Pitta Patta Day NurseryOfsted inspection, 5 Sept 2006

Pitta Patta Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Pitta Patta Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY331090 Inspection date 05 September 2006 Inspector Sue Boylan

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Pitta Patta Day Nursery

Setting Address 48 St. German's Road, LONDON, SE23 1RX

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E-mail

Registered person Jacqueline Hussein Type of inspection Childcare 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

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Pitta Patta Day Nursery is a privately owned and opened in 2006. The nursery operates from a converted four-storey house in a residential area of Forest Hill. Children's playrooms are located on the ground floor, first floor and lower ground floor. Children share access to a secure, enclosed outdoor play area. A maximum of 48 children may attend the nursery at any one time. It is open each weekday from 08:00 to 18:00 for 51 weeks of the year. There are currently 36 children under five years on roll. Children attending usually live in the local community. The nursery supports children who have learning

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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 difficulties and who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 11 staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications and four are working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children benefit from playing in a clean, warm environment. The daily routine includes time in the garden where they excitedly put on their shoes, run down the grassed area to find a favourite toy to play with or sit under the willow tree to look at a book with a member of staff. Physical development is extended because staff ensure children have good opportunities to climb, practise ball skills and ride bikes. Children are beginning to learn the importance of healthy eating. Meals are freshly prepared and take into consideration any individual dietary requirements. Children enjoy setting up the table for lunch in the pre-school room and toddlers like to give out the bibs at breakfast. Staff actively encourage children to help themselves to a drink of water which helps to prevent dehydration and ensures children start to think about their personal needs. Staff follow babies individual sleeping and feeding routines. This provides continuity

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Helping children to be healthy

of care and contributes well to their health. Babies are settled and take every opportunity to practise their walking, crawling and stretching. They thrive on the close bonds with staff and freely come over for a cuddle. There are written health and hygiene procedures in place and children are beginning to understand the importance of hand washing before eating and after going to the toilet. However, staff do not always wipe children's noses and clean their faces after breakfast. Babies bottles are not always individually named and sometimes children share a bed to sleep. This does not protect children's health and help prevent cross contamination There are appropriate numbers of staff qualified in first aid. This means children will be treated quickly if they have a minor injury or accident. Staff have good understanding of specific individual medical conditions and record accidents and administration of medication well. This promotes children's health.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children arrive happily and settle well. The environment is bright and welcoming so children feel comfortable and secure. They have space to move around freely and the equipment and resources are in good condition. Security is good and children are unable to leave the premises without a known adult. There is closed-circuit television (CCTC) throughout the nursery which helps protect children's safety and allows

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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 parents the opportunity to view their children via a webcam at any time of the day. Staff are vigilant in their supervision of the children and satisfactory risk assessment ensures the premises are checked before children arrive. However, sometimes cleaning fluid is left within children's reach in a nappy changing area and a chair left by an open window allows children to climb onto the sill. There are appropriate fire safety precautions in place but children are not given enough opportunity to practise the emergency escape plan so they are familiar with the procedure. The child protection policy is in place but does not include a procedure to follow if an allegation is made against a member of staff. They are aware of their responsibility to report any concerns to the manager which safeguards children's welfare. A

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

programme of training is in place to ensure staff remain updated on their knowledge.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children readily approach staff who are affectionate and responsive to their needs. They enjoy singing and clap along to the "Wheels on the Bus" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". Children have good opportunities to experience natural resources, such as porridge and pasta play. Babies love the sound of chains and the feel of brushes. Toddlers like the texture of shredded paper and love to tip it around the room and on their heads, laughing and smiling. Children of all ages independently access books. They confidently ask staff to read a favourite story, for example, "Three Billy Goats Gruff", joining in with the story and extending their learning by requesting to draw pictures from the book and talking about the colour of their own houses and bedrooms. Most activities are suitable for the ages of children. They are keen to explore the life cycle of the African Giant Snails who have recently laid some eggs and hatched into

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

many baby snails. However, sometimes younger children find activities frustrating, such as, cutting out fabric that is too stiff and thick for the scissors to work. Staff have just started to use the Birth to three matters framework and there is a system in place to record and assess children's progress. However, observations are not competed regularly enough to ensure the next steps in children's development is taken into consideration when planning activities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are confident, relaxed and benefit from the caring, friendly approach of the staff. There is a good system in place to identify children who have learning difficulties. The nursery work well with other professionals and parents to ensure individual needs are well planned and met. Children are starting to become aware of different cultures and traditions through a range of resources, for instance, books, dolls and posters.

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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 There is good partnership with parents. Staff ensure they speak to parents on arrival and are available at the end of the day to pass on either written or verbal information about their child's day. This ensures continuity of care. Children behave well, they are polite and like to help tidy up. Behaviour strategies are mostly appropriate and staff continually praise and encourage children which contributes to positive self-esteem. However, sometimes staff tell the children not to do something but do not explain why the behaviour is not acceptable, for example, putting scissors in their mouth and running around the room.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Staff are aware of their roles and work well together. There are effective procedures for appointing and vetting staff. Most staff are suitably qualified and are keen to attend relevant courses to update and extend their knowledge in childcare. The play-rooms are well organised and children have good opportunities to participate in active as well as quiet activities. However, time is not always managed well in some rooms, for example, circle-time in Tigers is too long. The children become distracted and bored whilst staff read a story that is not suitable for their age. After lunch, children in Giraffes are put to rest, some do not want to sleep but there is not adequate activities available to keep them occupied and stimulated. This does not ensure individual needs are met. There is a good range of policies and procedures which are reviewed on a regular basis. These help guide staff in their day-to-day practice with the children. All the

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Organisation

required documentation is in place and maintained well, however, a record is not kept when sleeping babies are checked, this is good practice and contributes to the safe welfare of the children. Overall the setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report 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

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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 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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure good hygiene practice is in place regarding individual baby's bottles and children's sleeping arrangements • make sure children are familiar with the emergency escape plan • ensure certain times of the day (circle and after lunch) meet individual children's needs • develop staff's awareness of managing children's behaviour, taking into account their age and stage of development.

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The quality and standards of the care

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 care

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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