Little Waves Community Nursery

Littlewaves Community Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Littlewaves Community Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY332399 Inspection date 07 June 2006 Inspector Rachael Williams

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Littlewaves Community Nursery

Setting Address Nursery Building, Windwhistle Primary School, Kingsley Road, Weston-Super-Mare, BS23 3TZ Telephone number 01934 416422

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E-mail

Registered person North Somerset Council 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Little Waves Community Nursery was re-registered in 2006 after it's move from the Healthy Living Centre. It is situated in the Bourneville area of Weston-Super-Mare, and provides day nursery facilities for local children and families. It is based in a purpose built premises on the site of Windwhistle Primary School. There is an enclosed outside 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 The nursery is registered to care for up to 36 children under five years. At present there are 46 children on roll; of which seven are in receipt of government funding. The group care for children with special educational needs and who have English as an additional language. The nursery is open from 08:00 to 18:00 each weekday for 51 weeks a year. There are currently eight staff employed to work directly with the children, including a nursery manager. In addition, the nursery employs an administrator and a cleaner. Over half of the staff have early years qualifications to level two or three and experience in childcare. Staff are also supported by crèche workers from the Healthy Living Centre. The setting receives support from two Foundation Stage teachers, Sure Start and

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health is maintained through effective hygienic practices and procedures, such as nappy changing arrangements. Children are aware of their own personal needs and access the toilets independently. Children are given clear explanations to ensure they learn good hygiene practices. For example, a one-year-old independently accesses a tissue, blows her nose and disposes of it appropriately. Good hand washing procedures are in place and children are aware of the need to wash their hands before snack and mealtimes and do so confidently. Younger children are encouraged to wash their hands with adult support or through the use of individual flannels. Children's health is protected as most staff have appropriate first aid training. Detailed documentation ensures that accidents and medication are appropriately recorded and shared with parents. Children are introduced to a healthy lifestyle through the provision of appetising and

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Helping children to be healthy

nutritious snacks and home cooked meals. For example, older children enjoy serving themselves with savoury mince, mashed potato and sweet corn. To ensure food is prepared and cooked safely in the hygienic kitchen, staff attend food hygiene courses. There are good arrangements in place to ensure children's special dietary needs are accommodated through the use of individual care plans. Some children access their own drinks from their drawers or bags whilst others wait to be offered water. Children benefit from daily opportunities to be outside in the well-equipped and spacious outdoor area. There is good provision to ensure that children are well protected on hot days as consent is gained from parents to administer sun cream and the outdoor space has numerous shaded areas. Older children skilfully manipulate ride-on-toys, creating pathways as they move, showing good coordination and spatial awareness. However, there are limited opportunities to develop children's

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Helping children to be healthy

large muscles skills and to increase their control in using equipment for climbing, scrambling, sliding and swinging. Although the children competently use the

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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 ride-on-toys, tools to develop small muscle skills and small equipment, such as balls, they are not effectively challenged to develop new skills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children's safety and physical well-being is maintained due to effective risk assessments and daily monitoring of health and safety. On the whole, staff are vigilant about potential risks and hazards and regularly discuss these at team meetings such as, the use of baby monitors in the sleep room. However, water in the children's toilet facilities is too hot and may pose a risk to the children if unsupervised. Well written and relevant policies ensure children's safety whilst on the premises and on outings to the local environment. An appropriate fire evacuation plan is displayed and fully understood by senior staff, who have practised the procedure. The spacious and secure environment enables children to move freely and to encourage their independence for instance, the free movement of children from the outdoor area to the inside play space. Children have access to a good range of safe

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

and clean resources which are easily accessible through effective labelling and storage. Provision of appropriate furniture ensures all children are included for instance, at sociable mealtimes where low chairs ensure younger children are actively involved. Children are well protected as senior staff have good knowledge of child protection issues including possible signs of abuse or neglect, confidential recording of observations and the procedure to follow. Staff are aware of who to approach if they suspect abuse or neglect and are receiving relevant training.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Staff use the Birth to three matters framework well to provide younger children with a wealth of experiences to develop their senses and independence. For example, staff encourage children to handle a range of tactile substances, such as angel delight, jelly and ketchup, and to express their discoveries both verbally and through expressions and actions. Communication skills are further developed during nappy changing as staff listen and respond well to the children as they give clear explanations on what they are doing. Children enjoy books and are encouraged to look at their favourites whilst waiting for their snack. Staff support children's understanding through the provision of resources for instance, whilst reading a book relating to the seaside a two-year-old is encouraged to look at a range of shells. Some staff effectively question children whilst sharing books asking them to identify

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

objects of interest in the picture and relating it to their own experiences. All children benefit from close relationships with staff, and in particular their key worker. Staff deploy themselves well to support children in their interests. For

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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 example, a two-year-old is guided by a member of staff to complete a floor puzzle by encouraging her to look at the picture and to match the pieces. Children in the under two's room benefit from heuristic play for instance, through the use of individual bags containing beads, mirrors and other interesting resources to develop their inquisitive minds. Younger children become competent in their activities as, through effective organisation, they have opportunities to socialise and play with the older children. Younger children's achievements are monitored well through the use of learning diaries. Nursery education. The quality of teaching and learning is inadequate. Staff's understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum is inconsistent and children are not effectively challenged in their self-chosen activities. This leads to staff having inappropriate

