Little World Nursery

Little World Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Little World Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY281130 Inspection date 04 July 2006 Inspector Jean Evelyn Thomas

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Little World Nursery

Setting Address 111 Conway Street, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 4AF

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E-mail

Registered person Wirral Multicultural Organisation 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?

Little World Day Nursery opened in 2004 and operates from the main playroom and baby room within the Wirral Multicultural Centre. It is situated within Birkenhead town centre in the Wirral. A maximum of 21 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. Children access a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 39 children aged from birth to under five years on roll. Of these,

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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 seven children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide catchment area. The nursery supports a number of children with learning difficulties and disabilities and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs eight members of staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications and two are working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Effective health and hygiene procedures are in place to protect children and help to minimise the risk of cross infection. For example, staff wear gloves and aprons for specific tasks such as nappy changing, applying sun protection cream and food preparation. Children are encouraged to become independent in their self care skills and learn basic personal hygiene routines as they wash hands after toileting, before eating and after messy play activities. Older children competently complete this task on their own. Staff give younger children guidance to wash hands thoroughly and use the soap, warm water and individual paper towels. Flannels are used to wash the babies. The good levels of adult support help children gain a thorough understanding of staying healthy, for example, covering their mouths when coughing and wiping their noses. Child friendly posters are displayed to promote children's understanding

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Helping children to be healthy

of self help skills to reduce risk of cross contamination. Children are learning to protect themselves. From an early age they understand the need to apply sun screen cream to protect their skin from the sun. This is achieved through the familiarity of the routine and discussion with staff. The older children talk about the importance of wearing sun glasses as they know the sun can damage their eyes. Children's health is protected because good procedures are in place and staff have secure knowledge of the procedures to follow. The staff use the reference manual of communicable illness to ensure the required procedure to safeguard all the children attending. The sick child policy is shared with parents before the arrangement commences. When children become unwell parents are contacted and children are made comfortable whilst awaiting to be collected. First aiders are on duty at all times consequently

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Helping children to be healthy

children receive the appropriate attention in the event of an accident. Children benefit from a varied and healthy diet which incorporates vegetables and fruit on a daily basis. The lunches are prepared by a catering company and heated up on the premises. Effective systems are in place to ensure children's individual dietary needs are met at all times. All staff have completed food safety and hygiene training to ensure correct procedures are followed to safeguard the children from contaminated food. A jug of drinking water and beakers are positioned in the main play room. The water is changed in the jug to remain fresh. Children freely access the water. The younger children confidently indicate to the staff when they want a drink in response to their bodily needs. Staff have a secure knowledge about children's physical development. Children have good play opportunities, both indoors and outside, which contributes to their physical

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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 development and helps them gain confidence as they learn to move with control and use their bodies in different ways. Children benefit from playing outdoors throughout the year. If the weather does not allow the outdoor play the hall is used to offer space for more energetic activities. Babies are developing their physical skills as staff encourage their rolling, sitting and crawling skills. The babies happily investigate different opportunities as they become more mobile and confident. Outside the non mobile babies sit on a mat and investigate a different selection of play materials from their indoor range. Children enjoy balancing on beams, climbing and using the slide. They learn to negotiate the large apparatus in the outdoor play area as they manoeuvre around the obstacles on bicycles, cars and push along toys.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are safe and secure in the friendly environment where staff work well together and parents are actively welcomed. Children's art work and photographs are displayed to help foster children's sense of belonging. Children enjoy looking at the photographs of themselves and other children. The nursery has a close circuit television security system installed and security pads fitted to the entrance doors to protect children from unauthorised persons entering. There is a high level of supervision at all times to ensure children's safety. The staff head count the children as they leave the premises for outdoor play and as they return to the premises. Sleeping children are checked by staff on a regular basis. Staff regularly change and rotate play equipment to offer children greater stimulation. The babies' and children's independence is promoted as they confidently select from

