Beach Hill Nursery

Beach Hill Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Beach Hill Nursery

EY331620 Unique Reference Number 27 September 2006 Inspection date Janet Fairhurst Inspector

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Beach Hill Nursery

Beach Hill Nursery, 81 Beach Road, SOUTH SHIELDS, Tyne and Wear, NE33 2QT

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E-mail

Jack and Jill Kindergarten 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?

Beach Hill Nursery and Out of School Club is one of two nurseries run by Jack and Jill Kindergarten. It was registered by the current owner in 2006. The nursery operates from five play rooms located within self contained premises. The nursery is situated in the South Shields area of Tyne and Wear. A maximum of 57 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 61 children aged from birth to under eight-years-old on roll. Of these, eight children receive funding for nursery education. Children come mainly from the local community. The nursery supports children with special educational needs.

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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 employs 12 members of staff. All of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a warm homely environment. Their health is promoted through satisfactory procedures, such as hand washing to prevent the spread of germs and appropriate storage of babies' dummies. The children have good opportunities to develop their understanding of the importance of healthy practices through topics and daily routines, such as brushing their teeth after lunch. However, the storage of the toothbrushes does not sufficiently prevent the risk of cross contamination. Effective routines are in place with regard to nappy changing and staff follow clear procedures when caring for babies and toddlers, such as providing clean bedding each day. The daily routine allows for all children to have periods of rest and activity, which suits their individual needs. Children are well cared for in the event of illness or injury as staff are trained in first aid and follow effective procedures for accidents, illness and the

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's growth and development is promoted through a range of balanced and nutritious meals and snacks, which includes a variety of fruit and vegetables. These are prepared fresh on a daily basis and cater effectively for all children's dietary requirements so that they feel included. Staff are fully aware of children's allergies, therefore enabling children's health needs to be effectively met.

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Helping children to be healthy

All children benefit from regular outdoor play sessions. Older children are frequent visitors to the local park, providing them with further opportunities to develop and enhance their gross motor skills. Babies and toddlers have their physical needs met well. They benefit from spacious accommodation and are able to move freely practising crawling and newly emerging walking skills. There are opportunities for children to pull themselves up on furniture and to move around to aid their development. An indoor soft play room allows children to jump and tumble with no risk of harm.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in an environment which is very secure. The overall decoration of the nursery itself is tired and does not always create an image of a well maintained environment. For example, the condition and cleanliness of some of the soft furnishings and floor covering compromises children's health and safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children show a growing understanding of how to keep themselves safe, they know why they need to wear hats when it is sunny and understand and accept safety rules, for example no climbing on the furniture. Children's safety is further promoted through staff's awareness of the potential risks and the steps they take to minimise these. For example, during meal times, staff secure young children into their highchairs using a harness and encourage them whilst

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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 moving around the nursery to hold onto the low-level banister as they climb up and down the stairs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is effectively safeguarded by staff who recognise their responsibility to protect children in their care. Staff are guided by a clear child protection policy. Staff attend regular training in order to update their knowledge. Children are protected from the risk of harm as they are never left alone with people who have not been vetted or released to adults the nursery have no prior knowledge of.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children under two benefit from routines consistent with their experiences at home. Effective systems are in place between parents and staff which ensures that they are cared for in line with their own routines and they are able to sleep or rest according to their individual needs. They are developing early communication skills as staff warmly interact with them through play and everyday activities, such as nappy changing and feeding. Staff are using the Birth to three matters framework when planning activities for children aged under three years. This helps them to ensure that all areas of children's development are being considered. Staff are beginning to take observations and record children's achievements which are used to influence the programme of activities offered. Although the recordings of observations within the daily journal do not currently make links to the Birth to three matters framework, the staff are keen

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and acknowledge this improvement will help consolidate their own understanding of the framework and help to inform parents.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are happy, settled and enjoy their time at the nursery. They know the routine well, enter the group confidently and leave parents easily. They are keen to participate in the activities and play opportunities provided. The close and caring relationships established increase children's sense of trust and help to develop a strong sense of self. Their personal development and self-esteem is promoted through appropriate support and encouragement from staff. Resources are age related within the playrooms and stored at child height. However, the opportunities for children to experience and explore real, found and natural materials are limited; this narrows the scope for very young children to develop their senses of smell, touch and taste.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The staff working with the out of school children provide a suitable programme of activities. Samples of the children's work and photographs demonstrate the range of activities they are able to participate in. For example, plaster of Paris face masks which are ready to be decorated. The children are encouraged to draw up rules for acceptable behaviour. As a result, children have clear boundaries that they understand and can take ownership of.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff have attended training on the Foundation Stage which enhances their knowledge well, so that effective learning opportunities are on offer for the children. Appropriate planning is in place which covers a range of topics and includes the learning intentions which are linked to the stepping stones. Staff are beginning to record children’s achievements in individual folders, which include photographic evidence,