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

expectations of the children. Observations, relating to the six areas of learning, are made, however, they do not show progression towards the early learning goals in order to influence the next stage of children's development. Planning lacks depth and detail. It does not clearly identify learning intentions, related to the Foundation Stage, and differentiation. Evaluations are not completed to effectively influence future experiences. Staff promote learning and development based on children's own interests. However, children do not participate in a broad and balanced range of experiences. For example, children are not involved in regular activities to promote numbers as labels and counting, calculating and problem-solving as routines do not encourage children's daily participation. The free flow environment encourages the children to be independent and to make decisions about their play. There is a good range of resources which are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

developmentally and age appropriate and are well labelled to encourage children to access them independently. Children are able to concentrate and persist in self-selected activities for long periods of time with little adult support. For example, in the crazy soap and with the tools, funnels and wheels in the water. Staff deploy themselves appropriately to support children's interests, however, some lack the confidence to extend activities appropriately. For example, a three-year-old is encouraged to share a scooter, through the use of a sand timer, but is not challenged to do more than ride up and down the ramp. Children enjoy sharing books and have their favourites. They are able to handle books appropriately and some are able to retell a story, such as Not Now Bernard, although this is not consistently supported by staff. Mark making equipment is readily available. However, this is not consistent and children are not always encouraged to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

write for a purpose, for instance within their role-play opportunities. Some children communicate well in a variety of ways for example, a four-year-old describes his weekend when he visited a chocolate fountain. Staff listen attentively and are responsive for instance, asking appropriate questions. Children have some valuable experiences where they are able to express themselves freely. For example, children identify colours and enjoy mixing the paint together on the painting easel. However, children are not fully encouraged to label their own creations. There are few opportunities for children to be involved in large scale activities or to construct with a purpose in mind.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are settled and happy within the nursery. Close relationships have been established and children are supported well. Thus they settle quickly to the self chosen activities, making decisions about their play. Children enjoy sociable snack and mealtimes where they all sit together. Children's independence is encouraged well for instance, they choose which drink they would like and pour it with little support. The staff have good knowledge of the children and their family backgrounds to ensure they are well cared for. Individual care plans are updated regularly to ensure continuity in care. Children are aware of the diversity in our society through appropriate images being displayed around the nursery and through appropriate resources such as, books and dolls. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children with special educational needs are assessed regularly and are well

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Helping children make a positive contribution

supported by outside agencies, such as a Springboard. The special educational needs coordinator is confident in her role and communicates well with the staff to ensure appropriate individual education plans are established. On the whole, children behave well. They are offered clear explanations, by patient staff, and are encouraged to monitor their own play through the use of sand timers. Children show care and concern for each other for instance, when a friend is accidentally tripped over they check they are all right and say sorry. Partnership with parents is good. Approachable staff ensure that there is a good exchange of information. Close relationships are established with parents which means children enjoy consistent and appropriate care. Parents receive a wealth of information, which is relevant to the setting, and support to ensure children's needs are met effectively for instance, through the use of the regularly updated care plan.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents are able to contribute to their children's learning through the use of 'Wow' slips which record children's achievements at home. Children's participation in activities and their physical development are shared verbally by the key worker. Although learning diaries are shared with the parents they do not show children's progression towards the early learning goals and thus parents are unsure of their child's achievements in relation to the Foundation Stage curriculum.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children benefit from a stable environment which is spacious and well organised to encourage children's independence. Children are grouped appropriately and benefit from consistent key workers who ensure they are settled and meet their developing needs. Clear recruitment arrangements ensure that suitable staff are working with the children, who are experienced and qualified to provide appropriate care. However, there are limited induction arrangements to ensure consistency in staff's knowledge for instance, hand washing arrangements and child protection procedures.

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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 Clear documentation, policies and procedures ensure children's care, welfare and learning are promoted appropriately. Records, such as individual care plans, are completed appropriately and shared confidentially. The daily register clearly identifies accurate times of attendance for children, however, it is not consistently completed by staff, especially when they leave the premises for lunch. Children are well supported by high ratios of adults to children. The nursery does not meet the needs of the range of children for whom they provide. Leadership and management is inadequate. Staff are pro-active in accessing relevant courses and attending in-house training such as Birth to three matters. They receive monthly supervisory meetings, however, there is no formal monitoring of their

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Organisation

interaction with the children, or mentoring for new staff, in order to plan appropriate experiences developed from children's interests and related to the Foundation Stage curriculum. The lack of detailed written planning for the Foundation Stage curriculum means that some staff lack support and are unable to extend children's learning appropriately. There is no system in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum. For example, assessments do not clearly identify children's progression towards the early learning goals and thus cannot influence the next steps in their learning. Senior staff have created an action plan which will address their identified weaknesses and are beginning to receive support from an appointed Foundation Stage teacher from Sure Start, as well as an advisory teacher from the Local Authority.

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Complaints 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. There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection.

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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 inadequate - notice of action to improve.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND 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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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 the daily register is consistently completed by staff to show accurate times of arrival and departure

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education, the registered person must take the following actions: • develop staff's knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum to ensure children are challenged appropriately • further develop the system to ensure children are engaged in a balance of experiences which sufficiently cover the six areas of learning • develop the assessment system to clearly identify children's progress towards the early learning goals in order to influence future steps in learning • develop an effective system to monitor and evaluate the quality of nursery education provision These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice. The Department for Education and Skills and the local authority have been informed.

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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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