Busy Bees St Neots

TreeTops Private Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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TreeTops Private Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY316231 Inspection date 25 May 2006 Inspector Veronica Sharpe

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TreeTops Private Day Nursery

Setting Address 4 Marlborough Road, Colmworth Business Park, Eaton Socon, St. Neots, Cambridgeshire, PE19 8YH Telephone number 01480 476817

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E-mail

Registered person Treetops Nurseries Limited 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

TreeTops Day Nursery was first opened in November 2005 and is registered to accept no more than 93 children aged under five years, of whom no more than 33 may be aged under two years. The nursery is purpose built and accommodates children on two floors. There is an enclosed outdoor play area. It is located on a business park in Eaton Socon, St Neots, Cambridgeshire and mainly caters for families who live in the local area.

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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 Opening times are 07:30 to 18:00 Monday to Friday all year round, with the exception of some public holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 88 children on roll, eight of whom are receiving funded nursery education. The nursery supports a small number of children who have learning difficulties or disabilities. There are nine staff who work directly with the children, over half of these have appropriate early years qualifications, three members of staff are currently working towards a qualification. The nursery is part of a national chain, which is currently working towards Investors in People accreditation.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn the importance of personal hygiene through regular daily routines. Adults provide good role models, washing their own hands and helping children use tissues or paper towels appropriately. However, children do not always benefit from good hygiene practices at snack time. Effective nappy changing procedures ensure children are protected from cross-infection. Children's medical needs are met as parental consents for first aid or the administration of medication are obtained and sufficient staff hold current first aid certificates. Children's safety in the sun is considered, routines take into account hot weather and children are encouraged to wear hats and sun cream. Children learn about space and enjoy physical activity in the garden. A good variety of outdoor resources help children develop their skills as they pedal or push bikes and trikes. They develop their skills as they crawl through the tunnel or go over and

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Helping children to be healthy

under the climbing frame. Children in all areas of the nursery have times for rest as well as active play. Babies in particular benefit from good routines so they eat and sleep according to their individual needs, this ensures they are rested and content. Older children are developing their co-ordination as they learn to use tools successfully, such as scissors, peg boards or hole punches. Children in all areas of the nursery benefit from a healthy diet and are well nourished. Meals are prepared on site and are varied and plentiful. Children's special dietary needs are catered for and parents’ preferences are taken into account, for example vegetarian children are offered a similar meal option, such as vegetarian sausages. Safety at meal times is enhanced as strict guidelines ensure food provided is suitable for the age group, for example, children under two years of age eat only soft fruit, such as strawberries or mashed banana.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children enjoy the spacious and well maintained environment, which is clean and

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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 safe. Staff supervise children carefully to minimise risks both indoors and out. All areas of the nursery are light, bright and cheerfully decorated so parents and other visitors feel welcome. Staff explain danger to children so they understand, for example, why it is unsafe to run inside. Children and adults practise the fire drill frequently so they are confident about the procedures, which helps to protect them in an emergency. Children in most areas of the nursery benefit from a good range of age appropriate toys and equipment, some of which is stored in accessible shelving or containers so they can help themselves easily and safely. The well-kept safety surface in the garden enables children to enjoy their activities in confidence. Accidents and incidents that affect children's safety are recorded appropriately and shared with

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

parents. Children are protected from harm as staff are aware of the child protection procedures and have the necessary skills to identify signs and symptoms.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are developing positive relationships with staff and each other in all areas of the nursery. Most separate happily from their carers and settle into their activities quickly on arrival. Children play together harmoniously and happily involve adults in their play, for example, when playing in the sand and water. Younger children benefit from an appropriate range of practical activities that follow the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework, such as messy play, story time and music sessions. A good range of age appropriate resources are accessible to the children, which enables them to explore and experiment independently and therefore develop their individual skills and interests. Children are happy and confident and explore their environment with enthusiasm. They approach new experiences with eager excitement, such as painting their feet, or enjoying a picnic in the garden.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Babies' well-being is enhanced by the level of communication between staff and parents, which ensures their individual needs are met, for example the flexible settling-in procedures that enable both parents and children to develop their confidence. Routines, including meals, snacks and sleep times follow the babies' routines at home so they are settled and content. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Practitioners are developing their understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and plan an adequate range of activities and experiences that cover the areas of learning. However practitioners do not demonstrate a secure understanding of how children learn. A number of the activities are adult directed and some are unsuitable for the age range and do not take into account children’s individual stage of development. Consequently some of the activities and resources lack challenge and interest and limits children's ability to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

follow their own interests and develop their independence.

