The Island Day Nursery

The Island Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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The Island Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY320128 Inspection date 20 June 2006 Inspector Sue Williams

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The Island Day Nursery

Setting Address Mill Court, Furrlongs, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 2AA

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E-mail

Registered person The Island 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 satisfactory. 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?

The Island Day Nursery was registered in 2006 and operates from the ground floor of a three storey business complex in the main town of Newport on the Isle of Wight. A maximum of 51 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07: 45 until 17:45 for 51 weeks of the year.

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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 51 children aged from three months to five years old on roll. Of these 16 receive funding for early education. Children come from all areas of the island as their parents travel in to work in the town and other areas of the island. The nursery currently supports a number of children with impairment and also supports children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 13 members of staff. Of these 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is working toward a qualification. Overnight care is excluded from registration.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are protected from contagion because the staff maintain excellent hygiene procedures throughout the setting. For example, children are encouraged to learn the importance of personal hygiene. According to each child's stage of development the staff talk to the children about what they are doing and why, when helping them to wash their hands, clean their teeth and manage the toilet. Risk of cross infection is reduced significantly by meticulous attention by staff who maintain clean surfaces, toilets, bed linen, high chairs, sleep mats and toys. Staff use disposable gloves when dealing with soiling and bodily fluids. Nappies are disposed of hygienically and staff have a schedule for laundering and maintaining clean toilet facilities. Children are handled with great care and respect. Babies are chatted or murmured to while feeding or having their nappies changed. They have consistent staff and a key person for each child. There are spare nappies,

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Helping children to be healthy

pants and pull ups in case of emergency for any child in the setting. Children are further protected because written consent is sought for emergency medical treatment and first aid and there are detailed procedures in place for administration of medication. Children develop their understanding of a healthy lifestyle and the benefits of exercise as they participate in a range of purposeful and stimulating robust activities. The babies are encouraged to lay and kick or crawl and are supported to toddle, they use baby gyms which encourage random arm and leg movements. Older children have ample space to move about, there is a designated safe soft play area and children enjoy action songs and games and they particularly enjoy dancing to music with flashing coloured disco lights. Children are beginning to develop an understanding of healthy eating options. Weaning programmes are supported and discussed with parents. As children

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Helping children to be healthy

become older, parents/carers may choose to provide lunches from home for their child or opt for meals to be provided in the setting. A cook is employed to prepare meals in the setting and the varied menu reflects the commitment of the provision to promote healthy eating. Children enjoy a stir fry with prawn crackers at lunch time and sausage, beans and new potatoes for tea. Fruit flapjacks which the children

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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 helped to make earlier in the day are also served at tea time. Snacks are provided for all children in the setting and include such foods as selected fresh fruits, dried fruits, bread sticks, dip, yogurt and fresh vegetables such as carrot sticks, cucumber and tomato. Staff sit with the children at meal times to have their lunch. Through discussion the children are learning about the importance of healthy foods, and good manners are demonstrated and learned by example. All foods are safely stored and labelled in separate fridges and cupboards. Children have fresh chilled spring water to drink which is freely available throughout the day. Dietary needs are recorded and addressed and all staff are made aware of special requirements. This information is gathered verbally and displayed in writing in the feeding areas but there is no clear

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Helping children to be healthy

format on the registration or record forms for this vital information.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are welcomed into a visually stimulating and welcoming setting. The staff know the children well, greeting them with genuine affection as they arrive. Staff give children time to settle either with their parent/carer or presenting them with a favourite toy until all the children have arrived. The topography of the setting is unusual and the provider has maximised available space to ensure children's individual needs are met. This has been achieved by separating areas into bases according to children's ages. A comfortable and pleasant area in which to eat has been designed adjacent to the kitchen. There is a clean and comfortable sleep room with cots and sleep mats with pillows. There are areas where children can relax on sofas and soft mats. Children have all the facilities they need to be comfortable in the setting. Newly refurbished toilets and changing areas all contribute to pleasing surroundings for the

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

children where they have space to play, relax or engage in robust or quiet undisturbed pursuits throughout the day. Babies are cradled and supervised in the baby room and have high chairs, suitable resources, toys and equipment to encourage their development. Older children have low level tables and chairs, places to relax or engage in table top activities, spread out activities on the floor, space to move around and play freely or play quietly and undisturbed. The provider has taken strategic measures to ensure the children are safe and well cared for. Safety flooring, combination locks and security systems together with cctv in the sleep room ensure children are secure and monitored in the setting. Soft buffers have been placed around stanchions in all rooms and the written risk assessment is upheld in practice. Children have buggies, reins and wrist restraints for outside visits to the town, park and river walks. High ratios are maintained and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

supervision is vigilant on outside visits. Children and babies are learning to stay safe by listening to the older children and staff as they practise road safety when crossing the roads, they are also learning the safety rules in the setting by the same methods. There are established and written fire safety procedures. Staff are aware of emergency exits which are clear for evacuation, however some staff are vague about the designated roles of other staff members. Children are never released to

