Tame Valley Primary School

Bambinos Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Bambinos Day Nursery

106077 Unique Reference Number 06 October 2006 Inspection date Glynis Pratchett Inspector

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Bambinos Day Nursery

School Drive, Woolwell, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 7JW Setting Address

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E-mail

Bambinos Ltd 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 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?

Bambinos Day Nursery at Woolwell is part of a privately owned, small chain of nurseries, serving families in and around the city of Plymouth. It opened in early 1995 and is purpose built to provide care for children aged from birth to eight years old. Each age group of children have their own room for play and activities. There is a separate sleep room available for babies and a shared messy play room. Two-year-olds sleep in a quiet area within their own room. The adjoining garden area is used for outdoor play by all the children. A maximum of 59 children may attend the nursery at any one time.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is run in conjunction with a before and after school club called 'Just Kids', operating before school in the nursery building and after school, under a separate registration, in the local school hall across the road. Just Kids runs in term time only and the nursery is open 51 weeks a year, each week day from 07:30 to 18:15.

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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 There are currently 72 children aged from six months to under five years on roll. Of these, 22 receive funding for early education. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties and those who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 17 staff who work with the children. Of these, 12 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications and four are working towards a qualification. Bambinos holds an "Investors in People" award and is supported by the Local Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a warm and clean environment where they can rest and play according to their individual needs and stage of development. Staff follow effective procedures and practices which meet the children's health, nutritional and physical needs. Children are learning the importance of good hygiene routines, they wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating. Their health needs are well met as staff are diligent in recording accidents and ensuring the environment is clean. All the necessary documentation is in place.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are beginning to understand the importance of eating a healthy diet. Staff encourage children to eat the good range of nutritious and healthy snacks and lunches provided for them. Lunch times are social occasions and meals are served in the different play rooms. However, the delivery of lunches from the kitchen to the play rooms and the tidying up of the dishes is not managed efficiently. Fresh drinking water is always available and children actively help themselves if they become thirsty. Children's dietary needs are very well met and catered for as all the staff are very aware of any allergies or any special requirements. The excellent system of using coloured wrist bands to indicate if a child has a food allergy further protects children and keeps them healthy.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a wide range of activities ensuring they make good progress in their physical development. They have regular outdoor play throughout the day and lots of fresh air, taking part in activities that develop their physical skills, such as riding bikes. They make excellent use of the new outside play area. Children confidently use a wide range of equipment that develops their fine motor skills, such as paint brushes, play dough and construction toys.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in premises that are welcoming, well maintained and effectively organised. The rooms are mostly well laid out allowing children to move freely around in safety between activities. Children enjoy a child-friendly and secure environment that enables them to explore and take risks while being appropriately supervised. Children can safely access the wide range of good quality toys and equipment that support enjoyable activities and are well maintained.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are vigilant about ensuring children are kept safe and their attention to safety issues means children's risk of injury is minimised both inside and outside the setting. A detailed

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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 Health and Safety policy includes thorough risk assessments to ensure children's safety is well considered and secured at all times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are cared for by appropriate adults who are vetted and have relevant experience, knowledge and skills to promote their meaningful care, learning and play. They are well protected from harm because staff have a good understanding of what constitutes child protection issues and of their responsibilities in this area. Rigorous procedures further ensure children are well protected. Children are kept safe when they arrive and depart as there are sound collection procedures in place and staff are well deployed.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. All children are happy, cheerful and confident within the setting. They enjoy themselves, participating enthusiastically in a wide range of interesting activities. They are making good progress because staff have a sound understanding of the Foundation Stage and the Birth to three matters framework. Children receive good, individual support and the planning of activities takes account of the age and ability of each child. Children easily settle, play well together, are busily engaged in and enjoy making choices about their play. Children develop good relationships with the staff who are caring, attentive to their needs and help them to achieve. Children have a strong sense of belonging as staff know them very well and value them as individuals. This ensures that their individual needs are very well met and their care and welfare needs effectively promoted. Young children and babies happily play with an extensive range of toys and equipment

