Edwalton Day Nursery

Edwalton Day Nursery (Child Base Ltd)

Inspection report for early years provision

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Edwalton Day Nursery (Child Base Ltd)

Unique Reference Number 253393 Inspection date 07 June 2006 Inspector Alexandra Brouder

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Edwalton Day Nursery (Child Base Ltd)

Setting Address 227 Melton Road, Edwalton, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG12 4DB Telephone number 0115 9452741 E-mail Edwalton.Nursery@childbase.com Registered person Child Base Limited Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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Edwalton Day Nursery (Child Base Ltd)

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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Edwalton Day Nursery belongs to the Nursery chain "Child Care Base Ltd" and registered in February 2001. The nursery operates from a large converted house set in its own grounds, in Edwalton, Nottinghamshire situated on the A606 Nottingham to Melton Road.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Children are cared for in individual group rooms depending on their age and

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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 developmental stage. Children under the age of 3 years old are cared for on the ground floor of the house, children age 3-5 years old are cared for on the first floor and have access to 3 play/activity rooms during the course of the day. All children have access to the large enclosed outdoor play areas. There are 100 children on roll, of which 39 are funded. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and children whose first language is not English. It operates Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 18:00 throughout the year and is closed only for Public and Bank holidays. The staff team consists of 3 managers, 18 nursery staff and 4 domestic staff. Half of the staff working directly with the children hold relevant early years qualifications, and all staff access in-house training from Child Care Base UK Ltd. In addition staff

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

access training and advice from teachers/mentors from the Nottinghamshire Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children’s good health is promoted as staff are vigilant and consistent in following appropriate guidelines and identified needs of children. They are cared for in a clean and well maintained environment. Robust policies and procedures are consistently followed by staff to prevent children's exposure to cross infection. The children are protected from infection because the practitioners are well informed about children's health care matters. Clear and concise documentation ensures the children's individual needs are discussed, recorded and updated regularly with parents, which are then followed appropriately by staff. Children learn the importance of good personal hygiene through well organised activities and consistent daily routines. They wash their hands after using the toilet, before meals and after messy play. Nappy changing routines are followed appropriately and consistently to ensure that the

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Helping children to be healthy

possibility of cross infection is limited. Older children use 'snuffle stations' well to promote their own hygiene and develop their independence. More able children talk knowledgeably about why these are important and are developing a sound awareness about healthy living. All children access the outdoor area daily which contributes to a healthy lifestyle and extends on their physical skills. They enjoy a range of energetic activities and develop their self confidence as they use a range of indoor and outdoor toys and equipment, that are suitable and safe for all age groups at the setting. They begin to explore moving in different ways, for example, younger children were observed to ‘go on a bear hunt’ in an adult led movement session and older children extend these ideas by using the outdoor area and varied props. More able children begin to use their small muscle skills well, with varying degrees of control, as they use brushes,

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Helping children to be healthy

pencils or chalks. For example, when chalking outside on the pavement, or threading beads on string/lace. Children benefit from a healthy diet. They enjoy a variety of meals which are

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 nutritionally balanced and planned, and they are introduced to a range of foods which they are eager to try. Older children develop their independence as they choose when they want their snack and help themselves to this on some occasions. All children have access to appropriate utensils at meal times, however, younger children's skills are sometimes hindered through staff not providing a full range of cutlery at mealtimes. The practitioners take account of parental wishes and ensure that these are met. Older children confidently pour their own drinks and younger children are offered drinks to ensure none remain thirsty. Good facilities are provided to enable children to rest and sleep.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in bright and secure premises where they are able to feel settled and comfortable. They develop a sense of belonging as they are able to view their work displayed in their rooms and around the nursery. All children use a good range of safe and developmentally appropriate toys are equipment, which are well-organised at children's height to ensure that they can access these independently. Staff are vigilant about the safety and well being of children, and good measures are in place to ensure children are protected from harm. For example closed circuit television is in place to enable staff to monitor directly from their rooms who is at the main entrance. Children's risk of accidental injury is minimised through effective deployment of staff and all accidents are monitored and assessed, both internally and externally, to ensure that hazardous areas are monitored, and adapted if

