Lovel End NurseryOfsted inspection, 13 Oct 2006

Lovel End Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY241036 Unique Reference Number 13 October 2006 Inspection date Helen Ann Woods Inspector

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Chalfont St Peter Infant School, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, SL9 9PB

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Setting Address

01753 887896 Debbie Thompson (Nursery Manager) Telephone number

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E-mail

Lovel End Nursery Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of 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

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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 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Lovel End Nursery opened in 1977. It operates from a self-contained unit within the grounds of Chalfont St Peter Infant School in the village of Chalfont St Peter. A volunteer committee of parents runs the nursery. The nursery serves families from the local area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 36 children aged from three to five years on roll. This includes 32 funded three year olds. The majority of children attend for five sessions a week. The setting supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery opens for five days a week during school term times. Sessions run from 09.00 until 11.30 and from 12.30 until 15.00.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently eight staff members employed to work directly with the children; five staff members hold relevant childcare qualifications with a further three staff working towards an NVQ Level 3 in childcare. The setting receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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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 good. Children’s good health is promoted as practitioners implement effective hygiene procedures to minimise risk of infection across the provision. They follow clear, efficient hygiene routines such as wiping all the tables thoroughly before and after snack time. Over half the staff have relevant first aid training and implement procedures such as the recording of accidents and administration of medication. Key staff take all children to the cloakroom to meet personal needs, to wash their hands before and after eating and after using the toilet. Children develop increasing self care skills which means they gain independent control and a good understanding about maintaining their own health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are developing a positive attitude to exercise, which is enjoyed on a daily basis indoors through music and movement, team games in the school hall and out in the garden. Children show great delight and excitement when participating in a music and movement session indoors. In better weather they have fun running around freely in the garden where they can climb, run and ride wheeled toys. Children use a range of equipment to develop competent small motor control. They pour small quantities of water accurately, clear up any spills, use appropriate tools with the play dough and creative activities. The children are served a variety of healthy snacks. They have good appetites and enjoy a variety of fruit, for example apples, pears, bananas, and also wholemeal biscuits. Their individual dietary needs are clearly known and followed by the staff. Snack times are well organised, children sit at small tables and eat in a relaxed and

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Helping children to be healthy

social atmosphere. Children increase their social skills by engaging in conversation with their peers and staff. Children are developing their independence skills as they help themselves to fruit at snack time and pour their own drinks.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from the welcoming surrounding as staff greet them and their parents warmly; this ensures they feel secure and content. Space is well organised and used effectively to allow children opportunities to be active, engage in table top and floor activities. They enjoy opportunities to relax and share books in a very comfortable environment with child size tables, seating and cushions.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

They have access to a wide range of good quality toys and equipment, which are appropriate for their age and development. Toys are set up, inviting and enticing children to play. These are easily accessible which encourages children to make their own choices and develop their independence as they choose and move freely between activities. All the furniture and play equipment is clean and in good condition to ensure children are not harmed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children receive very good levels of supervision as correct ratios and often above are maintained at all times. Children only leave the building when a member of staff hands the child to their parent to ensure that the children are safely collected. They relax and play happily in an environment where staff have an excellent awareness of security. Staff are alert to potential hazards and risks are minimized. They conduct regular checks to ensure that the children can enjoy an environment with equipment that is well maintained. Children are learning to keep themselves safe too; they tuck chairs in after them so no trip hazards occur and take part in regular recorded fire drills.

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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 Children's welfare in the nursery is safeguarded by staff who are vetted and have a clear understanding of their role with regard to child protection issues. Implementation of effective systems, such as the collection of children and recording of visitors, formal and informal risk assessments, contribute to ensuring children's safety.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children have an exciting time at the nursery. Staff ensure that they are well supported in positive learning experiences within a stimulating environment. Children are happy and care-free and enjoy the freedom they have to learn through independent discovery and exploration. They settle very well on arrival and enjoy circle time where all the children are welcomed individually both verbally and in sign language. They gain good self-esteem as staff praise their efforts and celebrate their achievements.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show great enjoyment as they participate in the music and movement session. They laugh and jump excitedly when they awake from pretending to be 'sleeping bunnies'. They benefit from the routine, allowing them to initiate their own ideas and make their own choices about their play. Children play well independently and with their peers, as well as enjoying opportunities to work more directly with practitioners through activities, such as cookery and playing organised games.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy the balance of activities available to them which helps them progress in all areas of development and they spend their time purposefully, for example, they paint, use their imagination as they play in the 'pirate ship' in the transformed home corner, model with dough and sit sensibly together as they listen to stories. Staff work together to plan activities which give all children opportunities to develop their skills. Planned documents show how activities are successfully linked to the Foundation Stage curriculum. Children have excellent relationships with staff and each other and laugh and smile as they have fun playing and learning together.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and children's learning is good.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children’s attitude to learning is positive and they plan an active role as they make their own choices about their play. They concentrate well during routine activities, such as circle time and ask questions about why things happen and how they work. Children negotiate well with one another making their own suggestions and using good vocabulary to describe their imagined ideas.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children occupy themselves well and are motivated learners. They independently move from one activity to another keeping themselves constantly engaged. They use their initiative during play, behave very well and understand right from wrong. They form good relationships with each other, play well together and show care and consideration for others. They demonstrate good independence skills as they tidy away resources, select their own choice of collage materials and pour their own drinks at snack time.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The staff plan well to ensure that the children are presented with a variety of activities that have regard for all areas of learning and which focus on specific outcomes. The staff collate information about the children's achievements, through observations and assessments.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Children are very confident and self-assured. They are secure in their relationships with adults and interact positively with other children. They select activities from available resources and concentrate well as they complete their chosen tasks. They are independent in their self-care skills, with most children able to put on their own outdoor clothes and aprons for painting. The children are familiar with the daily routine and follow this well. Children are confident speakers and engage easily in conversation with others as they play. They confidently chat together and with adults in the room such as telling me that they had got the 'inside out sock' off of the interest table and it was there because it began with an 'I' which is this weeks letter. They recognise their written names on their coat pegs and when they are given their name card at