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

that fully develop their curiosity and desire to explore their environment. Staff provide appropriate support and guidance ensuring children learn as they play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children readily engage in their play as they self-select toys and resources from the range of activities set out for them. These activities support their learning across all areas of learning. However, the learning environment is not effectively organised and limits the free-flow play experiences offered to children. Children are very involved and engrossed in their play. They become independent as they wash their hands after messy play and before snack and lunch times. They develop their concentration during activities such as investigating plant bulbs and when they regularly share and use the computer.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are eager to learn, self-assured in their play and confident to try out new experiences. They enjoy and show curiosity as they touch, handle and learn about the albino hedgehog. Staff skilfully extend children's learning experiences as they play with torches and show excitement as they follow beams of light around the room. All children have a positive approach to group story time as well as independently using books. Children count confidently from 1 to 10 in circle time and recognise numbers drawn out of a bag. Children routinely access a wide variety of activities in the dedicated messy room, that assist their creative and imaginative play. These include water play, sand and straw, and painting activities. Children use their imagination as they act out 'going to the doctors' in the home corner. Children are well supported in their

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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 learning by the good organisation of time and resources and the effective deployment of staff, who encourage and guide the children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff provide a wide range of planned activities and experiences that are based on the Foundation Stage curriculum. Assessments are regularly undertaken and documented ensuring children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Children are making consistently good progress in all of the six areas of learning. A flexible approach to curriculum planning ensures there is a good balance between adult and child-led activities. The weekly planning identifies the planned activities for the week and the areas of learning covered. However, these plans do not differentiate activities for the differing ages and abilities of the children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children receive a warm welcome in the nursery and easily settle when they arrive because staff value and respect their individuality. Staff provide a secure and nurturing environment where children's individual needs are very well supported. Children have a good sense of belonging and their self-esteem is well supported. They are helped to play a full part in the group whatever their individual needs or abilities. They have equal access to activities whatever their gender, ethnicity, religion or ability. Children access a wide range of resources, books and activities that promote their understanding of the wider world and others. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are well behaved and are learning about appropriate behaviour due to the positive and encouraging approach as well as the simple reward strategies used by nursery staff. These include giving stickers and certificates to children. Children listen attentively to staff during group or story times and are learning to wait for their turn when talking to the group. Children talk to each other and are learning to negotiate sharing their toys and taking turns. Staff have a calm approach to all situations. This reflects on children's behaviour which is generally good.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. The nursery management is aware of the importance and benefits of developing good communication and working closely with parents. Nursery staff make initial visits to new children in their own homes, which encourages children to settle confidently when they start nursery. Parents receive written and verbal feedback about their child's care and welfare needs and learning, ensuring children are settled and well supported in the nursery. Parents are invited to attend parent's evenings during the year and they receive a report about their child's progress and achievements. All these aspects ensure that parents are informed about the progress and development of their children, and are included in their care and education, therefore, enabling children to be supported appropriately.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children’s care needs are clearly identified and well met through suitably organised records and documents that are discussed and completed with parents. Policies and procedures have

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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 been adopted that reflect the care provided and guide staff in their work with children. Recruitment and vetting procedures are suitably rigorous and robust, and ensure children are well protected and cared for by staff with knowledge and understanding of child development.

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Organisation

There are good staffing levels and staff are deployed effectively for the benefit of the children. Staff work seamlessly as a team offering appropriate support for children and providing a secure environment for them. Most staff have a relevant childcare qualification and there is a strong commitment to staff training. This ensures they keep up-to-date with changes in legislation and practices. All required consent forms, policies and documentation are in place, this assists in the smooth running of the setting.

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Organisation

The leadership and management are good and effective in monitoring and evaluating the funded education and care provision. There is a strong commitment to reviewing, developing and further improving the organisation and practice within the nursery for the benefit of the children. Staff are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities and have a good understanding of how children learn and develop. Staff appraisals and meetings are used to evaluate and monitor practices, improve standards and address any issues.

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Organisation

The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The previous care and nursery education inspections recommended that the nursery should keep a separate record of children's existing injuries and any behavioural incidents. Staff should also evaluate the planned activities and link them to children's assessments, and ensure there are more frequent observations of children while they play.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The nursery has introduced an excellent system for recording any incidents or existing injuries involving children. Staff have been fully trained by managers on how to accurately fill-out these forms. Staff evaluate the planned activities, however, it is not clear how these are linked to children's assessments. Observations are now completed on each child twice termly. These observations are used to assess children's progress along the stepping stones to the early learning goals.

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Improvements since the last inspection

These changes have greatly improved the quality of the care and learning offered to children.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since 1 April 2004 there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that require 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 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 delivery of meals and tidying up after meal times is managed more effectively.

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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): • ensure the learning environment is effectively organised so that children experience a wider range of free-flow activities • develop the curriculum planning to allow for differentiation of activities

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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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