Thurstable School

Parklands Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Parklands Nursery

Unique Reference Number 137241 Inspection date 14 September 2006 Inspector Sue Boylan

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Parklands Nursery

Setting Address Pavilion,, Coney Hall Recreation Ground,Church Drive,Coney Hall, West Wickham, Kent, BR4 9HJ Telephone number 0208 462 0671 E-mail 0208 460 8876 Manager home no Registered person Alison Regester Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care, Out of School care

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Parklands 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 outstanding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Parklands Nursery is a privately owned group which opened in 1996. It is situated within the pavilion of Coney Hall Recreation Grounds, located in a residential area of West Wickham. The premises includes one main and quiet playroom, entrance hall with disabled access, children's bathroom, kitchen, office and staff facilities. There is an enclosed outdoor play area which is accessed directly from the main playroom. A maximum of

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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 30 children may attend at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday during term-time from 08:00 until 16:30, Monday to Thursday and 08:45 until 11:45 on a Friday. Both sessional and full day places are available. Lunch can be added to extend a morning or afternoon session. The group also offer a holiday play-scheme during the school holidays which is open Monday to Friday, 08:30 until 16:30. There are currently 56 children aged from two years to under five years on roll. Of these, 45 children receive funding for nursery education. Children from the local and surrounding areas attend. The nursery supports children who have learning difficulties and who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs eight members of staff, of whom, some work on a part-time

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

basis. All staff have relevant early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a clean, well ventilated environment. They learn about the importance of every day hygiene procedures. They wash their hands thoroughly, usually remembering to use soap and if not, are reminded to by staff. There are good procedures in place to ensure children are not at risk from cross contamination, for example, tables are wiped with anti-bacterial spray and resources cleaned regularly. Just before the start of the summer holidays the nursery shut because of an outbreak of E.Coli in the area. Staff are able to deal well with unexpected situations, following instructions appropriately from other recognised professionals. This protects children's health. Most staff are qualified in first aid which means children will be treated effectively in the event of an accident or minor injury. For example, when falling over in the garden, staff respond quickly to ensure children receive acceptable care and comfort.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are not at risk from cross infection because staff and parents are aware of the sickness policy and children will not be admitted if unwell. Children benefit from the healthy diet provided. The menu is balanced and nutritious. Food is freshly prepared and takes into consideration any individual dietary requirements. Fruit and vegetables are provided daily. This ensures children remain healthy. Drinks are provided on a regular basis, children confidentially ask staff for water if they are thirsty. This means they do not become dehydrated and are beginning to think about personal needs. All children enjoy daily opportunities to be in the fresh air and can choose whether to play outside. They participate enthusiastically, for example, riding a bike or scooter and using large blocks and wooden planks to construct their own models. They are confident using climbing equipment and love joining in to play 'there was a princess

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Helping children to be healthy

long ago' and dancing to music swinging their colourful ribbons.

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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

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from playing in a spacious, well organised environment. They are able to move around freely and independently to access all areas of the nursery. Posters, photographs and displays of children's work help contribute to children's sense of belonging. Good security arrangements mean that children can play safely. There is a very good range of toys and resources, they are in good condition and stored so children can easily self-select. Children are learning to keep themselves safe, for example, staff remind them not to ride their bike further than the line of cones in the park and ask 'why must we not run in the nursery' to which children reply 'we might fall down and hurt ourselves'. There are good fire safety precautions in place and children are familiar with the emergency plan. This means they are able to evacuate the building safely and quickly. There is a child protection policy in place but is does not include a clear enough

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

section of what to do if an allegation is made against a member of staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children of all ages flourish and are extremely confident within the nursery. They benefit from close bonds with consistent members of staff who are exceptionally committed to their job. Those who are new to the nursery are helped to settle by staff who are sensitive towards their individual needs. This fosters their emotional well-being and helps them achieve to a high standard. Children separate from their main carer and warmly greet staff and each other on arrival. They show genuine excitement and interest on seeing the activities laid out. For example, children concentrated very well when building their own models using the duplo bricks that fitted together using screwdrivers and nuts. Other children loved the pirate ship and real jewellery which they pretended was the treasure. Children benefit from the exceptional range of creative activities. They participate enthusiastically to paint giant sea-shells and make an ice cream cone. This is all part

