St Mary Magdalene's Roman Catholic Primary School, Burnley

KeyMed Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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KeyMed Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number 119489 Inspection date 06 July 2006 Inspector Suzanne Joyce Stedman

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KeyMed Day Nursery

Setting Address Keymed House, Stock Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS2 5QH Telephone number 01702 444215 or 616333 E-mail daynursery@keymed.co.uk Registered person KeyMed (Medical & Industrial Equipment) Ltd Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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KeyMed Day Nursery

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?

KeyMed nursery is exclusively for the children of staff working for KeyMed. The nursery opened in 1994 and operates from a purpose built, workplace nursery on the ground floor of the KeyMed complex. It comprises of five rooms. A maximum of 59 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07:45 to 18:15 for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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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 currently 62 children aged from six months to under five years on roll. Of these, 21 children receive funding for early education. The nursery currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 24 members of staff. All hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children stay healthy because they understand good health and hygiene procedures. They know to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. Paper towels and liquid soap are provided to minimise the risk of cross-infection. There are clear guidelines regarding the care of children who are unwell. However, babies are at risk of cross infection as a communal bowl is used for washing after lunch. All staff keep first aid certificates up to date to ensure any minor injuries are appropriately treated. Children have the opportunity to make healthy choices at meal and snack time. Fruit and raw vegetables are offered to the children at snack time and meals are all freshly prepared and cooked on site. Drinks are freely available so that children do not become dehydrated. Children enjoy happy social mealtimes and spend time chatting to staff and peers about their interests and experiences. The staff and cook are fully

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Helping children to be healthy

aware of any food allergies or special dietary requirements to ensure that each child's individual needs are met. Children have opportunities for fresh air and exercise, which contributes to their good health. The children enjoy the short time they have in the outside area playing in the large sand pit and on the bikes, scooters and using the push along toys. The use of the outside play areas are currently limited. Indoors comfortable seating has been provided so that children can relax, read or play quietly. Arrangements for younger children to sleep are good.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children play in a extremely safe and secure environment. There is a security guard who checks all visitors and parents adhere to a rigorous signing out procedure. Great effort has been made to make the premises attractive and welcoming to children. Examples of the children's artwork are displayed for their appreciation. Staff have the relevant paperwork for risk assessments which are carried out daily and any safety issues are identified and addressed promptly by the maintenance people. Children have a sound awareness of their own personal safety. They know what to do if they have to evacuate the premises in an emergency because they practise regular fire drills. They understand the rules regarding safety issues.

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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 play with and are able to help themselves to a good range of safe toys and games appropriate for their ages and stage of development. Suitable furniture is provided so that children can sit, eat and relax in comfort. Play equipment is continually checked for damage and cleanliness. Children are well safeguarded as staff are aware of their child protection responsibilities. A relevant child protection policy is in place and staff have the current recommended literature so that they know what to do if they have concerns about a child's welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children have the opportunity to take part in appropriate creative, imaginative or physical activities each day. There is formal activity planning for each session with a balance of experiences that allow children to play independently and use their initiative. There is also time for activities which need more support and direction from staff. Craft materials are provided. Children paint, print and use a variety of art supplies to produce pictures they can display on the walls. Children play imaginatively in the home corner and they enjoy making sand castles in the large sand pit. Children respond well to challenge. They enjoy outings to Tropical Wings, Sea Life Centre, Hockley Woods and the theatre to see pantomimes and children’s plays. They enjoy making jam sandwiches and comment on how sticky the jam is. Children make positive relationships with the staff and each other. Interaction is lively

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and friendly. Children show interest in the activities and ask questions about what they are doing. They distinguish right from wrong as fair and consistent boundaries have been set. Nursery education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage is adequate. However, some staff have a limited appreciation of how young children progress towards the early learning goals and are not yet fully able to purposefully deliver the Foundation Stage. The children overall are making steady progress towards the early learning goals. The curriculum planning provides sound opportunities for children to cover all six areas of learning. However, short-term planning does not always offer sufficient challenge for more able children or support for less able children. Staff use of assessment is sound. Senior staff discuss children’s individual needs with key workers and discuss next steps for

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children. However, planning does not identify how this is going to happen with regard to assessment. Consequently, less experienced staff do not always have sufficient prompts or guidance to help them differentiate learning outcomes for different children’s age or stage of learning. The overarching method of teaching is High Scope. Again, some staff have a better understanding of the principles underpinning this method than others. As a result, not

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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 all staff are consistent in offering children plentiful opportunities to learn through experience as they play. Children have some free play time at the beginning of each session. However, they spend the majority of their time in adult-led activities in either small or large groups. This has a negative impact on children’s behaviour and their ability to develop good levels of concentration. Staff have begun to address is issue by increasing the amount of time children have in the garden. However, the garden is not yet used to its potential to enable children to experience all areas of learning in a wider and less restricting environment. The pre-school room is well equipped with a good range of high quality resources. During free play time staff encourage children to be independent in their choice of activities and all children are encouraged to help

