise writing skills. The children achieve better with numbers and mathematical concepts; they count very competently and show and understanding of bigger and smaller. The children

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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 take part in some activities that help them learn about the wider world and different spoken languages but again these are limited and there do not seem to be any opportunities for children to gain and understanding of the natural world. Children have a computer in the room and there are tills for playing shops. There is a creative area which children can freely access with collage materials and scissors. There is glue for sticking but the pots are not always filled and again the daily routine prevents the children from exploring and investigating through this medium. Children use their imagination to develop play; in the garden the children play with the dolls and buggies and the bikes. They talk about going to the shops and what they will buy. There is a role play area in the room but children do not always have access to this.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have singing sessions at circle time and there are musical instruments in the room. Teaching and learning is inadequate. The planning shows a range of activities planned using the Early Learning Goals but it is not clear that the plans are effectively put into practice. The daily routine is divided up into so many different sections that it does not allow children the time and space to explore and investigate or develop their play. The staff are energetic and enthusiastic but levels of interaction are limited by the routine that does not allow staff time to engage with the children to support their learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is inadequate. Children take part in some activities that help them gain an understanding of the wider world. At circle time they talk about the flags from different countries and they are learning to say hello and count in different languages. There is a positive image display of people from different ethnic backgrounds and people with different religions. Unfortunately the display is in the corridor and above the heads of the children. There is an equal opportunities policy and staff are positive about treating each child with equal concern. The nursery have a named SENCO and a suitable policy for inclusion. Children are generally well behaved but the daily routines are not conducive to supporting them to gain good skills for self-control. The children are frustrated by not having enough time and space to become involved and interested in the activities. The level of adult directed activities do not allow the children to develop the suitable

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Helping children make a positive contribution

levels of independence or to make choices. Some inappropriate behaviour management strategies are used. Partnership with parents is satisfactory; there is a notice board for parents with a display of policies and procedures. Children's records are shared with parents who sign accident and medication records. For the under two year olds a daily record is kept for each child of what they have eaten, if they sleep and any nappy changes. These are shared with parents each day.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. The daily organisation does not effectively meet the needs of the children. The preparation of activities is not suitably organised and the routine does not allow children to develop play. The children spend to long at some activities and not long enough at others. The staff deployment is not always effectively supporting the children. Staff ratios are suitable and there are a suitable number qualified staff. The nursery are part on a chain and have effective systems for vetting and checking staff. The staff are enthusiastic but are not effectively supported to use their skills to meet the needs of the children. Policies and procedures are in place and mostly suitably used. The children's records are in place and the daily register is well kept, there are suitable medication and accident records. Leadership and management are inadequate. The setting does not have a strong

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Organisation

focus and the organisation in the rooms and deployment of staff does not effectively support the children. The daily routines and the way in which activities are provided are not supporting the children's personal development. The opportunities children have for free play and to develop good levels of independence are limited. There are systems for appraisals, staff meetings are held and records show that staff attend training. However it is not clear that these systems motivate the staff to build effective teams or promote professional development. There are no systems for monitoring and evaluating the curriculum or identifying the settings strengths and weaknesses. The provision does not meet the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The nursery is run by a chain and the registered person has retired and her daughter who has acted as an area manager is now running the chain. The children have individual bedding which is clean and changed regularly and children's cots are clean. Records show that fire drills are carried out frequently and the bathroom floor has been re-painted. The manager is aware that she must ensure that all new staff have a clear understanding of the child protection procedures. A daily programme is planned but is not effectively meeting the needs of the children.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Concerns were raised on 31/01/2005. The concerns related to National Standards 3, 8 and 13. An unannounced visit was made on 07/2/2005 by Ofsted inspectors. The manager of the provision agreed an action to ensure that standard 3 is met The registered provider was served with a Compliance Notice requiring her to meet Standard 8. Additional actions were raised for National Standards 1, 5, 6 & 13. An

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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 additional Compliance Notice was served for National Standard 7. 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 records 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care, the registered person must take the following actions: • ensure that the activities planned and provided for children under two years are appropriate to their age and that staff interact and engage effectively with children to support them to become competent learners and skilful communicators. • develop staff’s awareness and understanding of effective ways to manage children’s behaviour, taking into account their age and stage of development. • review the daily routines to ensure that children's individual learning and emotional well being are effectively met. These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education, the registered person must take the following actions: • ensure that the daily planning allows children time and space to explore and investigate and to develop their play. Increase levels of interaction to ensure children are appropriately challenged and extended. • develop suitable systems for monitoring and evaluating the curriculum to identify the weaknesses in the provision and provide an effective focus on the children's learning and development.

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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 These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice. The Department for Education and Skills and the local authority have been informed.

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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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