Pennywell Early Years Centre

Pennywell Early Years Centre Inspection report for early years provision

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EY260693 Unique Reference Number 15 March 2007 Inspection date Sharon Greener Inspector

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Portsmouth Road, Pennywell, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR4 9AX Setting Address

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0191 5536820 Telephone number pennywell.nursery@schools.sunderland.gov.uk E-mail Sunderland Children's Services Registered person Childcare Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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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

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Pennywell Early Years Centre was registered in 2003. It is located in purpose built premises situated in a residential area of Pennywell, Sunderland. The centre provides a range of services for families. These include a variety of training courses, drop-in and support groups for parents and their families and a childcare setting. The childcare setting operates from two playrooms and associated facilities within the centre. A maximum of 60 children may attend the setting at any one time. The setting is open 50 weeks of the year, each weekday from 08.00 until 18.00. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 54 children aged from 18 months to under five years on roll. Children come from the local community and wider area. The setting supports a number of children with learning difficulties or disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting employs 16 staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications and seven are currently working towards a higher qualification.

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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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. Children develop an awareness of the importance of adopting good personal hygiene through well-planned daily routines. Staff present as extremely positive role models to the children and provide them with simple explanations as to why it is very important to keep good hygiene standards so as to help them to stay healthy. For example, staff ensure that children wear plastic gloves when handling the pet giant African snails and that they hand wash most thoroughly afterwards. Staff have very clear knowledge of related policies and procedures, such as the administration of medication and the care of a sick child, which are implemented most effectively. This helps to safeguard children's welfare and minimise the risk of infection. Staff are most vigilant in ensuring that standards of hygiene throughout the nursery are maintained to an extremely high standard, so as to ensure that a healthy environment is provided

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Helping children to be healthy

for the children. They check toilet facilities regularly, clean table surfaces meticulously after use and follow stringent nappy changing procedures. Resources and equipment are regularly cleaned and kept in very good order. All children are able to rest or sleep according to their individual needs. This helps to promote and safeguard children's health and welfare.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's physical skills are extremely well promoted and particularly well nurtured through their access to the very broad range of age appropriate resources and activities. Staff plan physical play opportunities efficiently to ensure that all children have access to a very wide variety of equipment and activities. This helps to promote and enhance their physical development most effectively. All children receive ample support and challenge. Each day children enjoy access to indoor activities, such as music and movement. Children in each group room have access to large static wooden play equipment giving them the constant opportunity to test their physical capabilities, such as climbing and crawling. Children over three years have access to small scale real tools, accessories and materials which they use most confidently and with great dexterity. The expansive and particularly well planned outdoor play areas and the

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Helping children to be healthy

additional resources provided offer children a vast range of physical play experiences. This enables children to develop and practise both fine and gross motor skills, such as sliding, climbing, balancing, catching, throwing, riding wheel toys, digging and, planting. There is also a sensory area where children can listen to the sound of wind chimes, touch stones and bark and smell the different fragrances of the herbs and plants. In the fine weather children are able to access the outdoor play areas freely. Even during more inclement weather the children access outdoor play frequently each day and a section of the outdoor area which is under a canopy can be screened off to create a more enclosed area if necessary. Therefore, children benefit from fresh air and exercise through out the year and have ample opportunities to be active and to benefit from plenty of robust physical exercise. This has a most positive impact on children's

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Helping children to be healthy

The nursery actively promotes a healthy eating programme, and menus and other information about good nutrition and healthy foods are displayed for parents. The nursery frequently promotes a healthy eating week during which parents are further encouraged to provide healthy eating options for their families. Children enjoy varied, well presented healthy meals and snacks, which include fresh fruit, vegetables, salad and a range of drinks. Children are able to choose whether they want certain foods at meal times, but are encouraged to try different foods by staff. Staff take account of children's individual dietary needs and parents' wishes, details of which are discussed in depth with parents and the relevant information recorded on children's personal files. Babies are fed according to their individual needs and follow their own daily

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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 routine. Information regarding what children have had to eat and drink is recorded and shared with parents. This helps to promote and preserve children's health.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a very safe, secure and very well maintained, child-orientated environment. They have access to a wide variety of very good quality equipment and play materials which are very well maintained. The playrooms are thoughtfully laid out and resources are made readily accessible to the children within the constraints of safety. This enables the children to move around freely and to self-select toys and activities independently with ease. Children stay safe and secure indoors and outdoors through effective procedures, such as very well maintained security measures. Staff are very vigilant and carry out thorough visual risk assessments of the premises, resources and equipment to be used each day. This process is ongoing throughout the day and helps keep children safe. Staff are very well deployed and supervise children very closely. This allows children to test their capabilities within a safe and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a very good understanding of the relevant policies and procedures which they implement very well to help to protect and preserve children's wellbeing. For example, they have a clear understanding of the uncollected child and evacuation procedures. However, not all staff are fully conversant with the lost child policy and this does not help to effectively support safety procedures. Children show a good awareness of the safety rules and boundaries within the nursery. Sensitive reminders from staff, such as requests to use resources correctly to preserve safety, help to reinforce these rules and enable children to take some responsibility for keeping themselves and others safe. Staff have a thorough understanding of their role and responsibility in relation to safeguarding children. They have access to the relevant literature and some have completed relevant training. This helps protect children from harm.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children settle extremely well into the setting. Children build exceptionally close, warm relationships with staff and interact very well with their peers and those less familiar to them. Older children show a very strong sense of self and belonging. This is excellently facilitated and supported through the setting's effective use of aspects of the High Scope approach to learning, for example, small group time and the plan-do-review system, which are used skilfully by the staff. This enables children over three years to choose their own activities, carry them out and then recall what they have done to their peers and staff. Children are very animated and most enthusiastic learners and show very good levels of self confidence and positive self-esteem. Children make very confident choices about their activities. For example, the older children in the under threes playroom confidently use the computer. They touch the monitor

