Koala - Kidz

Koala - Kidz

Inspection report for early years provision

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Koala - Kidz

EY261311 Unique Reference Number 15 November 2006 Inspection date Caroline Wright Inspector

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Koala - Kidz

Old Buttery Nursery, 16 High Street, Willingham, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB4 5ES

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E-mail

Koala-Kidz 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The Old Buttery Nursery is one of three nurseries run by Koala-Kidz Ltd. It was registered under the current ownership in 2004 and operates from converted domestic premises in the centre of Willingham, Cambridgeshire. A maximum of 60 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08:00 to 18:00 for 52 weeks of the year, excluding Bank Holidays. All children share access to a secure, enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 25 children aged from 0 to under eight years on roll. Of these, five children receive funding for early education. Children come from the local area. The nursery currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties or disabilities and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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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 nine members of staff; eight of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. On member of staff is currently working towards further early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn about personal hygiene through regular routines such as washing their hands before eating and they know that they need to wash their hands ‘because they’re dirty’. Staff act as good role models, wiping down surfaces before serving food and after children have eaten, to help children to stay healthy. Children learn about leading a healthy lifestyle through everyday, practical experiences. They run around and exert themselves outdoors so that they learn the importance of regular fresh air and exercise. They develop new physical skills such as riding bicycles or climbing on the tyres; a regular ‘Gym–tots’ session in the play barn helps children to develop good co-ordination and muscular control. Children learn about healthy eating through practical experiences and discussions with their key-workers. They talk about the benefits of drinking milk and know that, ‘calcium…makes your bones grow’. Their nutritional

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Helping children to be healthy

needs are well met. Special diets and allergies are catered for. Main meals are freshly cooked each day and are well-balanced. Children enjoy eating them and frequently ask for ‘more’. In addition children are given a healthy snack and afternoon ‘tea’ each day. Older children are able to help themselves to a drink of water easily whenever they want one, so that they remain well hydrated and stay healthy.

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Helping children to be healthy

The needs of children under three-years-old are well met by adults who have a sound understanding of their developmental needs. Babies are able to take a rest when they want to; a comfortable sleep room ensures that children are able to rest in the middle of the day so that they are refreshed and able to enjoy the afternoon activities. A satisfactory range of large and small equipment set out at activities enables children to develop new physical skills according to their stage of development.

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Helping children to be healthy

If the children become unwell or have an accident whilst they are in the care of nursery, adequate records are in place to make sure that appropriate care is given and staff are appropriately qualified to give first aid if they need to.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children move around safely under the constant supervision of the nursery staff. Children learn how to keep themselves safe through meaningful discussions with their key-workers and know that ‘you mustn’t touch knives because they are sharp’. Visits to the nursery from the local Police Officers help children to learn about personal safety through practical experiences and staff provide emergency role play activities for children to consolidate their learning through play situations.

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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 A range of good procedures ensure the safety of the environment so that children are well protected from dangers. For example, a stair gate prevents children from accessing the upstairs area without adult supervision; a double gated entry system with a coded keypad prevents members of the public from entering the premises uninvited and ensures that children are unable to leave the nursery unescorted. In addition, children learn about staying safe outside the setting, holding hands if they go for a walk around the village with their key-workers. They have a clear understanding of how to cross the road and know that they need to ‘look left and right because of the cars’. Children use resources that are appropriate for their age and stage of development; these are checked regularly by the nursery staff to ensure they are in good

