Magic Tree Day Nursery

The Magic Tree Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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The Magic Tree Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY314212 Inspection date 19 July 2006 Inspector Tessa Margaret Betts

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The Magic Tree Day Nursery

Setting Address 35 Yaxham Road, Dereham, Norfolk, NR19 1HD

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E-mail

Registered person The Magic Tree 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?

Magic Tree day Nursery is privately owned. It opened in 2006 and operates from a converted building situated on a small industrial estate on the outskirts of East Dereham. A maximum of 30 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 8.00 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 40 children on roll aged from under one year to five years of age.

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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 Of these three receive funding for early education. The nursery welcomes children with special needs or who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs eight members of staff. Seven of whom, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's good health is actively promoted. They are cared for in a clean well-maintained environment. High standards of cleanliness, positive hygiene practices and clear procedures if children are unwell minimise the risk of infection and promote children's good health. Older children are developing positive hygiene habits. They readily go to wash their hands when it is time for snack and meal times often unprompted by staff. They show competent skills as they turn on the taps and dry their hands thoroughly on individual paper towels which they then dispose of hygienically. Through clear explanations by staff children understand why it is necessary to wear sun cream and keep their hats on when out in the sun. Children begin to learn how their bodies work. Through planned projects and role play situations a child pretends to listen to his own heart beat with the doctors kit. Children

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Helping children to be healthy

receive appropriate care if there is an accident as staff hold first aid certificates and have access to a well stocked first aid kit. Children thrive as their health and growth is well promoted with the availability of a varied diet. This takes into account the wishes of the parents and any specific dietary or cultural requirements. They experience a wide range of fruit and vegetables for healthy snacks that stimulates their taste buds. Details of food allergies are clearly displayed in each room so that children's individual health needs can be met. Children have the opportunity to watch and nurture the tomato plants and recognise what colour they need to be before they can eat them. Children have access to water throughout the day and are quietly prompted to take regular drinks to refresh their bodies. All children enjoy regular activities to develop their physical skills and promote their good health. They have many opportunities within their day to exercise both inside

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Helping children to be healthy

and outdoors. Children competently demonstrate their increasing abilities as they climb, jump, pedal on the bikes and throw bean bags. They manoeuvre well around others and enjoy the thrill of increasing their speed. Children persevere and demonstrate good hand and eye co-ordination. Children's persistence and subsequent achievement is praised and encouraged by staff who notice the effort being made to put a small ball through the high basketball net. Younger children have the freedom to crawl and explore their surroundings physically. Good layout in the baby room allows them to demonstrate their increasing skills as they pull themselves up and walk around the room. Children take the opportunity to rest and recuperate when needed supporting their sense of well-being. Babies sleep peacefully in cots with their comforters for reassurance. Older children sit with staff on soft cushions enjoying a quiet game or story in the book corner.

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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

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children enjoy a safe welcoming environment which encourages them to settle quickly on arrival. Through good use of risk assessments and staff's understanding all safety hazards have been minimised to protect the children attending. Additional steps taken by the manager which include the installation of close circuit television enables all areas both inside and out to be consistently monitored. The outdoor area is secure and fitted with a rubber surface which reduces the risk of accidents when children are playing. Although the baby room does not have any natural ventilation the nursery has installed an effective air conditioning unit. This ensures that the temperature in the room is appropriate for young children in both hot and cold weather. Children are provided with furniture, equipment and toys that are appropriate for their purpose. These help to create an accessible and stimulating environment. Children

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

are provided with low level pegs in the entrance area so that they can hang up their bags independently. The staff work hard to personalise the playrooms. Each room is decorated with familiar photographs, posters and children's art work which contributes to creating a child-centred environment where they feel secure. Children's welfare is promoted and safeguarded as staff demonstrate good knowledge of the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is being ill treated. Children's protection is further assured as staff know whom to contact if they are concerned and have the relevant written guidance easily accessible. Children are not left alone with persons who have not been vetted. Strong security measures in place such as the keypad system on the main door reinforces the practice of keeping children safe.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and settled in a caring setting where they enjoy good relationships with staff. Older children confidently separate from parents whilst younger children are well supported as they are greeted eagerly by staff on arrival with a cuddle. Children benefit from the strong bond established as they receive close individual attention from staff. This ensures they are secure and very self assured from an early age. Children are motivated in their play and staff readily join in with activities. Children laugh as they role play an ice cream parlour and staff seize the opportunity to order their favourite flavours. Children communicate well with each other as they sit together at snack time sharing conversations about what they have been doing at nursery and at home. Staff make good use of the 'Birth to three matters' framework to plan and provide a varied programme of new experiences. Good communication and an effective key

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

worker system is in place. This ensures that children are cared for within their familiar routines further promoting their sense of security. A baby arriving tired is soothingly rocked and well supported until he falls asleep. Babies and young children

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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 experience at first hand a good range of tactile materials. They are able to stand and feel the different textured carpet squares on the wall and self select from treasure baskets containing sea shells and wooden objects. Young children experiment with crayons and show pleasure as they make patterns on the paper. Older children play imaginatively as they pretend to make tea for friends and book a holiday at the travel agents. Children are starting to undertake practical tasks as they attempt to pour their drinks and water the plants displaying good independence skills. Children enjoy a rich range of messy play to stimulate their senses. They swish in the water tray, dig in the sand and enjoy the pleasure of pushing crushed cornflakes and sand through the sand filter. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children are making steady