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

screen in the correct places to reveal a hidden picture section by section and show delight when the full picture is uncovered. Children benefit from easy access to an extremely broad variety of activities and learning experiences to support and enhance their all round development. Early communication skills are excellently supported and promoted by staff who listen intently to what children say, show a genuine interest and make very good use of questions to extend children's thoughts and ideas. Children benefit greatly from the high quality interaction of staff, they receive ample eye contact and are encouraged most actively to communicate, whether through facial expressions, gestures or spoken words. This has an extremely positive impact

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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 on children's developmental progress and they communicate very confidently and comfortably with staff as appropriate with their age and stage of development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff have a very clear awareness of the Foundation Stage guidance and the 'Birth to three matters' framework, which they use with great confidence. This has a most positive impact on children's achievements and significantly enhances their all round development and achievements. Staff make very regularly and extremely effective use of systems in place to monitor and assess children's developmental progress. They have a very good knowledge of each child's individual stage of development. This coupled with the very clear and structured planning systems ensures that an excellent variety of age appropriate activities and learning experiences are provided for all children. Staff consistently review and assess activities and make efficient use of the information gleaned to shape and inform future plans very effectively. This ensures that all aspects of children's development and learning are exceedingly well met.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are very eager to attend and thoroughly enjoy the time spent in a welcoming environment which acknowledges and values them as individuals. They settle very quickly as their admission is very well tailored by staff so as to minimise stress. Staff carry out home visits to all of the families prior to children's attendance at the setting. Children have access to an extremely broad range of very good quality resources and equipment. They show increasing independence as appropriate to their age and stage of development. For example, children confidently self-select toys and activities, attend to their own toileting needs and are encouraged to serve their own food during meal times, within the constraints of safety. Staff have a very good understanding of equal opportunity, caring for children with specific needs and inclusive practice. The setting has effective systems in place to ensure that children with learning

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Helping children make a positive contribution

difficulties, disabilities or those who speak English as an additional language and all children are very well supported.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff have a clear understanding of behaviour management procedures. They apply age appropriate strategies in a very calm and consistent manner. Children's positive behaviour is constantly praised by staff that have high but realistic expectations of them. This reflects very positively on the children and their behaviour is very good. Children show a good attitude towards others and they interact very well with peers and staff. This is demonstrated in the way that they share toys and take turns. Children show an emerging awareness of the local community and this is nurtured very well through frequent outings and visitors to the nursery. Children have easy access to a very good variety of resources and activities to enable them to develop an awareness of the wider world and to recognise diversity in a positive manner.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents receive very good quality written information about the setting, the policies and procedures and other child related matters. Regular verbal feedback from staff and daily diary record sheets are used effectively to keep parents up to date with relevant information about their child. Parents are actively encouraged to share pertinent information with staff to help staff to continue to meet the evolving needs of the children for whom they care. Parents have regular scheduled opportunities to meet formally with staff to discuss their child's progress and development. This helps staff to work very well with parents and in keeping with their wishes, so as to ensure children's needs are very well met. Respective parents may access their child's records and are encouraged to contribute. Verbal feedback received from parents was extremely positive. In particular they praised the excellent, friendly, supportive and very helpful

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Helping children make a positive contribution

staff, the quality and amount of information they received about the setting and their child's

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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 progress, the very good choice of activities provided and how happy their children were and how well their children had progressed since attending the setting.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The required policies, procedures and record keeping systems are in place and are very comprehensive, very well organised and extremely well presented. The policies and procedures are regarded very much as working documents and as such are regularly reviewed and amended. The vast majority of staff have a very clear understanding of policies and procedures which are implemented efficiently. The effective and enthusiastic management of the setting and the staff's commitment to the continued and ongoing development of the services provided, ensures that the care of the children and service delivered is of very good quality. Staff have regular access to relevant training opportunities and are very well supported through team meetings, individual appraisal sessions and the 'open door' style of management used. Staff are very well deployed, highly motivated and their morale is very good. This has a very positive impact on

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Organisation

The setting is very well organised. Playrooms are thoughtfully laid out to create different areas of play and each area is very well resourced. Staff make efficient use of time and a broad selection of resources are made readily accessible to the children, who benefit from well planned, purposeful activities. This helps to effectively promote and enhance all aspects of children’s learning and development. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the time of the last inspection the provider was asked to further develop policies and procedures in relation to organisation and safety.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Appropriate systems are in place to ensure that Ofsted is notified of all significant changes or events, and to ensure that all staff are fully aware of and conversant with all aspects of the evacuation procedure. This helps to improve the care and safety of the children.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

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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.

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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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that all staff are fully conversant with all aspects of the lost child policy and procedure.

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The quality and standards of the care

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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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