Whippersnappers Day NurseryOfsted inspection, 10 Mar 2006

Whippersnappers Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Whippersnappers Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY311608 Inspection date 10 March 2006 Inspector Shirley Ann Jackson

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Whippersnappers Day Nursery

Setting Address 11 Glebe Close, Newent, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL18 1BQ Telephone number 01531 822242

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E-mail

Registered person Whippersnappers Day Nursery Ltd 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?

Whippersnappers Day Nursery opened in 2000 and was taken over by the current owners in 2005. The nursery operates from a single-storey building in a residential area of Newent. Children are cared for in 3 rooms, according to age and stage of development. There is an outdoor play area available. Children attend from the town and surrounding areas. There are currently 42 children on roll. The nursery supports children with special needs. There are no children currently attending who speak

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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 English as an additional language. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 08.00 until 18.00, all year, except for a week at Christmas. Children are cared for by a team of 9 staff. Of these, 5 are qualified to at least level 2 in childcare and 1 is on training to achieve a recognised qualification. The nursery receives support from the Local Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children observe how staff help to prevent the spread of infection by cleaning the tables after meals and mopping up spillages. They begin to understand the importance of good hygiene through well established routines, for example, hand washing. Children's health is supported as staff have clear procedures in place for dealing with accidents as all staff hold current first aid certificates. Staff are aware of the correct procedures to follow when administering medication. Children are offered a healthy and nutritious choice of home cooked meals and snacks in adequate quantities for their needs. Staff take into account the wishes of parents and children's choices to provide nutritious meals that appeal to children and meet their dietary requirements. Babies feeding routines are consistent with those followed at home, ensuring consistency of care. However, older children are not

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Helping children to be healthy

involved in the preparation or serving of snacks. Children develop their social skills through eating snacks and meals together at the table. Children have regular opportunities to play outside where they enjoy fresh air and physical activity. They learn balance and co-ordination as they ride on the wheeled toys. Children take part in activities which develop their hand-eye co-ordination, such as construction straws.

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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 well maintained setting which has good safety and security precautions. This helps to ensure that children cannot leave the premises unsupervised and helps to prevent unauthorised access. A fully enclosed outdoor play area is available for children to use. Children are well settled within their surroundings and older children can safely access some suitable resources. Indoors and outdoors, a satisfactory range of good quality, safe, developmentally appropriate resources are offered. Children learn to take responsibility for keeping themselves safe as they listen to regular reminders about being careful when climbing on the outdoor equipment.

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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 Staff have a clear understanding of possible risks to children's wellbeing and this helps to protect children. Staff have risk assessments in place both indoors and outdoors. They help to keep children safe through their understanding of health and safety requirements. All staff are trained in child protection and are aware of how to put the correct procedures into practise.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children settle well and enjoy their time in the nursery. They take part in a satisfactory range of activities. Babies, cared for in a separate room, are given opportunities to enjoy creative activities, such as, body painting and shaving foam. They are given opportunities to explore and investigate sensory and natural materials. Babies benefit from routines which are consistent with their experiences at home, ensuring consistency of care. Staff working with the younger children are caring and sensitive to their needs. Those who are unsure or unsettled are well supported and given individual attention. However, there is no domestic style furniture to enable staff to comfortably feed babies and for babies to continue their normal life experiences. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff have a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage and use an adequate range of teaching methods. The level of

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

challenge is sufficient for most children and enables them to make sound progress towards the early learning goals given their capability and starting points. Plans show clearly what the learning intention is for each activity. However, plans don't include extensions for older children and simplification for the younger children. Children are keen to learn and engage in a suitable range of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Staff identify children's achievements, and are beginning to use this to inform future planning to help children's learning progress to the next stage. Staff know the children well and use this knowledge to plan activities which interest the children. Children are generally engaged in their play as they select and carry out activities and assume responsibility for personal care. Children are friendly and seek others out to share experiences. They listen to stories with increasing attention and recall.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children join in stories with repeated refrains, anticipating key events and important phrases. Children show an interest in numbers and counting. They enjoy joining in with number rhymes and songs. Some children begin to represent numbers using fingers, for example, using 4 fingers to show 4 eggs during a story. Children gain experiences that encourage them to show an interest in the world in which they live, such as, walking to the nearby lake to look at the ducks. They begin to talk about features of the environment, such as, how a duckling breaks the shell of the egg to come out. Children sing a few simple, familiar songs. They notice what adults do and then do it spontaneously, for example, playing carefully with the "magic balls".

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children settle well into the nursery with effective support from staff. Toddlers and pre-school children benefit from opportunities to mix, this aids their social development. Children have good relationships with staff and with each other. Staff have consistent expectations of behaviour and children are well behaved and polite in response to this. Children's self-esteem is promoted when staff praise their success verbally and with stickers. A suitable range of resources which reflects positive images of the wider community begins to raise children's awareness of diversity. Children with special needs are well supported by staff who are trained and experienced in this area. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered. Partnership with parents is satisfactory. Parents are given a prospectus which outlines the nursery's policies and procedures. There is information on the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Foundation Stage and how the nursery implements this is practice. Information for parents is ongoing through newsletters, a notice board and parents' evenings. Parents are comfortable to come in to the nursery and talk to staff or to raise any concerns which they may have. Children benefit from this two-way sharing of information and this helps them to make good progress in their learning. However, parents are not encouraged to become actively involved in their child's ongoing assessments or their learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children feel at home and at ease within the nursery environment. This means they are confident to initiate some of their own play and learning. The routine and structure of the sessions provide an appropriate balance of play opportunities both indoors and outdoors. The staff team work well together giving children the support and encouragement to play and learn. Staff attend training for their own professional development and to further enhance the care and education the children receive. However, staff times of attendance are not always accurately recorded as they leave the premises to take and collect school children and also when they have lunch breaks. The nursery's documentation is well organised. All legally required records are well maintained and organised. Policies and procedures are clearly written. Leadership and management of the nursery is satisfactory. Staff regularly evaluate

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Organisation

the children's progress and activities offered. This is then used to inform future planning to help to move the children on to the next stage in their learning. Staff work well together as a team to support children's care, learning and play. Annual appraisals of the staff help to identify where individual strengths are, and these are then used effectively. However, evaluation of the setting as a whole is carried out

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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 verbally. The lack of recording means that progress for future development plans can not be seen. Overall, the setting 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 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): • provide domestic style furniture to assist children in developing mobility and to continue normal life experiences • ensure staff times of attendance are accurately recorded at all times

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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): • further develop plans to include differentiation and extend evaluation to show if intended outcomes have been achieved • develop opportunities for parents to be more involved in their children's learning and assessments

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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 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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