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

of the topic on holidays. Staff engage children in lively conversation at every opportunity, for example, talking about their trip to Majorca and a holiday in a caravan. Children initiate their own make-believe play and laughed happily when they sat in the wooden car, turning the steering wheel, pressing the buttons and going off on their journey to the shops. Nursery Education Teaching and learning is outstanding and staff have exceptional knowledge of the Foundation Stage. This means children are making excellent progress towards the early learning goals. The observations staff make of the children's development are of a high quality and allows them to be certain what progress is being made. The system in place for planning is exemplary and provides valuable information about

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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 the stepping stones, talking points and the reason why an area of learning is being covered. This ensures activities are relevant for children's individual needs. Staff extend children's learning at every opportunity, for example, visiting the National Gallery to participate in a project about famous painters. Children had a list of colours to find on the paintings whilst there and to their delight instantly recognised some of Van Gogh's work. Children are eager to learn and are willing to try new experiences. For example, making spinners with wires and a battery so the light flashes as it spins around. Children show great interest in number and some will sit and enjoy counting backwards from ten to one, adding together cubes to find the total and easily recognising the same numbers on a calculator. Children are making very good

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

attempts at making marks. Some children can clearly write their name and all understand that print carries meaning. For example, following a recipe to make playdough and writing their own instructions. There are excellent opportunities for children to experience activities related to design and technology. They confidentially use a range of tools and resources, such as an old fashioned sewing machine to make bunting for the summer fete, remote control cars, hole punches, scissors, and a garlic press to squeeze through playdough. Children proudly show off the book they made, using the computer to type the words to a song about a tractor. Children show extreme interest in nature, for example, planting sunflower seeds to care for and see the changes as they grow. They have a well-developed respect for other children and their feelings, for instance, remembering a child is new to the nursery and offering them an ice-cream cone from

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

the shop to play with. Children show high levels of concentration and love to sit and read their own stories, lying comfortably on the mat or designing their own postcards to send.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children's awareness of diversity and the wider world is promoted extremely well. They celebrate festivals, such as Diwalli and Chinese New Year. There is a map of the world where children can see where they went on holiday. There are good opportunities to use dual language books and children participate with great enthusiasm in repeating some Spanish words and dancing like a Flamenco dancer. Staff encourage children very well to think about their own and others feelings. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. All children are welcomed warmly into the nursery and staff work very hard to ensure children who have learning difficulties are included in all aspects of the session. Staff are extremely skilled at identifying any concerns in individual children. They work closely with outside agencies and parents to ensure they provide suitable and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

consistent care. Children behave very well. They benefit from being with staff who are excellent role models. They have high expectations and want children to be kind and care for 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 each other. The strategies used reinforce positive behaviour which contributes to children's positive self-esteem. For example, stickers and great levels of praise and encouragement. Partnership with parents is outstanding. There are both formal and informal systems in place to share information about the children's progress and development. Children benefit very well from the relationships staff build up with parents. They respect parents wishes and involve them in as much of nursery life as possible. For example, coming to help at a session, helping to dig the flower beds in the park to win a local community environmental award and participating in the summer fete. This contributes to children's positive well-being. Parents have good access to all information about the Foundation Stage and are aware of what their children learn on

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Leadership and management is outstanding. The manager is extremely clear in her vision to always offer high quality in care and education. There is a very strong commitment to develop the provision. The system in place to evaluate teaching and learning is rigorous and works extremely well. This means staff monitor constantly to see if improvement is required in their work with the children. Staff have very good knowledge of child development. This enables them to meet individual children's needs well. There is very good levels of communication between staff and they work hard to promote an environment that is inclusive for all children. Staff have good opportunities to attend internal and external training to update their childcare knowledge There are effective recruitment procedures in place which ensures staff are appropriately vetted and suitable for their role. Staff are deployed well and know what

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Organisation

is expected from them when working directly with children. However, the role of the deputy is sometimes unclear because staff taking on the role now, are a little unsure of their responsibilities. All documentation required for the safe and effective management of the children is in place. The operational plan which includes all the policies and procedures is detailed and ensures the smooth running of the provision. This contributes to the welfare of the children. Overall the setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider was asked to devise an uncollected child policy. This is now included in the operational plan.

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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 Since the last inspection Ofsted have received one complaint relating to National Standard 6: safety. Concerns were raised over staff supervision of the children at the end of a session. Ofsted required the provider to investigate. The staff and provider took immediate action to prevent a re-occurrence of the incident happening again. Ofsted were satisfied that by taking these steps the provider remains qualified for 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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • improve the child protection policy to include if an allegation is made against a member of staff • ensure the deputy is clear about their role

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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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