Pines Private Day Nursery (The)

Pines Private Day Nursery (The)

Inspection report for early years provision

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Pines Private Day Nursery (The)

206296 Unique Reference Number 11 September 2006 Inspection date Christine Holmes Inspector

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Pines Private Day Nursery (The)

88 Stanton Road, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 5FY Setting Address

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E-mail

Sarah Taylor Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day 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 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 Pines Private Day Nursery opened in 1996. It is situated in a detached three-storey Victorian house and a self-contained baby annexe. Only the ground and first floor of the main house are used for the children, the second floor is used for storage and the staff room. There is access to an outdoor grass area and a hard surface play area. The premises are within easy reach of Ilkeston town centre. A maximum of 84 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open all year with the exception of one week at Christmas and Bank Holidays. They operate Monday to Friday from 07:30 to 18:00. Children attend a variety of sessions each week.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 100 children from 12 weeks to eight years on the register. Of these, 19 children receive funding for nursery education. The setting supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities. Children with English as an additional language are also supported.

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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 serves the local community of mixed economic backgrounds and includes children from a wider geographical area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are 15 members of staff working with the children. Thirteen staff have childcare qualifications and two staff are working towards obtaining a childcare qualification. There are also four auxiliary workers. Support and training is accessed through the Derbyshire County Council's Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn about good personal hygiene through well established daily routines and well planned activities. The nursery implements a 'tooth friendly' project. Children have individual toothbrush bags and they brush their teeth after eating whilst singing a song about how to brush teeth correctly. Posters around the nursery encourage parents to continue this at home. Younger children are supported to learn the skills of toileting and washing hands. Older children are able to carry out these routines with minimal support. This helps children to learn about how to keep themselves healthy. There are good procedures in place to sustain high levels of hygiene and prevent the spread of infection, such as staff wearing disposable gloves and aprons for nappy changing and sanitising the changing area after each use. Very Good emphasis is given to ensuring all adults are aware of the need to wash their hands thoroughly throughout

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Helping children to be healthy

the day, especially when serving food. Taken together these procedures significantly minimise the risk of cross-infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's health is maintained because staff have a good knowledge and understanding of their needs. All staff are first aid trained. Medication, accident recording, procedures in case of illness and who to contact in case of emergencies are fully detailed. This information helps to ensure appropriated action is taken to care for children who become ill or sustain injuries.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's individual dietary needs are met in partnership with parents. Staff take account of parents' wishes, food allergies and food preferences. Children are very well nourished. They develop good appetites and are provided with a variety of freshly prepared meals such as mild chicken curry with rice. Fresh fruit and vegetables are served daily. Discussions about healthy eating lead to children recognising the food they are eating is helping to make them grow and stay healthy. This contributes to children developing healthy lifestyles.

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Helping children to be healthy

All children benefit from the large garden surrounding the nursery. The nursery routine ensures all children have fresh air and the opportunity for exercise and rigorous activity twice a day in fine weather. A suitable range of large and small equipment provides children with the opportunities to develop their physical skills. Children use wheeled toys, climbing and balancing equipment with increasing skill and show good awareness of other. These experiences help children to develop their physical skills.

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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 are cared for in a generally secure and safe environment. Much attention has been given to ensure the main building of the nursery is kept secure. The nursery has re-organised the entrance to the building and fitted an alarm to alert adults that the front door is open. As a result children are secure. Security of the separate baby unit is not of the same standard. At times the front door to this unit is not kept locked. This does not ensure children are fully safeguarded. The large garden is kept free from hazards which ensures children can play safely. The area is enclosed but the height of the fence in some areas does not ensure the area is fully secure. This compromises children's safety. All play rooms are free from hazards and staff provide a high level of supervision. This minimises the risk of accidental injury and ensures babies are able to crawl and learn to walk safely and older children are able to move and play

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

safely. However, the risk assessment of the nursery does not identify all potential hazards present in areas such as the office. This does not fully ensure the safety of children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Very good emphasis is given to helping children learn how to keep themselves safe. Children learn how to use the stairs safely and know they have to hold on to the rail. They take part in regular emergency evacuation practices and older children know the register helps staff to know all children are out of the building in the event of an emergency. Children's attention is frequently brought to safety issues as they listen to stories and follow daily routines. These practices significantly increase children's awareness of how to keep themselves safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

A broad range of safe and developmentally appropriate play materials are attractively set out or stored on low shelving in all rooms in the nursery and children's work is displayed in all areas of the nursery. This makes the environment attractive and gives children a sense of belonging. Children are able to select activities and toys of their choosing which encourages them to be independent. However, throughout the nursery children are not fully able to choose the direction of their play as they are unable to move freely between rooms. For example, when children are in the imaginative room of the nursery they are unable to move independently to the creative room. Consequently, the potential for children to develop their independence, follow their own interests and initiate their own play is not fully utilised.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well protected because staff have a sound understanding and knowledge of the child protection procedures and know what to do in the event of any concerns.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are settled in the welcoming and caring environment. Very young children benefit from routines which are consistent with their experiences at home. They enjoy the positive interaction they receive from the staff that are kind and attentive to their needs. All children have an allocated member of staff to work with their parents and be mainly responsible for their care. This helps to ensure children are supported to feel confident and develop a sense of belonging.