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

circle time. The children enjoy exploring books, both individually and in small groups throughout the session. The book area is very comfortable and cosy with the books displayed in an inviting way. Children are captivated during story time with the fun use of rhyming words such as 'pass the jam Jim' and 'what a mess Bess'. The children can explore mark-making as a writing and drawing activity at the table or help themselves from the resources available however there are missed opportunities for spontaneous writing in role play situations. Some children can write their own names, others attempt with the support of staff on their art work.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's mathematical development is excellent. They are very confident with numbers and counting. They count ably up to ten and over and staff reinforce children's counting skills as opportunities arise. Children understand the sequence of numbers and have excellent opportunities to develop their awareness of calculation such as when cutting dough into six little pieces and then knowing she had eleven when adding five more pieces. They sing number rhymes and work out how many more cups are needed for all the children at snack time. They use comparative language appropriately when talking about the size of cars they play with and 'daddy's car'. Children recognise colours and a variety of shapes. They have opportunities to build and construct with a range of objects and materials.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children enjoy using the computer and are able to perform simple functions, such as clicking and dragging. Children talk about their families and special events and show awareness of time such as the three year old who knew that his fourth birthday was not for 'a long time'. They discuss the weather and understand why they need to wear rain coats and boots to play in the rain and sun hats when sunny. They then record their observations on the weather board at circle time. Through planned activities the children are becoming aware of cultural, religious events and customs of countries of the world.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enthusiastically take part in physical activities and have excellent opportunities to reinforce and further progress their skills. They demonstrate good spatial awareness in the music and movement session. They develop their fine muscle movements as they cut with scissors, manipulate play dough with their hands and use a range of small scale resources. Children enjoy joining in games where they use their imagination and act out stories.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. All children within the nursery are valued as individuals and have very good relationships with staff and one another. Their excellent self-esteem which is a result of the praise and encouragement they receive from staff who value all children's efforts. Children welcome each other in the morning and afternoon sessions both verbally and competently in sign language. Children show care and consideration to others during the day such as helping to put away equipment even if they were not necessarily playing with it. They share resources and are patient, for example, as they wait their turn for the fruit to be passed around at snack-time.

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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 Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. They are very happy and relaxed within the nursery and do not worry if their parents are a bit delayed in collecting them. They feel good about themselves and staff sensitively support children to help them progress.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children celebrate each other's achievements and clap to applaud the efforts of other children. They develop an understanding of diversity through play with a variety of multicultural resources and planned topic work. Staff have experience of supporting children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and work in close partnership with parents and outside agencies to meet individual needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is exemplary; they know what is expected of them and are clear about what is right and wrong. They listen to staff and respond positively to requests. They sit quietly at circle time, line up sensibly when getting ready to go out and come in. They have an excellent understanding of the boundaries and behaviour expectations of the nursery. They are very polite to one another, through the role models provided by the staff treating all the children with respect and who encourage them to say "please" and "thank-you".

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is outstanding and contributes significantly to children's well-being in the nursery. Children benefit enormously from the friendly interaction between staff and parents, which is enhanced by the key worker system. Parents' views about their child's needs and interests are actively sought before the child starts at the group. Parents are kept well informed about how their child is progressing and developing through verbal exchanges, individual communication books, an open door policy and parents evening. All policies and procedures are shared with the parents who are able to share their views about the nursery through regular discussion with the staff. Parents are extremely positive about the nursery and feel that their children have made excellent progress whilst there.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Excellent teamwork contributes to children having fun through positive learning and play experiences. Staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities and work well together to ensure sessions run smoothly. They are vigilant to children's needs and ensure they are well supervised and ratios met. Staff are efficient, professional and organise a stimulating environment in which children focus on learning through well supported, purposeful play. They have a good understanding of how children learn and update their skills by regularly attending external training. Documentation to support all areas of practice is well maintained although the times of arrival and departure is not always accurately recorded. Policies and procedures work in practice to promote children's health, safety, enjoyment and achievement to make a positive contribution.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of nursery education is good. Children make very good progress towards the early learning goals. Practice is regularly monitored and evaluated and action plans are in place to show how the nursery will put improvements in place. The nursery meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the nursery was asked to update records to include the recording of relevant details in the fire log and complaints procedure. Details are recorded in the fire log

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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 kept by the school caretaker and copied to the nursery manager where a separate log is kept. The nursery has a comprehensive complaints policy which is made available to parents and a record of complaints is available for parents to see on request according to regulation.

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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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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 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 the children's arrival and departure times are recorded accurately.

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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): • provide materials and opportunities for children to initiate the use of writing in their play.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

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 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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