Park Hall Day Nursery

Park Hall Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Park Hall Day Nursery

305235 Unique Reference Number 14 September 2006 Inspection date Sue Anslow Inspector

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Park Hall Day Nursery

2 Liverpool Road West, Church Lawton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST7 3DH

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E-mail

Susan Alice Johnson Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School 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 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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Park Hall Day Nursery and out of school club is one of five settings owned by the same private provider. It opened in 1992 and operates from five rooms in a converted village school building in Church Lawton, near Alsager, Cheshire. Park Hall serves the community in south Cheshire and north Staffordshire. A maximum of 30 children may attend the nursery at any one time and 12 school age children may attend the out of school club. The nursery is open all year round, each weekday from 07.00 to 17.30. All children share access to a secure enclosed outside play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 35 children aged from birth to five years on roll in the nursery. Of these, six children receive funding for early education. There are currently nine children aged from three to 11 years on roll in the out of school club. The setting supports children with learning difficulties.

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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 The setting employs 10 members of staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is working towards a qualification. The nursery receives support from early years advisors from Cheshire Sure Start.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health is promoted and protected well due to staff's close attention to cleanliness, hygiene and children's individual health care requirements. Staff wear aprons when changing nappies and use separate clean bedding for each child. Children follow good hygiene routines and know why they need to wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating. The treatment of accidents and the administration of medication is managed well, recorded correctly and parents informed. However, the carbon copy of accident records is not clear enough to refer back to and permission for medication records are not kept individual to each child, which compromises the good management of children's health care. The health of babies and toddlers is well promoted as staff follow their individual routines for rest and sleep. Facilities are also available for older children to rest as they wish, in consultation with parents.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a good range of physical activities which contribute to a healthy lifestyle. They develop self-confidence in their physical skills as they use the indoor and outdoor toys and equipment. Babies and young toddlers benefit from access to physical play opportunities and all children enjoy music and movement, which is routinely included in the weeks activities. Pre-school children are developing good spatial awareness. They negotiate space successfully when playing both indoors and outside as they run in and out of the parachute silk as it is raised and lowered and climb the steps to the playground and up the slide using alternate feet. All children are developing a range of fine motor skills as they use scissors, rollers and cutters.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy and benefit from good nutritious food served throughout the day. The well planned and rotated menus provide wholesome, tasty meals and snacks which are freshly prepared and cooked on the premises each day. Fresh fruit and vegetables are served daily and individual dietary requirements are catered for, in consultation with parents. Children have access to appropriate drinks throughout the day and older children can help themselves to fresh drinking water as required, ensuring they never get thirsty.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children feel at ease and welcome in the bright, attractively decorated nursery. Well maintained playrooms provide children with a safe and suitable environment, along with easy access to safely enclosed outside play areas. Children feel a sense of belonging as they are greeted warmly by staff, who take time to talk to parents and settle children happily in the group. Good organisation of well maintained toys and play equipment means that children can move around safely and freely, helping themselves to available resources from tables, boxes and shelves at child height. Good use is made of natural play materials, such as sand, water, leaves and feathers which enhance children's learning experiences and promote their imagination and curiosity.

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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 Children are kept safe and secure in the nursery because staff follow comprehensive health and safety policies and routines. Risk assessments are carried out on the premises and equipment regularly, electrical appliances and fire fighting equipment are checked annually and most children and staff are familiar with evacuation procedures. Children are taught how to keep themselves safe through daily routines and reminders, such as not running indoors, walking quietly to the bathroom and handling scissors carefully at all times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is well protected by staff who have a sound knowledge of child protection procedures and the nursery policy, which follows local authority guidelines. Staff are aware of their responsibilities with regard to recording and reporting any significant concerns and procedures are available for parents to read.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Babies enjoy happy and secure relationships with adults as they listen and gurgle contentedly to intonations from familiar staff. A wide range of safe and suitable play materials, such as reflective, noisy and sensory toys, enhance and stimulate babies all round development. Experienced and qualified staff observe individual children's development to ensure all their needs are met. However, regular written records are not kept up to date in the baby room, which hinders good management of their progress. Toddlers enjoy a range of activities designed for their particular age group. They are becoming familiar with books and stories and are beginning to identify colours, shapes and numbers through daily routines and structured activities. Children's creative development is promoted through the use of various media and their physical development is promoted both indoors and outside, by practising climbing,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

running, throwing, dancing and jumping. Children's social skills are developing well as they listen to and talk about stories and discuss where acorns come from as they stick green and brown coloured paper onto pictures of acorns. Staff are beginning to use the 'Birth to three matters' framework in their planning and assessment of children's progress, thus ensuring all areas of development are promoted.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children arrive happy and enthusiastic and settle quickly into the routines and activities of the pre-school room. They are confident and talk freely in front of both large and small groups of their peers. Children work well together. They share, take turns and are developing their understanding about the setting's values and codes of behaviour. For example, they talk about why they wait until it is their turn to hold the 'magic egg' so they can tell their news to the whole group. Children manage a range of developmentally appropriate tasks, such as eating competently with knives and forks, negotiating the steps up to the playground and the slide, and twisting the glue sticks the right way when making pictures. Children are developing a competent range of communication skills. They use language with increasing confidence and competency, for example, when sharing their news at circle time,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

repeating familiar phrases from stories and pronouncing the initial letters of their names. A writing table with appropriate resources encourages children to practise their pencil control and opportunities to extend early writing skills are offered, for example, by putting their names on their art work. All children enjoy using books, listen with increasing attention and recall

