Children 1st @ St. Peter & St. Pauls

Children 1st @ Breedon House

Inspection report for early years provision

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Children 1st @ Breedon House

Unique Reference Number EY310355 Inspection date 05 April 2006 Inspector Karen Ann Byfleet

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Children 1st @ Breedon House

Setting Address St. Peter & St. Paul School, Brambling House, Hady Hill, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S41 0EF Telephone number 0115 9732600 E-mail children1st@breedonhouse.co.uk Registered person Children 1st @ Breedon House Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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Children 1st @ Breedon House

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?

Children 1st @ Breedon House - St Peter & St Paul, was registered in September 2005. the nursery is located close to the town centre of Chesterfield. It is open all year round from 08:00 to 18:00 and provides full day care and holiday care for children under eight years. There are currently 63 children on roll and of these 36 are in receipt of funded education. Effective systems are in place to provide care for children with special needs and those who have English as an additional language.

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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 Eleven staff are employed at the setting and 7 hold relevant early years childcare qualifications with 2 staff working towards one. The nursery supports students on training from the local college and they receive support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health is well maintained. Through daily routines, young toddlers are developing a very good understanding of hygiene procedures such as, hand washing before they eat and after using the toilet. Older children also follow good hygiene procedures although, this is not consistent. They serve themselves from the continual snack bar but have no hand washing facilities available to them in this area. Health and hygiene policies are all in place and staff are pro-active in following procedures to ensure children are well cared for and that they are protected from illness and infection. Through both indoor and outdoor activities, children enjoy a good range of physical activities. They use climbing and balancing equipment to enhance their development and through weekly dance classes, older children are developing a good understanding of the effects exercise has on their bodies. Babies and toddlers enjoy

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Helping children to be healthy

the fresh air through playing outdoors on suitable equipment and some babies are put outside in prams to sleep. Staff are very pro-active in monitoring the sleeping babies to ensure they are safe. Children enjoy a good range of healthy foods through a variety of snacks and lunches. They are provided with a balanced diet which contributes to their health. Regular drinks are provided throughout the day and older children are able to help themselves to fresh drinking water. Staff are informed by parents of any special dietary needs and requirements and are pro-active in ensuring these needs are met. Children enjoy their snacks and meals, which are attractively presented.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children have a very good awareness of safety issues. They move around the bright, welcoming environment in safety and comfort, picking up toys from the floor and sweeping up the sand. Through effective procedures which are in place, children understand the settings emergency evacuation plan. Staff ensure children's safety through regular risk assessments of the premises and resources. Written permission is obtained from parents for staff to take the children out on visits. For example, they make visits to the local supermarket to purchase items for baking activities. Babies and toddlers are kept safe as the area is separated with a partition, enabling them to see each other but providing safe space for them to move around. Children's safety is well maintained within the building. The main doors are kept locked and all visitors are required to report to the reception area to sign in and out of

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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 the building. Children's welfare is further enhanced by the staff's excellent knowledge and understanding of the setting's child protection policy. They are fully aware of the local children Safeguarding Board and have attended training in this area.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children under three years enjoy an extensive range of activities which they are able to freely access. They experience activities which contribute to their creativity, such as, listening to music, singing, painting and imaginative play. Staff implement the 'Birth to three matters' framework excellently, ensuring they assess children's development and progress. They actively use the observations and assessments they make to ensure children's individual needs are met. Children are confident and can play well on their own or with others. Staff offer praise and encouragement to children and sensitively support them in resolving issues such as sharing toys, helping them to develop their social skills and play harmoniously. Babies and toddlers are inquisitive and enjoy exploring. For example, with posting boxes, musical toys, paint and play gyms. Circle time for toddlers, encourages them to sit for short periods

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

of time and to listen, developing their concentration and attention levels. Nursery Education Children are making excellent progress towards the early learning goals. They show great interest in and enjoy the extensive range of toys, resources and activities which staff carefully plan and provide. Children play well together, forming strong friendships with their peers and having good relationships with the staff caring for them. They independently access the toys and activities, both on the floor and table tops. Children use their imagination well, for example, in the role play area. They are eager and confident to try new experiences such as learning about and touching the insects and reptiles which are brought along by 'Zoo Lab'. Children recognise and can write their own name. Older children recognise other children's name and sound out letters. They have many opportunities to practise writing and mark making skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

