Nippers Children's Day Nursery Ltd

Nippers Childrens Day Nursery Ltd

Inspection report for early years provision

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Nippers Childrens Day Nursery Ltd

Unique Reference Number EY320829 Inspection date 01 June 2006 Inspector Lesley Ormrod

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Nippers Childrens Day Nursery Ltd

Setting Address Lune Park Childrens Centre, Ryelands Park, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 2LN Telephone number 01524 413640

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E-mail

Registered person Nippers Childrens Day Nursery 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Nippers Childrens Day Nursery is one of three childcare settings run by Nippers Children's Day Nursery Limited. It opened in 2006 and operates from four rooms within a purpose built Sure Start building. The nursery is situated in Lancaster. A maximum of 30 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00 all year round. 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 38 children aged from birth to under five years on roll, and of these 14 children receive funding for early education. Children come from the city of Lancaster and the local area. The nursery employs six staff who all hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health care needs are competently provided for as good information is collected and recorded from parents. Their need for any medication or first aid is met by staff who are trained first aiders, and follow good accident and medication procedures. Children with specific medical needs are given very good support with written care plans and risk assessments. Younger children's need to rest or sleep is carefully discussed with parents, with very good recording of checks on sleeping children. Children are given good personal care as staff meticulously follow good hygiene procedures. Babies and younger children relax happily during changing times as they respond to the staff's comforting chat. They enjoy exploring the tactile toys to hand. Pre-school children can independently attend to their personal care needs as they visit the toilets. They know when to go and independently wash their

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Helping children to be healthy

hands. Their good knowledge of how this protects their health from germs is consistently fostered. Younger children's understanding of the routines of hand washing is not developed by staff. Older children have a good understanding of caring for their health as they eagerly decide on their choice of sunhat to wear outside. Children's lunch boxes are carefully checked as the staff record what is brought in and store in the fridge as needed. Their food is prepared in the clean, hygienic kitchen areas by trained staff, who follow good food hygiene procedures. Children are provided with nutritional snacks. They eat their toast eagerly in the morning. Children chat happily about their preferences of healthy foods, as they choose from a good selection of bite-sized pieces of fruit. They decide that they are hungry as they have been playing outside on the bikes. Babies are encouraged to develop their chewing skills. Pre-school children have very good pouring skills as they use the jug

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Helping children to be healthy

to serve themselves drinks at snack times. Younger children have their feeder cups easily accessible. Older children can ask for a drink, although fresh drinking water is not easily accessible for them to help themselves to. Children are encouraged to enjoy social meal times together, although their use of utensils is not extended through routinely providing plates for their snack food items. Children enjoy being physically active as the staff plan regular daily play opportunities outside and physical sessions inside. They competently use the large apparatus and equipment at the nearby playground. Pre-school children have good physical coordination skills as they regularly participate in a specialised programme, Funky Cat Fitness. They choose to do the bean bag exercises and competently follow the instructions. They are proud of their jumping skills and concentrate hard to balance and turn around. Children enjoy moving imaginatively as butterflies, hop like grass

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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 hoppers and scuttle like a cockroach. Babies enjoy being outside in the fresh air as they practise their mobility skills. Most children can confidently scoot about on their choice of sit-and-ride toys. Older children can catch a largish ball when carefully thrown to them. They have a good understanding of how their bodies feel after being active as the staff promote their knowledge. Children know that spinning around like spiders makes them tired.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children play safely in an environment that has been carefully risk assessed and designed to facilitate their safe access to play areas. They safely make their independent play choices from the good quality equipment and resources provided. Children safely select from the plastic boxes located on the shelves of the easily accessible storage to develop their play ideas. Babies and younger children eagerly explore the natural and tactile resources provided in the well-thought-out developmental play areas. Older children enjoy playing in the excellent home corner areas equipped with quality wooden furniture and resources. All children make safe use of the resources as the staff follow good cleaning and checking procedures of all items. Older children have good tidy up routines and enthusiastically help each other with larger items. Their understanding of why tidying up helps to keep them safe is

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

not fostered. Children's safe care and security is given good thought with explicit health and safety procedures followed by staff. Their security at the nursery is enhanced through the staff's effective use of the security cameras installed. Children's safety on outings is managed competently. They develop their knowledge of road safety skills as they learn what to do when the traffic lights show a specific colour. Their safe care in the event of an emergency evacuation is managed through comprehensive fire procedures, although there is no fire blanket provided in the small kitchen. Children participate in regular emergency evacuations. Pre-school children know that they line up at the door to go safely out with staff. They meet the fire officers with their fire engine and find out how the officers help them to stay safe. Children's understanding of safe play is promoted. They learn why jumping off the small play slide is not a safe