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

required. Excellent policies and procedures are in place that ensure that children are protected from harm and safeguarded. However, not all staff are clear in the role of social services regarding child protection concerns. The groups' policy is not clear in identifying this, which potentially compromises arrangements to safeguard children's welfare to best effect in such circumstances.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Babies receive lots of cuddles and have a strong bond with the familiar adults who work with them, thus developing their sense of well-being. They benefit from routines that are consistent with their experiences at home. They enjoy a range of toys and equipment and develop their sensory play as they access various materials such as paints and sand. They squeal with delight at new experiences and attract the attention of staff through their early communication skills. Children between the ages of one and two settle quickly into new routines as they are have many visits before they leave the baby room. Children that begin the nursery at this age also become familiar with routines well, are happy and content,

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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 settle easily. This promotes their sense of belonging. They enjoy a full range of activities and enjoy using their senses, particularly with creative activities and physical activities such as climbing, sliding and painting. They begin to play happily alongside others and with adults, and practitioners good use of the 'Birth to Three Matters Framework' is improving children's achievements. Two to three year olds become confident, and more able, in their abilities as they begin to make some independent choices in their play and extend on their skills with sound support from adults. The 'Birth to Three Matters Framework' is used to plan the activities that children access and is generally evaluated to show what children have learnt. Records are maintained to enable staff to plot children's progress, but as

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

yet this is not consistent for this age group, which impacts on their learning. Musical activities include singing and creative rhythms which contribute to children's developing communication skills. They extend and explore their physical abilities well as they access a range of outdoor and indoor equipment, such as climbing frames and threading activities. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning for funded nursery education is good. Staff have a sound awareness of the areas of learning identified in the 'Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage' and plan a broad programme of activities giving generally balanced coverage across all aspects. Days are organised well to provide a flow of activities for children and to incorporate a balance of adult-led and child-chosen activities. Staff have introduced a new system to encourage the children to make better use of all three rooms. However, it is not yet evident if all children are making

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

full use of this new system which means that areas of learning are not fully developed for some children. Staff are continuing to develop systems to observe and record their assessments of children's progress through the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. They make some use of these assessments to inform short-term planning. However, as yet this is not fully effective in ensuring activities and resources are used to best effect, providing the best levels of challenge and stimulation to fully extend children's learning. This means that targets can not be set effectively as staff do not always have all the information needed to do this. This impacts on children's learning and achievements. Children are very confident and demonstrate a sense of belonging as they greet each other and staff on arrival. They build warm relationships with staff, actively seek support when required and interact appropriately with peers to work well together.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have a very good vocabulary and use talk well to organise their play. They talk readily about their own experiences and sometimes begin to use language for thinking, for example when talking about why a spider has a web. Staff use their questioning skills well in order to extend on children’s progress in this area and repeat planned activities to consolidate what children have learnt. All children handle books well and know that print carries meaning. They use pencils, crayons and brushes with growing confidence to make marks, and most children are able to write their names. More able children hear and say the initial sound in words and know which letters represent some of these sounds. For example, a four-year-old sounded out the name of one of her peers.

