Growing Up Green

Growing Up Green

Inspection report for early years provision

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Growing Up Green

Unique Reference Number EY314344 Inspection date 27 March 2006 Inspector Lisa Toole

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Growing Up Green

Setting Address 138 Beaconsfield Villas, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6HQ

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Growing Up Green

Telephone number 01273 551333 E-mail enquiries@growingupgreen.co.uk Registered person Clare Crosby-Adams & Adrienne Blackwell Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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Growing Up Green

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 outstanding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Growing up Green opened in 2005. It operates from several rooms in a converted premises in Brighton, East Sussex. There is access to outside play areas. A maximum of 55 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 18.30 hours all year round. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 96 children aged from 0 to under 5 years on roll. Of these 9

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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 receive funding for nursery education. The group supports children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 15 staff. 10 of the staff, including the managers hold appropriate early years childcare qualifications. 5 staff are working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Staff use a wide range of effective and thorough routines to safeguard the children's health and well-being. They care well for the children in the day-to-day procedures, such as nappy changing or feeding, and they consistently follow good hygiene practices. Children themselves are becoming independent at washing their hands, learning that they do so to get rid of germs. Children settle quickly and easily to sleep as staff close the curtains and sit with them, rubbing their backs or cuddling them. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that they are aware of each child's individual care needs. The babies' routines are consistently followed from home regarding feeds and sleeps so that they have continuity of care. Each baby's key worker undertakes their nappy changes and sits comfortably feeding them, which helps establish and build close relationships where the baby is settled and secure while at

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Helping children to be healthy

nursery. Staff ensure that children are well cared for should they be taken ill or have an accident although the accident and medication records are not accurately maintained. The children, throughout the nursery, enjoy a good range of nutritious, organic wholesome food that is freshly prepared on site. Meal times are sociable events and children benefit from eating in small groups. Older children take an active role in serving themselves at lunchtime and also participate in a snack shop system where they can choose when they have their snack. This encourages their independence and allows them to make important choices for themselves. Children have access to regular drinks and water is available at all times. Staff are vigilant about dietary needs and there are comprehensive systems in place to ensure that all staff are aware of any allergies or food intolerance. Children take part in frequent exercise and physical play during the day. The

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Helping children to be healthy

pre-school children have free access to the garden and so can decide for themselves when they go out and the divided areas in the garden provide them with good opportunities to engage in a wide variety of activities - painting, water play, digging in soil and practising their ball skills. Younger children also have daily opportunities to go outside in the garden and enjoy exploring, riding tricycles, playing in the wooden boat or simply running or crawling around having fun with their friends.

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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 Children are provided with a vibrant, warm and welcoming environment which is very clean and safe. All areas of the nursery are child friendly and very well organised so that children are able to play, learn, rest and eat in a spacious and appropriate environment for their particular age group. All areas of the nursery have been enhanced with wonderful displays of children's work, photographs of them engaged in activities and posters of the world around them to support their learning. The rooms have been utilised to maximise the play opportunities for children; including messy art and craft areas, mark making and maths areas in the pre-school rooms and excellent soft seating areas for children to rest and relax while enjoying a chat or a story. Children have access to an extensive range of high quality, stimulating toys and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

resources. They have been organised so they are easily accessible to the children, enabling them to make their own decisions about what they do and play with. Staff use the equipment in interesting, innovative ways, for example, using corn flour gloop with the marble run so the children can experiment and have very messy fun as they try to run marbles through it. Toys are very clean and regularly maintained to ensure they are suitable for the children's use. Children's safety and welfare is treated as paramount. Risks of accidental injury have been minimised due to the staff's vigilance, safe storage of hazardous items and the use of detailed risk assessments to reduce any potential hazards. The premises are maintained securely and there are effective systems in place for the alternative collection of children to ensure they are only collected by authorised persons. Children learn about their own personal safety through discussion and with gentle

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

reminders such as sitting rather than standing on a chair and taking care as they swing a racket in the garden. Children are very well protected by staff who have a secure understanding of child protection. Staff have a very good understanding of the possible signs and symptoms of abuse. They know what action to take if they have concerns about a child in their care which enables them to act in the child’s best interests.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children throughout the nursery are happy, settled and enjoy their play. They have formed secure relationships with all staff and their peers and benefit from playing in a child friendly stimulating environment. They have access to interesting resources to support their play and learning and staff also use every day objects such as cardboard boxes for children to clamber in and out of, using it as an aeroplane and car. The younger children love banging spoons in saucepans and playing with bowls and different containers in water and sand. Children participate in a wide range of interesting, stimulating activities that are well balanced for all ages, across all areas of learning. Staff make good use of Birth to three matters framework to support their curriculum for the younger children and they have a secure knowledge and understanding of how to plan a diverse range of play and learning experiences. Activities such as jelly play, foot painting, potato printing