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

thing to do. Children are protected as there are good procedures for the collection of children by authorised persons only. Their understanding of how to stay safe and protect themselves is encouraged through discussions, topics and stories. They decide that they should not go into other people's homes as they act out the story of the three bears. Children know that they do not talk to strangers when they go out and about. The arrangements to protect children are specified in the detailed child protection policy although some detail in this has not yet been updated. The protection of children is discussed with parents who sign to indicate that they understand the referral process for any concerns.

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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 outstanding. Children aged under three years enjoy an excellent variety of well-thought-out experiences and activities that promote their developmental progress. They make very good developmental progress through the staff's exceptionally good implementation of the Birth to three matters framework. Younger children have very good opportunities for exploratory play using all of their senses. They delight in finding out what they can do with the contents of the heuristic baskets such as the variety of pots and pans. Children aged two years eagerly develop their imaginative ideas as they pretend to make soup, intently stirring their imaginary contents in their saucepans. They decide to make pancakes and describe how they are going to toss then into the air. Younger children enthusiastically play the musical instruments

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

finding out how to blow the hooter and beat the drum. They thoroughly enjoy the fun of their play through the very good staff facilitation of their play. Children aged one year have great fun in the play den created from blankets and the use of sensory lights. Babies enjoy a massage given by a qualified member of staff. The very good progress of babies and younger children is promoted through the staff's excellent development of effective planning, assessment, observation and recording systems. Each child's developmental progress is observed consistently throughout the day. Their recorded information is expertly used to inform the planning of the differentiated activities to meet their next developmental learning needs. The comprehensive baseline and ongoing assessment records contain detailed information about what each child can do, and are fully shared with parents. Each child has a record of achievement that is very attractively presented with very good

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

evidence collated into the components of the Birth to three matters framework. Children transferring to the pre-school staff are given good support through the staff's completion of an initial profile that is used to identify their starting points on the stepping stones of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children access a well-planned curriculum that meticulously covers the stepping stones to promote their learning. They learn through a good variety of topics that provide the basis of the focussed activity work in conjunction with the continuous provision enhancement planning. Children practise their basic mathematical, language and literacy skills in a variety of topic contexts. They acquire new learning consistently as the staff teaching skills are good. Their thinking skills are encouraged through the staff's use of effective extension questioning. They are consistently encouraged to use their mathematical

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

skills during the focussed activities. Children's next steps to learn are clearly identified from the staff's good use of their observation and assessment systems to inform each week's planning. Their learning is comprehensively assessed and regularly observed. The opportunities for children to fully develop their free imaginative play in the areas of the continuous provision are not fully promoted within the present balance of staff-focussed activities and child-led play. Children make good progress towards the early learning goals with more able children achieving at a high level. Children make confident use of their mathematical skills. They spontaneously count

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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 reliably in their play, although there are no visual number displays yet in the room to support their mathematical knowledge. Children can give the next number to follow on as they count themselves in from outside play. They can recognise some numerals and eagerly collect up two mark-makers to match the numeral two. Children make good use of their calculating and thinking skills as they work out how to cut their sandwiches into halves and compare the sizes. They can name basic shapes and recognise that an oval is egg shaped. Children spontaneously compare the sizes of their hands and feet. They decide which are the biggest as they compare their own hands and feet with that of the staff. Children are confident in their use of language to express what they know, describe their ideas and what they are doing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They confidently name the initial letters of their names and can give the names of other items that begin with the same initial letter. Children enjoy reading and readily choose a book to curl up with in the cosy corner. They use their good recall skills as they remember that caterpillars come out of cocoons. Children enthusiastically describe the pictures of insects as they share a book with staff. They use their thinking skills to decide why they should stand still in their gardens if a bumble bee, like the one in the book comes along. More able children can competently write recognisable letters for their names and make use of a keyboard to type the letters of their names. Children have a good understanding of growth and living things as they describe how the caterpillar needs to eat to become a butterfly. They are fascinated as they discover how a bumble bee sucks nectar into its tummy for food. Children make

