Play Away Day Nurseries Ltd

Play Away Day Nurseries Ltd

Inspection report for early years provision

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Play Away Day Nurseries Ltd

Unique Reference Number EY275052 Inspection date 13 June 2005 Inspector Clare Moore

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Play Away Day Nurseries Ltd

Setting Address 43 High Street, Totton, Southampton, Hampshire, SO40 9HL

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E-mail

Registered person Play Away Day Nurseries Ltd 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?

Play Away Day Nursery in Totton, Hampshire is one of four nurseries owned by Play Away Day Nurseries Ltd. It was registered in December 2003. It operates from a purpose built two storey property in the centre of Totton and serves the local and wider communities. There are enclosed outdoor play areas and disabled access throughout the ground floor. There are 138 children on role from three months to five years of age. Of these 48

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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 children who receive funding for nursery education. The nursery welcomes children with special needs and those with English as a second language. Opening hours are Monday to Friday from 08:00 until 18:00 for 51 weeks a year. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are 19 members of staff working with the children and 16 of these have a relevant childcare qualification. There are three staff who are working towards a recognised qualification. The setting employs a full time cook and is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children’s health is very effectively promoted. They are served with nutritious home cooked foods at lunch times, fruit at snack times and water milk or sugar free fruit flavoured drinks. Older babies are encouraged to develop skills and become independent at meal times through feeding themselves and being supported and encouraged by staff. Specific needs of children such as allergies and sensitivities are carefully recorded and very good systems are in place to ensure their needs are met. Children rest and sleep according to their needs. Those that need reassurance are sympathetically supported and soon respond to skilled efforts to calm them when they are tired but reluctant to settle. Children enjoy fresh air, exercise and physical play in the garden with a variety of activities which gives older children opportunities to climb, slide, balance, throw and catch balls, use ride on toys and play games. This helps children to develop physical

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Helping children to be healthy

skills and to keep fit and active. Children understand that they need to wear sun protection creams and hats to protect them from the sun. Younger children also have frequent opportunities to develop skills and enjoy the outdoor environment as they explore the sand, the slide and enjoy action songs and rhymes. Children are cared for in a comfortable clean environment and older children learn about the need for good personal hygiene. Children’s toys and equipment are clean and well maintained. Children become independent by managing their toilet needs and washing their hands as soon as they are able to with sensitive support from staff. Environmental and hygiene guidelines, policies and procedures are promoted. An effective sickness policy and helps to prevent the spread of illness and cross infection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Risks to children are minimised effectively because the setting has a high level of security. Risk assessments are carried out regularly both indoors and outside and all medicines and cleaning materials are stored safely. Children know about fire safety

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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 procedures are they are practised regularly. First aid kits are available throughout the nursery and staff are qualified in first aid so that action can be taken to treat children in the event of an emergency. Children are carefully supervised during the time they spend in the care of the nursery. Babies are checked constantly when they have sleeps, and older children learn to become aware of safety issues such as walking rather than running indoors which helps to prevent injury to themselves and others. Staff have a secure understanding of child protection procedures which helps to ensure that children's needs are met.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are relaxed and happy at the nursery due to carefully considered settling in procedures and attention to individual needs. Children are confident and demonstrate a sense of belonging as they arrive, exchange greetings with staff, fetch their indoor shoes from their bags, and choose something to play with. Children spend their time purposefully in a variety of ways which helps them to enjoy their time at the nursery and maintain interest. They are sometimes active, sometimes restful, enjoy books, games, music and benefit from very good resources and a wide range of accessible toys and equipment. They have frequent opportunities to enjoy sensory experiences. Older babies and two to three year olds explore sound and texture with toys such as shakers, activity centres , and natural materials. All children are supported in developing language skills because staff talk and listen to them though some opportunities to develop interaction are missed. They

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

enjoy songs, rhymes books and stories. Children of different ages and siblings have opportunities to interact when they have time outside together, or meet in other areas. This creates an environment where older children can help younger ones, for example helping them to change their shoes which encourages children to consider the needs of others. Daily notes and records about progress are written by staff and shared with parents ensuring continuity of care for the children. NURSERY EDUCATION The quality of the teaching and learning is satisfactory. Three and four year olds are making sound progress towards the early learning goals. Staff have a working knowledge of the Foundation Stage. They provide a sufficient range of activities and experiences , ask questions and offer praise and encouragement. Children enjoy their activities and can access many of the resources available to them. They use their imagination when they explore paint, play with small worlds, and move to music.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They enjoy rhymes, puzzles books and games which help them to practise number and language skills. Staff meet together and pool their ideas to make activity plans. Children are motivated and interested in what they do, for example they look at their hands fascinated at circle time as they hear about finger prints and ask questions about the veins they notice at the same time. They are absorbed in imaginative play

