Kindergarten Kids Ltd

Kindergarten kids Ltd

Inspection report for early years provision

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Kindergarten kids Ltd

Unique Reference Number EY313721 Inspection date 27 April 2006 Inspector Lesley Theresa Watts

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Kindergarten kids Ltd

Setting Address 102 Albert Street, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 1HT

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Kindergarten kids Ltd

Telephone number 01227 772200 E-mail kindergartenkids@tiscali.co.uk Registered person Kindergarten Kids Ltd Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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Kindergarten kids Ltd

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?

Kindergarten Kids opened in 2002. It is one of three nurseries and one out of school club run by Kindergarten Kids Limited. It operates from a purpose designed building near to the centre of Whitstable. The premises consist of a baby unit, a pre-school unit, out of school club, kitchen/dining area and two outside play areas. The nursery serves the local area. There are currently 60 children under 5 years on roll. This includes 21 funded 3 and

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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 4-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children who have special needs, and children who speak English as an additional language attend. The group opens five days a week all year round. Sessions are from 07.30 to 18.30. There are 7 part time and 11 full time staff working with the children. Of these, 11 members of staff have early years qualifications and 3 staff are currently on training programmes. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children learn about personal hygiene through the daily routine, for example, older children automatically wash their hands before snacks and after using the toilet. Liquid soap and paper towels help minimise the risk of cross infection. The routine in the baby unit varies from the nursery unit, and babies are not afforded the same consistent routine, for example, although babies’ hands are cleaned before and after eating meals, their hands are not cleaned after nappy changing, helping them to learn from an early age the importance of good personal hygiene. Staff endeavour to sustain good levels of hygiene through the daily routine, for example, they wear gloves for nappy changing and frequently clean tables with anti-bacterial spray. However, systems for ensuring toys and equipment are clean are not yet consistently implemented. As a result, some toys are dusty and outdoor resources are weathered

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Helping children to be healthy

and dirty. Most staff have up-to-date first aid training and there are easily accessible first aid boxes available in each room, which are checked and replenished regularly. However, staff working in the baby unit are insecure about how to administer emergency procedures to babies and very young children, as a result, babies’ safety is potentially compromised. Sleeping arrangements for younger children do not consistently take account of individual routines, for example, most children are encouraged to sleep after lunch and sleeping arrangements for babies do not consistently meet the recommendations for sleeping babies. In addition, some children under the age of 2 years sleep on cushions on the floor and nursery children are encouraged to share a blanket and sleep together on one large mat. As a result, children’s good health, safety and hygiene is compromised. There is a clear medication policy, generally well maintained accident and medication

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Helping children to be healthy

records and parent's permission to seek emergency medical advice or treatment. This helps staff act in the best interest of a child should they require medical attention. Snack times at nursery are generally good. Children enjoy a range of healthy snacks which include fresh fruit, bread sticks, dried fruit and drinks of milk or water. Children are able to help serve themselves to the snack provided and they are encouraged to pour their own drinks. Easily accessible jug and beakers enable the children to access fresh drinking water during the session. As a result, children are learning the

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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 importance of keeping their bodies hydrated. However, children in the baby unit are not able to access their drinking vessels independently and some snacks are served without plates, for example, toast at breakfast time and crudities at lunch time. Children benefit from a cooked meal at nursery, and the proprietor demonstrates a strong commitment to providing children with a balanced and nutritious diet. Lunch time for older children is a relaxed and enjoyable occasion, where they can serve themselves and indulge in some social conversation. However, lunch time for babies does not consistently take account of individual routines and on occasions, babies become upset because they are hungry. In addition, procedures for monitoring the temperature of babies’ feeds are unhygienic.

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Helping children to be healthy

Details are obtained about children's dietary requirements so that staff can provide appropriate food for the children, including details of allergies and preferences. However, this information does not extend to details of symptoms relating to allergies, enabling staff to act promptly in the event of an allergic reaction. As a result, children’s good health and safety is potentially compromised. Physical play is included in the daily routine. Children receive opportunities to play with balls, ride bikes and cars. However, this time is not always carefully prepared or organised to ensure that the children get the most from the activities. In addition, vigorous physical play is infrequent because outdoor play is restricted to a small concrete area that is not organised to ensure activities are physically challenging for all children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The nursery is a welcoming environment for children, parents and visitors because they are greeted upon arrival and staff are friendly in their interactions. The premises are safe and secure and there are effective procedures in place for the arrival and collection of children. As a result, children are unable to leave the premises unsupervised and are only collected by authorised adults. Procedures to ensure toys and equipment are safe and well maintained are satisfactory, because staff check them and remove any resources that pose a hazard to children. However, large equipment that is broken, is stored in the nursery garden where older children play, as a result the area for play is restricted and children are able to access equipment that is no longer suitable for children to use safely. The babies have their own dedicated outdoor play area, which includes safety matting and shelter, enabling