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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 Throughout the nursery children are occupied and interested in the wide range of stimulating resources and activities. All children enjoy experimenting and exploring with paint, water and sand which help them represent their feelings and ideas in a variety of ways. Looking at books and singing is all part of the children’s daily routine. Children's language and communication skills are promoted by staff through conversation, questions and individual attention. These types of activities all contribute to helping children progress. Throughout the day children are often praised. This helps children develop confidence and self-esteem.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff plan a wide range of appropriate activities and record children's progress using the 'Birth to three matters' framework. However they do not identify individual children’s next steps in learning. This does not ensure children benefit from having their play extended to meet new challenges.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff working with the children have a sufficient knowledge of the Foundation Stage and a satisfactory understanding of how young children learn and progress. As a result children are making satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals. Staff are presently focusing on developing a continuous learning environment. Although not fully implemented in all areas it has been very successful in areas such as the creative room where children freely choose from the wide range of easily accessable materials and tools which they are able to use in their own way. Although this approach is significantly enhancing children’s learning, its potential is not fully realised as children are not able to move freely between the different rooms in order to choose the direction of their play or follow their own interests. Staff use suitable methods to gain and mostly maintain children's

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

interest, sitting with them, asking questions and generally giving support when needed. Behaviour is mostly well managed and this results in a generally calm caring environment. However teaching strategies are not always well matched to children’s abilities and stage of development. Although planning is linked to the stepping stones it does not provide clear guidance for staff to ensure individual children's learning needs are met. Achievement records are kept but they are not completed regularly and the information gained is not used when planning activities. This hinders staff's understanding of when children's learning needs to be extended and does not show a clear record of progress.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy and show interest in the activities on offer such as colouring fruit pictures to cut and stick. They sit and listen to stories and are eager to join in during circle time. They behave well. They are able to take turns at the computer and respond positively to the boundaries set such as helping to tidy away. However, children are not always able to choose the direction of their play. Although children's self help skills are good, going to the toilet and washing their hands by themselves, their personal independence is not fully promoted as staff do too much for them during routines such as dinner time where staff serve children's dinner and clear their plates. This limits children's initiative and independence

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's language skills are developing well. Children develop confidence to talk to adults and their friends. All children join in greeting each other during circle time, choosing to say either "good morning", "hello" or "bonjour". All children join in with the 'tooth brush' song which they sing every time they brush their teeth. Staff ask children questions which encourages

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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 them to think. Children are able to predict elements of the story at story time and are eager to recall activities they have taken part in at the weekend. Although there is a wide range of books available children do not have access to them at all times. Children have some opportunities to recognise and write their name, make marks for a purpose and link sounds to letters. However these opportunities are not consistent enough and do not provide sufficient challenge to enable children to develop firm foundations for learning to read and write.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Most children can count confidently up to 14 during registration time. Some children know the number 11 comes after the number 10. Some children can recognise numerals up to nine. However this interest in numbers, the opportunity to use number for a purpose and solve simple problems is not fully fostered or extended by staff. For example, children are not encouraged to develop problem solving skills such as finding out how many more chairs are needed at snack time, or to make a record of how many children are present. Children demonstrate that they understand size and shape well. They know which square is big and which is little and are able to name basic shapes. They have looked at patterns in their craft work.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Opportunities for children to develop their exploration and investigation skills are varied. They learn about change when looking at the differences in the weather. They know that the weather has changed from being cloudy to sunny. There are many opportunities for children to explore natural materials. Children's show much interest in the changing form of 'gloop' and the patterns that they have painted with leaves. Children have fun as they experiment with the mouse to move images around the computer screen.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have opportunities to explore different textures, such as sand and collage. They are confident in naming a wide range of colours. They join in with songs well and have some opportunities to listen to the sounds of instruments. These experiences help children to develop their creativity.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. All children are welcomed into the nursery. Staff show respect for children's individual needs. They spend time with parents before children attend to share and exchange information such as dietary need, likes, dislikes and parents preferences. Staff continue to work in partnership with parents on a daily basis, exchanging written and verbal information about each child's care. This promotes consistency of care for children. Some staff have past experience and are familiar with supporting children with learning difficulties and disabilities and are able to provide sufficient support when necessary.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children enjoy positive relationships with the staff and with each other. They behave well and play harmoniously with each other, taking turns, sharing and developing an awareness of others. Children celebrate a range of different festivals and see and use a small range of resources which positively represent the wider community. This contributes towards children raising their awareness of diversity. Older children show pleasure in the world around them. Indoors they look closely at the three giant snails which are kept in the play room. The sighting of a hedgehog in the outdoor area was a great event for children in the nursery. Staff responded to this by making a central display at the children's height which included model hedgehogs that the

