Tiny Tots Holiday ClubOfsted inspection, 13 Jul 2006

Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Nursery

Unique Reference Number 106385 Inspection date 13 July 2006 Inspector Julie Neal

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Nursery

Setting Address 19 Chambercombe Terrace, Ilfracombe, Devon, EX34 9QL

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E-mail

Registered person Tracey McCormick 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Tiny Tots Pre-school and Day Nursery is a privately run full day care provision, situated on the ground floor of a Victorian house in the Chambercombe area of Ilfracombe. They are registered to provide care for a maximum of 32 children under eight years. Overnight care is not provided. The nursery has a small outside play area to the rear of the house, and also makes use of a local playing field for large physical play activities.

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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 open from 08:00 to 17:30 each week day, in term time only. There are 75 children on the register, of whom 35 are three- and four-year olds in receipt of funded nursery education. Tiny Tots is managed by the proprietor, who employs seven members of staff, all of whom hold a childcare qualification. The nursery is supported by the local authority and staff attend regular workshop and training events.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children's health is promoted effectively within the setting, because there are sound routines in place that maintain hygiene and encourage health promotion. Staff have clear routines in place that ensure the premises are clean and suitably maintained, thereby enabling children to play safely in an overall hygienic environment. Processes for changing children are managed appropriately, to ensure that children benefit from suitable levels of privacy, and nappies are disposed of with due regard to children's health and hygiene. However, potties used by children in the baby room are carried through the nursery to be emptied and this has impact on the hygienic environment experienced by children. Children learn very well about personal hygiene, for example they talk about cleaning their teeth and how many times a day this should be done, and older children independently wash their hands after using the toilet and when painting. Staff ensure

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Helping children to be healthy

that children have easy access to hand washing facilities in all areas of the nursery, for example providing bowls of water in the conservatory, when they engage in messy play, and ensuring there is a good supply of wet-wipes available in the baby room. However, children do not use soap when washing their hands, because this is not provided. Children enjoy healthy snacks at the nursery, with staff providing them with an interesting variety of fruits to encourage them to try less familiar items, such as pineapples. Children have ongoing access to fresh water, which they help themselves to during the day, and they are developing good awareness of the need to drink plenty in hot weather. Children bring packed lunches and staff give parents ideas for healthy lunchboxes, to encourage them to provide a nutritious diet for their children. Babies and very young children have their dietary requirements met well,

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Helping children to be healthy

because staff ensure they are fed and have their bottles at times that are in keeping with home routines, which enables them to feel secure within the setting. Children take part in games and activities that encourage physical development, and most days they either play in the garden or visit the park, in order to benefit from fresh air. Children move well, because they take part in good activities that encourage physical co-ordination and muscle development, such as parachute games, ball games, and music and movement.

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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 satisfactory. Children benefit from a welcoming and child-friendly environment. The premises are safe and secure because access to the premises is strictly controlled, doors are locked and any visitors are accompanied by staff at all times, to ensure children are not at risk. Risk assessments are in place covering all areas of the premises and outings, and these are overall effective in ensuring children's safety. Good organisation of most areas of the premises means that children can move safely between different areas in their play. However, organisation of the baby room at times when children want to sleep, is not appropriate. For instance, babies try to sleep while other children continue to engage in activities that can be boisterous, for example musical play, and this has an impact on the safety and wellbeing of children. Additionally, cot facilities are limited and children regularly nap in car seats (with the

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

knowledge and consent of parents), which restricts their natural movements in their sleep. Overall, space and resources are used well to provide a bright and cheerful environment that is attractive to children. Staff have good routines in place to ensure that all equipment is safe for children to use. For example, toys are checked daily for breakages and items used by babies are sterilised, to ensure they will not cause harm if they are chewed. Most documentation that supports children's safety is in place and is maintained appropriately, such as accident and incident records. However, some children do not have any emergency contacts in place, which compromises their wellbeing in the event that they need to be collected and parents are not contactable, such as if unwell. Staff have very good child protection knowledge and clear understanding of the settings procedures should they have concerns, which further supports children's safety.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy the good range of activities that encourage progress and development for all ages. Children are encouraged to make choices in their play and they eagerly choose and explore resources. For example, children under three years of age thoroughly enjoy playing in the sand and clearly state their preferences of tools to use, choosing spades of particular colour and selecting a variety of buckets and moulds that they use very competently. Staff have a good understanding of children's developmental stages, which is demonstrated in the effective way activities and resources are used to provide interest and challenge for individual children. Good observations are made of children and staff make effective use of these when planning, to ensure that children are challenged and encouraged to develop. Staff have begun to use the Birth to three matters framework to monitor children's progress, and are taking a measured

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

approach to how they implement it, to ensure that children benefit from practitioners that are confident in its use.

