Athelstan Primary School

Green Door Day Nursery (The)

Inspection report for early years provision

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Green Door Day Nursery (The)

Unique Reference Number 107083 Inspection date 09 May 2005 Inspector Derelyn Stevens

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Green Door Day Nursery (The)

Setting Address 35 Belvoir Road, St Andrews, Bristol, BS6 5DQ

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Green Door Day Nursery (The)

Telephone number 0117 9853267 E-mail greendoornursery@blueyonder.co.uk Registered person Carla Freeman Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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Green Door Day Nursery (The)

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?

The Green Door Day Nursery is a well established nursery, which has been operating in the St. Andrews area of the city of Bristol for the past ten years. It is based in a semi-detached Victorian property, and children are accommodated on the ground floor, which has direct access to the enclosed rear garden. The nursery operates all year round, excluding bank holidays, Monday to Friday, from 08.00 to 17.45 hours. There are currently 47 children on roll, including 9 funded

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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 3-year-olds and 5 funded 4-year-olds. The nursery supports children with English as an additional language and children with special educational needs. Nine members of staff are employed to work directly with the children. Six hold early years qualifications, one is a trained teacher, and two are undertaking NVQ level 3 training. The nursery receives support from the Early Years Development and Child Care Partnership.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children play in warm, clean premises, where they learn about the importance of personal hygiene. Children visit the toilet independently before lunch to wash hands as one child said, ‘‘If you have messy hands then you wash them''. Older children manage independent self-care skills well and younger children grow in confidence as they manage self-care skills themselves, supported by attentive staff.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are suitably looked after if ill and are protected through staff's good knowledge of first aid, medication routines and the procedures to follow if a child has an accident. Children benefit from a varied and healthy range of food and tuck in to their lunch with gusto. They enjoy fresh vegetables everyday and a selection of healthy snacks throughout the day. Children begin to learn about making healthy choices, such as choosing water or milk as a drink. Children regularly go outside to enjoy fresh air and physical activities. They develop control of their bodies, as they play freely in the garden, exploring, moving in a variety of ways. Older children can climb safely on low structures. Younger children gain confidence to try out new skills as staff ensure they are well supported while using equipment, for example, staff hold their hands as they balance on stepping stones. Children that are more able are not always physically challenged by the large

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are able to self-select, from a wide range of suitable, safe toys and equipment. They are able to move around safely and confidently. The effective utilisation of space ensures that babies receive opportunities to safely explore the use of their bodies by crawling, rolling, stretching and kicking, on the floor without the danger of rolling into highchairs or other such equipment. Babies sleep safely as staff listen via a baby monitor and make regular checks.

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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 Staff have a secure knowledge of child protection procedures. All staff are aware of the groups health and safety policies and procedures and implement these effectively to help minimise risk to the children. The outdoor area is fully enclosed and secure and the equipment is of a good standard, ensuring children's safety during outdoor activities. Children learn to handle equipment well, for example, tidying balancing equipment in the garden.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time in the group. They are successfully encouraged to be actively involved in an appropriate range of learning opportunities. Staff are beginning to use the Birth to Three Matters framework effectively to assess the development of babies and younger children; although there is scope to improve some aspects of planning, for example, outdoor play. New children settle particularly well because of the welcoming, warm, and individual support given by all staff. The youngest children make good progress as staff take time to communicate with them, support them to become involved and join in their play to increase self-confidence and esteem. Children make independent choices about what they want to play with. They show good concentration skills appropriate to their stage of development and confidently seek support from staff if they need it. All children take part in regular outdoor activities during the week if not daily.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Throughout the nursery, staff know the children very well and instinctively provide appropriate activities to help them make further progress. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The nursery teacher has a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage. Children take part in a focussed activity in the morning and afternoon that is linked to the stepping stones from the areas of learning. However, there are no plans to show what children do outside of these short, focussed activities and staff therefore, cannot ensure children take part in activities that cover all aspects of each area of learning regularly. Assessments and progress records are in place; however, a clear picture of children's development is not established. As there are no plans, staff do not use the assessments to help them plan what children should do next. Therefore, although children do enjoy a wide range of activities, they do not have the opportunity to build on what they know and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

have already achieved, for example, in mathematical development. Children are very independent and they are confident to ask questions. Children communicate their ideas and needs clearly and effectively. They are encouraged to think of others in the group and to consider options of what the majority of the group want to do next. They are interested in books and listen attentively to well presented story's. Opportunities for children to use numbers, shapes and to begin to link sounds to letters, are not frequent or challenging enough. Children do not hear mathematical language regularly and do not use this in their play. Older and more able children are not fully encouraged to further their mathematical thinking within practical routines