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

tidy away afterwards. This encourages children to develop skills in organisation and planning. Some play opportunities are dependent on children asking for them, such as for water or free painting. This means some valuable core areas of learning are not always readily accessible to children. Children are very vocal in their interactions with staff. They are keen to tell adults about what they have done during re-call time and to ask questions or add their comments about how they are feeling. They are becoming aware of the need to listen and are starting to respond to the 'listening flower' on the wall which staff have introduced to help children develop their listening skills. Overall children enjoy books. However, children do not make sufficient use of the book area or refer to books in more focused activities. They are becoming aware that print carries meaning as they write labels for displays on the wall. Children are not always sufficiently able to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

practise their early mark- making whilst they play, for example in the role-play area or to ‘write’ their names on their own work. Some older children have a developing understanding of initial letter sounds, listening to and identifying which letter starts their name. Children have a sound understanding of numbers. They enjoy counting their friends whilst they sit in a group and most can count in sequence to 10. Many children are beginning to recognise familiar numerals from zero to nine. Children participate keenly in simple problem-solving activities during snack time, such as how many cups are needed, how many more or less are there? Most children use relevant language to describe size and shape. For example, they compare whose orange is the biggest at snack time or comment on the shapes they see around them. Children are developing very valuable and worthwhile skills in information and communication technology. Younger children sit to watch older children deftly move

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

the mouse and operate simple software programmes. There are good opportunities for children to look closely at living things, such as the guinea pigs at either end of the room. Some more able children are confident to ask questions about how things work or why visitors have come back again to see them. Many children make good use of the large wooden blocks to build and construct on a large scale. Children enjoy mixing colours with sparkly paint whilst they paint over pre-drawn pictures. They can name familiar colours and describe what happens when they mix them together. Children enjoy singing and many join in with the familiar welcome song at circle time each day. They are able to use their imagination during free play time, but as this time is somewhat limited, it means children cannot fully extend and develop their role-play or other creative ideas. Most children are very expressive about their feelings and their likes and dislikes. They communicate this through a variety of ways

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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 appropriate to their age and stage of development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children feel a sense of belonging to the nursery as their parents work in the same building and are able to visit during the day. They are aware of their own needs and respect the needs of others. There is an equal opportunities policy. All children are cared for by staff who work with parents to meet individual needs. Staff recognise that some children may need additional help and work sensitively to ensure that they participate fully and have fun. Children become aware of wider society as they choose from a range of toys and books that show positive images of gender, culture and disability. They celebrate festivals and traditional events from around the world. Children who have additional needs are able to access play and learning alongside their friends. Children behave well. They understand the boundaries and the need for responsible behaviour. Staff provide calm role models and give plenty of praise and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

encouragement to help raise the children's self-esteem. There is a behaviour management which includes an anti-bullying policy for staff to follow. Any minor disagreements are skilfully negotiated by staff. The children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children benefit from the friendly partnership with parents. Information is provided on the notice board and in newsletters. Parents are extremely happy with the care offered and one parent said the fact that there was a work place nursery made it much easier for her to go back to work after having her baby. All parents are able to visit their children throughout the day and spend time with them in the nursery. The staff are now aware of the need to devise a complaints log that they can share with parents. A 'firm foundations' scheme has just started where children take home activities to share with parents. Children are also encouraged to bring in items from home linked

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Helping children make a positive contribution

to themes and projects. The partnership with parents and carers is good.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are confident and well supported in this welcoming and child- friendly environment. They are cared for by a motivated staff team who regularly attend training to keep up to date with current childcare issues and trends. All staff have been vetted and checked and the manager is aware of the need to make sure that future recruitment procedures are robust in accordance with changes to legislation and the National Standards. Children benefit from the effective staffing ratios and all staff are aware of their responsibilities ensuring that the nursery runs smoothly. The required documentation that underpins the efficient day-to-day management of

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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 the nursery is in place. A high regard is given to confidentiality. Policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and updated. The leadership and management of the setting is satisfactory. Overall, all staff have a strong commitment to providing high quality care and education for the children. Senior staff are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the setting and have good development plans in place to continually improve the care and education for the children. Overall children’s needs are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider agreed to: ensure that the child protection statement includes contact names and telephone numbers for the local police and social services and the procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff or volunteer; review the operational plan to ensure that it includes all elements of the National Standards and associated guidance and review the toys, books and materials used to make sure that they promote equality of opportunity. All the previous recommendation have been complied with. The child protection statement includes contact names and telephone numbers, the operational plan has reference to both the National Standards and the associated guidance and a selection of resources are in place to promote equality of opportunity. Children's safety, care and access to knowledge of diversity have therefore been enhanced.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection. 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 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 MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

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 care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure staff are aware of the importance of good hygiene practice in order to prevent the spread of infection, this refers to washing babies after lunch

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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 focused activity planning and staff skills in delivering the Foundation Stage to enable children to learn through experience • review the balance between adult and child-led activities to ensure children have sufficient time to explore and play without having to sit for extended periods of time • develop further the children’s use of the outdoor play area to enable them to experience all areas of the curriculum in the wider and more open environment (this also applies to care) • develop to book area and use of books in focus activities

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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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