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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 Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children make good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of learning. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and implement it well. They are clear about the learning intentions of activities, because all staff participate in planning, and curriculum plans are discussed at regular team meetings. Activities are organised well to ensure that children are challenged or given additional support as needed, although written plans do not consistently identify where extension may be required. There is a balance of adult directed and child led activities. For example, there are regular periods of 'free play' where children are encouraged to choose what they want to do, thereby

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

developing confidence and decision making skills. Some activities are scheduled into the daily routine, such as story time and opportunities for art and craft, and outdoor and/or physical play. These activities are managed well, with children working together in small groups and moving around different areas in the nursery, which means they benefit from regular changes of environment. Staff observations of what children do are good and staff use these effectively, combined with their knowledge of individual children, to ensure that activities provide children with stimulation and challenge. Overall, children's progress is suitably monitored, as staff share information well and children's individual needs are discussed at team meetings. However, written assessment records do not reflect the good progress children are making toward the early learning goals. Children are confident and make good relationships with each other and adults. They

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

concentrate well and become absorbed in activities. They are very confident communicators and they thoroughly enjoy opportunities to answer questions and to volunteer information, such as when doing the daily weather-board. Children love stories and frequently select favourite books and bring them to staff to read, they listen avidly and join in where appropriate, but they do not generally use books independently in their play. They link sounds and letters very well, for instance they confidently suggest many words that begin with the 'letter of the week'. Children are confident mark makers, and some children can clearly write their own names. Staff enable them to be confident in this area by ensuring they have access to pencils, crayons and paper, however, do not consistently encourage children to write in meaningful contexts, such as labelling their own artwork. Children are extremely confident in their use of mathematical concepts. They count

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

confidently and with purpose, and practise this in different contexts throughout the day. For example, children count the numbers of buttons they thread and the number of cups used at snack time. They recognise numerals well, for instance knowing that '15' has a '1' and a '5'. They understand simple calculation, such as when there is 'one more' or 'one less'. Use of positional language is accurate and appropriate, and children are developing a good understanding of shape and size, for example identifying when an object is 'too big' to fit on top of another. Children learn effectively about the wider world and in particular enjoy good activities that encourage them to learn about their local community. They explore and investigate confidently and use their senses well, as they talk about how objects feel, smell and taste. They use a range of everyday technology, for example using blenders to make fruit smoothies,

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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 and they also use a variety of programmable toys in their play. Children express themselves well, using a variety of media and materials. They thoroughly enjoy using paints and playdough, to explore their thoughts and ideas. For instance, children use brushes, sponges and their hands as they create their own pictures and designs, and they joyfully mix and spread colours. Imaginary play is good, with children making excellent use of resources as they develop their scenarios. Children engage in frequent singing and musical activities and use a good range of percussion instruments. This results in children who sing confidently and without shyness. Children are developing good hand-eye co-ordination, because they use a variety of tools such as scissors, knives and pastry cutters, which they learn to

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are very confident and relaxed in the setting. They demonstrate high levels of self esteem as they interact with each other and with adults, because their specific needs are met and staff listen to them well, respecting their thoughts and ideas. Staff have very good understanding of equal opportunities and have high levels of awareness of the diverse needs of children and families attending the provision. Individual children's requirements are met well, because staff communicate effectively with parents to ensure they have a thorough understanding of each child's needs. For instance, feed and sleep times for babies are in keeping with home routines, which means they benefit from consistency of care. Staff have experience of supporting children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and their understanding of inclusion is good, which means that all children are enabled to