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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 Planning is linked to the stepping stones and some evidence is collected to show that children are making satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals. Observations and assessments of children’s attainments are collected regularly and incorporated into the planning. Children take part in some free-play activities with enthusiasm and interest. They concentrate and persevere with tasks that interest them, for example bathing babies in a bowl or hiding shells in the sand. Behaviour is generally good, children play together harmoniously and successfully negotiate the sharing of resources. Children are developing their relationships with adults and each other as they enjoy each other's company and share the activities. Children share books, they ask adults to read their favourites and listen and join in

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

with story time. Some children practise their pre-writing skills, for example, they use paint-brushes skilfully, creating colourful pictures. Children demonstrate an understanding of numbers and calculation, for example, they understand and use 'more' or 'less' when using balancing scales. Children find out about the world around them through topics and activities, such as looking at holidays. Visitors are invited in so children develop their understanding of the local community, such as the town mayor or a member of the police force. A computer and a digital camera stimulates children's interest in technology and taking photographs of themselves and their peers enhances their self esteem. They learn about space as they play in the garden and develop co-ordination and control on the climbing frame or balance beams. A wide range of construction toys helps them build and explore in two and three dimensions in the classroom. Children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

use creative materials such as paint, sand and play-dough freely and independently. Materials such as shaving foam or lentils stimulate their interest and imagination.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children in most areas of the nursery have access to a good range of suitable toys and activities that enable them to make choices and develop their independence. Resources, such as pictures and posters generally reflect the cultural mix of children who attend the nursery, so they feel welcome and valued. Planned activities help children learn about and celebrate cultural differences, such as Divali or Christmas. Children with learning difficulties are made welcome and supported appropriately. Children are well-behaved in all areas of the nursery, younger children in particular benefit from warm and stable relationships with staff and each other and play together harmoniously. Staff have suitable strategies in place to help children understand the rules for good behaviour so they know what is expected of them. The provision fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's individual needs are met as the nursery collects information from parents that enables them to provide appropriate care and attention. Babies and younger children benefit from the flexible settling in procedures that enable children to

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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 develop their relationships with staff prior to admission, ensuring parents are confident their child will be well cared for. Parents receive good information about the nursery and have daily discussions with staff about their child's health and well-being. Open evenings and newsletters ensure parents are informed about changes, events and activities, which improves children's sense of belonging. The partnership with parents and carers of children who receive nursery education is satisfactory. Parents receive information about the Foundation Stage curriculum and have regular opportunities, such as open evenings, to look at their children’s record of achievement. They have some opportunities to add what they know about their child to the assessment records, which contributes to planning children's next steps.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children's safety and well-being are enhanced by sound induction procedures that ensure staff are well-informed about nursery routines and health and safety issues, such as the emergency evacuation plan. Rigorous recruitment procedures ensure staff are suitable and have appropriate skills to work with the children. Sufficient staff have appropriate child care qualifications and areas for professional development have been identified to further improve staff knowledge and understanding of the needs of the children. For example, several staff are waiting to attend the 'Birth to three matters' training. Comprehensive policies and procedures are well-established as part of the daily routines so children benefit from consistent care. All the required documentation is in place, which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

The quality of leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. The managers are committed to further improvements and have identified some of the training needs of the staff. The newly established staff team is supported by the management and is developing necessary skills to improve the quality of children's experiences in the pre-school room. However, the managers and practitioners do not yet take time to reflect on or monitor the practice in the nursery, and particularly the pre-school area, which means they do not always effectively assess the impact of the teaching on the children's learning.

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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

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Complaints since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 can see on request. The complaints log 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 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): • ensure children are provided with suitable utensils, such as plates at snack 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): • improve opportunities for children to choose their own activities and direct their own learning • improve staff knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum • continue to develop systems to monitor and evaluate the quality of care and education.

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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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