Triangle House Private Day Nursery

Triangle House Private Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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303848 Unique Reference Number 11 June 2007 Inspection date Shaheen Matloob Inspector

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Butterworth Lane, Triangle, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX6 3NR Setting Address

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E-mail

Karen Hazelden Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of 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

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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?

Triangle House Private Day Nursery opened in February1995, and provides full day care for the locality and surrounding areas. It is a detached, converted building, previously used as a chapel and located in the small village of Triangle, located between Ripponden and Soweby Bridge on the outskirts of Halifax, West Yorkshire. The nursery is privately owned and managed on a day-to-day basis by the owner. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.15 to 18.15 51 weeks of the year. All children have their own designated enclosed outdoor play areas.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery has 80 children currently on roll aged from birth to five years. Of these 28 children receive funding for early education. Children come from the local community and surrounding areas.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 18 members of staff. Most of these staff hold recognised qualifications in childcare and early years education. Other staff are working towards gaining Level 2 and 3 qualifications. Staff receive support from the local authority.

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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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn the importance of good personal hygiene through established daily routines to prevent the spread of infection. Children demonstrate a clear knowledge of health and hygiene. They help themselves to tissues as and when required. They understand that they must wash their hands before meals and after using the toilet because 'they will get germs and get very poorly'. High standards of hygiene are maintained throughout the nursery and additional hygiene measures, such as children using anti-bacterial soap and individual paper towels contribute to their good personal health. Staff wear disposable gloves and aprons and effectively prevent cross contamination ensuring that high standards of hygiene are sustained. Arrangements for medication and first aid fully meet requirements and protect children. However, accident records do not consistently contain details of the type and location of injuries. A clear

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Helping children to be healthy

health care and illness management policy ensures that staff act in the best interests of children who are ill and prevent others from infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have access to a spacious environment which is organised to allow them to move freely and independently. Excellent use is made of the outdoor area and children enjoy a wide range of energetic physical activities that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. They develop confidence in their physical skills and demonstrate how fast they can run and slide down a pole. Children have a clear understanding of healthy living and recognise the importance of exercising in order to stay healthy. For example, children talk about how 'exercising makes you fit and strong'. Children have an increasing awareness of what happens to their bodies when they are active, such as feeling hot, being out of breath and their hearts beating faster. Children are effectively protected from the sun and they understand that wearing sun cream and a sun hat protects them from getting burnt. Staff promote sun safety by creating shaded areas using large pieces

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Helping children to be healthy

of material. Children understand that dental hygiene is important because if you don't brush your teeth 'they will go green and yellow' and 'your teeth will fall out'. Children are able to rest and be active according to their individual needs and routines.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished. Staff recognise the benefits and importance of healthy eating, and follow recommended nutritional guidance. Children are offered a range of freshly prepared, balanced and nutritious meals AND snacks. These are appetising, appealing to children and low in sugar, additives and salt to promote children's healthy growth and development. Clear records indicate dietary requirements and preferences and children's individual needs are well catered for in accordance with parent’s wishes. Children recognise the importance of healthy eating through discussion and healthy eating displays, they begin to develop their knowledge of what constitutes towards this. For example, they know that fruit and vegetables are good for you. Fresh drinking water is made available throughout the day and well placed jugs and cups ensure that children access water independently. Staff ensure that in hot weather children

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Helping children to be healthy

have access to water outdoors and discuss how water is important in order to remain hydrated.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a spacious, bright and well-maintained homely environment. Children and adults are warmly greeted on arrival and welcomed into the nursery by friendly and professional staff. Children have access to a good range of safe, well maintained and good quality furniture, equipment and toys that provide opportunities for children to develop new

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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 skills and offer challenges as they play and explore. Equipment is age appropriate in each area, features positive images of both male and female and a range of ethnic and cultural groups and disabilities. All toys and equipment conform to safety standards, relevant safety guidelines and are sound and well made. Appropriate good quality child sized furniture ensures that children are comfortable and can sit, eat and play together. Regular checks and cleaning routines of furniture and equipment ensures that it remains safe and prevents later accidents.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a suitable understanding of health and safety issues. The layout of the nursery allows staff and children to move freely and safely as part of the daily routine and activities. Staff take positive steps to promote children's safety at all times and good levels of support and supervision from staff ensure that children are able to move around freely and safely. Daily visual safety checks and regular risk assessments ensure that proper precautions are taken to reduce hazards and prevent accidents. Children's risk of accidental injury is minimised through discussion and daily routines. Children learn to keep themselves safe and avoid accidental injury. They know that they must hold onto the hand rail when walking down the stairs so that they 'do not fall over'. Fire safety is generally effective and evacuations are recorded. Good security arrangements mean that children are only released into the care of a named and responsible

