Partou Safehands Day Nursery & Pre-SchoolOfsted inspection, 15 Aug 2005

Safehands Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Safehands Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY278443 Inspection date 15 August 2005 Inspector Dawn Bonica Brown

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Safehands Day Nursery

Setting Address Abbotsford House, 15 Kent Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 2LH Telephone number 01423 52 55 44 E-mail F.KINNEAR@BTINTERNET.COM Registered person Safehands Day Nursery Ltd Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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Safehands Day Nursery

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?

Safehands Day Nursery opened in 2004. It operates from a converted detached house on the outskirts of Harrogate. The ground floor of the house is split into five playrooms and is used by children from birth to 3 years. This is supported by a separate sleep room. The first floor is used by the pre-school children and comprises four rooms allocated for their use and a physical play room which is accessed by all children. All children share access to an outdoor play area. The nursery serves the

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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 local area and wider community. A maximum of 70 children may attend the nursery at any one time. It is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.30 all year round. There are currently 139 children on roll. Of these, 21 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery employs 12 staff. This includes eight staff, as well as the manager, with appropriate early years qualifications. There are three members of staff working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are well nourished; they eat a balanced diet of freshly prepared food. Children of all ages enjoy their food and look forward to meal times. They like fresh vegetables and fruit and older children learn about foods that are good to eat. Children with special dietary needs, or those who have allergies, are very well supported because staff are vigilant about monitoring the food that children eat. Children of all ages make good physical progress; they enjoy a balanced range of physical exercise indoors and in the garden. Older children are taken on regular walks in the local area in small groups so that they enjoy a varied environment. The Birth to three matters framework is well implemented so that babies and toddlers make good physical progress. Babies crawl and move about using plenty of space. They sleep in the fresh air whenever the weather is appropriate and staff ensure that

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Helping children to be healthy

babies follow their regular sleep patterns so that disruption of their routine is minimised. Children's health is well maintained. They follow good hygiene routines; older children understand the need for regular hand washing and personal cleanliness. Babies enjoy positive attention when their nappies are changed so that they develop firm attachments with staff and staff follow good nappy changing procedures reliably to prevent cross infection. Children who are ill are very well cared for; parents are kept fully informed if their children appear to be unsettled and they are and consulted about their children's specific needs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from excellent systems to ensure their safety at all times. For example, good organisation of space and furniture ensures that they play in safety in a warm, welcoming environment. Babies practise newly learned physical skills in plenty of space that is well managed to minimise accidental bumps. The premises are clean and well maintained and all children use excellent toilet facilities. They play with toys that are of a high quality, age appropriate and suitable for their purpose. Young children benefit from good implementation of the Birth to three matters framework. Their toys and activities are stimulating so that babies and young children

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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 are well motivated to take the next steps in their development. Older children are aware of how to maintain their own safety. For example, 4-year-old children readily explain the correct safety procedures if the fire alarm sounds. Children are well protected from accidental injury because robust risk assessments are used to reduce potential hazards. Sleeping children are well supervised and children are kept safe from unwelcome visitors by rigorous security measures. Children are well protected from abuse, by staff who have a secure understanding of child protection procedures in line with the local Area Child Protection Committee procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy themselves in the nursery and are well supported to achieve their individual goals. For example, babies receive plenty of individual attention to reach the next stage in their development such as rolling, crawling and walking. They play with toys that engage their curiosity and encourage them to pull, poke, press and turn objects. They pull themselves up on sturdy equipment and learn to recognise their own faces as they look at themselves in securely mounted wall mirrors. Toddlers are eager to try out new skills and learn to walk and run in plenty of space so that these skills are fun to practise. Young children are well supported through the Birth to three matters framework, which is successfully implemented so that children aged 2 and 3 years demonstrate high confidence. They select toys for themselves, organise their own activities such as simple construction and play alongside each other contentedly.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

However, some of the resources for creative activities, such as gluing and sticking are limited to one glue pot per table. This hinders young children's progress towards independence. All children, including the older babies, enjoy sensory experiences such as finger painting. Nursery Education The quality of teaching is good. Pre-school children learn through hands-on experiences and are fully involved in the activities provided. They benefit from perceptive staff who monitor their achievements and plan activities well. This helps children to select toys and games from a wide range of high quality resources that support their development across all areas of learning. Children are well motivated to learn. They are self assured and confidently talk about their experiences in the past. They eagerly anticipate future events such as birthdays and starting school. Children aged 4 years see the start of school as a positive experience because of the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

sensitive introduction to the subject by staff. Children are good at making themselves understood. Most children participate in circle time and confidently talk about the things that are of interest to them. They take turns at talking and, with positive encouragement from the staff, listen to each other's news patiently. Children concentrate well to follow board games to a conclusion. They enjoy listening to music and singing along to nursery rhymes. Many children are skilled at writing their own names and all children express themselves creatively in a variety of

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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 imaginative ways such as creating three-dimensional objects, experimental artwork and role play. Children co-operate well with each other to achieve common goals, such as at the computer to complete a game. They are confident at counting and do this often in their every day routines. However, few opportunities are provided for the more able children to extend their mathematical vocabulary and problem solving skills through their every-day experiences. Children's physical skills are well developed as they are successfully challenged to improve their balance and co-ordination with well planned activities such as dancing to music and lots of exercise in the fresh air.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are well settled and have good relationships with each other and with staff. All children are treated with respect and they are confident, self assured and polite. Their individual needs are well met because their home environment is valued; children are encouraged to learn about each other's cultures and parents are successfully involved in the setting. Children are developing a good awareness of right and wrong and respond well to gentle reminders about the rules. Their behaviour is very good. Staff use resources well to help children to value each other. For example, at circle time children use a squirrel puppet to identify the speaker and to give children confidence at speaking. Children learn about the world around them through well planned activities such as outings to local places of interest, visitors to the nursery and productive partnerships with parents so that their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well

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Helping children make a positive contribution

fostered. Partnership with parents is very good and makes a significant contribution to children's development. Parents are welcomed into the setting and are fully involved in their children's progress with good two-way communication between staff and parents.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children thrive in a well organised, safe environment so that the provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend. They are cared for by well trained and motivated staff who promote their well being with equal care and concern for all children. The organisation of space and deployment of staff is very good, so that all children play safely and freely with sufficient staff to help them feel secure and confident. Children benefit from good policies and procedures that are well implemented to ensure that their welfare is fostered successfully. For example, the full range of

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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 policies is shared effectively so that parents are aware of how the setting operates and who to contact with their concerns. Documentation regarding the children's health and safety is rigorously maintained. Leadership and management is very good. Staff motivation and commitment is high because they are valued and successfully encouraged to develop their child care skills. For example, nearly all the staff are qualified and most are qualified to a high level. This is reflected in the good quality of care that children receive and their high levels of confidence, self esteem and achievement.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Children's access to fresh drinking water has improved with the introduction of a high quality drinks dispenser so that children help themselves to drinks independently whenever they are thirsty. The setting has improved the quality of access to information for parents by prominently displaying the Ofsted contact details.

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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): • promote young children's independence by increasing the level of resources provided for their creative activities.

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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):

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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 • increase staff's knowledge of how to use everyday activities and routines to provide greater challenges in problem solving for the more able children.

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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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