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children’s welfare is safeguarded and promoted by staff who hold current first aid certificates and are committed to maintaining children’s ongoing safety. Health and safety assessments always feature on the agenda for team meetings to ensure that any potential hazards are effectively minimised. The written procedure for child protection is in line with those of the Local Safeguarding Children Board and all of the essential documents to promote children’s ongoing well-being are in place. However, some staff are unclear about their role in protecting children and do not know where they can find further information or advice in the absence of the designated person with responsibility for Child Protection. This affects children’s welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time at the nursery and form very good relationships with each other and key adults. They access a range of interesting activities, which help them to learn. For example, they walk to the neighbour’s garden to collect apples to help them learn about healthy eating and the natural world through practical experiences. Babies and toddlers actively explore texture when they play on the floor and investigate fruit jelly. Children enjoy telling their own stories about the 'big crane' and ‘talking to mummy’ on the mobile telephone, while they learn about everyday technology and develop their imagination. They investigate and manipulate a wide range of interesting materials with their hands, such as ‘gloop’, flour and ice, to learn about the world they live in, develop their language and extend their thinking.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff working with children under three years-old, carefully plan activities in line with the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework. Key-workers observe children daily and assess their development. However, they do not use children’s progress records to help them to plan activities that build on children’s existing skills. In addition, children are not able to extend their learning beyond the planned learning intentions because they do not access further resources or to initiate their own activities.

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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 use their imagination the role play ‘shop’, using 'shopping trolleys' as buggies for their 'babies' or playing with small-world cars and the garage. They explore their creativity in art and craft, painting a picture of a spider and sticking paper on top or building large scale model

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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 boats with recycled boxes when they celebrate Chinese New Year. Children talk about numbers and use the language of mathematics at snack time when they count the number of children and talk about their cup which is 'full to the top'. They use their developing knowledge of mathematics to solve practical problems: with the help of effective teaching they come to the conclusion that they need to cut a piece of banana into four pieces in order that there is enough for everyone to share. They communicate effectively and use a wide range of vocabulary to express their ideas and talk about what they know. Staff skilfully extend children’s thinking: when children say that ‘Apples come from Tesco’, their key-worker's sensitive questions help them deduce that they ‘grow on trees’. Children talk about their families and discuss what they

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

do at home, extending their understanding of culture and lifestyles. Good strategies are in place to enable children with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language to make suitable progress.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children listen well to stories at circle time and retell stories with understanding, using the language of books in their play. They look at books alone and turn the pages carefully from front to back. Children point to text and ask adults ‘what does that say?’; they recognise their own name and know the initial sounds of familiar words. However, some activities lack challenge for more able children. For example, staff write children’s names on artwork unless they know they can do it for themselves; they prepare fruit for snack and set the tables for meals. This limits learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff working with funded three and four year-old children have a good understanding of how young children learn through practical experiences and have a good knowledge of the foundation stage curriculum. They understand how the activities they provide contribute to children’s progress towards the early learning goals. They carry out regular observations of children and are skilled in using them to evaluate children’s progress. However, they do not use children’s progress records to inform curriculum planning so that activities offer appropriate challenge for all children and build on what they already know and can do. This impacts upon children’s learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children show a strong sense of belonging as they greet key-workers and each other upon arrival at the nursery. Children work together co-operatively during group activities; they know that ‘we have to share, don’t we?’ Adults carefully explain what they expect children to do in a way that the children can understand and children behave well. Staff encourage children to respect each other’s needs and to use conventions such as ‘please’ and ‘thank-you’, acting as positive role models themselves. Children’s daily access to a suitable range of resources that reflect diversity, to help them to learn about other members of society through their play, is limited. However, children talk with each other about their families and engage in activities that help them to learn about other life-styles; circle time discussions enable them to talk about what they do at home so that they learn about each other's family cultures and traditions. This

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Helping children make a positive contribution

enables children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development to be fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children choose from the activities provided that they will take part in. However, the organisation of the nursery sessions does not encourage children’s decision making and children do not

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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 always have enough time to fully explore activities or develop skills and extend their ideas. For example, adults instruct children to tidy away resources to fit in with routines, regardless of whether they are grossly involved in learning; children are unable to access certain areas, such as the play barn or the outdoor play area, except when it is time-tabled; snack is prepared and served by adults, missing opportunities for children to learn new skills. This affects independence and impacts upon learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Positive relationships support children’s care and contribute to the progress of children who receive funded early education. The nursery plans to improve written information about the provision and the foundation stage curriculum so that parents and carers know what their children will learn. Parents receive satisfactory information about nursery activities on the notice boards, so that they can support their child’s learning at home. A successful key-worker system enables parents to share information informally on a daily basis and make written comments on what their children do at home. However, parents’ observations of children’s progress are not used to inform planning of activities that build on what children already know and can do. This impacts on learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. All areas of the nursery environment are attractive and provide plenty of space for children to move around safely and independently. The provider uses effective recruitment procedures, which ensure that the staff have appropriate experience and the necessary qualifications to carry out their role. All staff are rigorously vetted to ensure that they are suitable to work with children.