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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 unauthorised persons. Visitors are asked for identification on arrival but are not always asked to sign the visitors book. Children are protected from abuse because the staff understand their duty to safeguard children in their care. Parents are made aware of the duty the nursery has to safeguard children. There is a designated member of staff for child protection. Most staff have a good working knowledge of possible signs and symptoms of abuse and know to whom they would make referrals. Ongoing training is pursued and the owner is undertaking an advanced child protection course. Accidents sustained in the setting are recorded and countersigned by parents.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are happy and settled. They select from a wide range of good quality resources and equipment. Most staff are aware that each child has personal preferences and differing abilities. The operational plan which is flexible includes all aspects of the Foundation Stage and early learning goals which is the aim for all children to achieve in the setting. The team in the baby room and toddler room work closely with the Birth to three framework. Babies are happily engaged, being cuddled or encouraged to move or stand. They have a range of resources suitable to meet their developmental needs and engage with consistent staff each day. Babies have opportunities to experience textures and sounds, there are bright posters on the walls, striking and interesting hanging mobiles for them to see and the team are eager to ensure the babies gain a wealth of differing experiences during their time at

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

the nursery. The 'Rising stars' and the pre school children have free access to a wide range of resources. They self select the resources of their choice from the clearly labelled drawers. The labelling is in lower case and a sample of the actual object such as a piece of construction is attached to the drawer enabling children of all abilities to understand what is contained within. There are resources set out inviting children to participate. These include such things as the maths table and a table of musical instruments, a well equipped home corner and shop for imaginative play with materials available alongside for mark making. Staff are at a table with a range of jigsaws and some of the children have chosen to do this. Despite the careful planning there are many missed opportunities as children wander aimlessly or hurl themselves about in the soft play area. Much time is wasted during the period of the pre school children's registration when the 'rising stars' children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

return to their own base. Nursery education. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children are presented with a range of good quality resources. The software has been carefully selected to ensure children's learning is innovative and interesting. Art and craft, programmable toys, construction, small world play, imaginative play, exciting new gym equipment and educational games are available and easily accessible to the children. Books,

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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 jigsaws, outside visits, a well equipped home corner with materials for mark making all contribute toward children's progression in the six areas of learning. Qualified staff have a clear understanding of the Foundation Stage and early learning goals, the curriculum is well balanced to cover these. However the delivery of the curriculum is inconsistent among staff due to the varying degrees of training and experience. Cooking is popular and children are making fruit flapjacks for their tea later on. It is a very large group and children have to wait for long periods to add some oats and stir. There are many missed opportunities for maths such as counting spoons, measuring and providing the language for maths such as empty, full, more or less. Experienced staff make the most of incidental learning opportunities throughout the day: counting

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

objects, inviting children to make predictions and extending ideas through conversation and participation with them. Staff ask open ended questions giving children time to think and respond which develops children's self esteem and confidence. Children explore technology, they use the language and physical dexterity which is linked to the activity. For example, two boys play together at the computer table working collaboratively to negotiate the maze. The children demonstrate good hand and eye coordination and the member of staff explains what to do and celebrates their success. Qualified staff use focussed activities to target specific learning objectives. This sometimes means children are waiting for extended periods for a turn as in the making of tissue paper bracelets where children were asked to go away because their turn would come. Incidental learning is not always recognised and developed although there are systems in place for regular observations to be made.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Some activities are presented specifically to interest and engage particular children or to calm them or make an activity non competitive. A four year old child plays alone at the water tray. A member of staff provides a plastic fish to play with. The child puts the fish in the jug and fills it using a second jug. He knew it was full when he looked at the side of the jug. He makes the connection that the small pots have holes in and he can therefore only fill them up when placed flat. This involves much concentration, mathematical skills, making predictions, and also contributes toward problem solving and early science. The child's achievement records do not have recent observations recorded. The impact is that staff will not know how to support and extend his learning. Children are progressing toward achieving the early learning goals through using well chosen and good quality resources. Experienced staff extend children's learning in a