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

outdoor play throughout the year. Although there is a clearly displayed temperature gauge in the baby unit, staff do not know what the maximum or minimum temperature recommended for babies is and there is no system for monitoring the temperature of the sheltered outdoor area of the baby unit. As a result, in hot weather, children’s safety is compromised. The fire evacuation procedure is displayed and fire detection equipment is accessible in all areas of the building. Fire drills are carried out periodically to ensure all children are regularly involved in the emergency evacuation practice. There is a nominated member of staff who takes lead responsibility for child

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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 protection, she has attended relevant training and is knowledgeable in her role. However, overall, staff are insecure in their knowledge and understanding of issues relating to child protection, including the policy relating to allegations made against staff. As a result, children’s safety is compromised.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Babies and children are cared for in groups according to their age. Relationships between staff and children continue to evolve and children generally approach the staff with ease. Praise and encouragement supports children as they develop their self-esteem and confidence. However, the regular moving of staff within the setting means babies are not afforded consistent care from adults with whom they can build relationships. As a result, on occasions, babies and toddlers are left without support and become easily upset. Although most staff sit with the children at their level, they do not ensure the babies are provided with a broad and balanced range of resources that arouse their curiosity and build on their existing skills, for example, access to malleable materials and messy play is not a regular feature of the routine for babies. In addition, toys and resources for babies are generally brightly coloured, plastic toys

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

that do not provide babies with good opportunities to heighten their awareness of their senses, for example, treasure baskets. Many toys are stored out of the reach of babies and toddlers, this impacts on the choices children make, hinders their ability to play freely and does not ensure they are actively involved in activities to support all areas of development and learning. Staff working with the babies complete planning based on the Birth to three matters framework, however, staff are insecure in their knowledge and understanding of how to implement this framework fully, to support the planning for younger children. Assessments and observations are not undertaken regularly and there are no systems in place to ensure developmental records are updated regularly. Consequently, staff are not yet able to identify and monitor children’s development and plan for their next steps in learning. Nursery Education

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage in order to successfully support children as they move along the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. Observations are made on children, however, these are not yet used effectively to inform the planning of activities to ensure all children are sufficiently challenged. In addition, the current system of planning, including that for outdoor play, does not ensure the curriculum covers the breath of the Foundation Stage. Consequently, children are not consistently afforded regular opportunities to participate in activities covering all areas of learning. Children are generally happy, confident and settled. Children are developing appropriate levels of concentration and are able to sit quietly and listen when required. However, on occasions, changes in staffing and poor staff deployment,

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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 Children are beginning to speak openly and confidently in small groups and they receive regular opportunities to sing rhymes. They enjoy looking at books and engage fully in a range of favourite stories. Children receive insufficient opportunities to attempt writing for different purposes, for example, mark making is not easily accessible and children are not encouraged to mark their own work. Children receive good opportunities to recognise their names as they self-register upon arrival and at lunch time as they are organised into appropriate groups. Counting is a regular feature of the setting, for example, children count how many African land snails they have and use number language during singing and outdoor play, this includes recognising the numbers on the parking bays for the cars in the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

garden. However, children receive insufficient opportunities to use simple calculation in the daily routine, for example, the exploration of concepts, such as more or less. Children explore space and shape by taking part in construction activities and completing puzzles. Children have a clear understanding of the routine and are gaining a sense of time, for example, children recall walks into the community and details of what they saw, for example, ‘blossom’ on the trees, in addition, staff talk to the children about what is happening next. Children receive sufficient opportunities to develop their awareness of technology, for example, programmable toys are easily accessible and well used by the children, helping them to develop an understanding of how things work. Children receive opportunities to use a range of tools and materials that promote their small muscle skills, such as paint brushes, threading and scissors. Many activities

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

are spontaneous and organised around children’s interests, for example, children find a large cardboard box and agree this is a boat, staff allow children to take this idea forward by providing materials for the children to paint the boat, sing rhymes such as ‘row row row your boat’ and explore ideas around what they might find on a boat, for example, a pirate. As a result, children become excited and animated in their play. There is an imaginative play area where children can engage in pretend play and use one object to represent another, for example, a child uses magnetic letters and a cake tray to prepare cakes, this activity is extended through the discussion of flavours associated to the colours of the cakes. Children are developing their independence. They pour their own drinks, serve their own breakfast, lunch and snacks, and manage their own toileting needs. Systems to encourage independent self-selection continue to evolve, for example, encouraging

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children to tidy away unused toys and replace them with toys they have independently selected.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are welcomed into the setting, where they arrive happily and are keen to begin their play. All children have allocated key workers, however, the organisation of staff does not ensure both babies and children receive good opportunities to build strong relationships with the adults around them because, not all staff are based in designated rooms and many staff work part time. As a result, children’s individual

