Putteridge Community Nursery

Putteridge Community Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Putteridge Community Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY312393 Inspection date 29 March 2006 Inspector Susan Marriott

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Putteridge Community Nursery

Setting Address c/o Putteridge Junior School, Putteridge Road, Luton, Beds, LU2 8HJ

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E-mail

Registered person Putteridge Pre-School 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 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?

Putteridge Community Nursery opened in September 2005 on its present site. The setting is located in a mobile classroom unit within the grounds of Putteridge Junior and Infant Schools in the Stopsley district of Luton. There is a separate baby room and a safely enclosed garden for outdoor play. It is a full day care setting which is managed by a committee of parents. The committee work together with a team of trained staff who are responsible for the day to day running of the group led by a

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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 supernumery childcare manager. The nursery serves the needs of parents in the local suburban area. The nursery is registered to provide care for a maximum of 28 children aged from birth to under 5 years. This includes a maximum of 6 places for babies under 2 years. Full day care is available from 08.00 to 18.00. Morning sessions are available from 09.15 to 11.45 and afternoon sessions are available from 12.45 to 15.15. A lunch club runs from 11.45 to 12.45. There are 63 children on roll altogether and of these, 35 children receive funding for nursery education. Provision is made for children with special educational needs. There are currently no children attending for whom English is an additional language. All 9 staff members hold qualifications to level 3. The setting is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance and receives support

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

from various advisors from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children stay healthy because staff follow effective health and hygiene policies and procedures. Sick children are excluded from the provision to minimise the spread of infection and the premises are maintained in a properly clean state. Tables are regularly sprayed with anti-bacterial spray and chopping boards and cloths are colour coded to prevent cross contamination. Children receive appropriate treatment in a medical emergency because all staff hold suitable first aid qualifications and the first aid box is accessible, very well stocked and contents checked regularly. Staff record accidents and mostly include the relevant details, although accidents are not monitored as part of the risk assessment process. Children do not always wash their hands before snack time but staff do remind children to wash their hands after visiting the toilet. Children do not therefore always learn about germs through the daily

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Helping children to be healthy

routines because staff do not remember to promote discussion about the reasons for hand washing.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from a healthy diet where all snacks are nutritious and prepared on site. Snack time is being used to good effect as a learning time for children, promoting literacy, numeracy, social skills and independence. Children discuss with staff whether cheese and crackers are good for you. Snacks include a healthy range of fruit and vegetables and children have the choice of milk or water, which they mostly pour themselves. Children do not become thirsty whilst playing because they can ask for a drink at any time. Children bring a packed lunch from home and the setting provides information and support to parents about healthy options. However, staff do not currently monitor the temperature of the fridge to ensure that food is being stored at the correct temperature. All the children enjoy daily indoor and outdoor activities, which enables them to develop control of their bodies and improve their physical skills through a generally

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Helping children to be healthy

appropriate level of challenge. For example, plans show that children enjoy blowing

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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 bubbles, playing with streamers and using the foot shaped stepping stones for balancing. Staff organise pancake races and egg and spoon races which promote the development of children’s hand-eye coordination. All children have access to age appropriate wheeled toys and small equipment but there are no climbing facilities at the moment. Children enjoy practising their skills through a free play session with a wide range of small apparatus including bats and balls, ropes and quoits.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Staff give sensible priority to the security of the premises and the supervision of the children. They point out the evacuation procedure to visitors on arrival, showing they have regard for the safety of visitors to the premises. Staff record fire evacuation procedures and carry out drills with suitable frequency to ensure the safety of the children. Staff monitor visitors to the setting but the record of visitors does not provide space for recording the actual purpose of the visit to the premises. Relevant risk assessments are completed on a daily basis and staff complete an annual evaluation on the occasion of insurance renewal. They do not currently monitor the record of accidents and link this to risk assessment. Children are warmly welcomed and well cared for in a pleasant, suitably safe and secure indoor and outdoor environment. The setting uses space creatively and areas

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

are set aside for dedicated activities. Equipment and resources are safely stored and cleaned regularly. Toys are well organised in plastic boxes, labelled and stacked on wooden shelving units which enable children and babies to have easy, independent access to a wide range of quality resources which promote their care, learning and play. The staff put up posters and pictures to make the room attractive for children and set out the equipment enticingly before the children arrive. Children's welfare is safeguarded because they are protected by informed adults who understand current child protection policies and procedures. The responsible person for child protection in the setting has received suitable training in this field.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are making good progress in learning, leisure and personal development because practitioners are confident, enthusiastic and highly skilled in their childcare practice. Children actively participate in purposeful activities and clearly enjoy the harmonious atmosphere. They become confident, independent learners as they freely access the pre-selected resources set out for them. Staff provide positive role models for children and give sensitive support to all children. Children are happy, settle quickly and relate well to other children and staff. Practitioners encourage and build children's vocabulary through constant praise and recognition as they support play. Staff adapt their questioning to reflect each child's stage of development. This helps them meet the needs of all children. Staff have implemented the 'Birth to three matters' framework and use this to underpin the foundations of the educational