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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 a high level of independence and are able to freely access equipment to extend their play. Resources are stored appropriately to enable them to access paper, writing implements and various media. Children enjoy using their imagination and have daily access to a role play area and small world play to develop their skills. However, it is not yet clear if all children are spending time in this area. Children behave very well and make relationships easily with known adults and peers. They listen to, and follow instructions appropriately. They are extremely polite, saying excuse me, before interrupting conversations and use good manners appropriately when requesting and accepting help, drinks or food. They persevere for extended periods of time at set activities and show enjoyment in their achievements. For

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

example, a three-year-old completed a drawing and took pleasure in showing it to all staff and a visitor, talking about what she had drawn. Children count well and more able recognise numbers up to ten and beyond. However, as staff do not always plan for individual needs, opportunites to challenge more able children in number recognition is missed. Children are able to access a range of activities, both indoors and outdoors, that increase their understanding of number order and sequence, such as an interactive number line. They have many opportunities to explore pattern and measurement and 2 and 3D shapes. For example, they thread with coloured beads, handle jigsaws, build with construction or fill and empty containers in the sand. Children have regular access to information and technology equipment. They are acquiring knowledge of their environment and the wider world through practical activities such as celebrating festivals and tasting foods from other cultures. They

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

have many opportunities to extend their knowledge of their environment and materials in planned activities. For example, a recent activity enabled children to learn about things made from plastics, metal and wood as well as learning about things that grow and don’t grow. Children show enjoyment in this area and consolidate what they know through informing staff what items in the room are made from. Planned activities introduce children to a wide range of creative materials and techniques such as marble painting and collage, so helping them learn about colour, texture and form. Children have many opportunities to develop and extend their own creative ideas. Children regularly enjoy singing and moving to a variety of songs and are able to experience various types of music, such as classical and popular. They begin to act out their experiences in various role play areas, such as a restaurant or home corner, and use appropriate props to support their play.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The children are highly valued as individuals. They develop a positive attitude to others and build warm relationships with staff and peers as they access a range of resources that represent the children who attend, as well as from the wider community. Varied activities are provided for all age groups including food tasting and displays representing festivals such as Holi. Good systems ensure their

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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 individual needs are met and practitioners work closely with other agencies to provide for children's specific needs. Appropriate records are kept regarding children's individual health and dietary needs enabling these to be met. Staff recognise the importance of liaison with parents and other relevant professionals to establish how the requirements of any child with identified special needs can be met. They have some experience of supporting the inclusion of children with individual learning needs and children who have English as an additional language. Overall, children's spiritual, moral, cultural and social development is fostered appropriately. Children are happy and content at the nursery and settle quickly due to the good systems in place that support both parents and children well. This enables all age

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Helping children make a positive contribution

groups to become secure and develop their sense of belonging. Children’s behaviour is very good. They have good relationships with both staff and other children at the setting. Staff are consistent in their behaviour management and motivate children to behave well by appropriate praise and encouragement. As a result children are unafraid to try out new things. For example, older children willingly assisted a member of staff in painting 'red dots' for a new activity later in the day. They engage in play for long periods of time and enjoy their time at the setting. Children's decision making and independence is encouraged through the day, for example they choose what they want to play with during the day and how long they spend at an activity. They are beginning to understand right from wrong through consistent boundaries and praise and encouragement. Staff allow older children to resolve their own differences encouraging them to develop skills in negotiation, turn taking and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

respecting the needs of others. The partnership with parents and carers is good. Sampled parents speak favourably of the welcoming environment which helps them feel confidence in the care offered to children. Accessible written information and informal discussion provides useful details about staffing, routines and policy, so helping staff and parents work together to meet children's needs. Parents contribute initial information about their children's individual care needs, preferences and stage of development, so helping staff have regard to these factors. All parents are able to view information on how their children are learning, either through the 'Birth to three matters' framework, the Early Learning Goals and/or the Sound Foundations framework that all age groups work through. This enables parents to gain an understanding about their child’s learning and contribute to their learning at home. Effective communication is maintained through

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Helping children make a positive contribution

regular newsletters, notice boards, parent meetings, open evenings and arranged and informal discussions. These work effectively to ensure that children’s individual care needs are met. Parents of younger children receive daily verbal and written feedback sheets relating to what their child has eaten, how they have slept and what they enjoyed playing with. Parents of older children receive verbal feedback regarding their child’s day.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's care is enhanced through rigorous recruitment and employment procedures. Diligent induction training ensures that staff are fully aware of the