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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 when they sell food in the shop and prepare an imaginary picnic. They enjoy painting, cooking, growing cress and construction. Children are confident speakers and listeners. They practise and develop skills as they take part in conversations with staff and other children. Their vocabulary is extended through talking about holidays and a range of topics at circle time. Children learn about number through rhymes, games and practical activities such as counting and working out how many plates are needed when they set the tables. They explore space and shape as they wriggle through tunnels, build with large blocks and explore small worlds with dinosaurs and a farm. They practise reading and writing skills when they identify their shoe bags, make marks, draw and share books and stories.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Written assessments and records show children’s achievements but these are not currently clearly linked to the areas of learning. This means that future planning does not always build on what individual children already know and hinders their development. Children are able to make use of the outdoor environment by spending time in the garden where they play on wheeled toys and engage in other activities. Opportunities are sometimes missed to use the time effectively to extend learning experiences.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children behave very well, they enjoy playing together and older children develop a sense of responsibility by helping to tidy away before meal times. Younger children are supported with sharing and taking turns which helps them to work harmoniously with others. Children and staff use discussion at circle time to develop rules which gives children responsibility and control. Children develop a positive attitude to difference when they explore their different families and homes in topics. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children are valued as individuals and are often independent in selecting their own resources from those set out and making choices within the space available to them. Children are happy and settled in the homely environment. They play together well, enjoy each others company and are at ease with the staff. Children with special needs are welcomed and can be effectively supported as staff are qualified in this

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Helping children make a positive contribution

area. They also have established links with other agencies for support and further expertise. The partnership with parents is good. Parents are warmly welcomed into the setting to help settle children and provide information about home routines, allergies, likes and dislikes. This is used to help children to feel comfortable, at ease and minimise disruption to routines. Children enjoy attending. Parents are given opportunities to contribute to children’s records and offered suggestions which helps them to take an active role in their children’s learning. They take home packs from the pre-school, and sometimes share phonic games and books. They are given comprehensive information about how the setting runs,

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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 newsletters, separate information about each stage as their child moves through the nursery to different groups, daily record sheets about activities, diet and their child’s day. This helps to ensure continuity for children between the setting and the home.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The provision meets the needs of the children who attend. Space and resources are very well organised with different base rooms for different age groups. Areas are used for different activities for example sand and water play, role play, comfortable book areas and storage which is mostly child accessible to maximise opportunities available to children. Policies and procedures are clearly set out, shared with all staff and made available to parents which contributes to children’s well being in the nursery. All the required documentation is in place and there are effective recruitment, induction procedures and training for new staff. Staff are clear about their responsibilities through written job descriptions and effective support. They are encouraged to share their ideas and take an active role in their development. There are measures to cover contingencies if staff are away so that ratios are maintained. Children can be treated in the event of

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Organisation

an emergency because permissions have been obtained from parents to cover medical treatment or advice. The leadership and management are satisfactory. The management and staff teams work together and are committed to continuing to develop, reflect upon and improve education and care through training, working with the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, local schools and the National Day Nurseries Association. Most elements of recording children’s progress through the stepping stones are in place but it is not always clear how this information is used to inform the planning.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection the nursery was asked to ensure children in the two to three year olds room can access a broad range of play equipment and creative materials. The room now has child accessible storage, more toys have been purchased and more activities are set out so that children can access a broader variety of creative materials. They were also asked to develop staff’s knowledge and understanding of child protection issues and ensure the temperature in all rooms is within a comfortable range in hot weather. More staff have attended child protection training, all staff are inducted in child protection procedures, the booklet “what to do if you are worried a child is being abused “ is readily accessible and staff know what to do if they have concerns. Air conditioning appliances have been purchased which helps to keep the temperatures down in hot weather.

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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

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been two complaints. The first complaint related to standard 2 and was received in Sept 2004. There was an allegation regarding a breach of the regulations relating to the ratios of staff to children. The setting conducted an internal investigation and reviewed procedures. As a result no further action was taken. The second complaint related to Standards 7 and 12 was received in Dec 2004. This related to information made available to parents regarding the sickness policy and information about infections. The complaint was investigated by the setting and no further action was taken. The setting continues to be registered.

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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): • increase the level of interaction.

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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): • extend the use of the garden to increase learning opportunities. • develop the records and assessments to identify children's next steps in learning, and to guide planning and teaching.

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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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