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

progress towards the early learning goals. Whilst the senior staff demonstrate a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage other staff are less secure in their understanding. This limits opportunities for children to develop their thinking skills. Assessment and planning systems for children's activities are in place so that children have a range of experiences linked to the six areas of learning. However the current system does not give an up to date picture of children's individual progress. As a result staff do not consistently ensure that children are sufficiently challenged. Children are interested and motivated to learn. They confidently share their news at circle time and sit quietly to listen to the range of activities on offer. They enjoy strong relationships with staff who are enthusiastic and interested in what they are doing. They demonstrate their independence as they select what activities to participate in

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and patiently wait for their turn on popular play resources. They are confident to initiate conversations and make their feelings known as they choose what colour cutlery to have and whether they would like a spoon or a knife to eat their lunch. Children are beginning to recognise sounds and letters as they sound out the individual phonics and attempt to write their name. Children are developing a healthy interest in written words. They ask staff to read the printed letters on the computer screen. Children use speech to organise and explore experiences as a child confidently tells staff that her new shoes will not fit them as their feet are too big. Children count the pieces of banana on their plate at teatime and an older child confidently counts up to 16. However younger children have too few opportunities to use number in everyday routine activities. Children are starting to enjoy problem solving and understand simple concepts of addition. Children are beginning to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

explore the patterns made as they push their cars through water and look at the marks created by the wet tyres. Children comment on size and are beginning to discuss concepts of sinking, floating and weight as they play in the water tray. Children take an active interest in their environment as they care and tend to their plants. Through planned topics such as "people who help us" children learn about the different roles in the community and how they have a positive impact on their lives. Children are confident when using programmable toys and display good hand and eye co-ordination when using the mouse on the computer. Whilst children enjoy some opportunities to find out how things work they are not sufficiently challenged to develop their thinking skills. Children are beginning to demonstrate their design abilities as they alter the layout of the railway track.

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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 experience a suitable range of art and craft activities that promote their interest in colour and texture. Children dance rhythmically to taped music and find out what it is like to be a decorator as they pretend to paint the outdoor play house.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children feel at home in the nursery because they are included. Staff lower the height of the highchair to allow a young child to join others at snack time. The staff get down to the children's level and use their names showing that they are interested in them. As a result children feel valued and good about themselves. Children are increasing their awareness of the wider world by celebrating different festivals and by having access to some play resources that reflect positive images of race, gender and disability. This positive approach effectively fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. Children confidently express their own needs and feelings and make staff aware when they are tired or thirsty. Currently there are no children with special needs or children who speak English as an additional language attending the nursery, but staff are able to draw on their past experiences to ensure

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Helping children make a positive contribution

that they work with parents and other professionals to meet each child's needs. Children's social behaviour is generally appropriate and they are polite and courteous. They play well together and enjoy sharing a game with friends. There is a clear behaviour management policy in place however this is not used effectively by staff when dealing with more challenging behaviour to ensure children experience clear boundaries and grasp a strong sense of right and wrong. The partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Parents are provided with a well presented brochure which outlines the care offered and details the complaints policy. Parents and staff throughout the setting enjoy positive relationships. They effectively exchange information on arrival and departure through the use of a written daily information sheet. This ensures parents are kept fully informed on a day to day basis. Parents talk positively about the nursery stating that their children love

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Helping children make a positive contribution

attending, are well cared for and that staff are always approachable and welcoming. Whilst parents are able to look at the display of photographs showing children engaging in a range of activities information about the Foundation Stage is not sufficiently promoted. As a result parents are not able to make an effective contribution to their children's learning and fully support their individual progress.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children's health, safety and well-being is generally promoted as staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. The manager is developing support systems for staff to include annual appraisals and address individual training needs to further support children's care. Sound recruitment procedures ensure that the staff are suitably qualified and vetted. Children experience consistent carers and are secure as staff rotas are effectively managed. All legally required documentation is in place and

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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 written procedures are maintained to meet current National Standards. Suitable organisation of space and routines within the nursery ensures that children are able to rest undisturbed, have their meals in comfort and to explore their play materials freely. Children are grouped appropriately according to their age and ability to ensure their developing needs are met. The leadership and management of nursery education is satisfactory. Whilst the senior staff demonstrate appropriate leadership skills, they do not yet effectively evaluate the service to identify and address the weaknesses, particularly around children's learning and behaviour management. They demonstrate a strong commitment to improving the overall provision. Regular meetings with the early years specialist teacher helps them to evaluate their educational provision and begin to

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Organisation

address areas for improvement. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the children.

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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 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): • improve the management of children's challenging behaviour in a way which promotes their welfare and development.

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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): • improve staff's understanding of the Foundation Stage to increase opportunities for children to develop their thinking skills • improve assessment and planning systems for children's activities to ensure that their progress is effectively monitored and they experience sufficient challenge in their learning • provide information for parents on the Foundation Stage so that they are able to take an active part in their children's learning and progress.

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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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