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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 favourite stories. Resources to support this area of learning are good, as a range of both fiction and non-fiction books are easily accessible to children within the room.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff provide lots of opportunities for counting and sequencing numbers between one and 10. As a result, most children willingly attempt to count with most numbers in the correct order. Opportunities for children to extend their number skills are introduced through play, for example, counting the shapes threaded on to a string then counting again as they thread more on. Children are developing their knowledge and understanding of the world around them in a variety of ways. Staff provide interesting objects and equipment for children to examine and explore, such as different African instruments. They also enjoy watching the birds and butterflies outside the window in their nature garden. Children are thoroughly enjoying making wiggly snakes and lion masks for the jungle display, as part of the 'animal' theme being covered this term. This promotes their creative development as they try out and use different media.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Hand-eye coordination is practised as children enjoy a range of construction activities using both large and small building materials. They enthusiastically engage in building with wooden bricks or Lego, using language about shape and position to help them plan and complete their projects. A small selection of programmable toys help children become familiar with technology as they operate simple computer programmes and matching games.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy participating in a range of creative activities, such as making insects out of play dough and moulding different shapes in the sand tray outside. Children sing and dance with confidence and enthusiasm and have good recall of both words and tunes as they accompany themselves with the musical instruments. They enjoy engaging in imaginative role play based on their own first hand experiences, for example, putting the dolls to bed or taking them for walks in their prams. Planning for children’s learning is clear, detailed and covers all six areas of learning. Staff regularly evaluate planned activities, highlighting their effectiveness and interest to the children. They record observations of children’s efforts and achievements, thereby plotting their progress towards the stepping stones and early learning goals. Staff use a range of good teaching techniques to support children’s learning, for example, asking children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

if they can remember which sun cream they used by smelling their arms and how many different fruits they had tasted at snack time. Staff know the children well and are able to use this knowledge appropriately to support children’s development and learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children's individual needs are respected and catered for. Staff know children well and follow their home routines and individual preferences, in full consultation with parents. Children with additional needs are welcomed and included in all activities. Staff work closely with parents and devise specific learning plans with parents and outside agencies to promote children's all round development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well and staff have high expectations of their behaviour. This provides effective support for children’s learning as they listen in both large and small group situations. They respond well to instructions and have a good understanding of why rules are in place. Children share and take turns and are developing their understanding of the need to respect other’s feelings and needs. This ensures that everyone is able to join in and have access to the range

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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 of activities and resources available within the setting. Staff give children lots of positive affirmation for both effort and achievement. As a result, children have good self-esteem and approach new experiences and challenges with confidence. Children are encouraged to talk about their families, communities and experiences outside nursery. Staff use this information effectively to help children settle and to feel valued within the nursery community. 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 satisfactory. Staff work closely with parents and carers and provide a good level of feedback, both verbally and in writing, describing what their children have been doing during the day. Parents comment that they find the staff friendly, approachable and informative. A range of systems are in place to help keep parents informed about their child’s time at nursery, such as newsletters and home diaries. However, not all details are kept confidential to each family, which compromises the need for appropriate privacy. Staff discuss the implementation of the funded nursery education with parents when their child enrols or moves into the pre-school room. However, not enough written information is provided to parents to clearly explain the stepping stones and early learning goals.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's care is generally enhanced by the motivation and commitment of most nursery staff. Opportunities to update their knowledge and skills are available and accessible and tutors are invited to conduct training within the nursery. Recruitment and induction procedures are sound and staff meet together regularly to discuss and plan for the children's enjoyment and achievement. Children feel at ease and well supported in this lively, learning environment where a good balance of activities are provided. Staff know their key children well and are able to cater for individual needs and follow their progress and development.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. The pre-school room staff, effectively use their knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage to support children in making appropriate progress through the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. They are supported by the nursery management who provide strategic and practical help in the planning and delivery of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Staff work well together as a team to provide children with an environment which enables them to learn and develop through the provision of varied and interesting play opportunities.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The provider agreed to provide an improved heating system in the nursery and ensure staff receive ongoing training to update their knowledge and skills. Both these recommendations have been put in place which greatly enhances the children's health, safety and care.

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Improvements since the last inspection

With regard to nursery education, the identification and support of children with additional needs and the carrying out of activities planned for the day have both improved well to the benefit of all children. Assessment procedures to plot individual children's progress and less

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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 adult directed work is improving all the time, ensuring the children's needs and abilities are promoted.

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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 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 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): • ensure accident records are clearly legible for future reference • ensure appropriate documentation is kept private and confidential.

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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): • provide parents with more detailed information about the Foundation Stage curriculum and the early learning goals.

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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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