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Organisation

All of the legally required documents, which contribute to children’s health, safety and well-being, are in place.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of early education is satisfactory. Staff working with funded children receive training in the Early Learning Goals and have a good understanding of child development. However, the system for monitoring the foundation stage, to ensure that all recommendations for improvement are completed effectively and activities offer sufficient challenge, is not effective. The manager delegates this responsibility to the pre-school room leader and as a result, improvement since the last inspection is limited and some activities lack challenge. This impacts upon learning.

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Organisation

In addition, the system for monitoring overall practice in the nursery fails to ensure that staff's knowledge of Child Protection issues is secure and it does not make sure that procedures for recording accidents and providing all children with free access to drinking water are consistently implemented. This affects children’s health and safety.

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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 inspection the nursery agreed to develop a system to enable children to freely access drinking water through out the day; ensure that the child protection procedure for the nursery complies with local Area Child Protection Committee (ACPC) and includes a procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff, visitor or volunteer; request written permission from parents for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment and ensure that blanket consent is not obtained to administer medication.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection children's health and safety has been improved because the child protection procedure has been updated so that it reflects Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures and contains all of the essential elements. A satisfactory system has been implemented to ensure that parents written permission to administer both long and short term medication to children is in place. However, whilst older children have free access to drinking water, current practice in the baby room does not take account of children who are not able to ask their key-worker for a drink when they want one. This affects children's health and will be carried forward from this inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The nursery also agreed to improve the provision for funded early education. They agreed to create more opportunities for children to be independent in personal tasks, to select activities and resources for themselves, providing opportunities to develop their own ideas; ensure that assessments are used effectively to inform immediate planning for individual children, to identify the next steps and build upon what children already know; develop partnership with parents by providing meaningful information about the Foundation Stage and ensure that there are effective systems to exchange information with parents so that they are able to comment on their child's achievements at home and are better informed of their child's progress within the setting.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The system that the nursery has put in place for monitoring early education has resulted in limited improvement in the nursery education programme. Although parents are able to record their observations of what children do at home on 'feedback sheets', these are not added to children's assessment records nor used to plan future activities that build on what children know. Improvements have been made to the way activities and resources are organised in the pre-school room, but children are not actively encouraged to access resources nor to initiate their own activities independently. The nursery routine impacts upon the amount of time children have available to develop their own ideas. These issues will be carried forward from this inspection. However, the nursery have improved the way they inform parents about the Foundation Stage and early learning goals. They have plans in place which will secure further

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Improvements since the last inspection

improvements to the partnership with parents and carers so that they can support their children's learning at home.

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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 maintains 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 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 staff's knowledge and understanding of child protection procedures and make sure they know where they can access further information if they have concerns for a child's welfare.

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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): • continue to improve the organisation of nursery sessions to promote children's free choice and ability to make decisions: provide children with enough time to develop their ideas; encourage them to access additional resources and to move around and use the environment freely so that they can extend their learning by pursuing their own interests (this also applies to care) • improve the system for monitoring nursery education and for overseeing practice throughout the setting: ensure that recommendations for improvement are completed effectively to secure future improvement and make sure that nursery policies and procedures, which promote children's health and safety, are consistently implemented (this also applies to care) • continue to improve planning and assessment: use parents' observations of what children

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

do at home in assessment records; use children's assessment records to plan opportunities that build on existing skills; identify where individual children's interests can be used to provide challenging learning opportunities that promote progress across areas of development (this also applies to care).

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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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