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

competent use of the computer and confidently use the mouse to run their chosen programme. They do not have sufficient opportunities to consolidate their knowledge of the days of the week, weather and dates. Children can confidently name colours. They excitedly describe how they have mixed the paint colours and what happened. They know that they made the colour green by mixing blue and yellow. Children enthusiastically describe their imaginative ideas as they paint. They decide to create a flower with a face and paint a picture of Superman. Children enjoy music. They confidently follow a beat to a song or create their own rhythms as they play their chosen instruments. They sing confidently as they choose their favourites, such as Wind the bobbin up or Mousey Brown. Children team up together to share their creative ideas as they play imaginatively. They decide that the glass pebbles are dinosaur eggs and find paper to wrap around to keep them warm. Children are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

confident and eager to interact with staff. They have good self-esteem and proudly show staff how they have found out how to cut the sandwiches in half with their knives. Children persist at their tasks for good periods, such as succeeding in putting on their socks and shoes.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children play equally without bias as there is a good focus by staff on promoting equality of play. Boys and girls play happily together in the home corners. They show good care and concern for each other as older children spontaneously give the younger children a cuddle. Children have very good self-esteem that is fostered by their strong relationships with the staff. Their individual needs are known in good

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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 detail and provided for competently. Children are secure and confident in the setting with its emphasis on creating a positive ethos and having fun as they play together. They develop their awareness of other cultures as they enjoy learning simple words of Spanish. Children proudly say hello and goodbye in Spanish. They participate in a variety of topics that extend their awareness of their own, and other cultures and traditions. They create pictures of dragons for Chinese New Year, celebrate Christmas and find out about Passover, Hanukkah and the Dragon Boat festival. They freely play with good quality resources that reflect diversity and disability although there are no visual displays to extend their awareness further. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children who attend the nursery at times with learning difficulties are given good support to meet their individual needs in discussion with their parents. Children with a disability can fully access the provision. All children's developmental progress is closely monitored by the staff and discussed with their parents. Children's behaviour is good as staff quickly respond to guide children in expected behaviours. Their understanding of desired behaviours is supported by the staff's good use of appropriate strategies. The arrangements to manage children's behaviour are supported by a good policy that includes advice on addressing any bullying incidents. Pre-school children readily use the words please and thank you as the staff have focussed on encouraging their use of good social manners. The comprehensive information about children's care is fully shared with parents in the good brochure, newsletters and documentation provided. Excellent information

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Helping children make a positive contribution

about younger children's developmental progress and their access to the Birth to three matters framework is regularly shared with their parents. Children settle confidently into the nursery through the good induction arrangements. Information about children's care includes a complaints policy, although there is not sufficient detail about the procedures and parental access to the complaints record. The parent partnership is good and parents praise the quality of the staff's work with their children and the exemplary daily home-nursery sheets. The arrangements for children's care are regularly reviewed and parental opinions sought in the very good, detailed parental questionnaires. Children's prior learning is assessed and recorded with their parents using very good baseline and record booklets. Specific parental information about children's achievements is not regularly used to inform the weekly planning. Information about the topics children will enjoy is shared with parents

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Helping children make a positive contribution

although the planning for the nursery education is not yet made available. Children's detailed learning assessments and records of achievement are shared fully with their parents at the scheduled meetings, although no written progress reports are provided. Their learning is extended through the excellent home-link booklets provided for parents to support their children's progress.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children receive good quality care from staff who have been appointed through very good, robust recruitment and employment procedures. Their care and education is provided by staff who are well qualified, experienced and access regular training to

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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 extend their skills. Children thrive at the nursery through the good support given by their key-workers, and the importance placed by all staff on creating a welcoming environment. Leadership and management are good. The provision for children is regularly assessed by staff with strengths and weaknesses identified and action points identified. The quality of children's care and learning is competently audited as the provider regularly monitors the quality of teaching, appraises all staff and holds room meetings to agree development targets. Children's learning is enhanced by the weekly opportunities to work on specific items with a qualified teacher. The development of the provision for children is actively progressed with targets identified, as the staff are working towards achieving the Lancashire Quality Kitemark

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Organisation

accreditation. The arrangements for children's care include a comprehensive operational plan although minor updating of the child protection and complaints policies is required. Each child's needs are recorded in very good detail in their registration forms with all parental consents in place. Overall the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since registration. 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 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):

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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 • extend the arrangements for children's care by including more detail in the complaints procedure and indicate how the complaints record will be shared with parents.

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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 children's opportunities to develop their imaginative play ideas and extended learning by reviewing the balance of the child-led play and focussed activity work • extend the arrangements to discuss children's learning with their parents by developing written progress reports, and regularly include parents' knowledge of their children's achievements in the planning to meet individual learning needs.

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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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