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected because most staff have a satisfactory understanding of child protection issues. However, some staff are unclear about safeguarding issues and the nursery procedures. Currently there are no systems in place to record existing injuries. The designated person recognises her responsibility towards protecting children and understands how to implement relevant procedures in order to safeguard children's welfare and safety.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and settled as they eagerly participate in the available activities. They happily discuss why they enjoy attending the nursery and their favourite activities, such as the slide and playing outside. Children gain self-esteem as staff frequently praise and reward them with cuddles and affection. Skilled staff recognise that children develop and progress in their own time, according to their age and development. Children are grouped with their peers and activities are planned appropriately with key workers who know the children in their group. Children are motivated and interested in a broad range of purposeful and developmentally appropriate indoor and outdoor activities which provide good levels of challenge appropriate to their age and stage of development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Babies receive good levels of support and encouragement which ensures that they are secure and become confident to explore and investigate. Staff are caring and attentive to their needs recognising when they are tired and need comfort and reassurance and demonstrate patience. They enjoy exploring with water as they independently play in a low level water tray in their nappies. Babies demonstrate great excitement through body language and facial expressions, as they use the wide range of containers and equipment to splash and pour water. Staff dedicate their time to play with children as they demonstrate what the equipment can be used for.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Older children have excellent opportunities to use large construction to build and balance as they make a 'hairport'. Children work alongside each other cooperating, sharing and negotiating where the next piece of construction will go. They use a comprehensive range of various sized bricks to balance and construct complicated train tracks. Other children talk about how strong they are, as they carry two large pieces of construction and pretend that they are a train.

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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 Nursery Education

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff use their sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage, a reasonable range of teaching methods and a suitable understanding of how children learn and progress, to provide a sufficient range of first-hand activities and experiences. A good balance between adult and child led activities in a range of independent, small and large groups situation enables children to achieve satisfactorily in the areas of learning. The levels of challenge are sufficient to interest most children in the activities and good quality resources support children's learning and enable them to make sound progress given their capabilities and starting points. Assessments and the use of information gained are satisfactory, but these do not clearly show how children make progress and how information is used to indicate the next steps in children's learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident and self assured as they leave parents and carers. They show curiosity when unfamiliar adults enter the nursery, but are confident to ask who they are and what are you doing. They also question the inspector about her computer and ask several questions about what the buttons on the computer do. Children have positive self-image and happily discuss their life experiences.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show a keen interest in books as they attempt to read to each other and in small groups. They handle books correctly, turning the pages over carefully holding them at the corners. Other children use illustration to tell their own story animatedly, using various tones of voice for different characters. Children competently explain the characters within their stories and have a suitable understanding of the storyline. More able children use large books to tell the inspector their version of their favourite story. Children are very clear about their roles within this activity and negotiate amongst themselves who is the main storyteller and the page turner. The majority of children enjoy listening to stories on a one to one basis and in large groups. Some children listen with interest and staff involve them in the story by asking effective questions and encouraging them to predict why certain events have occurred. Children effectively

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

use an established self-registration system which helps them to develop reading skills and recognising letters of their name.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Various displays and planning documents demonstrate that children have sufficient opportunities to develop their mathematical skills. Children demonstrate a suitable interest in numbers and use number names and language spontaneously. They enjoy joining with numbers through stories and nursery rhymes. Older children willingly count from one to ten in order and use numbers of significance, such as their age and their house number. Children have good opportunities to learn another language, as they participate in weekly Spanish classes. Children begin to learn how to count to five in Spanish and know primary colours. More able children talk about their pictures and count up to nine as they count the number of legs their elephant has.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have good opportunities to use a wide range of equipment to develop their physical skills, as they climb, slide and swing from a climbing frame confidently. Children also use wheeled toys to develop control and coordination, manoeuvring their bikes, tractors and pushchairs through and around equipment, negotiating corners to avoid other children. They move spontaneously within the available space and enthusiastically participate in music and movement moving freely with pleasure and confidence. Children move in a range of ways and actively demonstrate that they can run, jump, hop and skip.