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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 settings comprehensive policies and procedures to keep children healthy and safeguard their welfare. However, not all fully understand stand some aspects of the child protection policy. Staff training is provided which is linked to appraisals and professional development to support the ongoing improvement of the setting. Children are suitably grouped to ensure they receive good levels of care appropriate to their age and developmental stages. Play and learning activities are organised well to provide interesting and appealing opportunities for children which contribute to their enjoyment, achievement and ability to make a positive contribution. Staff have a sound awareness of the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage and the 'Birth to three matters' Framework, and how to apply these in practice to support children's

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Organisation

development. Overall, the needs of all the children who attend are met. Leadership and Management The quality of leadership and management is good. The management team work very well together and receives good support from other nurseries that belong to the group as well as head office. A clear and strong vision for improvement on practice and staff's personal development is in place, ensuring that the needs of all can be met. The outcomes for children are met well as the management set clear directions leading to improvements within the nursery. They are actively involved in supporting staff to improve the provision for nursery education, although staff in this area have only been working together for a short time and are not yet consistent in the evaluation of some activities or the observation and assessment of children which impacts on the challenge set for some. Both managers take an active role within the

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Organisation

nursery, spending time with the children in their rooms. They use this time to monitor staff working practice which is followed through at appraisal meetings to maintain and improve the level of care and provision for children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection of day care the provider was asked to ensure that times of arrival for children were maintained appropriately and to ensure that the good health of children was promoted with regard to staff following good hygiene. The group record actual times of arrival and departure well for all children. These records are maintained appropriately and stored as required, thus ensuring children's welfare is maintained. Children's good health is promoted as staff ensure that appropriate methods of hygiene are followed in relation to the placing of all foods on appropriate equipment, such as plates and bowls. At the last inspection of funded nursery education the provider was asked to evaluate and build on resources and staff's involvement during imaginative play to enable children to benefit from maximum learning opportunities and consolidate what they know. Staff plan and prepare the role play area and alter this regularly to ensure

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Improvements since the last inspection

children do not become bored. Staff initially set up this area, but allow children to add or take away resources in order that they can extend, and consolidate, their ideas and knowledge of specific areas. Staff ensure that appropriate questioning is used; for example in the 'restaurant' they ask 'how much does it cost?' or 'what type of food do you have?'. This enables children's language to develop and their imaginative ideas to flourish.

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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

Since April 2004 two complaints have been made to Ofsted. In December 2004 a concern was raised about the handling of children within the nursery. This relates to National Standards 1 (Suitable Person) and 14 (Documentation). This was investigated by the provider responding to Ofsted. No National Standards were breached and the provider continues to be qualified for registration. In February 2005 a complaint was raised regarding several aspects of child care including: the arrangements for supervision and assistance of children using the toilet and practice in dealing with children who soil themselves; the nature and quality of interaction between staff and children; and that parents were not sufficiently informed about what children had done during the day (Standard 3 Care learning and play; Standard 7 Health; and Standard 12 Working in partnership with parents and carers). We wrote to the registered provider and asked them to investigate. The reply gave

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Complaints since the last inspection

details of changes to practice which had been implemented in response to the issues raised. There was no breach of the national standards and the provider remained qualified for registration. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by the 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 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 that staff are fully secure about the role of social services in relation to child protection and ensure that the policy is clear in stating this • continue to develop the evaluation systems that are in place for the 'Birth to three matters' framework to ensure that it is consistently meeting the needs of the individuals and that this information is used to inform future planning, particularly in the two to three age group area.

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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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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): • continue to develop the opportunities that children have for free-flow play to ensure that all children have equal access to the full range of activities • continue to develop the observation and assessment of all children to ensure that their needs are explicitly identified, and that targets are set according to each individual. Review the current planning system to ensure that this is effective and appropriate to the needs of all children, and that the evaluation of activities relates to what children have learnt.

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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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