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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 had made from dough. Children visit the display frequently, showing pride in their work, eager to recall their experience. This type of experience helps children to feel they are contributing, feel appreciated and develop a strong sense of self worth. Overall children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents of children who receive nursery education is satisfactory. Written information on the educational programme is provided. This informs parents of the topics and activities that their children will be experiencing. Parents are encouraged to become involved in their child's learning in some areas, for instance story books are sent home from the nursery on a weekly basis. Parents are provided with written reports of their child's attainments before they start school and they are invited to discuss children's progress. However, children do not benefit from a strong two way sharing of information between parents and staff to enhance their learning. Information is not sought from parents about their child’s development when they first start the nursery. This does not ensure staff have an accurate understanding of each child’s starting point. Furthermore parents are not included in identifying their child's next

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Helping children make a positive contribution

steps in learning and how they can help their child to progress. This does not ensure children's learning is maximised. The settings policies and procedures are available for parents to see although these are not easily accessible.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Overall children's needs are met. All staff working with the children are appropriately qualified and the required adult to child ratios are maintained. There are effective recruitment and vetting systems in place to ensure children are well protected. Policies and procedures are effectively implemented to support children's good health and generally effective in keeping children safe. The use of a keyworker system provides continuity of care for children and ensures children are cared for in accordance with their parents' wishes. The premises provide a welcoming stimulating environment for the care and learning of the children but they are not yet used to maximise children's leaning and independence.

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Organisation

The quality of leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. The recent support of a qualified teacher mentor to the team has resulted in the formation of a clearer vision and commitment to improving learning for children. Many improvements have already been made to the learning environment which has also helped to develop staff's understanding of good early years practice. This has made a positive impact on children’s learning. However, the nursery does not have a systematic or rigorous method to evaluate or monitor the quality of nursery education. There are limited opportunities for the professional development of staff. Some staff have received little or no training in the foundation stage. Consequently, some areas of the provision have clear weaknesses which have not yet been addressed.

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Organisation

Records required for the efficient safe management of the provision and for children's well-being are in place and maintained.

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the nursery agreed to implement more rigorous policies and procedures to ensure staff are suitable to work with children at all times. Staff are now asked to declare details relating to their health and lifestyle. This information is updated regularly. This helps to ensure all working at the nursery are fit suitable to work with children. The nursery also agreed to provide a suitable range of activities for babies. Staff now use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to guide the planning of activities. As a result a wide range of appropriate activities are now provided. This helps to progress babies’ development. The nursery also agreed to ensure that children's development records were used in the planning process and shared with parents. This continues to be an area for improvement. The nursery also agreed to continue to extend knowledge to enable staff to be pro-active in ensuring that appropriate action can

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Improvements since the last inspection

be taken if a child with special needs is identified within the setting. In response to this a member of staff completed a training course which enabled her to provide adequate support for children within the setting.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery education inspection the nursery agreed to implement an assessment system relating to all six areas of learning which would be used to plan the next steps in children's learning. Some improvements have been made. The assessment system does know relate to all six areas of learning, but improvement is still required to ensure that staff use it to effectively plan the next steps in children's learning. The nursery also agreed to provide a wider range of small tools and equipment to promote the children's physical development and to ensure more media and materials are freely accessible for children to express their imagination in creative play. Children now have a more suitable range of small tools and equipment and they are able to develop their creativity in the very well resourced creative room. This is contributing to children's physical and creative development. The nursery also agreed to devise more formal

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Improvements since the last inspection

strategies for parents to be kept informed of their children's attainment and progress and to share observations of children's learning at home. Parents are invited to discuss their child's progress and they receive a written report of children's attainments before children start school. Although staff talk to parents about children's home experiences they do not record or use this information. This continues to be an area for development.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there has been one complaint made to Ofsted relating to National Standard 1 Suitable Person. In order to investigate the allegation, a Childcare Inspector made an unannounced visit to the setting. During the visit, the Inspector reviewed policies and procedures and interviewed staff members. As a result of the enquiries made and evidence gathered, an action was set under National Standard 1. Ofsted can confirm that the Registered Person remains qualified for registration.

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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 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): • improve the security of the baby unit and outdoor play area and ensure the risk assessment identifies all potential hazards present in all areas of the nursery • promote children's development and independence by allowing them to move freely between rooms • ensure information is sought from all parents about their child's development on admission and involve them in the process of identifying their child's next steps in learning

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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 further the use of observation and assessments to inform planning for children’s next steps in learning (this also applies to care) • ensure children are fully challenged in all aspects of mathematical development and communication language and literacy. • implement a rigorous system to monitor and evaluate the provision of nursery education on an ongoing basis and provide staff with opportunities for professional development.

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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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