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

the resources set out on tables, at floor level or in boxes on the low level shelving. Play materials conform to safety standards and staff ensure they are suitable for the ages of the children attending. There are many play resources made from wood, wicker and natural materials to enable children to experience different textures and consistencies. There is a good range of equipment to meet the needs of the children including an evacuation cot. In the babies' room and the play room there is soft furniture and large floor cushions which children use to relax on and have a quiet place to enjoy a book or sit with a friend. Risk assessments and safety procedures are in place to protect children's safety both indoors and when outside. Information about health and safety issues are shared with staff and implemented where appropriate. For example, a member of staff had heard the government warning about the risk of high temperatures, staff changed

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

times for outdoor play and maintained the use of air conditioner in main play room. Through discussion with staff and following procedures children learn about keeping themselves safe as they practise the evacuation procedure and road safety on outings. However the children do not always use the large piece of out door equipment for its purpose putting them at risk of injury. Effective systems are in place to ensure children are collected by named persons, with suitable arrangements for emergencies. Staff have sound knowledge of child protection issues and the action they would take

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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 in order to protect children from harm. Staff are aware to report concerns to the appropriate agency.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children happily greet staff and receive a warm welcome on arrival. Most children separate from their parents in a relaxed manner and quickly settle into a play activity of their choice. The children are relaxed and confident in a secure, caring environment. The key worker system promotes consistency of care for children. Children feel emotionally secure as their imitate care needs such as nappy changing, feeding and settling down to sleep are attended to by their key worker. Children receive lots of support, attention and encouragement from staff. The staff have implemented the Birth to three matters framework and have changed their approach to planning and organising activities accordingly to enhance the younger children's play and learning opportunities. The babies experience a variety of tactile materials, such as gloop, jelly, beans, home made dough which encourages them to learn through using all their senses. They explore a large box of shredded

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

paper feeling it, making it rustle and smelling it. The babies squeal with delight as they lift and drop handfuls of paper, enjoying the sensation as it falls onto their bodies. From an early age children are learning to make their mark through different types of painting techniques and using utensils in the sand. The children enjoy the sand play either with small amounts or sitting in the sand pit. There are good opportunities for children to be creative in the role play area, small world play and craft activities. Children initiate a game where they pretend to be lions. Together they talk and agree their play idea. Staff then support their activity by suggesting they wear animal costumes from the dressing up collection. In the baby room the staff change the theme of the role play area to stimulate the early stages of pretend play. Communication skills are actively promoted as staff listen and respond to all children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop an interest in books; they are accessible to all ages. Children are read to either as a small group or individually. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff have a satisfactory understanding of the early learning goals which is reflected in their planning and teaching. Children are able to pursue activities in an unhurried pace giving them sufficient time to explore, develop and finish their play ideas. The planning is weak and does not help staff cover all areas of the early years curriculum. There is no differentiation in the planning for the individual needs of the children, building on what children already know. Consequently activities are not challenging for some children. The observation systems are not consistently maintained to record what children can do to help plan for the next steps in children's learning. The activities generally sustain children's interest and promote some effective

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

learning. At times children are questioned well to encourage them to think. For example, at water play children are asked to compare the numbers of legs of the octopus to their own. Children are keen to respond, some children count confidently

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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 to ten and some beyond. In play children show an understanding of shape, position and size as they talk about up and down, big and small and naming shapes as they draw pictures of houses, such as a triangle for the roof and squares for the windows. Children are developing an understanding of two and three dimensional shapes as they complete jigsaws and make models from everyday objects. Language and communication is promoted effectively by the staff. The children confidently chat to each other and initiate conversations. Children's speech and language is enhanced through songs and rhymes and they enthusiastically join in lively action songs. Children enjoy looking at books and attentively listen to the stories read to them. They have opportunities to write and make marks. Some children are recognising