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

variety of ways; however opportunities are missed to maximise children's learning due to lack of support for less experienced staff.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The nursery promotes gender, religion, impairment and race in a positive way. Staff

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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 treat children with equal concern and most staff are aware of each child's individual needs. All children are respected as individuals because the permanent staff know them well. Resources in the setting promote positive images of a diverse world. Children who have English as an additional language are well supported by visual cues and good labelling of resources. A named special educational needs coordinator is appointed in the setting. Children who may have impairment are well supported. Staff work with parents or professionals who come into the setting to advise or work with the children. The aim is to maximise all children's development and potential. Activities and resources are adapted to meet children's individual needs and there is an accessible toilet for wheelchair users.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are learning to be considerate. They are learning the rules of the setting such as how to behave at mealtimes, on outside visits they learn road safety by watching and listening to staff and older children and they learn to take turns when sharing toys and activities. There are periods when children have a long wait which does not always have a positive effect on behaviour. Most staff have a good understanding of the differing levels of children's understanding and behaviour, however some unwelcome behaviour is unnoticed by students. Staff praise and encourage good behaviour and notice acts of kindness which children show toward one another. They praise and celebrate achievement which instils confidence and in turn promotes good behaviour. Children's spiritual moral social and cultural development is fostered. The partnership with parents is satisfactory. The nursery places high importance on

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Helping children make a positive contribution

this partnership. Parents are shown round the setting with an invitation to stay prior to making a decision whether to opt for this nursery or another provision. Parents in the baby room are made welcome by staff as they stay to settle their child in. They are not rushed and are invited to stay until their child is confident and ready to integrate and parents feel able to leave them. Parents interviewed state they are happy with the provision. They receive information about the setting, feel able to speak with staff about their children and have access to policies and regular newsletters. If there is any issue that needs to remain confidential or cannot be discussed in front of the children or other adults, the nursery phones and if needed arranges a private meeting. There is a complaints procedure in place which is in accordance with the regulatory framework and parents have information about the regulator's contact details which

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Helping children make a positive contribution

are displayed in the vestibule of the setting together with the premises' insurance certificate and registration certificate. Parents who do not have time to linger in the setting are able to access information via a website. The partnership with parents of children in nursery education is satisfactory. Parents arrive in the morning, they chat to members of staff as together they settle their children before they go to work. They sit at the tables engaging in play and conversation with their child and members of staff. Parents have access to their child's record of achievement. They are able to discuss their child's progress file and know who their child's designated key worker is. There is however, no evidence of

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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 the nursery providing the option of extending children's learning at home. Parents feel involved in the care and education of their child and discuss their children's strengths, preferences and individual needs when negotiating a care and education package for their child at the nursery.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Most staff are suitably qualified and experienced to care for the children. The person in charge maintains a database of staff qualifications and monitors when first aid or other training needs updating. Ongoing training is encouraged and pursued. Children are supervised and never in sole charge of unvetted staff. Children are able to move freely from one activity to another. Registers are up to date and show which staff are present. Ratios are maintained and deployment of staff is planned but not always effective. Procedures are in place to ensure all adults are checked. Students are informed about safety rules and receive a briefing about keeping the children safe and an overview of the day to day running of the setting. New staff have an induction and are allocated an experienced staff member to consult for advice. Children are well protected because all policies and procedures are implemented effectively. Most

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Organisation

of the required paperwork and documentation is maintained to a high standard, securely filed in respect of confidentiality and on database. Documentation is easily accessed and readily available for inspection at any time. The leadership and management of the setting is satisfactory. The owners have a clear vision of what they want for the nursery children and play an active role in achieving this. They are working toward providing good support for the staff through training, clear induction procedures, ongoing support and appraisal. The owners are also pursuing training for themselves. Recruitment of staff is in accordance with equality of opportunity. The owners work closely with the team to include them in their vision for the nursery. They have made significant changes to improve the environment for both staff and children. This is a new venture, instigating change, and very early days for all involved in the nursery. The owners and day to day

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Organisation

manager plan to continually review and evaluate the daily routines, deployment of staff and monitoring of activities to ensure all children experience optimum care, support and achievement. As a result of this the nursery 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 to report since the registration. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents which they can

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Complaints since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 see on request. The complaints 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 satisfactory. 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): • Formalise system of gathering information about children's dietary needs and records of visitors to the nursery.

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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): • Develop the information given to and monitoring of students so that all adults can support children's learning • Support all staff in recognising children's learning. • Ensure observations of children are used promptly to update children's progress records so that all staff can build on children's individual knowledge.

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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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