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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 used to introduce the babies to messy play, which they thoroughly enjoy. Staff mimic sounds they vocalise in their early communication development. Children are given lots of choices about what they do and play with. Staff plan activities directly from observations, which indicate what the children enjoy doing and playing with. The children particularly enjoyed a book called a squash and a squeeze; staff then organised activities linked to the book, including all squeezing into the role play house. Nursery Education: The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Children are making excellent progress in their learning towards the early learning goals. They are confident, enthusiastic children who are motivated and who relish new challenges. Staff have a very good knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

able to confidently explain what they want the children to gain from different activities and experiences, based on the six areas of learning and stepping stones. Right from the start, staff find out about each child's skills and stage of development, as an initial assessment is made. Staff then use this information effectively to build on what the child knows, likes to do and enjoys. Staff plan and provide topics which are stimulating, thought provoking and inspire children to learn. As part of their topic about the story of the gingerbread man, children constructed bridges for him to cross and had to think for themselves and solve the problem of what to do when the bridge wasn't wide enough. Staff effectively question and support children's thought processes so that they persevere and don't get frustrated and give up. Staff act as positive role models, offering vast amounts of praise and encouragement, while also

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

using group discussions to reinforce messages about behavioural expectations. Children speak very confidently to both their peers and adults in the nursery. They talk openly during circle time and express their thoughts and views well, using good vocabulary. The children use marks readily to represent their ideas and many are adept at writing their name and other letters of the alphabet. Group activities using phonics and tracing letters in the air or in sand, help children develop their mark making skills appropriately. Children's number skills are good and they have access to good quality tools and resources to support their knowledge and understanding of shapes, measure and weight. Purposeful activities such as planting seeds, watching them grow and then measuring them help children learn through valuable real life experiences. The children also benefit from weekly yoga and French, which helps both their physical development and understanding of other cultures. Exciting

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

activities such as taping themselves singing support children's developing understanding of technology, along with regular opportunities to use a computer.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children and their families are welcomed, treated with respect and made to feel a part of the nursery. Children participate in self-registration by putting their named photo cards on their room's door. During a group time the toddlers were asked to point out which was their photo and to put it back on the board. The children

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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 positively beamed as they recognised their faces on the photographs and this helps reinforce their positive feeling of belonging in the nursery. Equality of opportunity is actively promoted in the nursery. Staff use makaton signing in their every day practice; they use visual timetables to clearly explain to the younger children in particular, what will be happening during the day. The effective key worker system ensures that each child's individual needs are fully understood right from the start as staff spend time going through the welcome pack with each parent, finding out about their child's needs, health issues, fears and likes. Children learn about the world around them through a range of interesting activities and have access to a comprehensive range of resources that reflect ethnicity and diversity in a positive

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Helping children make a positive contribution

way. Although there are currently no children attending the nursery with special educational needs, there are thorough support systems in place and the special needs co-ordinators are experienced and have a good understanding of their roles. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children's behaviour is good. Staff act as positive role models and offer good support to children as they learn right from wrong and how to have good manners. Behaviour strategies are appropriately adapted to the child's age and level of understanding, with simple tactics such as distraction with the youngest children, along with clear messages of what is expected. The older children sit together and discuss behaviour expectations, talking about how they should treat each other and making books with their words and pictures that they have done following the discussions. Staff offer children great encouragement and praise, use a kindness tree and stickers to reward

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Helping children make a positive contribution

positive behaviour. The partnership with parents is outstanding. Parents' views are sought through questionnaires and informal chats. Parents are encouraged to feel welcome and fully involved in their child's learning. Developmental records are maintained on the children and these are available to parents to view at any time. Consultation evenings are also organised to ensure that time is made available for a more formal chat about their child's progress and happiness at nursery. Parents receive regular, informative newsletters, have communication books and there is detailed curriculum information displayed throughout the nursery. Staff are also developing two large wall displays regarding the Foundation Stage curriculum and Birth to Three matters to provide more accessible, user friendly information to parents. In discussion with parents, they comment that they are very happy with the care their children receive.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The leadership and management of the nursery is outstanding. Children's care is greatly enhanced by the high quality management and staffing in the nursery. The nursery environment is very well organised to maximise children's play and learning opportunities both in and outdoors. Staff work very well as a team and the keyworker system in place ensures consistency of care for all children. They show dedication and a real commitment to enhancing the children's play and learning opportunities and their knowledge and understanding of both the Foundation Stage Curriculum and Birth to three Matters is very good. Staff treat the children respectfully, acknowledge

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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 that they have their own likes and needs and the curriculum positively reflects this. The curriculum is monitored and evaluated to ensure that it is suitable and appropriate for the children attending. All of the required documentation which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being is in place and is accurately maintained, with the exception of the accident and medication records, which lack some parents' countersignatures and some entries lack detail. There is a comprehensive range of written policies and procedures in place. The recruitment procedures are thorough and ensure that there are effective systems in place to safeguard children's welfare. There is a good percentage of qualified, experienced staff and the required ratios are maintained at all times.

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Organisation

The nursery meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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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 outstanding.

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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 the accident and medication records are accurately maintained at all times.

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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 No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of nursery education are outstanding.

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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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