For example, writing for a purpose in the role play area, filling in order forms and receipts. Children enjoy looking at books and have respect for them, turning pages appropriately. They turn pages one at a time and from left to right and are able to re-tell familiar stories to each other. They enjoy listening to stories read by staff both individually and in groups and also through headsets when listening to tape stories. Through planned topics, children are learning about the world around them and the local environment, such as, different countries and cultures, visits within the local community and the four seasons. Children use mathematical language well when weighing and measuring. They use scales to weigh when doing baking activities. They talk about the Easter eggs they are making from paper mache, using very good calculation skills as they talk about how much paper they need to cover their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

balloons. The children have very good opportunities to operate programmable toys and equipment. They confidently access the computer and independently operate the tape machine and head sets. The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Staff have superb knowledge 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 understanding of the foundation stage. They plan very effective activities which are stimulating and challenging for the children, helping them to make excellent progress through the stepping stones. Planning is done to a very high standard and clearly highlights the learning objectives for activities and shows differentiation for the children. Staff are enthusiastic in their approach, using very good questioning techniques to encourage children to think. They interact well in children's play, getting involved to ensure children understand what is required and that they are challenged appropriately to increase their learning. A sound key worker system is in place. Staff make written observations of the children and use these to complete assessments and inform them of where children are in their learning and what the next stage is.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff ensure planning is sited where parents can see it and through home activities they clearly explain the intended learning of focused activities and how parents can extend their children's learning at home with ideas for activities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children are respected as individuals and their ideas and choices are valued. They are very well behaved, share and take turns and in response to the good role models of the staff they are polite to each other and visitors. All children are included in the extensive range of activities which staff plan and adapt to suit the individual needs of the children. With a consistent approach to behaviour management, staff deal with any inappropriate behaviour in a calm, fair manner to which children respond in a positive way. Babies enjoy each others company, watching each other play and the toddlers are beginning to form friendships with their peers. Older children have established friendships and seek out their friends to join in activities and share experiences. Equipment and resources meet the needs of individual children and some are

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Helping children make a positive contribution

representative of other cultures. International festivals are celebrated, beginning to raise children's awareness of the wider world. Children's work is attractively displayed around the setting, contributing to raising their self esteem. The partnership with parents and carers is outstanding. They are made to feel very welcome in all areas of the nursery. Staff greet them in a friendly professional manner and exchange information on a daily basis. A detailed information booklet about the provision is given to all parents and includes information such as, opening times, staff qualifications and statements relating to the six areas of learning and the 'Birth to three matters' framework. Parents of babies and toddlers are provided with daily diaries, which give information on such things as, nappy changes, food intakes and sleep times. Through the key worker system, all staff meet regularly with all parents to discuss individual children's development and progress. Parents of the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

three and four year olds are given suggestions of activities to do at home in order to extend children's learning. Parents are very happy with the provision, they highlight their delight with the friendly, professional, approachable staff and how the liaison with themselves ensures continuity of care and a smooth transition through the setting for their 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

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are very relaxed and self-motivated in a well-organised and inspiring environment. They are extremely confident to initiate and progress their own play, relishing their time in the group. The setting has meticulous systems in place to support their working practices and promote the children’s care and well-being. However, children's understanding of good hygiene practice is hindered due to the lack of hand washing facilities as children serve themselves snacks from the continual snack bar. Very comprehensive policies support consistent and professional practice. Staff share and receive information with parents regularly, maintaining excellent records in a professional and systematic manner to ensure they are up to date. All relevant documentation is in place and supports the very high quality practice. A copy of the complaints procedure from Ofsted is displayed for

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Organisation

parents. Leadership and management of the provision is outstanding. The manager is very pro-active in her approach. She works alongside the established staff team who are deployed very well to ensure children are well supported. Comprehensive and flexible planning systems allow children to make extensive choices. Staff are highly skilled at adapting plans to effectively support and guide children to extend their play and learning. Annual appraisals for all staff ensure they maintain and update their professional skills and attitudes through training. Overall the provision 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 AND 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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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 children are able to follow hygiene procedures fully, with regard to hand washing before accessing the snack bar.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

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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