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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 needs are not consistently met. There is a small number of resources that promote positive images of culture, ethnicity and disability available to older children, helping them to embrace differences and learn about diversity. However, this is not extended to the baby unit where most of the resources are colourful, plastic, manufactured toys. Older children find out about different festivals as part of planned activities during the year, helping them to learn about different cultures and lifestyles. Children with special needs are welcomed into the nursery to play alongside their peers. The special needs co-ordinator continues to develop her knowledge and understanding of the code of practice and she liaises closely with outside agencies to promote positive outcomes for children. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is

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Helping children make a positive contribution

fostered. Children are generally well behaved and procedures for managing unwanted behaviour generally take account of children’s ages and stages of development. However, staff are not always secure in why some unwanted behaviour occurs, for example, biting. Partnership with parents is satisfactory. Although parents of children who receive nursery education receive information relating to the Foundation Stage curriculum as part of the parents prospectus, they are not consistently informed of their children’s progress. In addition, the nursery has not yet implemented systems for monitoring children’s progress through the stepping stones. As a result, children’s developmental records are not available for parents to see and they are not updated regularly. Most parents of nursery children are aware of their child's key worker and they are aware that the nursery has in place, policies and procedures. However,

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Helping children make a positive contribution

many parents are not familiar with the detail of the policies and most do not know about recent changes in legislation regarding procedures to follow in the event of a complaint. Information relating to the Birth to three matters framework is not yet available to parents, however, daily contact books ensure parents of babies are kept informed of their child’s day at nursery. This level of communication is not extended to children in receipt of funding for nursery education.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides. The provider is able to show that all adults working at the setting have undergone checks to establish their suitability and most of the staff are qualified early years practitioners. The registration certificate is displayed and the attendance register confirms that the provider complies with the conditions of registration. The daily routine is generally well balanced to include quiet time, play time, meal times and physical play. However, individual routines for babies and younger children are not implemented fully, for example, meal times and rest times are organised around the nursery routine, resulting in mass sleep times and meal times. In addition, some staff are expected to cover in different rooms where they are not fully informed of the children’s individual needs and the poor organisation of some activities, leaves

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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 children unsupported. As a result, on occasions, children lose interest, become restless and under-stimulated. Most of the mandatory documentation and consent forms are in place and completed correctly, and policies have been updated to reflect recent changes in legislation. The system of storing records for the safe and efficient management of the setting are good and ensure confidentiality is maintained. Although the setting has a supervisor in post, recruitment and selection procedures are undertaken by the owner of the setting, who takes full responsibility for ensuring systems for the recruitment and selection of new staff are rigorous and robust. Leadership and management of the setting is satisfactory. There has been no systematic or rigorous method for monitoring the quality of the nursery education

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Organisation

provision and evaluating its impact until very recently. As a result, weaknesses were not recognised. Staff continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum. This includes the implementation of new systems for assessing regularly what children know, understand and can do, and using this information effectively when planning activities and evaluating the impact of the nursery education. The manager and supervisor are working closely with other agencies to improve the quality of education provided in the setting, this includes further training for all staff. Systems for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating practice throughout the nursery continue to evolve and the supervisor has started to identify the strengths and weaknesses within the setting, although, systems to instigate changes throughout the nursery are not yet fully established. The current system of planning for nursery

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Organisation

education has recently changed and staff are continuing to develop their knowledge of how to implement it effectively, this includes the use of observations to identify children’s next steps in learning and ensuring this information is used to inform the planning. However, there is currently no system in place to ensure children's development records are kept up-to-date. As a result, gaps in children’s learning are not identified promptly.

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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

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 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): • improve staffs knowledge and understanding of issues relating to the care and well being of babies, taking account of individual routines, dietary needs and the suitability of sleep areas, ensuring they are safe and clean to enable babies and children to sleep comfortably, in line with up to date recommendations for sleeping babies • ensure babies and children are provided with a balanced range of activities that are appropriate to their ages and stages of development, including access to malleable materials and natural resources that stimulate the senses • improve systems for monitoring the temperature of babies food to ensure it is hygienic and make sure that details of symptoms associated to allergies are in place and easily accessible • continue to develop staffs knowledge and understanding of issues relating to

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The quality and standards of the care

child protection and ensure the policy includes information relating to allegations made against staff • improve the organisation of staffing to ensure babies and children receive consistent care that is conducive to their individual needs

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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): • improve the partnership with parents to meet the needs of the children, including details of policies, procedures and information about the educational programme and their children's progress in relation to the stepping-stones towards the early learning goals • ensure that the planning, including that for the outdoors area, covers the breadth of the Foundation Stage curriculum. • establish systems for assessing regularly what children know, understand and can do, and use this when planning activities • improve systems for monitoring the quality of the nursery education provision and evaluating its impact

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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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