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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 and activities. Children have some opportunities to investigate and explore a range of materials and experiences. Children enjoy digging wood chips in the garden and are absorbed in a cooking activity to make 'mud pies' with chocolate Angel Delight, digestive biscuits and jelly worms. Children begin to learn about other cultures through some focussed activities, such as cooking, which extend their knowledge of how other people live. They are considerate and understanding of people with different needs. Children choose from a wide range of creative resources and are encouraged to create freely, without an expected pre-defined product.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children have good levels of confidence and self-esteem, as their work is valued and displayed around the setting. They develop social skills and make good relationships with their peers and the staff. They help each other and cooperate to complete tasks, for example, three children sat together and helped each other to do up a bracelet. With such a small group of children, they know each other well and interact well with each other. The youngest children observe and learn from the older children in the setting and begin to join in all the activities with encouragement. Babies are secure and thrive as staff ensure information from parents ease their settling in period to the nursery. Babies benefit from making secure relationships and confidently move up through the nursery. Under three’s staff work on a rota basis between both rooms. The partnership with parents and carers is outstanding. New children settle extremely well

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Helping children make a positive contribution

as staff go out of their way to get to know families. They explain detailed information about the group and its educational provision, so children's care and learning is enhanced through parents' understanding and interest. Parent’s views are actively sought through discussion and parents evenings. All children have equal access to the toys and activities and their choices respected. Staff obtain relevant information from parents to make sure that children are cared for according to their wishes and individual needs are met. The care of children with special educational needs is good. Children are valued and benefit from good one-to-one support when required. All children benefit from individual care and attention within the setting. They are listened to and valued, thus increasing their confidence to learn new skills. Children appear relaxed and comfortable and have a sense of belonging within the setting.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff are consistent in managing children's behaviour and are good role models. Children behave very well in an environment where they are constantly praised for their efforts. The nursery fosters children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Children gain some awareness of the wider community by seeing and using adequate resources, which reflect positive images of ethnicity and gender. Planned activities to promote children understanding about their own and different cultures are

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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 infrequent.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's care is supported by the calm atmosphere generated by the organised, caring staff and management. The premises and resources are effectively organised to meet the children’s needs. All legally required documentation is in place and regularly reviewed which contributes to their health, safety and well-being. Good regard is given to keeping children's records and personal information confidential. The leadership and management of the group is satisfactory. Most aspects of the provision are managed and monitored informally and effectively. However, the system for monitoring and evaluating the programme for education has failed to identify gaps in the curriculum. The highly committed staff work closely together. All staff are given copies of all the appropriate frameworks, and are encouraged to read and use it to review their practice regularly. The established keyworker system benefits the children through universal

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Organisation

understanding of their needs and close liaison with parents and carers. They are skilfully cared for by the close-knit team of motivated staff who are well-qualified overall, respond positively to annual appraisal and attend training whenever possible. Each child's progress is discussed in regular meetings and staff share responsibilities to effectively enhance the breadth of their learning. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The previous care and nursery education inspections recommended that the nursery reorganised group times and develop the children's assessment system and written observations, recording details of where children are in their learning. Through the implementation of the Birth to Three's framework, children benefit from staff observing their play and using these observations in their assessment records. Staff now also use a profile booklet produced by the Bristol Education Centre. Staff have attended training in how to complete these correctly. However, these assessments and profiles are not used by staff to help them plan what children should do next. Children benefit from group times that are organised effectively, children no longer wait for long periods, as children are grouped in small numbers for set activities. Children enjoy extra support and individual attention from staff.

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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 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): • continue to develop planning to include the outdoor area.

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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 planning to ensure all areas of learning receive regular and adequate attention • improve the system for monitoring and evaluating the programme for education to ensure gaps in the curriculum are identified and actioned

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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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