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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’s work and observations. These are used to ensure that all areas of the curriculum are being covered and occasionally extensions of activities are included. They are beginning to evaluate daily activities in order to monitor their effectiveness and children's achievements. Staff are caring and affectionate towards the children; their gentle and consistent approach sets a good example and children behave well. They play co-operatively together and willingly share and take turns. Staff consistently praise children for their efforts and achievements which contributes to their high levels of confidence and developing self-esteem. For example, their eagerness to share news and experiences in whole group times.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children benefit from good quality interaction and appropriate use of questioning techniques to encourage them to talk and think about what they are doing. Children’s interest is captured well in some appropriate learning experiences. For example, a group of three year olds involved in the preparation of a snack displayed much enjoyment and interest, using good descriptive language, such as furry, cold and sticky. The resources generally promote children’s learning; however some continuous areas of play are not always organised well and appear uninviting for children. For example, the home corner lacks real resources and definition.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are able to explore their natural environment through a number of planned activities, such as turning water to ice and planting sunflowers and water cress. Children confidently examine and investigate objects and materials and discuss their observations. For example, they examine 'mini-beasts', such as snails, to help them understand how living things react and behave. They have a computer available to foster their interest in information and communication technology and to develop their hand and eye co-ordination when using a mouse. Children's creative skills are encouraged on a daily basis. They are able to engage in activities such as sand, water and messy play, which allows them to explore shape, colour and texture.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are happy and settled. They make good relationships and are sufficiently confident to work and play independently and in groups, harmoniously. Children’s behaviour is generally good and they are developing skills in negotiation, such as a child asking another to share the scissors with his friend. Children’s knowledge and enjoyment of books is developing well and is supported by good staff interaction. However, older and more able children lack opportunities and resources to make early attempts to write and record observations, such as in the role play areas or small world area. Children have a good understanding of counting and shape. They use appropriate language in their play, such as more, empty and full. They are beginning to develop their counting skills and differentiate between size. For example, a child correctly stated she was bigger than her friend when they compared their own height on the chart.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are able to feel welcome and comfortable as staff value and acknowledge their contributions. Children are offered a wide range of opportunities which promote their understanding of society and increase their awareness of other cultures and ways of life. These include topic work covering different religions and traditions, for example, Divali and the Chinese New Year. Children who have special needs, have their requirements identified and met as there is a clear policy relating to this, which staff ensure is implemented. They work with individual children and parents to make sure that they are included in the activities and daily routine.

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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 Staff are skilled in ensuring that children are able to participate at a level appropriate to them. They are offered activities and opportunities which reflect their needs and abilities and promote their development. Children’s work and photographs are displayed, helping them to feel valued, secure and confident within the setting.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are kind and considerate to each other and staff. Their behaviour is good as they respond well to staff, who have a positive approach and explain why they are asking a child not to do something. This helps them to gain an understanding of right and wrong and develop an awareness of the consequences of their actions. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The quality of the nursery’s partnership with parents and carers is good. There is a commitment to involving parents in the setting and their child’s learning. Parents are welcomed and kept well informed of their child’s progress through daily diaries, regular discussion with staff and parents evenings. Parents' views are sought through questionnaires and action is taken to rectify any issues raised. This positive attitude ensures that parents views are valued and good partnerships are maintained to support the care of their children.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The setting is organised appropriately to ensure that the children feel settled and secure. The suitable presentation of the activities and resources enable children to confidently initiate their own play and learning. The deployment of staff is used very effectively to meet the needs of the children and enhance their wellbeing. Adult-child ratios are consistently maintained and children benefit from the experience of good qualified staff. The good range of policies and procedures effectively underpin the setting.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is satisfactory. All of the legally required documentation is in place and policies and procedures contain clear information about the setting. These are successfully adhered to in practice. Recruitment and vetting procedures are sufficiently robust to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Staff on the whole work well together as a team and are clear in their individual roles and responsibilities within each room. An appraisal system is in place to identify staff’s individual training needs and personal development, enabling them to effectively meet children’s needs. All staff are involved in planning and this ensures that they are all aware of the general learning intentions of activities. Staff are positive about training in order to keep regularly updated of current childcare practices. There is a consistent commitment to monitor and evaluate the provision for nursery education and care, which is

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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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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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

Since registration 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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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): • consider alternative methods of storing children's toothbrushes to prevent the risk of cross contamination • ensure all soft furnishings and floor coverings are cleaned and fitted appropriately • provide more opportunities for the children to use real, found and natural materials in everyday play (also applies to nursery education) • further develop the recording of observations to clearly show links to the Birth to three matters framework.

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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): • introduce more opportunities for children to explore writing as a means of communication during free play.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

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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