Little Rascals Day Nursery

Little Rascals

Inspection report for early years provision

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Little Rascals

Unique Reference Number EY290553 Inspection date 22 September 2005 Inspector Janet Ashcroft

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Little Rascals

Setting Address Print House, Northgate, Aldridge, Walsall, West Midlands, WS9 8TH Telephone number 01922 455060

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E-mail

Registered person Little Rascals Childcare (West Midlands) Ltd Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Full day care, Out of School 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 good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Little Rascals Day Nursery opened in 2004. It operates from Print House, Northgate, Aldridge. The nursery serves the local and surrounding areas. A maximum of 54 children under 5 years, and 8 children over 5 years, may attend the setting at any one time. There are currently 73 children on roll who attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children with special needs. The nursery opens each weekday for 51 weeks of the year; sessions are from 07:30 to 18:30.

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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 There are 22 members of staff who work with the children; over half of these have early years qualifications to NVQ Level 3 and the remainder are working towards Level 2 or 3. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. Children thrive because staff follow highly effective procedures and practices which meet the children's physical, nutritional and health needs. The high level of adult support and guidance helps children gain an excellent understanding of hygiene and a real desire to become increasingly independent in their personal care. Children help themselves to easily accessible drinking water and enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables on a daily basis. They benefit from a very nutritious diet, which is carefully planned and prepared on the premises from fresh ingredients. Exciting activities, such as strawberry picking, stimulate and extend children's interest in healthy eating and food production. Children practise and develop physical skills in stimulating and exciting indoor and outdoor activities. Opportunities for exercise and physical play outside the setting are frequently taken, for example trips to local parks and the seaside.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are able to move independently around the setting which is creatively organised to meet their needs for stimulation, play and relaxation. Their sense of belonging is fostered as they are warmly welcomed into the setting by displays of their creative work and photographs of themselves engaged in activities. Independence skills are promoted as they freely access an extensive range of stimulating toys and equipment, which is well balanced and promotes learning in all areas. Children are able to play, eat and sleep in very safe and healthy premises; staff have a high awareness of risks to children's safety and have taken thorough steps to remove hazards in the setting. However, the risk assessment procedure for trips and outings is informal and does not fully safeguard the children's welfare outside the setting. Children are learning how to keep themselves safe, for example participating

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

in road crossing exercises and fire evacuation routines. Children’s protection from abuse and neglect is promoted through the staff’s detailed knowledge and clear understanding of child protection policies and procedures.

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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 provision is good. Children are able to engage in a broad and well balanced range of stimulating activities and experiences, which are planned to help them make progress in all areas of development. Full use is made of the sensory room, which can be adapted for children to experience either a stimulating array of sensory experiences, or a calm and relaxing environment for rest and sleep. Children are given frequent opportunities to make decisions for example, with regard to activity choice and choosing books for story time. Their language skills are promoted throughout the day as they are given frequent opportunities to discuss, negotiate and respond to questions asked of them by the staff. Their confidence in their language skills is enhanced by the staff's positive response to their comments.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children benefit from frequent play and learning opportunities outside the setting, with full use made of local amenities. They are given opportunities to develop interest in the natural world during outings to nature parks and farms.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. All children are warmly welcomed and play a full part in the setting because staff value and respect their individuality and the family context of each child. The children have many opportunities to learn about themselves, each other and the world around them through everyday routines such as caring for the nursery pet, and also through exciting outings, such as visiting farms and local places of worship. Behaviour is good and younger children are supported in sharing and turn taking; staff have high expectations and children respond well to gentle reminders to care for their environment, nursery resources and each other. Older children are encouraged to be involved in devising their own rules for behaviour, developing their skills of negotiation and compromise. An excellent partnership with parents contributes significantly to the children's well-being in the setting. Staff actively seek the parents' views about their children's

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Helping children make a positive contribution

needs and interests before the child starts at the setting and on a regular basis throughout their time there. Staff ensure that parents are given regular information about all aspects of the nursery and about current trends in child care practice, including information on 'Birth to three matters' and the Foundation Stage. Children benefit greatly from the opportunities offered to their parents to participate in such projects as consultation groups, suggestion schemes and fun days, which all help to contribute to the children's good health, safety, development and learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Staff enhance children's care by the good quality record keeping in the setting. Policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and contribute to the children's

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 health, safety and well-being. Children benefit from the good practice of the well qualified and skilled staff team; the setting's commitment to continuous improvement ensures that staff are kept fully informed of current trends in child care practice. The environment is well organised, with cheerful decor and child-centred posters creating a warm welcome for all children. The effective and consistent adult support and the familiar daily routine foster the children's sense of security. The provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration there has been one complaint. This was raised in November 2004 with regard to adult:child ratios, child supervision and hygiene, lack of feedback on children's progress and the level of welcome offered to parents. These complaints relate to National Standard 2 - Organisation; National Standard 6 - Safety; National Standard 7 - Health; National Standard 12 - Working in Partnership with Parents and Carers. The Registered Person was asked to provide evidence of how the setting meets these standards. The information received was reviewed by the Childcare Inspector Team Manager who was satisfied that the National Standards have been met. The Registered Person remains qualified for registration.

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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 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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • safeguard children's welfare outside the setting by ensuring that a risk assessment for trips and outings is fully completed.

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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 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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