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Helping children make a positive contribution

participate in activities. Children demonstrate very good behaviour and good manners. Very young children are happy and confident, because their personal care routines are met. Good use of the key worker system means that these children benefit from the same member of staff as their main carer, where possible. This ensures they feel secure and content because their care is consistent. Children show understanding of the settings ground rules and routines. They are helpful, for example they enjoy handing out plates at snack time and they cheerfully help to put toys away. They know to line up before going outside and they do this in a quiet and orderly fashion. Children's good behaviour is supported well by staff, who are very positive and encouraging. Their cheerful and consistent approach ensures that children know what is expected of them and they respond well to this. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered. Children learn

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Helping children make a positive contribution

about cultural diversity through access to a range of resources that provide positive images of race, gender and disability. They are learning very well about aspects of their own community, because they take part in interesting activities that reflect local traditions. For instance, they learn about the role of the local coastguards, and they regularly participate in the town's annual carnival. Partnership with parents is good. The information parents receive about the setting is

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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 of good quality, and ensures they are kept well informed and involved in their children's care and learning. Good use is made of notice boards and newsletters, to keep parents informed about activities and events at the nursery. Parents receive a half-termly overview about the topics that children will cover as part of the curriculum, and good ideas are provided for activities that parents can do with their children that will support their learning. Regular parents’ evenings take place, which give them the opportunity to discuss their children's progress and development.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom they provide. Children benefit from a well qualified staff team. Levels of support from staff are good, because the setting tries to ensure that there is a member of staff who is supernumerary to required ratios. Clear processes are in places, which ensures that staff employed to work with children are suitable to do so. Thorough systems of induction ensure they know procedures and routines relevant to the setting. However, some records are incomplete and this means that in certain circumstances staff are, therefore, unable to follow a process through should they need to do so. For example, some children's records do not have emergency contact details, which may cause problems if staff need a child to be collected and are unable to make contact with the parents. A keyworker system is used effectively in providing consistency of

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Organisation

care for children. Staff working with younger children show a sound knowledge of the Birth to three matters framework, and are starting to use this as they monitor individual children's development. Organisation of the premises and resources is generally effective in ensuring that children have a safe and welcoming environment in which to play. However, arrangements for emptying potties, organising rest periods for younger children are not appropriate and this has impact on the overall wellbeing of children. The leadership and management of the nursery education is good. Children benefit from a setting where there is commitment to ensuring they develop and achieve. Good systems of appraisal encourage staff to evaluate their skills and to develop these through training, which ensures they are confident in their implementation of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Processes of monitoring children's progress

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Organisation

towards the early learning goals are overall effective, as staff use their very good knowledge of individual children to plan activities that provide suitable levels of challenge. Good use is made of team meetings to discuss individual children's learning requirements and therefore they are challenged appropriately. However, children's assessment records do not reflect the progress children are making and are not used consistently to identify the next steps for individual children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, it was agreed to review some areas of documentation. This has been done, there is a procedure in place should a child become lost, and medicine records are signed by parents. It was also agreed to improve positive images of

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Improvements 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 cultural diversity, and to review hand washing facilities. There are now suitable toys, books and pictures that reflect the diversity of society. Staff ensure that bowls and basins are regularly filled with fresh water and are accessible to children, however, soap is not generally provided. With regard to nursery education, it was agreed to provide regular opportunities for large physical play, to develop topic links between activities, to provide opportunities for children to link sounds and letters and to develop simple calculation skills. These areas have been addressed. Children have daily physical activities that promote muscle development and co-ordination. Children link sounds and letters well and good use of a 'letter of the week' encourages children to develop this. Children learn

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Improvements since the last inspection

basic calculation and are developing the rudiments of simple addition and subtraction. There is a themed topic each half-term, which helps children to learn through building on previous experience.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are 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 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): • ensure there are emergency contacts in place for each child in the event that staff are unable to make contact with parents/carers, for example should a child be unwell or not collected. • develop hygiene routines relating to the emptying of potties in order that there is no health hazard to children, and improve children's access to soap in order that they can further develop independence in washing. • review the arrangements for sleeping children.

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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): • develop processes of monitoring children's progress towards the early learning goals and ensure these are used in planning the next steps for individual children. • ensure that children are provided with consistent opportunities to write for a variety of purposes, and encourage them to use books independently in their play.

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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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