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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 Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Practitioners have a competent knowledge of the Foundation Stage and deliver a solid programme of play based activities which provide an overall balance across all six areas of learning. Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals given their ages and starting points. Children generally display high levels of involvement and gain a sense of achievement, self confidence and self-esteem through self chosen activities. However, some of the older and more able children lose interest in the activities more quickly, and are dependent upon the skilful intervention of an adult to re direct their learning appropriately. This is due to the plans being mainly aimed at the yellow stepping stones and not providing sufficient extension to stretch those who are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

already working on the blue and green stepping stones. Staff work together as a very effective and committed team deploying themselves to support children's learning with sensitivity and respect. Snack time is a generally effective learning time for children. Children develop their hand-eye coordination as they pour drinks and hand round the dishes of cubed cheese and the plate of buttered crackers. The children recognise their names on place mat cards and sit at the designated place. Staff use clear and highly skilled teaching techniques which they confidently adapt to suit the various age ranges at this setting. Children enjoy good, trusting relationships with staff who get down to their level and engage in meaningful questioning, conversation and discussion which develops learning through play. Excellent priority is given to the development of children's speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Children learn songs and rhymes and they show

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

developing social skills during circle time. For example, they sing 'Bouncing along on a big red tractor' and take turns to suggest different colour combinations for the tractor such as blue and black or pink and purple. Children learn about numbers, use mathematical language and solve simple problems. For example, they use hands and fingers to represent 'the ladies' as they add the number of adults to the number of children present at registration. They display high levels of imagination and demonstrate their growing knowledge of the world around us as they play in the role play area which is currently set up as the Putteridge Garden Centre. Good emphasis is given to early mark making. For example, children scribble on notepads at the 'checkout tills' within the context of the role play scenario and a wide range of construction toys enables children to build and fix pieces together, improving manual

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

dexterity. The staff team recognise that their planning system is not supporting their teaching in a manageable format. Nevertheless, the potential impact of this weakness on the children is currently minimised by the high quality of practical teaching skills exhibited by the qualified staff team in this provision. The planning system is basic but builds on the Foundation Stage guidance. All staff contribute ideas and are actively involved in planning the topic based programme. However, staff do not yet link their planning to a sufficiently broad range of the stepping stones to address the needs of children who learn at different rates. A few activities therefore lack sufficient challenge for the older and more able child. Assessments are regularly updated by conscientious staff but two different systems are currently being used in parallel and neither provides appropriate information to enable children’s progress to be tracked against the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

stepping stones. Planning is not yet based upon systematic observation of children's

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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 achievement. Therefore, assessment is not yet fully effective in securing children's progression in learning and informing the next steps in the learning programme. The staff know that their planning cycle is not complete. However, taken overall, teaching meets the needs of the children who attend.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children from the local community are warmly welcomed and included in all activities. Children develop their understanding and appreciation of other cultures through simple activities that promote a greater awareness of the wider world. This enables the children to develop a positive attitude to others. Staff provide good role models for children by being calm and polite. Staff praise children freely, ensuring that they develop confidence and self-esteem and understand when they have done well. This positive approach actively fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Children are well behaved in response to the consistent expectations of caring practitioners. Staff develop a very positive partnership with parents to support children’s progress in learning. There is a wealth of information which is easily accessible which includes general care and educational literature. Parents value the openness and honesty of

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Helping children make a positive contribution

staff. This supports the appropriate sharing of information in sensitive situations. Parents are highly complimentary about the level of service provided. Parents are warmly welcomed into the provision and actively participate by serving on the committee and organising fundraising events. An administrator is highly effective in the setting, releasing staff from office tasks to enable them to spend their time with the children. The increased adult to child ratios support children well. Staff and parents share important information about the children who receive nursery education. Parents are able to see their child's records and regularly contribute to them. This two way sharing benefits the child and enhances their learning. This underpins their progress in the pre-school and consequently their ability to fully contribute to the provision. The partnership with parents of children who receive nursery education is good.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The good quality of organisation and leadership and management of the nursery education safeguards and promotes children’s care and welfare. The mature and stable staff team are extremely well qualified and dedicated to the concept of quality childcare and education. They follow children to the activities which engage their interest and provide effective support to draw the learning from play. This promotes highly positive outcomes for children. A loyal committee of parents release the staff from paperwork to give their time and energy to the children. The committed and dedicated staff team ensure that children benefit and enjoy their time at this welcoming provision. Staff demonstrate a real affinity with children; they respect children's feelings, value their comments and clearly enjoy their company.

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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 Documentation is clear and well-organised and planning and assessment systems are evolving to secure and progress children's learning. The nursery meets the needs of all children who attend

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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): • strengthen the risk assessment process to include a regular review of accident records and ensure that all visitors record the purpose of their visit • ensure that children learn about germs through the daily routine and ensure that food is being stored at the correct temperature

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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): • continue to develop the quality of indoor and outdoor activities to stimulate children’s personal, social, and intellectual development • complete the planning cycle and ensure that plans are linked to the stepping stones to provide consistent challenge for the older and more able child. Use the assessment opportunities provided to secure children's progression in

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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 learning and inform the next steps in the learning programme.

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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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