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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 Children have exciting opportunities to create objects using construction large and small to build various types of castles in three dimensions. Children concentrate quietly as they move pieces around until they are satisfied that they are in the correct place. They display adequate levels of involvement and persist in activities of their choosing, such as water play, which they thoroughly enjoy. Children use a range of containers to pour water into the grooves of the water tray and watch how the water travels through. They experiment with tubes and investigate what will happen if they blow through the tube into the water. They show great excitement when they create big bubbles.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are valued, included in all activities and their individual potential is recognised and nurtured as staff are committed to providing equality of opportunity for all children and families who use the nursery and meeting their individual needs effectively. Children benefit from activities and resources, which help them to value diversity and promote a positive view of the wider world. Children are encouraged to develop a positive understanding of different cultures and religions through celebrating special events and festivals with stories and sampling foods from various countries. Children are confident and self-assured in the nursery. They feel a sense of belonging as their art work is valued and displayed attractively around the nursery. Children enjoy mutually respectful relationships with staff and each other. Children play an active part in the life of the setting as staff ensure that they share some responsibility for decisions about

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Helping children make a positive contribution

the provision and their routines. For example, children help to set the tables for lunchtime.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children learn to respond to expectations for their behaviour as staff create an environment where children know what is expected of them and they are free to develop their play and learning without fear or hindrance. Staff develop self-discipline by cultivating acceptance and help children to take responsibility for their decisions. Sensitive explanations help children to understand what is expected of them and to recognise the difference between accidental damage and deliberate acts of wrong doing. Children understand what constitutes good behaviour and know that it involves 'being good and sharing'. Children develop self-esteem as staff use positive reinforcement, such as praise and encouragement to endorse good behaviour, such as kindness and willingness to share. This means that children are well behaved and considerate the majority of the time. Children begin to accept the needs of others and show

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Helping children make a positive contribution

caring attitudes as they say sorry and cuddle children who have been hurt. They are encouraged to respect the needs of others. For example, staff explain to children that they need to be quiet at story time to let other children listen. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents benefit from a good working relationship with staff and work well together to promote early education. Staff recognise that parents are the first educators of their children and involve them in their child's education and the life of the setting. Parents receive good quality information about the provision, and the educational programme. They are kept informed about children’s progress and achievements through regular parents evening and openly share children's assessment records. Plans are displayed in the entrance of the pre-school room and a designated parent's notice board informs them of the weekly activities alongside regular newsletters, which inform parents about the current project and what resources they can provide to enhance their children's learning. Parents are encouraged to actively contribute to the life of the setting according to their own skills, knowledge and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

interests and all contributions are welcomed and valued.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's care is enhanced by the effective and efficient organisation. Indoor and outdoor space is organised to maximise play opportunities for children. Recruitment and induction procedures ensure that staff have relevant experience and skills to create a professional and caring atmosphere for children. Skilled and qualified staff have a good understanding of child development and a high regard for the well-being of children. They spend good quality time talking and playing with children on their level. Required adult-child ratios fully meet requirements and effective staff deployment contributes to children’s good health, safety, enjoyment, achievement, and ability to take an active part in the setting.

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Organisation

All legally required documentation is in place and made freely available for inspection. The majority of policies and procedures are understood by staff and work well in practice to promote children’s health, safety, enjoyment, achievement and ability to make a positive contribution. Effective recruitment and selection of staff ensures that vetting procedures are implemented to protect children. Record keeping systems are thorough and used well to meet children’s needs and confidentiality is maintained.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is satisfactory. Management is generally competent and effective. The nursery owner and appointed manager work appropriately to create an environment where children, feel good about themselves and safe. Children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals and policies and the nursery procedures have a good effect on children's well-being and learning. There are relevant systems in place, such as induction and regular supervision to support staff, identify training needs and monitor the educational provision. Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities and work well together as a team to ensure that the setting runs smoothly. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since 1 April 2004 there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards. 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 AND 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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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): • develop accident records to consistently include details of the type and location of any injuries sustained • develops staff's knowledge of child protection issues and keep records of existing injuries.

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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): • develop children's assessment records to show a clear picture of children's progress and ensure information gained from assessments is used to help move children to the next stage in their learning.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) 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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