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and writing their name. However, the writing materials are not positioned in different areas, such as the role play to support children's understanding of writing for a purpose. Children show confidence using a computer independently to follow a program to support and extend their learning. Small groups of children invent and develop imaginative play situations as they engage in role play and invent stories based on their own experiences, for example, shopping and meeting up with friends. Children show growing independence as they put on aprons without instruction from the staff before they start painting and return it to the peg when finished. They confidently select equipment to support their play ideas.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are included and their differences acknowledged and valued. Staff form close and caring relationships with children as they show interest in and value what the children have to say and do. This gives the children a sense of belonging and is helping children to develop high levels of confidence and self-esteem. Staff understand and have devised good systems that include partnership with parents and other professionals to address any special or additional needs. The nursery management is eager to support staff's access to any relevant training identified that will enhance the care and help meet the individual children's well-being and development. Children who speak English as an additional language are well supported. Staff have a list of key words from their parents and use a language dictionary for reference. Children gain a good understanding about their local community through outings and visitors to the nursery. Posters are displayed around

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Helping children make a positive contribution

the environment and play resources promote positive images about the diversity of society. Staff act as good role models showing respect and consideration for the children and each other. Staff implement appropriate strategies to manage children's behaviour with an emphasis on being consistent and giving lots of praise and acknowledgement. As a result children are learning about acceptable behaviour and gain an understanding about the consequences of their actions on others. Children are eager to contribute to the daily routines, for example, by helping with the tidying up. They work cooperatively together in this task. Children show consideration towards each other and are concerned if other children are unhappy or if they have hurt themselves. The children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is appropriately fostered.

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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 Partnership with parents is good. Children benefit from the close relationship staff have with parents. Parents are relaxed and chatty when bringing and collecting their children, with much information shared verbally during these times. Parents of the babies receive written information about the events of their day. The regular newsletters and information on display, such as, the Birth to three matters framework, registration certificate and the early years curriculum keeps parents informed about the nursery and its provision. Parents' opinions and suggestions are valued, they have recently been asked to complete a questionnaire about the nursery provision. The children's profiles are available to parents at any time and are formally discussed at the parents evenings. The management are in process of developing systems to

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Helping children make a positive contribution

improve the parental involvement regarding the early years curriculum.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The leadership and management is satisfactory. The manager provides positive direction and staff work well together to promote children's welfare, care and learning. Systems are in place to identify the nursery's strengths and weaknesses through spot checks and meetings. However, the present system for monitoring and evaluating early years curriculum planning does not ensure that the funded children receive a balanced range of activities covering the six areas of learning or plan for the individual children's next steps in learning. Within the nursery there is limited storage space which impacts on the organisation of activities. For example, the role play area is not well set out for children to engage in this aspect of play and use the supporting resources. The management have identified these weaknesses and there is a strong commitment for improvement. There is a robust procedure to appoint and vet staff to ensure suitable persons work

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Organisation

with children. All staff and students complete an induction procedure which means they have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Regular staff appraisals ensure their development and training needs are met. All written policies and procedures required are in place and understood by staff. Regular staff meetings are used as the forum to review documents and to maintain consistency in the child care practice. Records are stored securely and confidentiality is maintained, with arrangements in place for the sharing of records with parents about their child. Staffing ratios ensure high levels of individual and small group support for children. On outings the nursery enforce their own ratios of one adult to three children regardless of their age. The successful implementation of the Birth to three matters framework is reflected in the children's confidence to explore and experiment within

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Organisation

their environment. The manager organises the time, staffing and training opportunities well enabling key staff to develop appropriate skills and to have none contact time with the children to plan activities and complete required documentation. Overall the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements 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 previous inspection new vetting procedures have been implemented to ensure all staff are suitable to work with children. The staff have completed Birth to three matters framework training and implemented it in practice to improve the younger children's play experiences. The child protection policy has been amended to ensure children are safeguarded.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. 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 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 outdoor play equipment is used according to the manufacturer's design to protect children from injury.

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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): • ensure planning covers all aspects of the early years curriculum, is based on what children know and can do and identifies the next steps in their learning.

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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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